November 2003 Newsletter

Some of our readers will already have had the pleasure of meeting Bernd Schiffarth on his numerous private or official visits to Malta, which he ‘discovered’ back in 1986. I interviewed him in his office in Adenau, this beautiful town in the Eifel Mountains of Rheinland-Pfalz, where he has been Mayor since 1981. For race-sport lovers: Adenau is situated next to Germany’s oldest Grand Prix Course, the Nürburgring, constructed in 1927. In the wake of the motor-sport activities, as well as hiking and skiing in the mountains, Adenau hosts two million visitors per annum. Adenau is also one of the German towns with special historical relations to the Order of the Knights of Malta. The knights had one of their commanderies there.

Of the many interesting details of Bernd Schiffarth’s education and vocation, I will acquaint you with just some of his highlights and achievements. Born near Cologne, his admirable professional and fast political career brought him early to Adenau. By profession Bernd Schiffarth is Diplom-Forstingenieur (Bachelor of Forestry Science). For people living in a country without forests, like Malta, this might require an explanation: A Diplom-Forstingenieur is someone trained to care for and administer the big forests still found in Germany, as well as looking after the animals and hunting the game of these forests. His responsibilities include the knowledge of the closed seasons, quotas (which animals and how many may be hunted), as well as knowledge and management of the animal population. In 1986 he was entrusted with leading the office Forstrevier für Betreuung der Privatwälder in der Region Adenau (Forestry Division for the privately owned forests in the region of Adenau), and became General Manager of an association uniting approximately two thousand private forest owners.

But it was his life outside the magic of high trees and roaming deer that gave fertile ground to developing Bernd Schiffarth’s connections to Malta. After an initial visit in 1986 he soon organised tours for the citizens of Adenau to view the historic sites in Malta, and supported student exchanges and partnership projects in close cooperation with the Maltese embassy in Germany and the German Embassy in Malta as well as with the German-Maltese Circle. During the following years many contacts were made and promoted, whereby one of the encouraging forces was Albert Friggieri, then Ambassador for Malta in Germany, today President of the German-Maltese Circle.

After Malta had introduced the system of Local Councils, Bernd Schiffarth was the driving force for the twinning between Mellieha and Adenau, which finally took place in 1996. This resulted in a constant stream of groups travelling in both directions: exchanges of pupils and students, musicians, dancers and sports teams, artists, members of the St. Johns Rescue Corps - to name only a few. During these visits Bernd Schiffarth always did his utmost to please and look after the Maltese guests in Adenau; and in Malta he tried to show and explain to the German groups as much of the archipelago as possible. In recognition of his very special endeavours he was honoured with the distinction “Gieh il-Mellieha” (Ehrenbürgerschaft von Mellieha), and in Germany with the Order of Merit of the Federal State of Rheinland-Pfalz.

As Mayor of Adenau he was also the driving force behind the latest twinning of his city with Castione della Presolana in Italy. This took place in 2000. He had already signed Adenau’s very first twinning with Sillery in the Champagne region of France back in 1985. The importance of town twinning was underlined at a seminar for Maltese mayors held recently in Mellieha to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the important Elysée Treaty between France and Germany. Bernd Schiffarth, Mayor of Adenau in Germany, as well as M. Jacques Douadi, the Mayor of Sillery in France, - the mayors of the twinned towns - were guests of honour at the seminar and spoke about their experiences.

A very sincere concern of Bernd Schiffarth is an organisation called Die Lichtbrücke (The Bridge of Light). This is an association originally 'bringing light' to blind people in Bangladesh, building and equipping a hospital for eye-operations. Over the years, various other social projects were started, designed to relieve the pitiable situations in which some of the peoples of Bangladesh spend their short lives. Further hospitals, aid and equipment to cope with specific needs are planned and are in the process of being realised. Money is collected during benefit concerts and on any other suitable occasion, of which Bernd finds many.

Asked about an especially memorable situation during his so far 22 years of serving as Mayor, Bernd tells the following story: While congratulating a lady of Adenau on the occasion of her 90th birthday, he promised her to come and bring her the City's Greetings again on her 95th birthday. Replying in a hoarse voice she told him: Wenn Sie dann noch da sind, Herr Bürgermeister! - meaning ‘If YOU are still around, Mr. Mayor!'. - Well, we certainly wish Bernd Schiffarth many more years in office; there is no doubt that he will continue working to serve Maltese-German relations as admirably as he has done until now.