Media Coverage 2009

Ort: Victoria, BC

In recognition of the 60th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic in 1949, as well as the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 a number of institutions across Canada have been hosting various commemorations allowing people to reflect on the impact and legacy of these events. November 9 marks the two decade milestone of the fall of the barrier that physically separated East and West Berlin and symbolically divided Eastern and Western Europe.

Throughout the year the Goethe Institute has helped coordinate a cross-country Canadian tour of "Icons of the Wall," a photographic documentation of the state of the wall since the reunification of Germany. The exhibit was developed in 2006 by the University of Paderborn's Professor Barbara Becker, who along with 36 students and photographer Jürgen Spiler tracked down the eroding remains of old wall installations. Starting with historic photos of more prolific installations along the wall, the students sought out traces of the wall, abandoned watchtowers and visible border strips. But as the two sides of the city integrate these remnants have become increasingly scarce.

The exhibit is currently showing at the Waterloo Centre for German Studies, until October 3, when it moves west to Vancouver. The exhibit coincides with the institution's forum that touches on both anniversaries. Taking place on September 29, the forum titled, "1949-1989-2009: The Path to German and European Unity" addresses the impact the reunification has had on varying aspects of German politics and culture, including: foreign policy, arts, literature, labour mobility and education.

Some University of Waterloo faculty will also be leading public discussions on the integration struggles Germany has faced throughout the past 20 years. Waterloo Centre for German Studies director Mathias Schulze will be presenting "German Language and (Dis-)Unity" as part of the Live and Learn Lecture Series at the Waterloo public library on October 20. On the actual anniversary of the wall's collapse, November 9, former director James Skidmore will be speaking at the public library of the town formerly known as Berlin: Kitchener. Skidmore will be discussing the post-collapse effects and the conditions that lead to the destruction of the barrier.

Earlier in the year a leading East German dissident involved in the protests that led to the destruction of the wall, Jens Reich visited Canada. Reich was a prominent member of the social movement, Neues Forum, that pushed for democratic reforms in the months leading up to the collapse of the wall and the communist government. In Toronto on May 19 and Montreal on the following day, Reich reflected on the turmoil that Germany experienced in 1989 and highlighted the importance and legacy social movements have had in Germany and Europe. Reich's s presentation in Montreal was timed with the launch of a conference titled, "Happy Birthday BRD: Viewpoints on Six Decades of Wonder."

The Université de Montréal hosted the event which was timed to conclude on May 23, the anniversary of the signing of the Basic Law. Organized by Till van Rahden, Canada Research Chair for German and European Studies, Université de Montréal, the conference touched on a variety of topics; including, environmental conservation, morality and the search for normality.

This fall Saint Mary's University, in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, will host a two-week series of events to celebrate and bring profile in Atlantic Canada to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This series of events will start in Halifax on October 28th with a keynote presentation by the new Consul General to Canada on the topic of the history of the wall. On November 9th Oliver Schmidtke, the Jean Monnet Chair in European History and Politics from the University of Victoria, will close the series of events with a talk on the legacy of the wall and the difficult process of uniting Germany culturally, socially and politically.

Wilhelm Bleek, professor emeritus, political science, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum also visited Canada in May to help commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the FRG. Speaking at York University on May 28, Bleek offered personal memories of the growing up in the former capital city of Bonn, during the fledgling years of the early republic. He also offered some perspective on the process and people which helped the Bonner Republik orient itself towards the West.

Goethe Institut looking to expand residency partnerships The Toronto-based Goethe Institut is seeking to foster stronger trans-Atlantic relations through its residency partnerships with German and Canadian institutions, explains institute director Sonja Griegoschewski. An example of the co-operative program's expansion is this arrival of journalist Alexander Smoltczyk, earlier this month, to the University of British Columbia's Institute for European Studies, as the inaugural recipient of the IES-Goethe Writers Residency position. This position has "a special focus on environmental topics," Griegoschewski explained.

But Smoltczyk is not the only beneficiary of a residency partnership, she added. Rebecca Singh was the second Canadian to participate in the German Guest Program for young theatre artists. The Toronto artist trained at the Staatstheater Stuttgart from February to April, where she worked on the stage version of Wut. This residency was the result of a partnership between the Goethe Institut and the International Theatre Institute. In 2008, the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) and the Goethe Institut collaborated on a new residency program for digital media artists. Last October Berlin-based artist Lillevan lead workshops and lectured during his stay in Toronto.

The overall objective of the residence is to foster creativity through dialogue on the interplay between digital and analogy imaginations, critical discourse on hybridity, interdisciplinarity and relational aesthetics in contemporary art and design. These programs have extended into the field of dance as well. During this past spring Berlin-based choreographers Christoph Winkler and Felix Marchand, visited the Toronto Dance Theatre as part of the Berlin/Toronto Dance-Project. The program included workshops, open classes, master classes, lectures, public discussions, film screenings and a special closing night event.

One of the Goethe Institut's strongest partnerships is with the University of Toronto's Munk Centre. The Writers Residency program established between the two organizations in 2006 has brought four European authors to Canada to work on issues surrounding migration. The most recent of these was the young German-Russian author Alina Bronsky this past spring. Last year Bronsky released her debut literary work Scherbenpark, about a 17-year-old who struggles with coming from Moscow to Germany.

Former Munk-Goethe Writer Residency recipients include Lena Gorelik 2006, Dr. Thomas Medicus 2007 and Jagoda Marinić 2008. As for the future of the residency partnership programs, Griegoschewski pointed out that there is no longer term commitment, and therefore change year-by-year. "They are either closely linked to our regional key topics like climate and migration or developed from partnerships with Canadian and German organisations," she explained. So far there are commitments for the IES-Goethe Writers Residency and the OCAD-Goethe Media Artist Residency in 2010. "Others are not confirmed yet," Griegoschewski concluded. "Nevertheless we highly value residencies because they help to establish long-term relationships and go far beyond the presentation of an artist or writer for a single event."