MULTICULTURAL CITY
Germans of Cambridge WILLKOMMEN
ALEX FICE SPOTLIGHTS THE CITY’S INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION, IN A NEW SERIES EXPLORING WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LIVE ABROAD IN CAMBRIDGE
As well as providing opportunities to speak the language, the German-speaking Church also offers a point of contact to engage in German traditions. One key date in the calendar is St Martin’s Day on 11 November, which the church celebrates with an outdoor puppet show, songs and a lantern procession, followed by the distribution of cookies shaped like geese (a key component in the story of St Martin). Last year, Kerstin was even asked to extend the tradition to
fluently. In short, we are an open-minded community for all German speakers, whatever their background!” The German-speaking Church helps to nurture the local community by hosting religious services, cultural events and regular social meetups – including a toddler group every Friday morning. For many Germans in the UK, having the opportunity to speak the language is fundamental, especially for those with children. “I recently had an email from someone who
aving recently been privy to the lager-fuelled activities of Oktoberfest on Parker’s Piece, you may be tempted to believe that this event is the apogee of German culture – but you would be sorely mistaken. We spoke to Reverend Kerstin Othmer of the German-speaking Lutheran Church on Shaftesbury Road, to find out about German culture through the eyes of the city’s diaspora. “I moved here two years ago from Dortmund, which is partnered with Leeds. They are both industrial cities with high unemployment, characterised by coal, steel and breweries,” says Kerstin. “For me, life in Britain is lovely; I love the landscape, and the people are polite – sometimes too polite! It’s a kind of communication I have had to get used to… Germans are probably more direct.” According to Kerstin, there are well over 10,000 Germans living in East Anglia, around half of which are in Cambridge. Of these, 15-20% are refugees who had to flee Germany during and after the Second World War. “Many of the older people in our congregation have had difficult lives and lived through traumatic events. Some have been unable to return home for political reasons, while others have stayed because they no longer have family back home,” says Kerstin. “We also have people come to us who are from Austria and Latvia, as well as those who studied in Germany, so speak
Nightingale Garden in Cherry Hinton, which led to many of the community gardeners joining the church’s St Martin’s celebrations. In the run-up to Christmas, the church hosts an Advent bazaar – recalling the German Christmas markets that have taken the world
had lived in Berlin for four months, whose little girl has started speaking German while at nursery there. They didn’t want her to forget the German she had learnt, so they asked me if I knew a German babysitter that could play with the child,” says Kerstin. “It’s an
It’s said we count, dream and pray in our mother tongue
by storm. “The week before, a group of us go to Thetford Forest to collect greenery for wreath-making, which we sell at our market alongside plenty of other German decorations, plus cookies, cakes and mulled wine,” explains Kerstin. “Events like these touch all senses – the smell, sound and taste of Germany; the cakes, sausages, forests, music and dancing – even the different accents… it’s a holistic thing,” she adds. “And we don’t wear leather trousers! This is just folklore.”
amazing opportunity for children to grow up bilingual. I’m kind of jealous – they have a mother tongue in both languages!” For some, speaking one’s native language can be vital to maintaining a sense of identity. It provides a point of contact through which to share common childhood experiences, recall popular songs and connect to one’s roots. “It is said that we count, dream and pray in our mother tongue,” says Kerstin. “I think there’s a spot of truth in that.”
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