Ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, Imanuel Marcus of The Berlin Spectator published a personal tribute to the United States in the “Jüdische Allgemeine”, the German-language Jewish weekly he works for as an editor.
In the piece, titled “250 Gründe, die USA zu lieben” (“250 Reasons to Love the USA”), he lists 250 individual memories and observations drawn from a combined seven years he spent living in the country as a foreign correspondent (and, many years before, as a four-year-old).
The list spans an unusually wide range of categories. It includes entries dedicated to politics, history, public figures, culture and more. In some sections, the list turns personal and nostalgic, touching on everyday American life and the peculiarities of the imperial measurement system.
The result is less a conventional op-ed than a personal love letter to the country — equal parts memoir, cultural commentary, and Independence Day tribute.
The full list, in German, is available on the “Jüdische Allgemeine” website.
