Welcome back. It's being billed one of the most important moments in the history of the United States of America: the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President - the first black man to hold the office. Obama's rise to power has been meteoric: just over two years ago, he was a relatively unknown senator and rank outsider for the Democratic nomination. Today, he's about to become US president and already enjoys a celebrity status usually reserved for pop stars and film icons. He has offered hope to millions of Americans at a time of economic crisis: and after four years of strained relations between Germany and the US, expectations here are running just as high.