Gozitan students, members of the German-Maltese Circle 
participate in a European Multinational Seminar in Germany

 

The German-Maltese Circle organises among many other activities, courses in the German language in Malta and Gozo. Since only few participants usually apply to attend courses in the German language in Gozo, an incentive was given to students under 24 years who are attending an advanced language course which started in Gozo in February  to attend a European multinational seminar between 19 July and 2 August. The aim of this seminar was to enhance the spoken German and also promote the exchange of views of youth from 8 different European countries. Thus each participant could learn about each other’s culture and values. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and Malta were represented in the project entitled Hoch 8. The students selected were Natalie Rose Bezzina of Xaghra, Jana Galea of Kercem, Victoria Xuereb of Xewkija, Mario Mallia of Zebbug, Josette Bajada of Munxar, Josianne Grima of San Lawrenz and Maria Gauci of Victoria on whose initiative this project was undertaken. 

The host organisers were Dr Alois Becker, Director General and Mr Bernhard Zimmermann, Project Coordinator for Akademie Klausenhof. Akademie Klausenhof is a Catholic Institution situated at the outskirts of Dingden, a very small village in the North Rhein Westphalia. There is a long tradition of programme exchanges between Gozo and Akademie Klausenhof. About 24 years Bishop Emeritus Nicholas Cauchi had initiated the contacts with Akademie Klausenhof. Since then many youth exchanges between the Gozo Curia and Germany took place. Other exchanges are still going on between the Ministry for Gozo and Germany. One can hardly find a person in Gozo who is not familiar with Akademie Klausenhof. This organisation can host up to 600 persons on residential basis. The courses organised on a regular basis deal mainly with vocational and language training among many others. The complex has its own Chapel, Library, Workshops for manual work like carpentry and mechanical engineering, computer rooms, art centre, and recreational rooms. 

Three preparatory meetings were held upon arrival in order to discuss the draft programme presented by the German hosts of the Hoch 8 project. A video-conference was held on the second day of the Seminar. The Gozitan students all dressed in a tourquoise T-shirt with the Maltese Flag in the background communicated with all the other participants gathered at the conference hall at Akademie Klausenhof. Red and white bouquets of flowers, handmade Gozo lace, Gozo scenes, maps of Malta and sports items were used as fillers during the video-conference.  

The highlight of the seminar was the participant nations’ presentation. The Malta group had to think creatively to make its promotion of the Maltese Islands and of the German-Maltese Circle as best as they could. An original power point presentation on the history, traditions and culture of the Island accompanied with singing to live music provided by the students themselves who played the violin, guitar and keyboard was the highlight of the presentation. 

The Europa Hoch 8 programme included also visits to Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Munster, Wesel and Duisburg.   The EU and local sponsors paid for part of the accommodation fees and of the students' travel expenses. 

Dr. Robert Vella-Baldacchino 
Deputy General Manager at the Malta Stock Exchange
Member of the German-Maltese Circle
Interviewed by Ingrid B. Kidder

The first thing that comes to mind when reading the word “Stock Exchange” is shares – with the hope of profits or the clenched memories of losses. But such an institution, the trading floor and the legal framework within which transactions are conducted, require professional management. And this is where Dr. Robert Vella-Baldacchino LL.D gets very actively engaged. As the Exchange Deputy General Manager he is involved in all legal issues or disputes relating to the holding of stocks as registered at the Central Securities Depository. He is also a Member of the Exchange Executive Committee responsible for making strategic policy recommendations to the Exchange Council and implementing policy decisions.   

In addition it is part of his scope to attend as many international symposiums and meetings of lawyers as possible, “As”, so he puts it, “Malta has to be proactive and cannot be introvert!” Robert has a strong tendency to globalisation, being a firm believer in a worldwide network of knowledge and application of prudent findings. His brief is that of contributing to forwarding recommendations for changes to Maltese Law to ensure harmonization with EU law and policy.   

Robert was born in 1964, the year when Malta gained its Independence. He grew up in Hamrun, and after finishing formal education in 1983, he studied Laws and Humanities in Malta. After graduating Doctor of Laws (LL.D) and Bachelor of Arts in 1988 he recalls “getting into the mainstream of continental European thought”. This prompted him to take up a further two years’ postgraduate course in European Laws and Economics at the University of Milan. He grew very much aware of the diversity of culture in Northern Italy, and especially noticed that every rule has to allow for the nuances and special circumstances that would assist in forming the unique character of a nation. From his experience he pointed out further: “It is of utmost importance that the European Community policies and directives should not be implemented in Maltese law without due regard to local circumstances wherever possible.”    

During his years of study Robert had ploughed through many libraries in search for answers to his alert mind. However, he had come across a number of linguistic problems, which he was going to overcome one day – a promise to himself. Also the fact that as a Fellow of the International Bar Association he attends many international conferences, he would meet lawyers from all over the world with whom he desired to converse on his own level not only in English but also in Italian, French and German. While he could speak well the first three languages, he was not conversant in German. He was very consciously aware of this, when he visited the Deutsche Börse (German Stock Exchange) in Frankfurt in 2004 spending some days with his counterparts and appreciating the level of organisation there.   

“In order to effectively bridge the linguistic gap, I started the German language course at the German-Maltese Circle in 2004” - a mile-stone year in Maltese history being the year of Accession into the European Union. He sat for the IGCSE exam set by the University of Cambridge as well as the MATSEC exam in Malta in the German language, and at the German-Maltese Circle he passed Grundstufe I and II. Now he looks forward to begin the Zertifikat Deutsch course in October, 2006. He also modestly added that both his children have been taking German at the German-Maltese Circle for some years now, and as a father he wants to be in the position to help them with any questions they might have.  

In 1989 Robert got married to Rita, who studied for her Diploma in Gender Equality. They live in Santa Venera, and have two children, Rachel-Marie aged 14 and Reuben-Lawrence aged 11. The daughter is now in her fourth year of German at the German-Maltese Circle, as her school unfortunately does not offer this subject. “I regret the general discouragement that people feel when they consider including German language for their children at a young age. Consequently some schools are not offering this subject”, says Dr. Robert Vella-Baldacchino, a subject which to him is of utter importance, and he carries on: “Studying as many foreign languages as possible is imperative in order to break the mould of insularity of Malta, as our future lies in Malta’s interaction with the world.”   

Robert’s private time is divided between quality hours with his family and his significant Melitensia Library at home. As a practising catholic he seeks to help in his Parish in unfortunate situations of other parishioners. He feels every Parish has a commitment towards supporting families living their faith. He also dedicates time to delivering lectures and workshops at the University of Malta, often based on his belief: “Malta is a microcosm needing to look further than the foreshore”. 
  

Jeans - Kupfer wird zu Gold 

James Dean und Marlon Brando machen sie in den fünfziger Jahren zum Kultobjekt: die Jeans. Erfinder der robusten Hose ist der Deutsche Levi Strauss, der 1848 mit seiner Familie nach New York auswandert. Die Goldgräberstimmung an der Westküste der USA wirkt auch auf den jungen Levi ansteckend und so zieht er 1853 nach San Francisco, um sich mit einem kleinen Geschäft für den Bedarf der Minenarbeiter selbständig zu machen.

Der Verkaufsschlager: unverwüstliche Hosen aus Zeltplane. Schon bald eröffnet Strauss das erste Großhandelstextilgeschäft. Statt der Zeltplane verwendet er nun den blauen Baumwollstoff Denim. Leider besitzen die Hosen einen Schwachpunkt: die Nähte. Der Schneider Jacob Davis aus Nevada kommt Strauss zur Hilfe. Er versieht alle gefährdeten Stellen mit Kupfernieten. Die Erfindung begeistert die Kunden – und Levi Strauss. Da Davis das Geld fehlt, melden die beiden gemeinsam die neue Idee zum Patent an: Die heutige Jeans ist geboren.

Bedeutung: Im Zweiten Weltkrieg gelangt die Jeans über die US-Army nach Europa. Heute ist sie in allen Teilen der Welt Bestandteil der Garderobe. 

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