After musical items from a choir of German and visiting African young people, we were greeted by various people including Bishop Margot Kaessmann and the General Secretary of the Kirchentag, Friederike von Kirchbach, as well as the lively and progressive-minded Oberbuergermeister of Hannover. Divided into language-groups, we were given a few hints and reminded of the haven of the International Centre upstairs at the Messe.