[Cz-L] Re: czernowitz-l digest: May 04, 2007

Czernowitz Genealogy and History digest schrieb:
> CZERNOWITZ-L Digest for Friday, May 04, 2007.
>
> 1. RE: [Cz-L] Looking ahead
> 2. Re: [Cz-L] Looking ahead
> 3. [Cz-L] Yiddish language conference
> 4. Re: [Cz-L] Yiddish language conference
> 5. RE: [Cz-L] Looking ahead
> 6. RE: [Cz-L] Yiddish language conference

-snip-
>
>
Hello from Berlin,
Have just returned from the pretty town of Weimar, where our daughter
has an engagement now. It is really pretty, compact, full of history,
the houses of
Goethe and Schiller, Cranach, Ana Amalia (of the famous library which is
being restored), and many famous persons who have lived or visited there.
And of course, the Buchenwald concentration camp, tidy, clean, with
only a few barracks left, the one with single cells, where almost
nobody survived and
the horrible crematorium which we know from photographs, but when you
face the deadly machinery you can't believe it.. Moreover lots of
remaining objects, utensils, clothes, used by the prisoners, (almost
medieval) torture instruments , a huge metal construction used for
hanging at least 10 persons at once. The spirit of Schiller and Goethe
as opposed to the dark times of the Nazi era - incompatible yet
possible. Also, nobody knew anything, including the Church,although the
camp is only 10 kms away from the city, and over 140,000 people passed
through the train station there!!!
This has nothing to do with our present subject, but I felt I had to
share this experience with the group.
As to 2008 - in Germany there are two chairs for Jiddish /Jewish
studies, one at the University of Düsseldorf, Prof. Marion Aptroot
(speciality old Jiddish) and
one at the University of Trier, Prof. Simon Neuberg. At the university
of Potsdam there is also a library of Jiddish literature, which had
belonged to the former
director of the Bucharest Jiddish Theatre, Israel Bercovici. And
Elvira Grözinger, Prof. for Jewish studies there who is also a Jiddishist.
 All this I believe could be possible sources for eventual information
and/or lectures.
The location seems to me also most important. The Reunion in the
Ceremosh hotel went well, but with technical support (schlep, schlep)
kindly provided by some participants.
The Jewish house has a big hall in not so good condition, and the
sanitary installations are not quite salubrious.
How about the Theatre with its wonderful acoustics, if possible? Other
locations?
  It comes to mind to ask for funds from the Lauder Foundation who is
quite involved in Eastern Europe, and the Jewish Congress, they might be
quite willing to donate, maybe even help re-decorate and update the hall
in the Jewish house for this purpose? This would need a lot of
organization and effort, but maybe possible.
Am sure there are still lots of enlightened heads dealing with the
Jiddish language and literature, some of whom might be willing to come
and enlighten us - problem is, does one have to know Jiddish to follow?
We all have a smattering of the language, I suppose, or at least
understanding.
Just a few thoughts, of course, and probably many more, as well as
opposition will come and be welcome.
That is all I can think of for the moment.
Gabriele

-- 
Gabriele Weissmann, B.A.
Kaiserdamm 18
D- 14057 Berlin
Tel./Fax: +49.30.321 15 38
E-Mail: G.Weissmann_at_gmx.de