Goethe Institute Examinations

The German - Maltese Circle announces that the following Goethe Institute Examinations are due in May/June 2007: Zertifikat Deutsch (ZD), Zertifikat Deutsch für jügendliche (ZDj), Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung (ZMP).  Application forms for the ZD and the ZDj examinations will be available from the office as from Monday, 23^rd April.  Closing date is Friday, 11^th May.  Applications for the ZMP examination will open during May.  The Examinations’ Timetable can be viewed on the Circle’s Noticeboard.

Holidays

TAKE NOTE! - Students attending our courses are informed that no classes will be held between Thursday, 5^th and Tuesday 10^th April (Easter Holidays) - both days inclusive.   

Library

Make use of the Library! We like to remind you that our Library is open daily during the normal office hours. Just ask for assistance at the front desk, please.

Die DMZ Bibliothek steht zu Ihrer Verfügung! Wir möchten Sie daran erinnern, dass unsere Bibliothek täglich während der DMZ Geschäftszeiten geöffnet ist. Bitte melden Sie sich im Büro am Eingang

Gesprächsrunde

The "Gesprächsrunde" already announced in our last Newsletter are planned to be conducted at the German-Maltese Circle as from May. The "Gesprächsrunde" – interactive German language conversation sessions held on a regular monthly basis and conducted by native speakers will be open free of charge to our members.  For further details members are to watch out the May Newsletter.

EU Presidency Quiz Competition

On the occasion of the German EU Presidency and following last year's success of the World Cup Quiz-Competition, the German-Maltese Circle will be launching a similar educational Competition during April.  The competition will focus on topics of general knowledge on Germany and German personalities and will retain the same format of multiple choice questions as last year.  The competition will be open to children in Years 5 and 6 in Primary Schools and to those studying German and are presently in Forms 1 and 2.  Over 5000 schoolchildren are expected to participate in this competition.

Eurocamp 2007

Are you between 18 and 25 years of age?
Do you have a working knowledge of German?
Are you a member of the German-Maltese Circle?
Do you want to join other youths from all over Europe working in projects in Wernigerode im Harz between the 29^th July and the 19^th August ?  
BOARD – ACCOMODATION – PROGRAMME EXPENSES ALL PAID!
TRAVEL EXPENSES – SUBSIDISED! 

If interested and for more information, call at the German-Maltese Circle’s office
Closing date:  30^th April 2007

d  d  d  d  Corporate Members 2007  c  c  c  c  c 

Eurovision Song Contest

Carmelina Grech, a member of the German-Maltese Circle for the last 32 years writes to us about DRESDEN …..

Some months ago, I was on a German-Maltese exchange visit, a contracted “senior learning partnership” agreed between the Seniors College of the Chemnitz University and the U3A Malta [U3E].  One cultural excursion was to Dresden.  In 2006 it celebrated its 800^th anniversary.  Yet with its eventful history Dresden can hold its own with other well-known centres.   

Dresden emerged largely unscathed from the Thirty Years War fought between 1618 and 1648. It was a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics, the rivalry between the Habsburg dynasties. The impact of famine and disease was devastating.  Dresden suffered badly its first damages in the Seven Years War.  In the following decades, a city of baroque buildings was created whose famous edifices survived the centuries up to ‘nearing the end’ of the Second World War.  In the terrible air raids of February 13^th and 14^th 1945, one of the world’s most beautiful cities burnt out and about 35.000 persons died in the firestorm!  The old Dresden was irrevocably lost in the Second World War. 

Dresden has attracted famous and literary visitors, who all admired its art treasurers.  In 1768 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe arrived in Dresden to see the city badly damaged in the Seven Years War.  He returned in 1785 with his fellow writer, the dramatist Friedrich Schiller and “devoted the few days of his stay in Dresden solely to the art gallery”.  The Polish writer Jozef Ignacy Kraszewski and the Danish writer of fairy tales – Christian Andersen were indeed inspired by the genius art and architectural masterpieces, and have written about the strong impression the city made on them.   

In the same way as one cannot see ‘Dresden’ in one day, I cannot illustrate the magnificence of its heritage in this short feature, but may depict at a glance one heroic task – the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche – Church of our Lady.  Completely gutted by fire, the dome collapsed two days after the bombing of Dresden. Even before the unification of Germany, many of the citizens hoped that the church would one day be reconstructed. In 1994 the Frauenkirche Dresden Foundation was set up to raise money and to supervise the day-to-day reconstruction project and make possible the re-building of the Frauenkirche through their encouragement, individual efforts and support as expressed in their donations.  After ten years the external reconstruction was finished with the completion of the cupola and the erection of the gilded pinnacle cross that for decades lay buried beneath the debris, but is now on display in the nave. 

The story of the destruction of the Frauenkirche is visible in the reconstructed walls: the dark colour of the old stones and where old masonry meets new are like the scars of an old wound that has healed.  The reconstruction project is a testimony to mankind’s ability to overcome feelings of enmity, and a symbol of hope and reconciliation.  The motto of the reconstruction project – building bridges, living reconciliation, and reinforcing faith - remains potent and relevant to this day.  The central inner dome is divided into eight painted panels; four depict the Evangelists and four are allegories of faith, love, hope and mercy.

The altar is the scene depicting Jesus on the Mount of Olives kneeling in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Four figures from the bible flank the praying Jesus - Moses with the tablets and Aaron with an incense burner, Paul and Philip with books in their hands.  The baroque altar was sculpted in sandstone.  The tourist may observe the altar’s fate shared with the entire Frauenkirche.  Over 2,000 fragments have been put back together to form the altarpiece.  The central position of the pulpit in the middle of the choir is very striking and highlights the significance of the Word that is spoken in the sermons given from the pulpit.    

Never Again”

Andriana Fenech Yordanova
Opera Singer
Student at the German-Maltese Circle
Interviewed by Ingrid B. Kidder

Andriana Fenech Yordanova was born in Varna, called the summer capital of Bulgaria – a city of the golden sands on the shores of the Black Sea. Many years of her childhood were spent there. However, due to her father’s attachment to the Navy Academy in St. Petersburg at the Baltic Sea she started her education at the age of six at a Russian school. For this reason Russian became the second language of hers. On return to Varna some years later she was placed in the local Russian school, where also English was taught. Developing a liking for this language, the teenager could soon call English her third language. Therefore it does not seem surprising that after finishing school she became a student in philology at Sofia University, which she left as a qualified philologist.

Next to her scholastic career, music became part of her life by singing in the Russian school choir right from the grades. Then, back in Bulgaria, her music teacher chose her soon to be a soloist for all events, Andriana being barely nine years of age. The real professional training began when she joined the Institution for Children’s Opera, Musicals and Operettas in Varna, where serious attention was given to voice training, singing, acting and dancing as well as theory of music.  

At the age of 15 she was chosen to sing for the first time abroad. This happened to be in Amstel in Austria and the Bulgarian Operetta “Trite Pingvina” - “The three Penguins” had to be sung in German language. She diligently studied her role until she knew what she was singing about. This process laid the foundation for her love for the fourth language in her life, i.e. German.   

After finishing school she was accepted at the National Academy of Music in Sofia. Although due to family life she got “estranged from music” as she puts it, she returned to the Academy after two years and soon began performing on a serious level. As a freelance singer she sang at Varna Opera House as well as other towns in Bulgaria, and also went on numerous tournees singing major roles like Musette and Mimi in “La Bohème” (Puccini), Sylva in “The Csárdás Princess” (Kálmán), or the difficult role of Fiordiligi in “Così fan tutte” (Mozart). These guest performances took place mainly in German speaking countries, but also during a festival in Turkey and once for three whole weeks in Egypt. 

Andriana won various scholarships in Bulgaria, in Manchester, as well as in Rome where during a six months’ stay she learned Italian making it her fifth language. On account of these scholarship trainings she said, she was very grateful to meet and work with the best coaches possible for her voice.  

Then fate prepared her for something new: “It happened in Athens on the occasion of a Conference of Mediterranean Culture, when at a lecture, members of the Local Council of Mellieha sat behind me, and after some chatting invited me to take part in the 2001 Local Council Concert in Mellieha.” She accepted and found herself singing – also into the heart of a Maltese jazz pianist. Not too long afterwards he asked her to marry him and she and her daughter Kaya moved to Malta at the end of 2002.    

Although Andriana remained the cosmopolitan person she considers herself to be, meaning her openness to other cultures, her new life underwent changes. She became a full time representative of a Maltese travel agency. Now and then she participates in concerts in Malta or performing abroad, especially looking forward to singing Violetta in “La Traviata” (Verdi) in Bulgaria. When the opportunity arose to coach young singers at the Mascarade Theatre Art School, she accepted. And for her it is a must: every child has to learn how to sing in German as well!  

Of the languages she speaks German seems to be closest to her heart. While touring German speaking countries as a teenager, she decided to learn the language methodically and attended classes at the Goethe Institute in Varna obtaining the Zertifikat Deutsch. After settling in Mellieha she heard from a friend about the German-Maltese Circle and is now continuing her German language studies aiming for the Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung of the Goethe Institute.    

Andriana is very much concerned with the practise of teaching. She is of the opinion that in general the young singers have to open up more and be ready to perform on every stage, in every language and for any audience. When the students complain to her; “But Miss, I never sang in German”, her simple answer is: “Now you have a chance to start!” She continues saying – not necessarily to the young child: “By keeping up your striving you might find a whole new world – even inside yourself.”

WORT-Werkstatt

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