During his first visit to Passau, - aptly dubbed "Bavarian Venice", - Consul General Eric Nelson was welcomed by Lord Mayor Albert Zankl and met with editors of the regional daily "Passauer Neue Presse" for an interview. The "Passauer Neue Presse" reaches more than half a million readers with 15 regional editions. Consul General Nelson also donated two book collections to the Europa-Bücherei Passau - one with favorite American children’s books, one with classic American literature and later met with Dr. Gerhard Waschler, member of Bavarian parliament, to discuss areas of possible cooperation. In the evening, Consul General Nelson gave a speech on Bavarian-American relations to members of the local Lions Club.