July 2002 - Nr. 7
Germanica 2002
article and photos by Herwig Wandschneider
All good things have to come to an end and so did the First Canadian-German Festival. The closing event was chosen to be Germanica 2002, held this year on June 1, 2002 at the Concordia Club in Kitchener. (The prior Germanica event was in 1998 in Delhi – 2000 had to be skipped to avoid interference with other activities). The event is held under the sponsorship of the German-Canadian Congress - Ontario, under Mr. Ernst Friedel, President, and this year in cooperation with the German Consulate General.
Choosing this event for the closing ceremonies was
particularly appropriate. The Festival, in the words of Dr. Ulrich
Hochschild, …."presented various aspects of German culture and way of life".
At "Germanica", the German culture and heritage is celebrated every two
years with the intent to remind the community and the population of
German-speaking origin of the contribution German-speaking settlers have
made, in the words of Mr. Friedel, to "the successful development of Canada
and our Province of Ontario" over 338 years.
But
of particular importance and at the core of this event is one of the many
stated DKK objectives for the present, namely "to make known the
contribution that Canadians of German heritage, and others who are
sympathetic to our cause, have made to build our country. In special cases
these persons are honoured by receiving the GCC "Heritage Award".
At Germanica 2002, the contributions of 8 special-case individuals were made known and recognized.
The
celebration was attended by some 350 participants, including guests from as
far away as Europe and Alberta, the Consuls General of Germany, Dr. Ulrich
Hochschild, and of Switzerland, Pierre Riem, by local and provincial
dignitaries, DKK Executive, and by Club Presidents.
A
special treat before dinner, setting the stage for the importance of this
event, was Concordia’s Mixed Choir under the direction of Alfred Kunz and
accompanied on the piano by Christina Higgins. Following dinner (accompanied
by excellent Red Wine) and lively discussions, Mr. Ernst Friedel opened the
ceremonial part of the evening followed with brief addresses by Dr.
Hochschild, Mr. Pierre Riem and Mr. Wayne Wettlaufer, MPP. (Premier Ernie
Eves sent his regrets due to a tragic incident elsewhere in the province).
The highlight of the evening was of course the award ceremony. The "Heritage Award", for the area of contribution shown, was bestowed on:
-
Arno Erdman, Culture;
-
Hans Ludchen, Service/Culture;
-
Max N. Gross, Culture/Education;
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Fr. Gregory G. Roetker, Religion;
-
Guenter Jessat, Culture/Business;
-
John A. Schweitzer, Arts;
-
Heinz Kreitzer, Media/Culture;
-
Wayne K. Wettlaufer, MPP, Politics
The background reasons for the award and the value of their contributions were described in detail for each of the recipients, reflecting their many years of dedicated service or significant contribution to the preservation of culture and heritage.
Each of the recipients addressed the audience with a few words of acceptance of the "Heritage Award" and it was a privilege to see 93-year old Max Gross step up and accept the award with emotional appreciation, in the presence of his son Hans, who is the President of the Transylvania Club and carries his father’s contributions forward.
To round out the presentations, we enjoyed dances of the Alpine and Schwaben Dancers performing with precision and coordination to the amazement and appreciation of the entire audience.
The evening concluded with easy-going dancing to the music of the "Golden Keys" and lively discussions over wine and Schnapps in an atmosphere of unhurried Gemütlichkeit..
The evening gave the "Heritage Awards" a setting that reflected the true objective of the DKK-Ontario, and the appreciation of the German-speaking community and audience for the valued contributions the Recipients of the Awards made to carry forward the hard work made to the chosen new country by so many settlers over the last 338 years.
The present will be a part of our history in the future and in these terms, we are still settlers and continue to make contributions to Canada, the Provinces and our communities, increasingly (it appears) without reflecting on our culture and heritage - by the majority. The tremendous work carried out by the "Heritage Award" recipients and the co-working minority will ensure that our culture and heritage will not be forgotten or otherwise sink into oblivion.
Awarding these contributions publicly for such successful accomplishments of now permanently entrenched events like the "German Pioneers Day" (successfully championed within the Province by Wayne Wettlaufer), but also for Artistic, Media, Business, or eventually for Festivals like the Canadian-German Festival which drew together a series of events into a coordinated broader celebration of our heritage, or for Oktoberfest, for Christkindl Market and other events which combine the efforts of so many into a focused objective, is a worthy undertaking for which we wish the DKK continued success. Of course, it also means that the German-speaking community and others who are sympathetic to this cause, will need to continue to make contributions for years, decades and centuries to come. For the moment, and particularly here in K-W, that does not appear to be a problem.
Germanica 2002 accomplished its objectives in a most enjoyable way. And how does Dr. Hochschild feel about the success of the First Canadian-German Festival, which concluded at and with this event? It seems that after some early doubts, which always come with starting something a little different in a new environment, Dr. Hochschild seems satisfied with the rewards of the invested time, effort, and resources for this First Festival. Ernst Friedel and the DKK-Ontario certainly threw not only their moral support, but also their efforts and scheduled events into the Festival and rallied Kitchener to participate here and in Toronto. And Kitchener certainly appreciated the frequent presence of the German Consul General in our midst. May this effort continue, also with future festivals and a cooperative spirit at all levels.
