Within days of his arrival, Fischermann had quite a tale to tell. He looked out the window of his Church Street office in lower Manhattan on the morning of Sept. 11 and his mission unraveled right before his eyes--literally. "That day, I couldn't think," he said. But he had no choice. Frozen and somber, Germany's Die Zeit newspaper’s New York/economic correspondent had one million people awaiting his every word. He took out his notebook, started to talk and, eventually, when it all came together coherently, to write.

That is the role of the foreign correspondent: to be the bridge between here and there and to never be here or there for too long. Otherwise, according to Fischermann,"You are viewed as a professional expatriate."

Six years ago Fischermann arrived as Die Zeit's correspondent in London "with the Blair administration." As a young journalist straight out of school, Fischermann jumped into the London lifestyle with ease. He left, he said, when he knew everybody and everybody knew him. Too much comfort isn't good for a reporter, he said. "When you think about what would be more exciting than London, it's either New York or Buenos Aires," he said. Now in New York, Fischermann looks forward to the next phase of his career. "I would love to go to Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro next--someplace in Latin America. It's such a challenging place."

Thanks to Fischermann's right-hand man--his cell phone--no matter what continent he is on, he can still be found by his editor. To say that he receives calls frequently is an understatement.

Fischermann becomes slightly bashful when his picture is taken. He is not used to being the subject. He is used to finding the subject, whoever and wherever he or she may be. In London he found himself driving in black cars, down black alleyways with former MI5 and MI6 secret service agents, uncovering a story involving counter-espionage, bomb experts and master helicopter pilots.

Fischermann is fascinated by the publication he works for and the world it allows him to discover. "Last week I wrote a piece called 'America Wants Your Money'," he said. It was all about America gobbling up the world's savings. "It's actually true. There is no other industrialized country in the world that relies so much on other people's savings like America. Nobody really knew much about that."

Fischermann's career with Die Zeit (The Time) began with an internship he had with the paper while studying journalism in Cologne, Germany. The opportunity that came along was, as he puts it, the result of "pure luck." "I really think Die Zeit is the most interesting paper to work for and it has a very interesting tradition," said Fischermann. "For one, it's the biggest and the most liberal paper [in Germany]. For example, the editor-in-chief wrote a very strong article--a damned article about the World Economic Forum--and then someone who had been an intern for just three months was posted in the same place in the newspaper. That is something we encourage."

Die Zeit is the leading weekly newspaper in Germany. It draws a highly educated, liberal audience throughout Germany and boasts high-profile leaders, such as the former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Marion Grafin Donhoff, who is regarded as the "grand-dame" of liberal German journalism. Having served as everything from "globalization correspondent," as which he followed the global cyber-punk movement, to "New York lifestyle correspondent" which allows him to mix and mingle with the city's social and cultural elite, Fischermann has become a leading figure at Die Zeit.

Fischermann is Germany's window into New York City life. It is his job to bring the city and all that comes with it to his readers, whether it is the effects of Sept. 11 or the excitement of fashion week. "People in Germany are absolutely interested in what is going on in New York," even before Sept. 11, he said. "People look kind of enviously at places like New York and London because we don't have that world city in Germany. Berlin is somewhat trying to get there, but it still lacks the urban culture."

Because Fischermann is Die Zeit's sole correspondent in New York, his experiences become the experiences of his readers. Lucky for him, Fischermann finds New York, unlike London, an easy place to live and work. "New York is a big change because here people actually do call you back, especially in academia and the business world. People will sometimes even speak German with you. Business works much better here. I think this is what distinguishes New York."

When he has difficulty setting a date or getting a quote, Fischermann relies on his trusty, affected British accent. (He admits that there is something about a British accent that always seems to get him what he wants.) According to Fischermann, getting what he wants, means--most importantly--that his readers at home in Germany get what they want too.