did you know?
Initially called the Porsche 60 by Ferdinand Porsche, the VW Bug was officially named the KdF-Wagen when the project was launched in 1931. The name refers to Kraft durch Freude (Strength Through Joy), the official leisure organization in the Third Reich. It was later named Volkswagen (The People's Car), the first edition was known as the Type 1, but became more commonly known as the (Käfer) Beetle after World War II.
About CGES
The Center for German and European Studies at Brandeis University was founded in 1997 by a generous gift from the German government to Brandeis University, and dedicated in May 1998 by Chancellor Helmut Kohl.