IGSG - Indo German Frienship Society, Goa

1^st German Cultural Days

12, 13, 14 December 2008, Goa

Organized by Indo German Friendship Society, Goa (IGSG)

www.igsg.org

Programme Messages Brief report Photo Gallery Press Clips

PROGRAMME

12 December (Friday)

Presentation: "Humboldt's Ideal at the German Universities – in the past and at the present"

Dr. Michael Klepsch – Düsseldorf, Germany

12th December 2008 (Friday), 10:00 a.m., Clube Vasco da Gama, Opp. Municipal Garden, Panjim

Free entrance.

Presentation: "Practical Applications of Robotics"

with short video projections

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.h.c. Guenter Hommel – Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Technical University of Berlin – Berlin, Germany

12th December 2008 (Friday), 10:30 a.m., Clube Vasco da Gama, Opp. Municipal Garden, Panjim

Free entrance.

Information about oportunities of Study & Research in Germany

Mrs. Niketa Dedhia - Representative German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD-Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) - Mumbai

12^th December 2008 (Friday), 11:15 a.m., Clube Vasco da Gama, Opp. Municipal Garden, Panjim

Free entrance.

Music Concert: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Schiller's “Ode an die Freude” ("Ode to Joy"), performed at "Aula Paolo VI" of Vatican to the honour of Pope Benedict XVI in October 2007 by the Bavarian Radio Choir and Orchestra. conducted by Mariss Jansons. Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano), Lioba Braun (mezzo-soprano), Michael Schade (tenor), Michael Volle (bass). (DVD Projection on a giant screen)

12^th December 2008 (Friday), 8:30 p.m., Ravindra Bhavan, Margao

Free entrance.

The concert opens with the Holy Father entering the Paul VI Performance Hall.

International press comments: "Jansons keeps the orchestra upright and with the tension of such a high-wire performance produces a superb work of art."…. "The DVD show that Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" is as much an event to be experienced as a piece of music heard."…. "The picture is sharp and the sound is close and powerful."

13 December (Saturday)

Traditional German Home Pastry Class

By German ladies

13th December 2008 (Saturday), 9 a.m.

Baywatch Resort Goa, Sernabatim, Colva

Previous registration required. Limited number of participants.

Please contact.

A morning class that allows you to learn how to make some of the greatest German cakes, such as "Prinzregententorte" - Prinzregenten cake, a cake found mainly in Bavaria or the "Engadiner Wallnusskuchen" - Engadin walnut pie. Try it at a high-end non-professional pastry class.

Roundtable: Germans in Goa / Goans in Germany - Towards a Better Cross-Cultural Understanding

13th December (Saturday): 5:00 p.m. - Clube Vasco da Gama, Opp. Municipal Garden, Panjim.

Chief Guest: Mr. Eduardo Faleiro, Commissioner for NRI Affairs; Guest of Honour: Ambassador V.K. Grover, Honorary Advisor to the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce and Member of the National Security Advisory Board.

Free entrance.

Three Goans, residents in Germany, and three Germans, residents in Goa, discuss the goals to promote understanding between Goans and Germans.

14 December (Sunday)

"German Alumni Meeting" and "TUM Alumni India Meeting" (Technische Universität München)

14th December 2008 (Sunday) - The International Centre, Dona Paula

11:00 a.m. (Internal Presentation for the Alumni): A brief historical account of the german influence in Goa – Percival Noronha, Secretary Indian Heritage Society (Goa)

1:00 p.m., Alumni lunch

An opportunity to wiedersehen and exchange views.

Open for all alumni of German Universities and Fachhochschulen.

Previous registration required. Please contact.

Beer & more
Celebrating German popular music and snacks
Come on and party
14th December (Sunday), 7:30 p.m.
Clube Tennis de Gaspar Dias, Miramar, Panjim
Entrance fee 50 Rs. (Snacks and refreshments will be available at reasonable rates at the venue.)

Taste the delicious Frankfurter Wuerstchen (Frankfurt sausage) served with mustard and bread or other German delicacies like Frikadelle (also called Boulette), made with ground meat and a variety of complementary ingredients. The very traditional German Kartoffelsalat (Potato Salad) or the Gemüseeintopf (vegetable soup) with or without bacon will be also available at the event in Gaspar Dias.
Try the tasty and superb German pastry specialities Streuselkuchen (Crumbs Cake), Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake) and Butterkuchen (Butter Cake) made specially for this event by the German Pastry Chef Klaus Bredt.
Authentic German bread will also be available. This will as well be an opportunity to pick up a little package of assorted traditional German Christmas cookies.

MESSAGES

Digambar Kamat
Chief Minister of Goa

Bernd Mützelburg
Ambassador of the
Federal Republic of Germany to India

Francisco C. Sardinha

Member of Parliament, South Goa

Cecilia Menezes

Consul (Hon.) of the

Federal Republic of Germany in Goa

to IGSG Goa <info@igsg.org>

dateWed, Nov 26, 2008 at 4:17 PM

Dear Dr. Aurobindo Xavier,

It is good to hear that The Indo German Friendship Society, Goa is organizing the 1st German Cultural days in Goa. It is an honour for me to be the Guest of Honour but due to my earlier commitments I am unable to accept this request.

I Wish you and The Indo-German Friendship Society, Goa success and good luck in the programs to be held.

With best wishes,

Cecilia Menezes

Consul (Hon.) of The Federal Republic

of Germany in Goa.

BRIEF REPORT

"I German Cultural Days 2008, Goa"

12-14 December 2008

very successful

The Indo German Friendship Society, Goa has very sucessfully organized 'I German Cultural Days 2008". We were surprised at the exceptional positive response we received from both sides, the Goans and the Germans, at the first ever meeting of this kind in Goa. At the outset we would like to thank all Goan and German Institutions as well as the individual participants of this event for their sincere, genuine and in most of the cases voluntary colaboration given to the Society for the successful realization of this event.Our special thanks go to Mr Digambar Kamat, Chief Minister of Goa, Mr Bernd Muetzelburg, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to India and Mr Francisco Sardinha, MP of South Goa for the encouraging messages sent to us for this event. Many thanks are also due to the Honorary Consul of Germany in Goa Ms Cecilia Menezes for the good wisher sent for the success of the meeting. Thanks are also due to the Goan media for their kind support in promoting and reporting on the event, contributing to its success.

Research and Study in Germany

12th December 2008 - Clube Vasco da Gama,Panjim

Dr Guenter Hommel of the Faculty of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Technical University of Berlin, spoke about the advantages of the research done in ‘Practical Application of Robotics’ at the university. He spoke about the uses of robotics in disaster management, civil security and carrying of loads from one place to another with the help of unmanned helicopters guided by precision dedicated softwares. He also spoke of the use of ‘Exoskeleton of the human leg and hand’ where robotics are used in helping with rehabilitation of accident patients and even those afflicted by disease or senior citizens.

Ms Niketa Dedhia who represented the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD – Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, Mumbai) elaborated on studying in Germany. “Education in Germany is a right, not a priviledge,” she explained. Each year more than 230.000 international students (12 % of all the students at German universities) come to Germany for study and research and there are over 4.000 Indian students currently pursuing careers at German Universities.

Music Concert (DVD Projection on a giant screen)

12th December 2008 - Ravindra Bhavan, Margao

There was also a screening on giant screen, at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, of the musical concert Beethoven No 9 by the Bavarian Orchestra performed in honor of Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. The well attended event in Ravindra Bhavan showed that the DVD screening of the Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" is really as much an event to be experienced as a piece of music heard.

Traditional German Home Pastry Class

13th December 2008, at Baywatch Resort Goa, Sernabatim, Colva

There was also a ‘Home Pastry Course’ conducted by a few German ladies at Baywatch Resort, Sernabatim. About 20 participants learnt to prepare some tasty German pastries in time for Christmas. Special attention was paid for the preparation of "Prinzregententorte" - Prinzregenten Cake, a cake found mainly in Bavaria and the "Engadiner Wallnusskuchen" - Engadin Walnut Pie as well as the famous German Apple Cake.

Roundtable: Germans in Goa / Goans in Germany

Towards a Better Cross-Cultural Understanding

13th December 2008 - Clube Vasco da Gama, Panjim

Chief Guest was Mr. Eduardo Faleiro, Commissioner for NRI Affairs, being Guest of Honour Ambassador V. K. Grover, Honorary Advisor to the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce.Three Goans, residents in Germany, and three Germans, residents in Goa, discussed the goals to promote understanding between Goans and Germans. And the discussion brought on many good suggestions for cooperation. The contributions of the participants in the roundtable were very positive and the dialogue should be continued. It is worthwhile for Goans and Germans to sit together and give frankly their opinion. It is the best way to come closer in friendship and the best way towards a better cross-cultural understanding.

German Alumni Meeting

14th December 2008 - The International Centre, Dona Paula

There was a meeting of alumni/ae of German universities at the International Centre, Dona Paula, where the many German connections with Goa were revealed by noted historian Percival Noronha who delivered his very interesting presentation about the historical German influence in Goa. More than 20 former students of German Universities had the opportunity to wiedersehen and exchange views and to participate at an Alumni lunch. This kind of meeting shall be continued in the next year.

Beer & more

Celebrating German popular music and snacks

14th December 2008 - Clube Tennis de Gaspar Dias, Miramar, Panjim

The cultural days concluded with ‘Happing Germany’ which brought together many Germans residing in Goa and many Goans with a German connection.

With the traditional German popular music on the background several Germans were serving diverse snacks as well as the delicious Frankfurter Wuerstchen (Frankfurt sausage) and the German delicacies like Frikadelle (also called boulette). Also the tasty and superb German pastry specialities Streuselkuchen (Crumbs Cake), Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake) and Butterkuchen (Butter Cake) made specially for this event were served by the German Pastry Chef Klaus Bredt. The presents had the unique opportunity to pick up a little package of assorted original German Christmas cookies.

PHOTO GALLERY