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Date for your 2018 diaries:

June 2018

Filmabend #3: Der geteilte Himmel – The Divided Heaven

Wednesday, 20 June 2018 at 5.30pm in VZ 606, Von Zedlitz Building, Victoria University of Wellington (Kelburn Parade).

Regie/Director: Konrad Wolf (1963/64)

1961 in der DDR, kurz vor dem Bau der Mauer. Rita Seidel ist nach ihrem Zusammenbruch aus der Stadt Halle in ihr Dorf zurückgekehrt, um Ruhe zu finden. Sie erinnert sich an die vergangenen Jahre, an ihre Liebe zum Chemiker Manfred Herrfurth, an ihre Arbeit in einer Waggonfabrik und an ihr Studium fürs Lehramt. In der Fabrik und an der Uni gab es Probleme mit politischen Opportunisten und ideologischen Hardlinern; Ritas Liebesbeziehung fand ein Ende, nachdem Manfred, verbittert über die Betonköpfe, die sein neues chemisches Verfahren abgelehnt hatten, nach Westberlin gegangen war und Rita nicht mitkommen wollte. Der geteilte Himmel, entstanden nur wenige Jahre nach dem Mauerbau, ist einer der mutigsten Spielfilme, die je in der DDR gedreht wurden, nicht nur wegen seiner ungewöhnlichen Dramaturgie, sondern weil er die Verantwortung für die Konflikte im eigenen Land und nicht beim „Klassenfeind“ sucht. 

East Germany in 1961, just before the construction of the Berlin Wall. After suffering a nervous breakdown, Rita Seidel returns to her village from the city of Halle to find peace and quiet. She recalls the past years, her love for chemist Manfred Herrfurth, her work in a railway car factory and her studies to become a teacher. There were problems with political opportunists and ideological hardliners in the factory and at university. Rita’s love affair came to an end after Manfred, bitter that uncompromising supervisors had rejected his new chemical process, fled the city for West Berlin without Rita, who chose not to join him. The Divided Heaven, created just a few years after the Wall was constructed, is one of the bravest movies ever to be made in the GDR – not only because of its unusual dramaturgy, but also because it seeks responsibility for conflicts in one’s own country and not with the “class enemy”. Find out more »

Past Events

December 2016

Goethe Society Wellington 2016 Christmas Dinner

Thursday, 1 December 2016 at 6:30 pm

Brooklyn Deli (199-201 Ohiro Road, Brooklyn Village)

The Goethe Society Wellington invites you to an evening about New Zealand/Germany Scientific Relationships, including Associate Professor Nancy Bertler’s work in Antarctica.

 

Part 1: Associate Professor Nancy Bertler, a New Zealand Rutherford Discovery Fellow, will talk about the potential collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet – Implications for Global Sea Level. Rapid deglaciation of West Antarctica remains a primary uncertainty in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Predictions for 21st Century sea level rise. The recent and unpredicted collapse of multiple ice shelves, rapid acceleration of Antarctic ice discharge, and large scale changes in atmospheric circulation and ocean currents suggest that dynamical responses to warming play a more significant role than is currently understood and captured in coupled climate-ice sheet models. New results from current research projects (i.e. RICE, ANDRILL, WAIS) indicate a higher climate sensitivity of the Antarctic ice sheets than previously thought.

 

Part 2: New Zealand and Germany’s science relationship – recent history and future prospects. Rick Petersen, Senior Advisor, International Science Partnerships Team, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, will discuss highlights from the past couple of years in the New Zealand/Germany bilateral science relationship, identify some of the events that are likely to take place in 2017 to mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of the bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement and give a flavour of where the relationship might develop over the next few years. Find out more »

September Filmabend: Almanya – Willkommen in Deutschland/Almanya – Welcome to Germany

Wednesday, 14 September 2016 at 5.30 pm

Victoria University of Wellington, VZ 606, Von Zedlitz Building, Kelburn Parade

Hüseyin Yilmaz came to Germany from Turkey in 1964, and later brought his wife and children. With warmth and a sense of humour, his granddaughter recounts their family history – whilst the clan is “back home” on holiday. Where their real home is, is a question they are all confronted with. Find out more »

August 2016

Heike Papenthin: The Current Refugee Situation in Germany & How Germans Handle it

Wednesday, 10 August 2016 at 7.30 pm

Victoria University of Wellington, MYLT 101, Murphy Building, Kelburn Parade

Whenever talking about Germany these days, the topic comes up how this nation in the centre of Europe deals with the current refugee situation. As an active Couchsurfing host, Heike Papenthin has had many encounters with young Germans, who have shared their stories with her about their and their friends’ involvement – stories which should be told. Heike’s mother was a refugee in World War II which might explain her deep interest in the current refugee situation in Germany. Heike is the National Language Adviser for German supporting the development of German language education in New Zealand. Find out more »

June 2016

June Presentation – Sonnenwendefeier with Ingrid Kölle

Tuesday, 21 June 2016 at 7:30 pm

Victoria University of Wellington, MYLT 101, Murphy Building, Kelburn Parade

 

THE GOETHE SOCIETY WELLINGTON IS THRILLED TO HAVE INGRID KÖLLE PRESENT HER LATEST PUBLICATION:
A reading from “Neuseeland – ein Länderporträt” Join us for the annual Sonnenwendefeier and listen to Ingrid Kölle read from her book “Neuseeland – ein Länderporträt” (German edition). This talk will be in both German and English, and there will be time for questions. Copies of her book (in German) will be available for purchase on the evening ($25, cash only)… Find out more »

May 2016

May Filmabend – Kaddisch für einen Freund

THE GOETHE SOCIETY WELLINGTON PRESENTS…
A FILM EVENING
Kaddisch für einen Freund (2010/11)
Directed by Leo Khasin with a running time of 94 minutes