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Notte Bianca - Lejl Imdawwal

Saturday, 3^rd October from 19.00 hours till midnight “Notte Bianca – Lejl Imdawwal”

  Open House: Tour of our 16^th Century Messina Palace – formerly Casa Rocca Grande built by the Knights of St John
  View the Exhibition of original paintings by Francis X. Aloisio
   Oktoberfest entertainment with Brass Band – Food & Drinks

More than 1000 visitors came over last year.  Come and bring along your friends – interesting and FUN !!

Gesprächsrunde - Veranstaltungsabende 2009

Unsere Gesprächsrunden erfreuen sich immer größerer Beliebtheit, und wir setzen sie mit den hiernach aufgeführten Diskussionsleitern/Innen und Themen fort. Die Teilnahme für Mitglieder des Deutsch-Maltesischen Zirkels ist kostenlos. Zeit von 18.30 Uhr bis 20.00 Uhr. 

German Film Evening

Friday, 9th October at 7.00p.m.
German Film Evening: “Schläfer” directed by Benjamin Heisenberg (2005).  
Subtitles in English.  Entrance Free to everyone.

Synopsis: Johannes, a new assistant at the university, is asked to provide reports on an Algerian colleague - who is suspected of being a sleeper. He refuses, but the seed of doubt has been planted. A fragile friendship which is overshadowed by professional and emotional competition eventually leads to betrayal.

Book Launch - A German Evening

Wednesday, 14th October at 7.00p.m.

Two writers  have each published a book during summer, both books are written in German, and both will be launched at this occasion. All speeches will be rendered in German language.

Das erste Buch  Begegnung mit Carsten Niebuhr auf der Insel Malta  von Dieter Salto befasst sich mit den Eindrücken, die der Deutsche Carsten Niebuhr (1733-1815) während seines Aufenthaltes in Malta im Jahre 1761 in seinem Tagebuch gesammelt hat. Carsten Niebuhr, wohlbeachteter  Mathematiker, Entdecker und Kartograph seiner Zeit, beschrieb in akribischer Genauigkeit Gebäude und Verhältnisse, Werke  und  Ziele der Ritter, sowie den Festungscharakter der Insel. Kurzum das gut recherchierte Buch eignet sich hervorragend als "Zeitzeuge" der präbritischen Ära auf Malta.

Das zweite Buch  Malta - eine Reise ins Glück  von John Zammit dagegen ist ein "Zeitzeuge" unserer Tage. Ein entzückender Roman über das Glück, was sich der Hauptperson Maria ganz behutsam und in sehr kleinen Schritten während eines einwöchigen Aufenthaltes auf Malta bietet. Grund dazu ist ihr Reiseleiter Paul, der Tag für Tag mit fundierten Kenntnissen die jungsteinzeitlichen Anlagen, historischen Bauwerke und modernen Gepflogenheiten Maltas erläutert. Auf diese Weise kann der  Leser Malta miterleben oder sich zu einer Ferienreise anregen lassen.

Dieter Salto und John Zammit werden ihre Werke jeweils selbst dem Publikum vorstellen.

Starting soon . . . . .  Language Courses

Language Courses 2009-2010 beginning on:

Monday, 5th October / Tuesday, 6th October  -  German language classes for adults
Tuesday, 6th & Wednesday, 7th October  -  Short Course for Beginners  (Learn German the Fast & Fun Way)
Wednesday, 7th October  -  Maltese language course for Foreigners
Saturday, 10th  October   -  German language classes for schoolchildren

Regular attendance is essential for success in these courses.  The recommended textbooks are available from the Circle’s Library.  Scholarships consisting of 4-week German language courses at a Goethe Institute in Germany will be awarded to the best students in the adult courses.  

New German Ambassador visits Messina Palace

The new Ambassador, H.E. Mr Bernd Braun paid his first official visit to Messina Palace on Wednesday, 23^rd September during which he chaired a working meeting with members of the Executive Committee and with teachers of German giving service at the Circle.

Review on the Event "The Maltese Temples & Their German Connection"

On the 9^th of September, 2009 the German-Maltese Circle hosted Mr. Francis Xavier Aloisio, the author of Islands of Dream. He gave the talk entitled The Maltese Temples and their German Connection.  

Mr. Aloisio spoke in some depth about the German contribution to research about Maltese Neolithic Heritage.  He referred to the published works of the German scholars, Johann Friedrich Breithaupt, Michael Heberer von Bretten, Thomas Hermann von Riedesel & Thomas Freller including Freller’s latest publication: Malta & The Grand Tour.  The speaker also alluded to other artists, writers, linguists and anthropologists who conducted research on, or painted Malta's ancient culture.  

Francis Aloisio delivered his talk with enthusiasm, evidence of his passion for the subject. He also invited his audience to query their present beliefs/knowledge regarding the temples and to consider alternative possibilities of the age and function of these architectural monuments.  The audience was then invited to ask questions some of which were of a challenging nature. 

After the talk Francis opened an exhibition of his paintings, which are all related to Neolithic Heritage and all of which support and compliment the ideas as proffered in his new novel Islands of Dream. The exhibition is still showing at the German-Maltese Circle and will be open until the 10^th of October, including Notte Bianca.         (Sina Farrugia Micallef)

Das Altwerden und die Zeit von Günter Schlichte

Älter werden und Zeit haben, ist das ein Widerspruch? Zeit ist ein Abschnitt, eine Periode, vielleicht auch unendlich. Zeit bedeutet aber auch Erleben, Aufnehmen und Verarbeiten von Eindrücken und immer wieder neuen Erkenntnissen, die uns helfen und die uns leiten. 

Haben wir selber Zeit, nähmen wir sie uns, wenn wir es könnten und vielleicht auch sollten? Es lohnt sich, darüber nachzudenken und die Frage von Zeit zu Zeit immer wieder neu zu stellen. Wir können dadurch lernen, richtig oder auch nur besser mit der Zeit umzugehen und mit ihr fertig zu werden.

Wenn wir zufrieden damit sind und nicht andere wissentlich benachteiligen, brauchen wir uns nichts vorzuwerfen. Wenn Zeit ihre Schrecken verliert und wir Sinn in ihr sehen, ist es gut für unsere Seele. Wir brauchen das. Wir brauchen die innere Kraft und Ausgeglichenheit, um unserer Zeit gerecht zu werden. Das Älterwerden macht Spaß, wenn es gelingt, unsere Zeit sinnvoll zu gestalten.

Tour to Angermünde in der Uckermark, Germany

Following our successful tour to the Eifel Mountains in August 2008, a similar tour “Natur pur” for one week end of August 2010 is in an advanced stage of planning. This time we chose the UCKERMARK, which is basically an agricultural and open area about 120km north-east of Berlin. Its main centre is Angermünde, where we will stay all nights, undertaking daily excursions into the country. 

Angermünde itself is a charming town of some 8.000 inhabitants, being the centre of an area of 321 square kilometres which includes a number of smaller communities, agricultural land and large forests, lakes and moors. The town is situated on the shore of the Mündesee. Since its foundation as a city in 1233 AD it is the economical and cultural centre of the region called Uckermark, part of the vast and very flat Mecklenburgische Seenplatte – Land der 1000 Seen – stretching roughly between Berlin and the Baltic Sea, bordering Poland in the east.  

The town and its surroundings feature many well preserved medieval buildings and structures, nature reserves, and typical north. German handicrafts and customs. It is part of the area, which became arable after the last ice age, i.e. approx. 10,000 years ago and relics of settlements have been dated up to about 3000 years B.C. Only very few terminal moraines, namely leftovers from the ice masses, decorate the landscape here and there. Most famous citizen of Angermünde is the writer Ehm Welk, 1884-1966, well-known for his hilarious plays and critical novels. 

Interesting buildings, museums and monasteries, may be visited. Nature reserves and biospheres of world renown – the latter being in fact the second largest in Germany - are inviting with their manifold flora and bird life and peace. Due to the mostly flat or slightly undulated landscape, hikes and bicycle tours to interesting places would be fun and don’t turn out to be strenuous.  

And – not to be overlooked – since 2007 Angermünde enjoys a very lively town twinning with Żurrieq in Malta, and consequently some of students from Angermünde have been working for the Local Council during the last years.  

This tour to the Uckermark will include sightseeing by bus, by horse drawn “Kremsers”, as well as short hiking or bicycle tours or rowing boat trips – all according to individual preference. One of the main aims is listening to the sounds of pure nature and experiencing undisturbed countryside.  

Examples of anticipated site visits are: the famous Cistercian Abbey Chorin, foundation in 1273 (in Backstein-Gotik), experiencing the Schiffshebewerk , a Ship Canal Lift,  for 36m elevation near Niederfinow, as well as Gut Kerkow with its many hundreds of pedigree cattle and other animals and a very typical and recommendable shop “Bauernmarkt” offering a wide range of the products of the region. Visiting the studios of a very artistic couple in Angermünde will give insight to the high local standard of art.  

However, there is also a possibility to experience by means of two separate day tours the very modern and impressive Oceaneum in Stralsund at the Baltic Sea, or the town of Güstrow with unique museums featuring the works of the German sculptor and author Ernst Barlach (1870-1938), as well as the nearby Nature Park caring for wolves, bears and other European wildlife in exemplary natural surroundings. 

The exact dates of the tour will depend on the availability of direct flights to Berlin in August 2010. A total price per person will be stated, when the hotel and all anticipated events are booked. This should be the case at the end of the year. A power point presentation and a detailed programme will be offered at the German-Maltese Circle in February 2010, at which time all particulars should be at hand. The date of this presentation will be announced in the February Newsletter and all interested members are cordially invited to attend. As from this presentation evening on, firm bookings will be accepted.

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