Class of 2009 - 2011

Monika Griebeler

Monika Griebeler

Born in 1984 in Trier. During her school years she also spent time in Forth Worth, US and Poznan, Poland. She studied Media Science, English Language and Literature and Politics in Göttingen and Krakow, Poland. She is also a graduate of the supplementary journalism training course for students run by the Institut zur Förderung publizistischen Nachwuchses (ifp) (Institute for the promotion of young journalists). Practical placements or freelance work with Trierischer Volksfreund, Mainzer Rhein-Zeitung, Märkische Oderzeitung, Associated Press, Deutsche Welle and Saarländischer Rundfunk.

Monika Twitter-style: Likes to browse flea markets, because there's always something to be discovered there. And stories to be told. She likes the "Wild East" too: the main thing is that she's on the move.


Benjamin Hammer

Benjamin Hammer

Born in 1983 in Cologne. He studied Economics and Politics at the University of Cologne and at Trinity College Dublin. He is a graduate of the Kölner Journalistenschule für Politik und Wirtschaft (Cologne Journalism School of Politics and Business). He also completed a school exchange program in the US. Before starting his studies, he lived in Israel for four months and later organized exchange programs with the region. Practical placements or freelance work with Tagesspiegel, Netzeitung, Berliner Zeitung, Der Spiegel and Spiegel Online.

Benjamin Twitter-style:Likes train stations because there is always something happening there. Just like in the world of journalism. Spends a lot of time in Berlin but is also true to his heritage as a 'Rhinelander' - just like Deutsche Welle.


Martin Heidelberger

Martin Heidelberger

Born in 1980 in Nouna (Burkina Faso). Spent time as an exchange student in the US and as a volunteer worker in Israel. He studied Africa Sciences, European Ethnology and Modern German Literature at the Humboldt University in Berlin. He also studied Journalism and Caribbean History at the Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla (Colombia). Practical placements or freelance work with Zitty Berlin, lit03.de, RBB Inforadio, DW-TV and Nachrichtenpool Lateinamerika (Latin American News Pool).

Martin Twitter-style: I wanted to become a photographer - and practiced thinking in pictures. But then I found I missed the analytical and narrative power of words. Maybe TV is where I belong?


Sarah Judith Hofmann

Sarah Judith Hofmann

Born in 1983 in Berlin, she spent her school years in Bonn. She moved to and fro between the two cities several times, attended a high school in the US and, after her graduation from school, spent three months working in Costa Rica. She studied General and Comparative Literature Sciences and Modern German Literature and History in Berlin and Paris. Practical placements or freelance work with Die Zeit, Berliner Zeitung, Tagesspiegel, Radio Multikulti (RBB), Aspekte (ZDF) and multicult2.0 (Onlineradio).

Sarah Judith Twitter-style: Can dance but can't sing. Loves going to concerts in Paris because everyone dances and sings along. Voluntarily. Whether they are good at it or not.


Artjom Maksimenko

Artjom Maksimenko

Born in 1980 in northern Kazakhstan, he came to Germany at the age of 15. After several semesters studying Commercial Law at the University of Siegen, he began studying Journalism at TU Dortmund, with additional studies in Political Science at the Ruhr-Universität-Bochum. Practical placements or freelance work with local newspapers and the Dortmund Campus newspaper 'Pflichtlektüre'.

Artjom Twitter-style: I am a living contradiction of the cliché that all Russian are gifted at maths and generally act in a decent and quiet manner.


Brigitta Moll

Brigitta Moll

Born in 1982 in Cologne. Brigitta went to school in France for a year. She later returned when she studied Law in Cologne and Paris. Having completed her state exams, she did the Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Journalism and Media within Globalization at the Universities of Arhus (Denmark), Amsterdam and Hamburg. Her research for her master’s thesis took her to Bethlehem in the Palestinian territories. Practical placements or freelance work with Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Radio Kölncampus, Haaretz.com in Tel Aviv, Israel, Berliner Zeitung and Financial Times Deutschland.

Brigitta Twitter-style: Important: Learning. Traveling. Making progress, looking back. Music and books in her baggage. On the road: films, art, photography. Important: people.


Jan-Philipp Scholz

Jan-Philipp Scholz

Born on 26 October 1981 in Bonn. During his school years he went on exchange in the US. After his alternative national service he spent six months in Australia. He studied Media Sciences, Political Sciences and Psychology in Bonn and Brest. Practical placements or freelance work with WDR, DW-TV, NDR and Controversy Film Productions in South Africa. He spent a year working for the Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (German Development Agency) in Uganda, after which he became a freelance employee of Deutsche Welle’s Africa/Middle East service.

Jan-Philipp Twitter-style: East Ugandan bushlands, a job with Learning by Ear, an internship. It all seems to fit into one year of a life. I’d never have thought it, but it’s great.


Sarah Steffen

Sarah Steffen

Born in 1984 in Bergisch Gladbach. Sarah studied at the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. She lived for three months in Beijing, China, and reported on the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Sarah is in the final stages of her studies at the University of Leipzig (Journalism and Political Science). Practical placements or freelance work with Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, taz, Radio Mephisto 97.6, Der Spiegel, among others.

Sarah Twitter-style: Began jotting things down in a notebook at an early age. Later worked for local newspapers, radio and TV in the US. Now I get to do everything at DW. Perfect!


Friedel Taube

Friedel Taube

Born in 1982 in Mainz, where he also grew up. In 2001, he began studying Cultural Sciences at the Europa University Viadrina in Frankfurt-on-Oder and at Uniwersytet Jagiellonski Krakow. Practical placements or freelance work with Rheinland-Pfalz online, ZDF Studio Warsaw, 105.5 Spreeradio, Berliner Zeitung and RBB television.

Friedel Twitter-style: From the Rhine to the Oder, to the Vistula, to the Spree, to the Moskva and back to the Rhine. Likes to play and listen to guitar music, likes PL, RU and FSV MZ 05 (soccer club).


Joscha Weber

Joscha Weber

Born in 1983 in Siegen, where he also grew up. Studied Communication Science, Political Science and Recent and Modern History in Münster and Aix-en-Provence. Practical placements with ZDF (Brussels and Mainz), Deutsche Welle (Bonn), dpa (Paris), La Marseillaise (Aix-en-Provence), among others. Freelance work with WDR (Münster), Deutsche Welle (Bonn), Tour Magazin (Munich), dpa (Münster), Westfälische Rundschau (Siegen) and Westfälische Nachrichten (Münster), among others.

Joscha Twitter-style: Recorded his first live report on cassette at the age of 8. Dortmund versus Schalke. Manni Breuckmann was my role model. Now he's retired. Is this my big chance?