BBC ALBA EXPLORES THE GERMAN GAELS
Na Gaidheileamailtich – The German Gaels
Monday 27 September at 9pm on BBC ALBA
Centres of Gaelic learning in Scotland are being boosted by Germans as part of a growing tide of admiration for all things Scottish. Germans now account for the biggest overseas uptake at Sabhal Mor Ostaig, the Gaelic college on the Isle of Skye and boosts numbers at summer schools such as Ceolas in South Uist.
In this BBC ALBA documentary produced by MacTV, camera-director John MacKinnon travels through Germany and Scotland to find out if this is a by-product of the Braveheart phenomenon, or whether this passion for all things Scottish and Gaelic goes deeper into the national psyche and points to a German post-war generation which was denied a sense of national pride?
Dr Donald William Stewart, University of Edinburgh, has been studying the Celtic German connection, from the earliest Celtic connections of two millennia ago to the modern day.
Dr Donald William Stewart
“Something went far wrong in the 20th century when the Nazis, and the communists after them, had a hold on the German people’s culture,” he said. “I think that to some extent explains why so many young Germans form the 1960’s onwards had an interest in Celtic culture and music.
“In every University in Scotland you will get at least one German student every year. They come here to learn the language, sometimes surpassing the Scots. They carry out extensive research into our culture and quite a lot of them also live here.”
Many of the Gaelic learners are already studying the language at the University of Bonn in Germany, now one of the Europe’s main centres of Gaelic learning, and are coming to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to get the full cultural experience.
Lecturer Michael Klevenhaus became interested in the Gaelic language as a child when he heard a radio programme about it dying out. He studied at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye and within a few years was fluent. He now teaches around 70 students a year and has created a Gaelic to German phrasebook which has sold over 6,000 copies.
Michael Klevenhaus
“The links are being re-established with Scotland. There are students who start learning at the University of Bonn and then move to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig or one of Scotland’s Universities. I feel proud of myself that it has worked.”
Michael attends the Ceòlas summer school, every year and German Cultural tourism has played a big part in the success of this Uist based traditional festival.
Representing the Ceòlas, Màiri MacInnes said: “Germans have been attending since the beginning. They are interested in the songs which in turn gets them interested in the language.”
Rena Gertz, now a fluent Gaelic speaker, attends Ceòlas year. Rena said: “Germans are not allowed to be proud of their heritage so they seek another culture somewhere else. If you are German and you are proud to be a German you will be called a Nazi. We can’t say that we are proud, but the Scots and Irish can. Because music and poetry are alive here, they are alive for the young people. Children learn the pipes and old songs. Children are not interested in learning German songs at all.”
Calum MacDonald, founder member of Runrig greatly appreciates the large fan base the band has in Germany.
“I remember a conversation with some youngsters in Germany in the late 1980s,” he said. “They spoke about how uncomfortable they were with their own heritage. They said they found something in our music, or in Scottish music, such as heritage and culture, that they liked.”
Inga Bonk is one of Runrig’s biggest fans. She has seen the band over 75 times and has even re-located to the Isle of Skye be closer to them. She is one of many Germans who have moved to Scotland to be closer to the culture. Inga said: “I have seen them so many times that the band members know my name. It’s a big Runrig family.”
Inga Bonk
Michel Bauer speaks German, Cantonese, English and Gaelic; he now runs a Gaelic translation service in Glasgow. We follow his quest to take the British citizenship in Gaelic, being the first person to ever do so.
Michael said: “Initially they told me I couldn’t do it in Gaelic. I told them it was a matter of principle, so they said they would arrange that and here I am.”
Andreas Wolf now lives near Oban but is originally from East Berlin. He works for the BBC and recently won the Highlands and Islands Gaelic journalist of the year. He is also a Gaelic teacher. “I think the German culture is in decline to some extent whereas the culture in general is still alive in Scotland especially with the Gaels.
“I think [Germans] are probably the largest group of people outside Scotland who are learning Gaelic,” he added. “I think we can now be known as German Gaels.”