I WANT TO BE INFORMED OF THE NEXT NEWSLETTER AS SOON AS IT IS ONLINE

Our activities for February

Note:  ALL activities are held at Messina Palace and are free of charge.

Wednesday, 3rd February at 6.30p.m.
Gesprächsrunde:  "Der neue Weg im Umgang mit Tieren – Tellington Ttouch"
Diskussionsleiterin:  Brigitta Gatt

Tellington Ttouch introduced in 1978, is a non-forceful, holistic approach of gentle, respectful body movements and ground work which positively influences behavioral and physical issues of all animals.

Friday, 12th February at 7.00p.m.
DEFA Film Series
German Film Evening:  Die Mörder sind unter uns (Murderers are among us) Directed by Wolfgang Staudte, 1946

Synopsis: When Susanne Wallner returns home from a concentration camp in 1945, she finds the city of Berlin in total ruins. What's more, the traumatized and cynical surgeon Dr. Mertens has occupied her apartment and refuses to leave. While she tries to begin living her life again, he feels unable to perform as a doctor and instead drowns his memories in self-pity and alcohol. Against the desolate backdrop of the destroyed city, a love story develops. Things are put to the test when Dr. Mertens finds out that the former Hauptmann Brückner, an unscrupulous opportunist who ordered the execution of many innocent women and children, resides nearby.

In German with subtitles in English – Introduction by Sirka Vella-Facklam

Wednesday, 17th February at 6.30p.m.
Gesprächsrunde:  "Was verdienen Sie? Sprachliche Spielereien um den 'Verdienst' "
Diskussionsleiterin:  Ingrid Kidder

Friday, 26th February at 7.00p.m.
The German-Maltese Circle’s Classical Music Group is inviting our members and their friends to a Music Appreciation Evening at Messina Palace, dealing with "Anton Bruckner's Ninth Symphony with unfinished Finale".  

Mr Martin Spiteri, an expert on Anton Bruckner, intends to provide a basic introduction to this great symphonic masterpiece including extensive listening extracts from all four movements.

From Our Noticeboard

  Attention all Members!!  -  Ex
LAST REMINDER:    RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP for 2010 NOW.  Support the German-Maltese Circle !  €12.00 per person for one whole year! (€18.00 for two persons from the same family.)  Mail a cheque (payable German-Maltese Circle) or come personally to the office!  Or else pay online - send email for more information. You will continue receiving the Newsletter, join our activities,  use the Library services, and much more!  Those who are attending our courses have had their membership renewed already.
 

Special offer to our members: Upon presentation of their current membership card, members of the German-Maltese Circle are being offered a 10% discount on all product purchases made at the Playmobil FunPark and at the Malta International Airport Shop.

The tour to Angermünde in der Uckermark is envisaged to take place end of August/beginning of September 2010, and is in an advanced planning stage. However, not all prices for outings etc. are available as yet, though these are expected to be in hand shortly. A presentation for interested members will be held at Messina Palace sometime next March, by which time bookings can also be made. Please watch for the March Newsletter for exact details.

Dr Gunter Jacobs announces that he will conduct another two conversation meetings at Messina Palace on Fridays, 5^th and 19^th February.  Recommended for those with a good command of German.

Maltese for Foreigners:  Part 2 of this popular language course is scheduled to start on Wednesday, 17^th February with lessons on Wednesdays starting at 5.30p.m.  Course consists of 12 lessons of 2 hours each.  For more information and application details click here.

ing Events for May at Messina Palace

DEFA - the cinematic heritage of East Germany    (Sirka Vella-Facklam)

20 years ago the German Democratic Republic ceased to exist and for many years after the German reunification, the East German cultural heritage – including the vast amount of films produced by DEFA - has been largely ignored and regarded as a tool of propaganda looked upon with suspicion. Initially, people seemed to be more interested in the artistic interpretation of the events leading to the fall of the wall and the consequent changes in Germany, which were reflected in numerous successful post-wall cinema productions like “Sonnenallee”, “Good Bye, Lenin”, “Nikolaikirche” and others. The actual film productions of East Germany, on the other hand, found only a very limited audience. But the DEFA heritage was gradually re-discovered by cultural institutions and audiences worldwide, like for instance, in New York in 2005, where the Museum of Modern Art organised film shows of DEFA productions under the title “Rebels with a Cause”, which attracted thousands.  

The DEFA (which stands for “Deutsche Film AG”) was officially founded on May 17, 1946 by the Soviet Military Administration at the former UFA studios in Potsdam Babelsberg and was the first film production company in post-war Germany. Over the course of almost 50 years (until 1992) the DEFA studios produced in total more than 7,500 films, among them numerous dramatic feature films dealing with the problems of rebuilding a destroyed Germany and reflecting on human relationships through the chilly years of the Cold War, much loved fairy-tale and literary adaptations and the successful “Eastern Western”.  Although film making in the GDR was influenced by political guidelines and restrictions, many of the films are proof of a watchful and often humorous view at society and everyday life and reflect a willingness to discover and experiment. Several films, which tried to express a critical stand on contemporary social and political issues, provoked conflicts with the ideology of the party regime and were banned. A number of capable directors, scriptwriters and actors left the GDR for a career in the West. 

In a retrospective, the German Maltese Circle will present five DEFA productions, which tell stories about life in East Germany during different periods of its existence and which educate and entertain at the same time. These will include the very first film production of post-war Germany – DIE MOERDER SIND UNTER UNS (Murderers among us), 1946, starring Hildgard Knef, as well as the last DEFA film that experienced its premiere still in East Germany, DIE ARCHITEKTEN (The Architects), 1990. Also showing will be SPUR DER STEINE (Trace of stones) – a film by critically acclaimed director Frank Beyer, which was performed only a few times after its premiere and subsequently banned until November 1989 and DER DRITTE (The Third), 1971 – a film about emancipation that won leading actress Jutta Hoffmann the award for Best Actress at the 1972 Venice Film Festival. 

Programme and dates: 

All films will be shown in German with English subtitles and will be introduced by Sirka Vella-Facklam.  Venue is Messina Palace.

Executive Committee 2010

During the Annual General Meeting of the German-Maltese Circle held on Wednesday, 27^th January, the members elected the Executive Committee for 2010 as follows: 

President:  Frau Ingrid Kidder, General Secretary: Mr Victor H Sammut, Treasurer: Mr Carmel Azzopardi, Corporate Members Representative: Mr Bernd Ritschel (Playmobil) Members: Mr Simon Alden, Ms Corinne Gauci, Mr Joseph Borg Camilleri, Mr Omar Grech, Mr Victor P. Pace and Ms Sirka Vella-Facklam.

The AGM was very well attended.  The German Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Bernd Braun, who is also the Patron of the German-Maltese Circle honoured us with his presence.  The members present were given a detailed administrative and financial report concerning the work carried out during 2009. 

Seven students who had sat successfully for their Zentrale Oberstufen Prüfung were also handed their Goethe Institute Certificates.  Miss Marianne Azzopardi who after teaching at the Circle since 1977 decided to stop her teaching career at the end of 2009, was presented with a memento on behalf of the Committee and of the members of the German-Maltese Circle.  The teachers of German present at the meeting also presented a beautiful bouquet of flowers to Miss Azzopardi. 
 

Caravaggios Geheimnis   (Livia Leykauf-Rota)

Vor 400 Jahren starb Michelangelo Merisi, besser bekannt als Caravaggio. Aus diesem Anlass bringen mehrere Verlage Bücher über Leben und Werk dieses Künstlers heraus, so auch der Pendo Verlag. Dort erschien soeben „Caravaggios Geheimnis“ von Tilman Röhrig.  

Der knapp 500-seitige historische Roman entführt den Leser nach Italien, wo Merisi 1571 geboren wurde. Die anschaulichen Beschreibungen Mailands, Roms und später auch Maltas versetzen den Leser ins späte Mittelalter. In diesem Umfeld agiert ein junger Künstler namens Caravaggio, der zwar begnadet aber alles andere als sympathisch erscheint. Seine gewagten Bildkompositionen, sein ausschweifender Lebensstil und seine Kompromisslosigkeit sind eine einzige Provokation für die behäbige, intrigante Kunstwelt dieser Epoche. Er ist hochbegabter Künstler und gleichzeitig jähzorniger Heisssporn, Genie und Besessener, zart in der Kunst und grobschlächtig im Privatleben. Der Maler stösst immer wieder selbst seine wenigen Freunde und Förderer vor den Kopf. Neid und Missgunst tun das ihre: Caravaggio wird zum Getrieben, zum Flüchtenden...  

Tilman Röhrig gelingt es vortrefflich, den schwierigen Charakter dieses unruhigen, exzessiven, grossartigen Malers herauszuarbeiten. Auch wenn die Sprache streckenweise ziemlich deftig ist, lohnt es sich, den Roman zu lesen. Er kann helfen, sich den verstörenden, sperrigen und doch so faszinierenden Kunstwerken Michelangelo Merisis anzunähern.  

„Caravaggios Geheimnis“, von Tilman Röhrig, erschienen im Pendo Verlag, 2009 

Theatre in Germany       (Courtesy Federal Ministry of Education & Research)

Germany boasts some 700 state, municipal and independent theatres, plus opera houses, dance  companies, touring groups, improvisational and puppet theatres. In Germany there are no theatre centres, but plays are staged everywhere – from smaller towns like Passau to big cities like Berlin.

The reason for this can be found in the German history. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, Germany was just a loose collection of minor principalities and micro-states. Rivalry between sovereigns led to each trying to stand out by building magnificent theatres at their royal seat. The names of these theatres still reflect this today: “Residenztheater” (Royal Seat Theatre) in Munich or “Markgrafentheater” (Margrave Theatre) in Erlangen.

German theatres produce a wide variety of plays. Besides the spectacular events produced by the larger theatres, there are splendid of small-scaled productions, but are just as entertaining.  These include cabaret, comedy, chansons, puppet shows, magic shows and even amateur theatre groups.

Culture of Reading       (Courtesy Federal Ministry of Education & Research)

People would more readily forgive a German politician for having no knowledge of maths, than for never having read a word of Goethe, Brecht or Thomas Mann. Besides the classics and the German literary canon, there is a young and dynamic literature scene in Germany.

Reading is part of everyday life
Modern book stores plus antiquarian and second-hand bookshops can be found in practically every town or city. Libraries, bookshops and literature clubs organise readings and book signing sessions. Many cities arrange reading competitions for young children and teenagers. Young poets go head to head in public poetry slams. And Europe’s largest festival of poetry takes place in Berlin every year. Reading is still one of the most popular German pastimes. Now, in the modern age, many enjoy literature by listening to audio books. The number of new audio book releases continues to grow at a considerable rate. And wireless reading devices, like Kindle, are on the march, as are electronic books.

German book fairs
Two major book fairs are held in Germany every year – one in Leipzig in March, and the other, the world's largest and oldest book fair in Frankfurt/Main in October, extending back over 500 years to the days of Johannes Gutenberg. Besides the new books presented by publishers, visitors can also attend lectures and readings given by the authors themselves. These fairs are a booklover’s paradise.

Back to Top