German Language Month kicks off in Georgia
By Levan Abramishvili
Thursday, May 9
On May 7, the ambassadors of Germany, Austria and Switzerland held a reception to celebrate the beginning of the German language month in Georgia. German Ambassador, H.E. Hubert Knirsch, Austrian Ambassador, H.E. Arad Benkoe and the Swiss Ambassador, H.E. Patric Franzen welcomed the German-speaking Georgian politicians, as well as linguists and businesspeople. Among the attendees was Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia.
Kobakhidze spoke highly of the German language, underlining the special merit of the translators in promotion of Georgian literature abroad and at the Frankfurt Book Fair, and emphasized close bilateral and inter-Parliamentary relations with Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
“German language has opened the way to many Georgian students to European education and let me underline that the role of Germany, Austria and Switzerland in building our statehood is paramount,” said Kobakhidze.
The Messenger spoke with the ambassadors about the German language in Georgia.
H.E. Hubert Knirsch emphasized the important place that the German language has in the lives of many Georgian professionals.
“Today was a great occasion because the three ambassadors of Austria, Switzerland and Germany could bring together not all, but many people in Tbilisi who speak German, who work with the German language, who have received education in Germany in their field. It was fantastic to see how many people in the Parliament speak German, how many lawyers, doctors, and businesspeople speak German and regard the German language as something important in their lives. I’m very happy that we could see them all together here tonight.”
The ambassador expressed his hope that the events that will take place throughout Georgia this month will help the popularization of the German language. 'We hope that such an event and the month of the German language that begins today, with many events throughout Tbilisi and Georgia will contribute to popularizing the German language.”
H.E. Hubert Knirsch also expressed his wish for more German teachers in Georgian schools:
"I have a great wish that there will be more German teachers in the future. Many people want to learn German and there are not enough teachers of German in Georgian schools. Their training and their pay have to be improved. I know that the government is planning to spend much more money on education and I hope a little bit of this will also go towards German training."
The ambassador of Austria in Georgia, H.E. Arad Benkoe spoke about the role of German-speaking people who have received education in Europe:
“For the 7th year now, we are celebrating the month of the German language. This is very important because the German language used to be a significant part of Georgian and other societies. We are trying to increase the visibility, we are trying to make the German culture, which also includes Switzerland and Austria, more popular. We have here many Georgian politicians that have been studying mostly in Germany, they came back, and they have a very close relationship [with the countries]. We are trying to capitalize on this relationship and try to popularize our culture here," said H.E. Arad Benkoe.
H.E. Patric Franzen, the Swiss ambassador, spoke about the bridging role that language plays between Georgia and the European culture.
"The promotion of the German language in Georgia is important to us because it is building a bridge to a very important European culture and this goes through the language. If you understand the language, you get access to a new culture, to impressive literature, to philosophy and it influences your thinking. We strongly believe that the promotion of the German language is a significant factor in the European orientation of Georgia,” stated the ambassador.
The month of German language is held in Georgia for the 7th time this year. From April 20 to June 11, the public will get a chance to learn more about the language and culture of Germany, Switzerland and Austria through various public events.
Within the Three Countries – One Language initiative, events will be held throughout Georgia; they are diverse and encompass a wide range of activities, such as book launches, movie screenings and sports events.
For information about all the upcoming events, please visit facebook.com/DreiLaender.
