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| August 2003 Newsletter |
| LANGUAGE COURSES UPDATES . . . . . . . . |
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• The German-Maltese Circle is running its German Language Summer Revision Courses for Schoolchildren with a total of 12 classes catering for about 270 schoolchildren. Of these, 64 are attending our German Language Induction Courses for Primary Schoolchildren entitled “German is Fun & Easy”. • The German-Maltese Circle reminds those members who attended our Grundstufe classes last scholastic year and who sat for the end-of-course examinations that the results of these examinations can be viewed on the Circle’s Noticeboard on weekdays between 8.30a.m. and 8.30p.m. • Enrolment for the new 2003-2004 German language courses for adults will start as from the 18th August. Information on these courses is already available on our website www.germanmaltesecircle.org In the meantime we wish to announce that also this scholastic year, the Circle will be organising German language courses for schoolchildren attending Forms 1 to 5. Full information can be seen on our website and will be mailed to all members in the next few weeks. Government employees who wish to benefit from sponsorship for their courses are to contact the Staff Development Organisation at the Office of the Prime Minister. • As from this October, a new textbook will be introduced for our Grundstufe I (First Year Beginners’ Course) replacing the STUFEN presently in use at the German-Maltese Circle. Moreover, a new structure for our courses has been developed which would reduce the Grundstufe levels from three to two – meaning that an “O” level standard in German can be reached after two years of tuition instead of three years. • Also this year, the German-Maltese Circle will be offering courses in preparation for the Goethe Institute Examinations – Zertifikat Deutsch, Zentrale Mittelstufen Prüfung and Zentrale Oberstufen Prüfung. •
Introduced again after some years and following strong
demand by many students will be tuition aimed at preparing students
for the MATSEC Advanced level German. Phone our office for more
information. |
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TTwo Maltese–German Cultural Institutions? |
YES - and their names are - German-Maltese Circle resp. Deutsch-Maltesischer Zirkel, in Malta, and - Deutsch-Maltesische Gesellschaft e.V. resp. Maltese-German Association, in Germany. Over and again it occurs that Maltese or German people interested in the cultural activities of both countries are puzzled by the similar names and do not realize the individual existence of each of these two organisations. They are in fact two different bodies and the following description of both organisations might help to clarify the subject for our readers. The German-Maltese Circle – GMC for short – was founded already in 1962 in Valletta, where it is still situated, today at Messina Palace in St. Christopher Street. The aims and purposes right from the beginning were friendly associations between Germans living in Malta and Maltese citizens interested in German ways of life. During its forty years of existence the GMC has always been furthering relationships and exchange between the two countries, presented annually many cultural activities with a German flair, including performances of orchestras, choirs, dance groups etc. In the beautifully restored rooms of Messina Palace many German artists have exhibited their works to large audiences. The GMC is famous and renowned for teaching the German language with a broad spectre of specified classes tailored for adults, and offering the possibility of sitting for examiantions under the auspices of the Goethe Institute InterNationes. The GMC is guided by a committee, with Mr. Albert Friggieri as President. The Maltese-German Association – DMG for short - was founded 1991 in Bonn, Germany, and has now its seat in Adenau in the Eifel mountains of Rheinland-Pfalz. The aims of the association are basically the same as of the GMC, only targeted from Germany towards Malta. Also this organisation pursues to strengthen cultural bonds between the two countries, and has so far on a great number of occasions hosted Maltese youth and adult groups, band clubs, dance ensembles for performances in Germany. Numerous Maltese artists under the umbrella and with the assistance of the DMG have exhibited their works in cities like Berlin, Düsseldorf, Adenau, amongst many others. Unlike the GMC, the DMG does not offer tuition in Maltese or English, but is most willing to assist in contacts between the two countries which so far culminated in the twinning of the cities of Mellieha and Adenau in 1996. The DMG is guided by a Präsidium, with Mr. Bernd Schiffarth as President. It
is a special pleasure to state that both organisations work closely
together and are in constant contact as far as exchange programs
and mutual matters are concerned. Each society publishes its own
Newsletter, the GMC on a monthly basis, and the DMG every quarter.
The
German-Maltese Circle Deutsch-Maltesische
Gesellschaft e.V. |
Wolken und der ständige Wandel von Guenter Schlichte |
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Wolken kommen und gehen. Wir beobachten sie, wenn wir die Zeit dazu finden, wenn wir Regen fürchten oder auf ihn warten. Manchmal denken wir darüber nach, woher sie wohl kommen, ob sie wohl ein Ziel haben, das auch für uns reizvoll wäre?! Die schwebenden Wolken regen unsere Träume an, diese zerrinnen genau so schnell wie die kunstvoll dahinschwebenden Formen, denen wir uns manchmal am liebsten anschließen würden. Als Realisten wissen wir natürlich, dass wir sie ziehn lassen müssen, ganz gleich wie verlockend das imaginäre Ziel auch scheinen mag. Vielleicht würde sich die Reise auch gar nicht lohnen, vielleicht wäre sie schon an den Küsten Gozos zu Ende, wer weiß? Vielleicht würden sie bei west-östlichen Winden aber auch weitere Reisen erlauben, z.B. auf den unsichtbaren Spuren des Apostel Paulus bis nach Griechenland?! Solcherlei Gedanken sind genauso flüchtig, wie die dahinschwebenden anregenden Wolken, die uns beleben und belasten können. Wer ist nicht schon in einem Flugzeug geflogen und konnte die unterschiedlichsten Formen, “Berge” oder sonstige Bilder aus nächster Nähe betrachten. Manchmal tut uns der Pilot den Gefallen, bei guter Weitsicht das Höhenruder zu ziehen oder seitlich um das “Gebirge” herumzufliegen. Oft muss er es durchschneiden, weil ihm die Bodenstationen keine Abweichung von der vorgeschriebenen Route erlauben. Wir fühlen uns dann für kurze Zeit unwohl und freuen uns, wenn wir dem Leben durch die sichtbare Sonne näher gekommen sind und die Wolken unter uns lassen konnten. Aber sie sind immer noch schön, manchmal täuschen sie eine riesige Schneedecke vor, auf der wir Ski fahren möchten. Aber es ist nur Schein! Wir würden ins Bodenlose fallen, kein schöner Gedanke! Im Hochsommer wünschen wir uns oft Wolken, um vor den schädlichen Strahlen der Sonne etwas Schutz zu haben. Wir wünschen uns schwere Wolken, die hin und wieder Regen bringen, wenn Sonne und Wind das Land ausgetrocknet haben. Ein strahlend blauer Himmel ist uns willkommen, wenn über längere Zeit zu viele Wolken unsere täglichen Begleiter waren. Dann sehnen wir uns nach anregenden Sonnenstrahlen, die unsere Stimmung heben und uns vieles leichter ertragen lassen. Wolken sind wichtig, sie sorgen für ständigen Wandel, mit dem wir uns auch auf anderen Ebenen beschäftigen. Der Wandel hält uns auf Trab, auch wenn es manchmal anstrengend ist. Die Wolken Sind nur ein Symbol dafür.
The Library is open during Summer in the mornings and evenings. It will be closed only between the 15th and the 24th August. Members are welcome to make full use of our facilities. Overdue books, videos and other material should be returned to the Library immediately. Mr Olaf Rieck on behalf of the Circle’s Committee thanks Frau Ingrid Chwolik (former Secretary to the German Ambassador) and Mr Berhard M. Baron (a supporting member of the Circle from Weiden in der Oberpfalz) for their recent donations of books to the Library. New
videos in the KUBUS series have been received.
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| Father
John Sammut, Chaplain for the Catholic German Speaking Community in
Malta Former Teacher of German at the GMC ……. Interviewed by Ingrid B Kidder |
Father John Sammut speaks such excellent and rich German, that I felt
straight away prompted to ask the opening questions: Why and where
did you learn this language? How come you decided to study German?
And with a very happy smile he replied: “By accident –
in the Blue Sisters’ Hospital”. Explaining vividly how
this came about: he told me that once in his youth he was hospitalised
and a young German sailor occupied the bed next to him. Though both
of them were suffering and the wish for communication was ‘somewhat
reduced’, they found out, that neither of them spoke the other’s
language. Yet after a while, says Father Sammut, redeten wir mit Händen
und Füßen – they talked to each other with ‘hands
and feet’. But curiosity won and the first German words were
learnt.
During his seminary
years he carried on with self tuition with the help of records and
books, indulging the feeling that he was able to speak German –
until he made his first experience as a Supply Priest in the tiny
hamlet of Herchen an der Sieg in 1968, where he had to realise –
painfully - how little he could speak and communicate. However,
after about two weeks, he said, he was able to contribute to a general
conversation in basic German and began to feel at home in the language.
Having been ordained in 1967, Father Sammut was Priest in Mosta and Curate in Bidnija, Parish Priest in Sta. Maria in Birkirkara, as well as Secretary to the Faculty of Theology at Tal-Virtu, Rabat. For his holidays he used to visit Germany and Switzerland to act as Supply Priest in parishes there, something he still likes to do now. Within the framework of his parish duties he was often acting as guide with specialisation in Maltese religious life and Maltese sacred art for parish groups coming from Germany. And in 1995 on the suggestion of Fr. Joe Sammut – who was also a teacher at the GMC as well as his predecessor at St. Barbara’s Church - he attended a proper guiding course at the Malta Tourist Authority and qualified as a guide for German speaking tourists. He prefers taking groups which are interested in culture and religion, accompanying them for their entire stay. His great hobby is roaming on long walks in the Maltese country side. Having been brought up in a farmhouse outside Mosta, he loves the tranquillity of the fields and open areas. So much so that as a Parish Priest of Sta. Maria in Birkirkara he started to take children, then gradually also the adult parishioners out for country walks. And a German friend of his even arranges for Wandergruppen from the Calw area in the Black Forest to come regularly for a week for their Maltese experience. On one of these
walking tours in Gozo, he found a dried out bush rolling with the
wind and tumbling down a pathway. He picked it up, took it to Birkirkara
Church, and with a red light behind it, the bush now resembles the
‘Burning Bush of Moses’ (Ex.3, 1-3) - so much for religious
life in everyday Malta. |
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