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Bucerius Alumni Interview: Maria and Carl von Tippelskirch

Bucerius alumni Maria and Carl von Tippelskirch met during their first year at Bucerius Law School in 2000 and married in 2011. They say their wedding was almost a reunion of Class of 2005 graduates of the Bucerius Law School program. A year after the wedding, the couple moved to New York, where Carl works with Deutsche Bank in New York as a Private Wealth Manager. Maria, a University of Hamburg Assistant Professor on Criminal Law and White Collar Crime, is on a voluntary leave of absence while they live in New York City.

What one aspect of the Bucerius experience is the most important for you both?

ZEIT-Stiftung has proven that private initiatives can really make a difference. The success of Germany’s first private law school has created a role model for other universities and has led to major improvements of the public system of legal education in Germany.

What did you like the most about your time with Bucerius and the ZEIT-Stiftung?

We loved Brezeln und Wein, or Pretzels and Wine, after lectures and discussions that were part of the studium generale.

What do you value most in the Bucerius family?
It really is a family. People know each other, trust each other and support each other, even though they argue with each other – just like in a real family.

What did you enjoy most while in Hamburg?

We loved running around Alster Lake, brunching at a Portuguese Café at the Schanzenviertel, having a sunny afternoon at a beach club on the Elbe shore, dancing at the Reeperbahn and ending a great night out with a fish sandwich at the fish market at 5 a.m. And we can’t forget Bucerius Law School’s beautiful campus, of course.

What should every American know about Bucerius?

For those who are interested in Germany and German law, they should know that there is this excellent school in a great city.

What can Bucerius learn from the U.S.?

As foreigners in New York, we have experienced the U.S. as a very open, hospitable and tolerant place. We hope that Bucerius Law School continues to provide the same kind of environment for its many international students.

What is your biggest extravagance?

Buying German pretzels and sausages at overpriced specialty shops in New York City.

What is your current state of mind?

Overwhelmed by this amazing city!

What German proverb do you like most?

During the first year, many questions arose concerning the future of Bucerius Law School. Hein Kötz, our founding president, used the following English proverb so many times that it has actually become the Bucerius Law School proverb, and it has proved to be very true ever since: “Let’s cross the bridge when we come to it.”