Don’t miss the Halloween-timed screening of Murnau’s spooky film classic – still as scary now as it was in 1922!
The film will be shown on 27 Oct at 7.30pm in Birmingham’s new concert venue The Bramall. Click here to book your ticket.
Category: Events in Birmingham
Writer in Residence Ulrich Peltzer
German at Aston is proud to be hosting critically acclaimed writer Ulrich Peltzer as part of the German Academic Exchange Service’s (DAAD) Writer in Residence programme. Peltzer is with us from 28 Nov until 8 Dec.
During his time at Aston, the author will read from his latest novel Das bessere Leben. He will also give a research seminar on “Political Writing Today: Film and Prose”, where he will discuss his novels and his film scripts for some of Berlin School director Christoph Hochhäusler’s films with Prof Julian Preece from Swansea University.
On 7 Dec, Peltzer will appear at Birmingham’s Waterstones bookshop to discuss his break-through novel Teil der Lösung (Part of the Solution) and his experience as an author living and writing in Berlin.
Manner-wafers and Halloren-chocolate coming to Britain?
Last weekend more than 40 students arrived at Aston University to attend international marketing workshops given by Aston staff. Pupils from all over the country came to Birmingham and experienced a weekend full of fun and information. On Saturday morning, the weekend began with a Welcome session after which the students went into different groups depending on their language.
Five pupils joined our German workshop and did not only learn a lot about marketing and its different areas but of course got the chance to improve their language skills as the workshop was held in German. Different marketing theories such as “The four P’s” or “AIDA” were explained to give them an idea of what marketing is about.
On Sunday, the students then had to put their knowledge together by designing marketing strategies for different Austrian and German products such as Manner-wafers and Halloren chocolate bubbles. They prepared their presentations as well as TV advertisements. At the end of the day each group presented their project in front of the group as if presenting their marketing strategies to the companies that produce the products. Both groups came up with very creative ideas as well as great advertising spots. So put your hands together for the great turnout and thanks again for coming from all over the country!
The students as well as the LSS staff and all our passionate organizers had a lot of fun last weekend and enjoyed their time with the visitors.
And who knows…maybe someday we will get products such as Halloren and Manner in Britain! 🙂
Julia
![IMAG5909[1]](https://germanataston.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/imag59091.jpg)
Julia
German Oktoberfest in England
Zicke zacke, zicke zacke, hoi hoi hoi! – I heard people singing inside the tent.
During the last week of October people from all over the world came together and met up in Digbeth to celebrate Germanys biggest beerfestival called Oktoberfest. Together with friends they came to sing, dance and enjoy the unique bavarian culture.
As a german girl I also went to my first Oktoberfest which seems to be funny as I have never experienced an Oktoberfest in Germany. When I arrived and stood outside the tent I could already hear the people singing along to the german lyrics of typical Oktoberfestsongs. When I entered I saw people either standing on the benches with their pitcher – as a Bavarian would say “Maß” – or sitting on the ale-bench enjoying their “Schnitzel”. The atmosphere was very friendly and spirits were running high as a band from southern German played typical Schlager such as Rotes Pferd, Nena or Anton aus Tirol.
Nevertheless, apart from the waitresses, people did not wear the typical dress called Lederhosen and Dirndl. As I thought that visitors will try to imitate the original beerfestival I had bought myself a typical Dirndl but when I arrived I deterrmined that I was completely wrong. Well…at first I felt a little bit silly but in the end I was funny as people thought I would be a waitress and wanted to make orders all the time – so yes, it was kind of funny.
Depite the fact that beer and Schnitzel seemed to be very expensive, people from all over the world – including me – had a nice evening with good music, original bavarian Festbeer and of course German Schnitzel.
Julia
Test Dept book launch 28 May
Straying a little from our usual focus on German music, the German section is proud to host the Midlands launch of “Total State Machine”, a fantastic new volume documenting the work of seminal English industrial band Test Dept.
You can find more info on the event, which will be opened with welcome address by our colleague Uwe Schütte, by visiting the event page.
The event is free but requires registration.
You can also watch a video or visit the publisher’s website.
Free Andreas Spechtl solo gig
Highlight of Andreas Spechtl’s upcoming stay as Songwriter in Residence will be his free gig at the groovy 6/8 Kafé on 22 April. He will play a full 15 song set, comprising a number of songs in English. Everybody welcome. Doors will open at 7pm.
Andreas Spechtl, DAAD Songwriter in Residence
For the first time, we invited to Aston not a Writer but a Songwriter in Residence. Andreas Spechtl, singer and songwriter of the Berlin-based, Austrian band Ja, Panik will be in Birmingham from 20 April. His band is recognised as one of the foremost German-language indie bands. They won acclaim in particular for their last two albums “DMD KIU LDT” and “Libertatia”, the latter winning the Album des Jahres Award of the leading music magazine SPEX. The highlight of his stay will be a free solo concert in the city centre. More news on this after Easter. Spechtl was invited by our resident pop music expert Uwe Schütte and his stay is sponsored by the DAAD and the Goethe Institut, London.
Annual German Pub Quiz 2014
On the 10th of March, it was once again time for the Ánnual German Pub Quiz, the friendly competition between German students and staff from Aston University and the University of Birmingham who were both invited to participate in this test of knowledge about Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
This year, the quiz was hosted by the University of Birmingham. As in previous years, the questions were presented in English and German and provided excellent entertainment for everyone present.The questions ranged from history and music to politics and geography and much, much more. The friendly atmosphere, the nice location and the cheerful companions ensured a lovely evening, and we are already looking forward to next year’s quiz!
Here’s one of the tasks that quizzers were asked to complete this year:
German@Aston Proudly Presents: Klaus Böldl, Aston’s Writer in Residence 2013
German at Aston are excited to confirm that novelist Klaus Böldl has accepted our invitation and will be Aston’s Writer in Residence in October 2013. His stay is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Böldl’s highly acclaimed works offer fascinating visions of some of Europe’s remotest regions. Set in the periphery of civilisation, Böldl’s writings combine a (post)modernist exploration of the individual’s existential crisis with an elaboration of the reconciliatory potential of nature.
On 2nd October Böldl will read extracts from his latest novel Der nächtliche Lehrer (”The Nocturnal Teacher”) (5pm, MB574). It will be a bilingual reading with an English translation presented by our colleague from Translation Studies, Lecturer Jean Darvill. We are particularly proud to announce that the translation was produced in collaboration with final year Aston German and Translation Studies students.
Free Admission, All Welcome!
[click here to download the poster]
