Das Immigration Museum Melbourne bat Barbara Jakob im Rahmen einer Feier anlässlich seines zehnjährigen Bestehens und der Vorstellung des neuen Community Programmes, einen Rueckblick zu halten, auf die Bedeutung des German Fests im September vergangenen Jahres.

Als Mitglied des engeren Vorbereitungskomitees hatte Barbara Jakob ihre Kontakte zu vielen deutschen Gruppen nutzen koennen, sie fuer das Fest zu interessieren und zur Teilnahe zu aktivieren. Hier ihre Rede, in der sie darauf eingeht, was das Fest ihrer Meinung nach für die deutsche Gemeinschaft in Melbourne bedeutete.

The 2008 launch for Immigration Museum Community Exhibitions and Festivals and celebration of the Museum’s 10th birthday year

Ms Barbara Jakob speaks on her role in developing the German Festival, and what the festival meant for her community.

"Good afternoon.

I would like to introduce Grandpa Erich to you.

Opa Erich is 83 years old. His parents came to Australia before the war. He lives in the traditions that his parents have taught him. In his younger years he used to dance on a Saturday at the German Club Tivoli. Nowadays he is living in a unit at the German Home of the Aged in Boronia. He likes to listen to the music his parents enjoyed. That tradition means Germany for him.

And there are Michaela and Peter. They came two years ago through a German company to Melbourne. Their little daughter is 3 years old and Michaela joins the German Playgroup at Hampton community centre weekly. She enjoys talking to other mums in her home language. Yes she speaks English quite well but this playgroup is home. And still it lingers in the back of her head; don’t get too involved, in two years you might have to move to another country again.

Erich, Michaela and Peter will probably never meet.

But they will both know that you get the best Bratwurst at the Victoria Market and they will both listen to sbs German Radio.

There are 14 German playgroups in Melbourne, 3 German churches, football clubs, an uncounted number of music and dance groups, a modern cultural institute, a newly started German international School in Fitzroy and a website Deutsche in Melbourne.

It is all there and people belong to lots of groups. But there has never been the one German community here in Melbourne.

The invitation from Immigration Museum arrived. There will be a German Fest.

The first meeting that called all groups to represent on the day had 30 people sitting in the room. It was a strange atmosphere.

A working committee helped to put the program together. We managed to get a wonderful mix of German Hip hop dancer and traditional folks dance from Church choir to solo performance. All very nice.

And then it came to the crucial point when we started to talk about advertising. What is the symbol, the sign, the picture that represents ‘The Germans’?

The German have little national pride. Would I stand up for my country, walk behind the flag? Certainly a very challenging thought for my generation. The last time The Germans did that we had a big world war. Do we have to feel ashamed of what happened? There are new generations growing up that don’t feel that way. And the grandparents that fought in the war are still living ….. all very tricky and it was all on the table when we started to speak about advertising.

So what symbol was it that says Germany? Heaps of emails went through Melbourne in the German community. How can we incorporate the history of our home country, be proud of what Germany has achieved in the arts, in industrial developments, situated in the middle of a growing Europe with families travelling globally for business and leisure?

Quite a few German groups took the opportunity to have a think. In long and intense discussions some conclusions slowly creped up:

Germans love big festivals and they have even developed the perfect technical equipment for it. Microphones, earphones, stereos and speakers.

Germans stand by their history. They are famous all over the world for the Bavarian tradition. Leather shorts, plaid shirt and a felted hat.

Germany is geographically in the middle of Europe and therefore open to the world.

So it is not astonishing that the poster for advertising the German Fest showed an Australian young man, wearing the traditional shirt with a big set of earphones around his neck.

The German community had finally found a symbol of identity in Melbourne.

It is the credit of the Immigration Museum to involve so many people in the preparation for the Fest. The feeling of togetherness within the German community has strengthened whilst working toward the day. Suddenly people of all ages started the process of thinking about their own identity as a community.

And they all used the opportunity last year in September to meet. Melbourne has never seen so many Germans together in one place. You could even feel some national pride.

And finally Erich met Michaela and Peter. Well - they had very much time to talk. The queue for bratwurst was half round this courtyard.

Thank you very much for your attention."

Copyright:  Barbara Jakob, 3 Enid Court Heatherton VIC 3202 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 0408 03 2963