GEDANKENSPLITTER     - von Günter Schlichte

Ø        Täte man im Leben immer das Richtige zur richtigen Zeit, hätte man es vielleicht leichter und käme ohne große Mühe sehr weit. 

Wer sich nur mit der Vergangenheit und/oder der Zukunft befasst, sollte sich nicht wundern wenn ihm die Gegenwart verloren geht. 

Ø        Wenn einem schon beim ersten Nachdenken immer die richtigen Ideen kämen wäre es zwar erfreulich, aber vielleicht auch etwas langweiliger für das Zusammenleben mit anderen.                                               

Es kann vorteilhaft sein, Nachteile zwar zu erkennen aber nur dann aktiv zu werden, wenn sie wirklich stören, oder wenn damit zu rechnen ist.                                               

Ø        Über das Böse: Das Schlimme am Bösen ist, dass es sich moistens nicht gleich zu erkennen gibt.                                      

Zur „Standfestigkeit“:  Wer „mit beiden Beinen im Leben steht“ kann nicht so schnell umfallen.                                   

Ø        Fehlersuche: Manche Menschen neigen dazu, Fehler zuerst bei anderen zu suchen. Nicht so leicht fällt es ihnen in der Regel, das auch zuzugeben.                                               

Behauptungen: Ob sich Behauptungen als wahr erweisen hängt nicht nur von ihren Inhalten, sondern auch von den Personen ab, die sie in den Raum stellen. Die leichteste Art, als unwahr entlarvte Behauptungen zurückzunehmen ist, sie mit Missverständnissen zu erklären.                               

Ø        Zurückhaltung: Wer sich zurückzieht und wartet muss damit rechnen,vielleicht übersehen zu werden.                   

Verbesserungen: Wir streben danach. Es ist eine ständige Übung für alle, die ehrgeizig sind und den Erfolg suchen.  Ob sich wirklich alles verbessern lässt, wie so oft gesagt wird, lässt Zweifler schon mal zweifeln.

DIE LETZTE ROSE IM ALTEN JAHR -  von Günter Schlichte

Stolz wiegt sie sich auf unserer Terrasse am Rhein,
Ende Dezember in kaltem Nebel, kann das denn sein?
Im Sommer erfreute sie uns, aber lange hielten ihre Blüten nicht,
im Winter zeigen Rosen ja selten ihr schönes Gesicht. 

Es ist die letzte edle Rose, dazu mit langem Stiel, 
sie fragt nicht nach Jahreszeiten, daran liegt ihr nicht viel.
Sie will überleben, konserviert ihre Pracht 
in kaltem Nebel, sie hat das richtig fein gemacht. 

Ein einziger Trieb gibt nicht auf, will weiter leben.
Im Wind erzittert leicht die Blüte. Ein unmerkliches Beben
geht durch den langen Stiel, der als einziger noch steht.
„Nicht aufgeben“ denkt er wohl, wie das im Leben so geht. 

Die letzte Rose. Wird sie im neuen Jahr neu auferstehen? 
Sie ist uns jedenfalls willkommen, wir werden ja sehen.

Joachim Speck
Member of the German-Maltese Circle 
Oberstudienrat (Senior Teacher at College for Further Education)
Interviewed by Ingrid B. Kidder 

It was at Whitsuntide in 1978 that Joachim Speck – fondly called in the UK Joe Bacon – set foot on the Maltese Islands for the first time. He had just passed his exam to become a high school teacher for English language. To improve his knowledge he had already studied for one year in Sheffield, UK. For his second subject he had chosen history, specialising in Roman history and 19^th and 20^th century German history. Before writing his exam in Roman history he was looking for a quiet place to study. “This place had to fulfil three criteria”, he said,

These criteria were fulfilled by Malta. He found the island and the Hotel Europa in Sliema (which German-Maltese Circle members of the seventies will affectionately remember) and the Dragonara Lido by strolling around. This first Maltese experience bonded him to the islands and he kept coming back frequently as a visitor or leading student groups for various excursions, the last one in January this year. 

For this recent event he brought with him two members of the staff and a group of eleven adult students, aged 23 to 40, who are following a course in cabinet-making and interior design. As an examination assignment these students were asked to design a “mock” refurbishing plan and compile an estimate of cost for the entrance area and the Coffee Shop of the Messina Palace, which is owned by the German-Maltese Circle. This has been an interesting experience - to see what could be done to an old and beautiful Palazzo without disturbing any of the historical features. The students’ models of the various designs will be evaluated in Freiburg and possibly shown on the premises of the German-Maltese Circle at a later stage. 

Readers might be wondering: what kind of school is this at which one may graduate in carpentry, English, history and other subjects. Well. this State School is called Friedrich-Weinbrenner-Gewerbeschule Freiburg and it is located in the Breisgau region in south-west Germany. The students who came to Malta belong to the Akademie für Betriebsmanagement, Möbelbau und Innenraumgestaltung  and  Weiterbildung zum/zur ”Staatlich Geprüfte/r Betriebsmanager/in im Handwerk”. In other words: a school and a department which offer tuition and experience in various crafts while simultaneously offering economics, commercial subjects and languages. The institution is designed as a vocational school, lowest acceptance age being 16. The successful final examination entitles the student to study further at a Fachhochschule (a Technical College, very close to University level). 

This particular school in Freiburg where Joachim Speck teaches has approx. 1.700 students and 120 teachers. This numerical proportion points to a certain intensity and thoroughness of education. Until the age of 18 education at the school is free of charge, above this age fees are due according to subjects chosen. During the last decade Germany has developed into a country in which the industrious craftsman offers or accepts work-contracts in all European countries and all over the world. This requires of him, besides his craftsmanship, the ability to linguistically and economically negotiate with his clients. 

When Joachim Speck started to teach at this school in 1978 his aim was to widen the vocational spectrum, something he worked on with great determination. He had grown up in Düsseldorf (capital of North-Rhine-Westphalia), where he also finished school in 1966. After serving two years with the Gebirgsjäger of the Bundeswehr (First Mountain Division of the German Army), he studied in Kiel and Freiburg. In 1978 he was employed as a teacher and taught at the Freiburg College ever since - except for a sabbatical year which he spent in Eastbourne, England, during 1991/2 for a post graduate Diploma in Language Teaching and Learning. 

Joachim Speck soon started to take classes of students on excursions to London. He established particularly good cooperation with the London College of Furniture, but it became too expensive for the students to go there. Knowing Malta well, for Joachim it was a natural choice to look at the island for a suitable substitute as English was also spoken here. On his search for a similar partner school he found what was then called the Art and Design Centre in Valletta with approx 80 pupils. There he made the acquaintance of Principal Donald Friggieri, who incidentally took him for coffee at the German-Maltese Circle’s cafeteria for the first time. Over the years also Mr. Friggieri’s school has grown, is now the Art and Design Institute of the MCAST (Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology). This College presently caters for approx 4.500 students. Mr. Donald Friggieri is Head of the Institute of Art and Design located in Mosta. The two gentlemen arranged further contacts and excursions, both in Malta and Freiburg, and, of course, Joachim Speck became a Member of the German-Maltese Circle. 

Hobbies? “Yes, one very much pursued hobby - rowing on the River Rhine” Joachim said, adding “I did this since my school days way back in the sixties.” He is Coach and was Chairman of his local rowing club. One of his three wishes for the future is to start a rowing club in Malta, in spite of the differences of sea-rowing on the Mediterranean and river-rowing in Central Europe. In the latter style of rowing, the rowers are seated in much lower and more slender boats than the ones we are used to here.  

Vorankündigung Wortwerkstatt

Im März ist es soweit, die erste Veranstaltung des Zirkels für  deutschsprachige Kinder  soll  am 24.  März stattfinden. Bitte beachten Sie, dass nur Kinder von Mitgliedern des Zirkels teilnehmen können. (Jahresbeitrag LM 5,00).   Einzelheiten über das Projekt erscheinen im nächsten Newsletter.  Für die gemütliche Vorleseecke suchen wir noch einen freundlichen Sponsor eines größeren Teppichs!  Es freuen sich  Amelie von Stenglin, Sirka Facklam und Ariane Hartje. 

Sammler maltesischer Briefmarken!

Sollten Sie Ihr Wissen über Ihr Sammelgebiet vertiefen wollen, so sollten Sie als der deutschen Sprache mächtig der “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Malta e.V.” beitreten, die ihrerseits Mitglied des Bundes Deutscher Philatelisten ist.  Der Verein setzt sich in Rundbriefen – drei pro Jahr – mit der maltesischen Briefmarkenwelt in all ihren Facetten auseinander und führt vereinsinterne Versteigerungen durch.  Der Jahresbeitrag beträgt für Jugendliche 15 Euro, für Erwachsene 30 Euro.  Adresse:  Wolfgang Juncker, Lagerstraße 47, D-66424 Homburg (Saar). 

Maltese Festival of Culture 2007

The Maltese Festival of Culture 2007 is being organised in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority, Airmalta and the Embassy of Malta in Berlin over the period 22 – 27 June in the cities of Heidelberg, Frankfurt and Munich.  Its aim is not only to promote Maltese culture but also to serve as a platform for the local business community.  The organisers have also announced organised tours for Maltese who wish to follow this festival.  For more information contact Maria Helga Muscat at maria.muscat@mehrmalta.de  

Listen to Literature – The Brigitte Audio Book Collection

Thanks to a donation by one of our members, Brigitte Ohk, members can now borrow from the Circle’s library CD’s forming part of an audio collection of literature works written by authors from around the globe and read by famous German actresses.  Twelve unusual women read selected literature - from the classical to crime. Like Senta Berger who reads “Der Zauberervon Oz” by L.Frank Baum, or Nina Petri who reads “Dies ist kein Liebeslied” written by Karen Duve, or Hannelore Elsner who reads “Cheri” by Colette, or Nina Hoss reading Irene Nemirovsky’s work “Der Ball” and Barbara Rudnik interpreting “Menschen im Hotel” by Vicki Baum.  Make use of the Library!!

The Lights Are Going Out All Over Europe

The Lights Are Going Out All Over Europe is the name of the German-Franco production which Theater Sündenfall (Munich) is presenting at the Mediterranean Institute Theatre in Triq San Kristofru, Valletta on the 22 – 23 – 24 and 25 February.  Shows start at 8.00p.m. and booking can be made from the Manoel Theatre or at the door on performance nights.  The production is billed as a thrilling history on stage – how the great war broke out, based on historical documents.

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