German School here turns 50

AN important consideration for German companies coming to Singapore is the German European School Singapore. Inaugurated in 1971, it is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. On this occasion a book delving for the first time comprehensively into the history of Germany's relations with Singapore is in the making and will be published in spring next year, says the German ambassador to Singapore, Dr Norbert Riedel.

"On culture, I invite BT readers to visit the exhibition The Gift at the Singapore Art Museum. Initiated by the Goethe-Institut, our German Cultural Centre, this exhibition is the outcome of a major cross-regional collaboration between Berlin's contemporary art museum Hamburger Bahnhof and several art museums in South-east Asia. It is timely, that a celebrated work of the late Joseph Beuys called Energy Staff has come to Singapore via the exhibition," says the German envoy.

Meanwhile, the German embassy here is partnering this year with the Free State of Saxony which has sent over a musical rendering of Majulah Singapura by the renowned boys' choir Dresdner Kreuzchor that will be shared via the embassy's social media channels.

"As soon as it was known that we had to move our National Day celebration online again this year, I wanted to turn something some perceived as a setback into a meaningful event. The Covid-19 pandemic is a challenge to all of us, but I wanted to draw attention to those who were less fortunate in dealing with the economic and social effects of the pandemic here in Singapore. I therefore invited the German business community here for a donation campaign on the occasion of the Day of German Unity - our national day."

The result was beyond his expectations. Over S$80,000 has been donated in total and the money will go to three bodies: SPD (formerly called the Society for the Physically Disabled), a charity serving people with disabilities; Milk, which empowers promising young persons from low-income households; and Food from the Heart, which alleviates hunger by providing reliable, consistent and sustainable food support through food distribution programmes.

Companies that have donated include Blanco, BMW, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daimler SE Asia, Deutsche Bank, DZ Bank, Ed Züblin, Evonik, Food Panda, German Centre, Helaba, LAPP, LBBW, Luther, Melchers, Munich Re, Siemens, Siltronic and Liebherr.

Further, instead of the usual National Day reception, the German envoy has invited frontline and essential workers from vaccination centres at community centres, hospitals and clinic staff, as well as bus captains for a meal in a German-owned restaurant across a week, in line with local rules and regulations, as a token of appreciation for their work in the pandemic.

• Follow the Embassy's National Day celebrations on social media: @GermanyinSingapore (Facebook + Instagram) or @GermanyinSGP (Twitter)