The German-Maltese Society of Germany was
founded 25 years ago in Adenau. To mark the occasion,
the Society published a book outlining its aims, history and main achievements.
Ambassador Dr Albert Friggieri sent a congratulatory message which was
included in the publication. Ambassador Friggieri wrote:
It
is with great pleasure that I congratulate the German-Maltese Society on
its 25th birthday!
When I was Ambassador of Malta in Bonn in 1986-87, I met the then mayor of
Adenau, Mr. Bernd Schiffarth. The idea of establishing a German-Maltese society
in Germany was the result of our conversations thirty years ago.
The link between Adenau and Malta is the Order of the Knights of St. John. The
long connection of Adenau, "the town of the Knights" in the Eifel,
with the Order of St. John started in 1162, when Count Ulrich of Are gave
his manor in Adenau to the Order, which then built one of its oldest German
commanderies there. In the case of Malta, it was Emperor Charles V of Spain who
gave the Maltese archipelago to the Order of St. John as a fief in 1530. For
268 years Malta was the "state of the Order", the home of the
Knights, a first class European cultural centre and an impregnable fortress.
In 1962 several Maltese citizens and Germans living in Malta decided to set up
the German-Maltese Circle in Malta. From the beginning, the goal of the Circle
was to strengthen contacts between the people of both countries. Since my youth
I was an active member of the Circle and during my student years at the
University of Heidelberg I had often wished that a similar institution would
exist in Germany.
After finishing my work at the Embassy of Malta in Bonn, I came privately again
to Adenau in 1988 to promote the idea of establishing a German-Maltese society.
The Maltese Cross at various points in the town and especially the friendliness
of the people of Adenau contributed significantly to the fact that I felt
comfortable and at home in the historic and beautiful “pearl of the Hocheifel”.
It was clear to me right from the beginning that the registered office of
the society should be in Adenau. In 1991 I learned, with great satisfaction,
that the German-Maltese Society had been founded - in Adenau. For 17 years it
was led successfully and with great commitment by its first president, Mr.
Bernd Schiffarth, at the time the town's mayor.
During its 25-year history the German-Maltese Society has promoted the
friendship between the people of Germany and Malta and strengthened the
relations between our two countries with countless activities and laudable
initiatives. I thank the members of the different committees of the past, all
of them volunteers, for their generous efforts. I would also like to thank the
current committee and especially the president, Mr. Christian Launer, who since
2008 has been leading the society with great dedication, obtaining excellent
results. I wish the committee and members of the German-Maltese Society every
success in their wide-ranging activities in favour of German-Maltese
friendship, a constant interest in Malta, and ... a bit of fun in their work.