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| September 2007 Newsletter |
Gesprächsrunde
- Veranstaltungsabende 2007 |
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05.
September
Olaf Rieck
Die
Theaterlandschaft in Deutschland |
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Illustrated Talk by Albert Friggieri |
At: Messina Palace, Valletta. Time:
7.00p.m. |
| Electronic Library |
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| Regret to announce |
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On
the 4th August, VICTORIA MANSOUR (formerly Sammut) passed
away after a long illness at the age of 61.
Victoria had been a member of the Circle since 1970.
She is remembered as a very active and cheerful person,
serving for quite a number of years as a teacher of German here at
the German-Maltese Circle and as a member of the Executive
Committee. Victoria
spent her last years prior to her retirement as Secretary at the
German Resource Centre in Msida. |
Angela Zammit
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On
Thursday, 20th September 
The
benefits of a conventional tertiary education at a University are widely
accepted. Unfortunately, there were times and instances when
circumstances prevented a young girl from attending an institute of
higher learning. “But”, says Angela Zammit, “there exist also
other means of educating oneself. In my case I call my twenty years of
working at two Maltese Shipyards my personal University.” Let us see
how this astonishing statement came about.
Angela
Zammit was born and still lives in Safi. She attended the Maria Regina
Junior Lyceum in Blata l-Bajda, and started to work in the typing pool
of the Malta Dry Docks –
with 7,000 employees the largest industry in Malta in the seventies.
This occupation was very much against her father’s wish as it was a
rough masculine atmosphere, while her mother wanted her to become a
teacher. Yet, she found the subject matters in this industrial
surrounding very interesting, and advanced to become a secretary for
various departments up to the Deputy General Manager’s Office.
As
if this was not enough for her endeavour to be an independent female,
she travelled to Germany, and consequently - at the age of 19 – got
lost in Hannover, alone. On
the last day of the trip she had left the group, boarded the next best
tram which happened to reach its terminal in some wooded outskirts after
nearly an hour. Well, the few people around did not speak any English or
other languages she knew, she had no idea where she was, so she quickly
climbed back into the tram, saying two words to the driver “I =
Rathaus”. This was the only German word she knew, seeing their
hostel was in close proximity of this building.
She
never forgot this incident which somehow formed the bud of her career in
as much as she now wanted to learn German. Back in Malta she immediately
started lessons with Dr. Herbert Conrad at the German-Maltese Circle. On
reaching a limited fluency she realised, she would have to get to
Germany to learn also how to think in German. So she applied for a
scholarship at the Council of Europe in Straßburg, France. Lucky as she
was, she not only was awarded this scholarship but also during the
following consecutive years three more sessions of six weeks each, all
costs met. Every time she would be staying with German families,
attending the very well equipped “Europa College” in Kassel.
In
the early eighties she was seconded to become the Senior Secretary at Malta
Ship Building where she worked with a team of foreign engineers who
designed and built the new shipyard. Many overtime hours were spent with
German translations and interpretations also for Malta
Dry Docks. By now she had reached a certain level of general
knowledge surrounding ship building and machinery, industrial trade, a
man’s world of craftsmanship and endeavours. She greatly enjoyed this
milieu with all its offerings for constant learning, and it was at this
stage when she began calling this phase in her life “her personal
University”.
And
the weekends? Well, they were not dedicated to “süsses Nichtstun” (sweet-do-nothing)!
She decided to become a tourist guide on Saturdays and Sundays in order
to keep her German fluent. Some persons she met played again important
roles in her later life: One of them was Professor Reinhold Würth in
1978. Others included the later Archbishop of Canterbury The Right
Reverend Dr. Robert Runcie, who was also Professor of Archaeology and
who had come to Malta to study the Maltese prehistoric heritage.
In
1987 Angela Zammit became the Marketing Executive at the Malta
Development Corporation, responsible for the German destinations. Her
scope included lots of travelling to Germany, including three months’
work at the DEG – Deutsche Entwicklungsgesellschaft - (German
Development Corporation) in Cologne.
At
a lecture she gave in 1991 for the guests of the Chamber of German
Auditors at the Malta Hilton Hotel, she was referred to the MSC Company
(Micro Computers Systems Components) in Germany. This company needed to
expand and was looking for a production plant overseas. Angela Zammit
travelled immediately to Stutensee (near Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg)
and convinced this Company to set up in Malta. She was chosen for her
high leadership qualities and industrial knowledge and was installed as
Director of MSC (Malta) Ltd. in 1992. With an initial work force of 18
people she exported within the first five years 30 million Malta Lira
worth of memory modules for computers.
She
was appointed Director on the Board of the Malta Development Corporation
between 1996 and 1998. All
those years she had stayed in contact with Prof. Würth and his family.
He had set up a trading company in Malta in 1988, and Angela Zammit had
been appointed director on the Board right from the beginning. In
December 2001 he requested her to take over the management of his
company in Malta, consequently she was leading both companies until in
2005 she resigned from MSC. Originally Würth in Germany had started
with the production of bolts and nuts in the forties. This was extended
over the decades to 100,000 different articles with worldwide sales,
including all types of fixing technology, high quality tools,
electronics and latest scientific research investing in solar energy. In
October 2006, the Würth Solar Factory was inaugurated in Schwäbisch
Hall (Baden-Württemberg) producing photovoltaic panels, i.e. glass
taking in the energy of the sun transferring it into electricity. In
2007, Angela Zammit was given the responsibility of Würth sales in the
North African region.
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Annaberg-Buchholz |
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Our long time member Carmelina Grech went on an educational
and cultural visit to Annaberg-Buchholz – a charming town in
Saxony, organised for U3A members from Malta by the Seniors College
at the Chemitz College. And Carmelina wanted to share with us her
wonderful day visit which revealed the richness of the city that was
known as "the queen of mining". The
town of Annaberg was founded by Duke George, called the Bearded
George in 1496. Three years later, the foundation stone of St.
Anne's Church, completed in 1525, was laid. In the sixteenth century
the town was an important city, as it became bigger even than
Leipzig. Evidence
of its size is the prestigious St. Anne's Church, a masterpiece of
architecture and art, the largest late Gothic hall church in Saxony.
I was impressed with the ribbed vaulting and the hundred artistic
reliefs on the gallery balustrades.
The 'Beautiful Door' by Hans Witten, was originally made for
the local Franciscan monastery. It embellished a gate which was
opened only once a year on a particular event. After the monastery
was abandoned the church was given this portal. It portrays St.
Francis of Assisi worshipping the Lord, receiving the vision of God
the Father - the crucified Christ - the Dove - Mary kneeling with
angels. The church 'Font' is also the creation of the sculptor Hans
Witten. The foot of the Font depicts children and angels who are
holding a Latin inscription: Jesus' command to his disciples to go
to all peoples everywhere and baptize them.
The guide explained that the imposing organ is one of the
biggest in Europe. It was built in 1893 and enlarged eleven years
later. The instrument fell in disuse and into disrepair. However the
plan to replace it by a new organ was abandoned in favour of its
restoration and for this ambitious venture, funds running into
million marks were raised. In
addition to the impressive high altar from the early Renaissance,
there is the Miners' Guild Altar which portrays the cultural history
of mining. Another work of art is the Bakers' Altar which was
returned to the Church a few years ago after a complete renovation
by the Institute for the Preservation of Monuments, in Dresden. The
centre piece represents the 'Lamentation of Christ' after He was
taken down from the Cross. Attractive
merchant houses and the baroque Town Hall, surround the Square with
Barbara Uthmann's monument in the centre. She was famous in the 16th
century for selling lace and handcraft to provide work for the local
people. Another prominent figure was Adam Ries, a famous
mathematician and mining official. His school of mathematics and
books influenced the German education system. The 'Adam Ries House'
commemorates his life and works. Apart from the 800 preserved
historic buildings, Annaberg-Buchholz is an idyllic Saxon town - a
pretty, elegant and peaceful town worth a visit.
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Erste WORTWerkstatt nach der Sommerpause |
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Interesting
figures taken from the 2005 Census of Population and Housing just
published by the National Statistics Office: |
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German
is recorded as being spoken by 5.5% of the population – namely, by
20,110 persons although only 4,199 claimed to speak the language
fluently. Malta
is the most densely populated European Union Member State, with an
average of 1,285 persons per square kilometre.
The Netherlands ranks a far second, with 480 residents per
square kilometre. Germany
has a population density of just 210 persons per square kilometre. |
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