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Essen, August 14, 2024. The representatives of the approx. 100 consular and diplomatic missions of foreign states in North Rhine-Westphalia accepted the invitation of Minister President Hendrik Wüst to Villa Hügel in Essen. Among the guests at the special reception for the NRW Consular Corps was Honorary Consul Bernhard Stempfle as well as the Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media and Head of the State Chancellery, Nathanael Liminski.

At the summer reception, Minister-President Wüst paid tribute to the significant commitment and valuable exchange with the Consular Corps in NRW: “Wars, crises and conflicts shake our global and European order. Trusting international cooperation and close friendships across national borders are therefore more important today than ever. Peace can no longer be taken for granted - even in Europe - as the last two years have brutally shown us. That is why we must always seek dialog and show that our democratic societies thrive on consensus and compromise,” said Minister-President Hendrik Wüst.

“In North Rhine-Westphalia, we are closely connected with our partners. The Consular Corps builds bridges and is of particular importance for trusting cooperation and maintaining our friendships. Our partnerships and transnational dialog are particularly important when things get stormy at international level. One thing is certain for me: we will only be able to meet the enormous challenges we face if we work together.”

Hamburg, April 25, 2024. A detailed replica of the Principality of Monaco on a 36-square-meter area at a scale of 1:87 can now be visited at “Miniatur Wunderland” in Hamburg's Speicherstadt. Prince Albert II and his family inaugurated the new section, which impresses with a live Formula 1 race among the 245 replicated buildings – including the Prince's Palace, the Casino, the Fairmont Hotel, and the Oceanographic Museum. 8,500 sensors make the world's first autonomous miniature Formula 1 race possible.

The inauguration of this extraordinary Monaco model was attended by Monaco's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Isabelle Berro, Ambassador Lorenzo Ravano, Honorary Consul Bernhard J. Stempfle, and other Monegasque consuls in Germany and Austria. The evening, dedicated to German-Monegasque friendship, made it clear that the replica, which after seven years of construction now includes 50,000 figures and 1,500 trees, builds a visible cultural bridge between the two countries. It allows visitors to experience the Principality in a unique way and learn more about its attractions.

The following day, the attending diplomatic representatives of Monaco came together for the "Annual Consular Meeting" of the Monegasque Embassy at the premises of the internationally renowned creative and advertising agency Jung von Matt. The agency's co-founder, Holger Jung, is the Honorary Consul of Monaco in Hamburg. Here, Foreign Minister Isabelle Berro presented, among other things, the strategic directions of Monaco's foreign policy.

Dernau, December 20. The reconstruction work in the Ahr Valley, which is being supported by a donation from the "Club Allemand International de Monaco" (CAI), among others, is showing encouraging progress. Honorary Consul Bernhard Johannes Stempfle handed over a symbolic cheque for 10,000 euros to the municipality of Dernau in October 2021 – exactly three months after the flood disaster, which affected 90 percent of the 1,800 local residents – to help rebuild the village square.

A lot has happened since Stempfle’s visit. The square has been renovated and refurbished to such an extent that the Dernau St. Martin's market could be held there again in mid-November, for example. This marks a positive milestone on the way to revitalizing the community.

The completely renewed paving, the new walls and flower beds as well as the lovingly designed planting show what the donations have already achieved. The reconstruction fund of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate has made this possible, while the CAI's donation played a key role in speeding up the process.

The next steps are already being planned with a pergola (roofing) and a toilet room. The timetable envisages the square being fully completed in spring 2024. The new village square will not only become a central meeting place for the community, but also a symbol of solidarity.

Düsseldorf, December 6, 2023: An evening of international exchange: Bernhard J. Stempfle, Honorary Consul of the Principality of Monaco in North Rhine-Westphalia, took part in the state parliament's Advent reception for the consular corps. André Kuper, President of the State Parliament of NRW, emphasized the importance of such meetings in view of the numerous crises worldwide. NRW is committed to making a positive contribution through cooperation and community spirit. In this context, Kuper welcomed two personalities who are particularly committed to this goal: Dr. Stephan Holthoff-Pförtner, former Minister for Federal and European Affairs, and Stefan Engstfeld, current Chairman of the State Parliament's Committee on European and International Affairs. The new Doyenne of the Consular Corps in NRW, the Consul General of Portugal, Lidia Nabais, expressed her thanks for the commitment of the state government and the state parliament, which is reinforced by many stable personal relationships.

Monaco, November 19, 2023: Selected diplomats and state dignitaries gathered in the Principality to celebrate Monaco's national holiday. Taking part in this year's "Fête du Prince": Bernhard Johannes Stempfle, Honorary Consul of the Principality of Monaco in North Rhine-Westphalia, and his wife Karin Stempfle.

The day before the celebrations, the focus was on German-Monegasque relations. The honorary consuls in Germany came together with the members of the International German Club of the Principality of Monaco (Club Allemand International de la Principauté de Monaco, "CAI") for a get-together. Saturday evening saw the official kick-off at the Yacht Club de Monaco with the traditional Spectacle Pyrotechnique, a large fireworks display over the marina.

The national holiday itself began with the "Te Deum", the hymn of praise followed by a prayer for the sovereign, in the Notre-Dame-Immaculée cathedral, followed by the "Prise d'Armes" military parade. The celebrations ended with a cultural highlight at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo: Jonas Kaufmann, one of the greatest tenors of our time, performed a tribute to Caruso, who was artistically active in Monaco.

Düsseldorf/Berlin, 8 August 2023: In his function as Honorary Consul of the Principality of Monaco, Bernhard Johannes Stempfle, Managing Director Finance & Infrastructure of Messe Düsseldorf, attended two receptions in the summer of 2023. The Ambassador of the Principality of Monaco, Lorenzo Ravanao, and his wife Claudia Ravano were invited to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Berlin on 7 July. The occasion was the anniversary of the accession of Prince Albert II of Monaco.

This was followed on 8 August by the premiere of the Parliamentary Summer Party of the State Parlia-ment of North Rhine-Westphalia in Düsseldorf. The President of the Landtag, André Kuper, invited guests for the first time to this exchange between politics, culture, business and the international com-munity.

Düsseldorf, December 2, 2022 - Prince Albert II has received the honorary award of the German Sustainability Award for his foundation, which also works with Messe Düsseldorf to promote marine conservation. The Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco is one of the world's largest and most effective environmental foundations and has supported 720 projects worldwide with around 92 million euros since its establishment in 2006. Together with the German Ocean Foundation and Messe Düsseldorf, it presents the annual "ocean tribute" award at boot Düsseldorf, which honors special commitment to marine conservation. Prior to the presentation of the German Sustainability Award, Prince Albert II visited the Drei-Scheiben-Hochhaus in Düsseldorf with Ambassador Lorenzo Ravano and Honorary Consul Bernhard Stempfle, among others.

Düsseldorf, January 27, 2022. Exactly 77 years ago, the Allied troops arrived at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. On the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Bernhard Johannes Stempfle, Honorary Consul of the Principality of Monaco in NRW, is also making a statement against the forgetting and participates in the #WeRemember campaign of the World Jewish Congress. "Hatred and collective silence significantly paved the way to the Holocaust," says Stempfle. "During the Covid Crisis, we are seeing an increase in racism, far-right slogans and conspiracy theories. We must counter this to create a better future."

Dernau, October 14, 2021 – Bernhard J. Stempfle visited the municipality of Dernau exactly three months after the flood disaster in the Ahr valley. There he presented Mayor Alfred Sebastian with a symbolic donation check from the "Club Allemand International de Monaco" (CAI) in the amount of 10,000 euros, which will go towards the renovation of the village square.

"The damage is still considerable," Stempfle describes his impressions. According to the municipality, around 90 percent of the 1,800 inhabitants have been affected, and several people have died. "In the village itself, houses including beautiful half-timbered houses have been and are being demolished, especially when heating oil has leaked and contaminated the walls," Stempfle reports.

Beatrix Freifrau von Dellingshausen and Patrick Wetzel, co-presidents of the CAI, emphasize how important this commitment is to them and the entire association: "Charity is expressly one of our goals. As an organization that bridges the gap between Germany and Monaco, it is natural for us to help in this emergency situation."

Since its founding in 1973, the CAI has donated more than 3.5 million euros – including to various Monegasque institutions such as the Red Cross, the Prince Albert II. Foundation, the Princess Charlene Foundation, the Princesse Grace Hospital or humanitarian associations such as Mission Enfance or AMAPEI.