Erasmus+: Eine Woche mit unseren finnischen Partner:innen
Bereits Anfang Februar fand im Zuge eines Erasmus+ Projektes zwischen Schüler:innen aus unseren 7. Klassen und unserer finnischen Partnerschule in Kokkola eine weitere Austauschwoche zu dem Thema "Cultural Heritage" statt. Dieses insgesamt dritte Projektjahr steht unter dem Motto: "Looking back is going forward" und die Programmpunkte dieses Austausches waren dementsprechend vielfältig und beinhalteten u.a. Exkursionen nach Venedig, Obertilliach und Salzburg.
Unsere Schüler:innen haben ihre Erlebnisse am Ende dieser spannenden Woche in der folgenden Projektzeitschrift zusammengefasst.
Looking back is going forward
Project Parameters
Title
Looking back is going forward
Project time
January - February 2024
Partner schools
- Karleby Svenska Gymnasium. Kokkola. Finnland
- Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Lienz. Austria. www.brg-lienz.at
Sunday: Time with host families
On January 27th our Finnish exchange students arrived in Lienz. After this late arrival on Saturday, the next day started with a late breakfast, a little tour of our hometown and with a hunt for the best view over Lienz and its surrounding areas. Afterwards the whole group met at the local indoor swimming pool and our first fun activities started. Later in the afternoon we all went to grab a coffee and then we split up and spent the rest of the afternoon with our families but in the evening we all met again and had dinner together.
Monday: Introduction to the project
On the 29th of January we were introduced to the project and its key questions regarding the cultural heritage
of Europe and various outlooks on it as well our project task to find out what to keep from our past in order to
create our future. We also got an overview of our week ahead and our main issues to discuss our theme of
"Looking back is going forward."
Right after that Prof. Ebner walked us through all the main attractions in town, including a church that is now
used as an art studio of an upper-level school, a small Christian chapel that is also used by the Russian Orthodox
Church community, the town halls that simultaneously serves as an art gallery of local painters and sculptors,
a former farm in town that is now used as an art studio and the working place of an 84-year old blacksmith who
has worked there for 50 years in an unchanged environment. We also visited the "Photo Archive of the Region
"Tyrol-Trentino" and had a look at historical photographs that illustrate our history. Another highlight was our
lunch together at “Adlerstübl” where we enjoyed the local cuisine.
In the afternoon, back at school, we introduced the Finnish students in workshops to all the activities we were
going to do as well as the questions we were going to work on in the following days. We introduced our partners to
our school, we tested our knowledge about cultural heritage in a Kahoot game and we had a first look at the places
we would visit during this upcoming week: Venice, Obertilliach and Salzburg.
Tuesday: Our trip Venice
On the 30th of January we went to Venice. Our trip started at 6:00 a.m. and we arrived at approximately 10:30 a.m. After the boat ride we finally got to explore the city. First we went to San Marco Square and from there to the Rialto Bridge where Sophia, Antonia and Anika got interviewed about tourism in Venice by the TV channel “ARD”. After that we had some free time to eat lunch or go shopping in smaller groups Before our boat left the harbor again at 4:00 p.m. we had to explore the city with regard to the following two main questions regarding Venice:
Venetian souvenirs: What is their cultural and historical importance and which Venetian culture should be preserved for the future:
Venetian souvenirs typically represent the rich history, culture, and artistry of the city of Venice in Italy. They often reflect the distinct Venetian style and craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations. Some common themes and symbols found in Venetian souvenirs include:
Murano Glass: The history of glassmaking in Murano dates back to 1291 when the Venetian government ordered the glassmakers of Venice to relocate their studios to Murano as a precautionary measure to avert fires. From there on the small island emerged as one of the most prominent centers of glassmaking in the world.
Venetian masks: The origin of Venetian masks dates back to the Middle Ages when people started to celebrate together wearing masks and elegant clothes. Gradually it became even more popular and even institutionalized by the Republic of Venice, reaching its peak during the Carnival of Venice.
The marbled paper: This type of paper arrived in Venice in 1600 due to exchanges of goods with the Turks. In the 17th century, when publishing was at its maximum development, this technique got developed. The papers created at the time were used to cover the books and embellish them.
Gondolas: Gondolas are traditional Venetian boats used for transportation on the city’s canals. Miniature gondola souvenirs symbolize the unique waterways and romantic charm of Venice.
Winged Lion of Venice: The winged lion is the symbol of Saint Marcus, the patron saint of Venice. It represents the power and majesty of the city and can be found in souvenirs like keychains, flags, and statues.
Venetian (Burano) Lace: Venetian lace is renowned for its delicate and intricate patterns. Lace souvenirs symbolize the city’s long-standing tradition of lace making and craftsmanship.
Venetian Landscapes: Paintings, prints, and photographs capturing the iconic landmarks, canals, and architecture of Venice are popular souvenirs that depict the city’s unique beauty and ambiance.
Traditions that really should be protected and preserved are the use of gondolas as a traditional means of transport in Venice because they are iconic and unique. Preserving and appreciating the artistry and craftsmanship behind the production and use of gondolas can help maintain this traditional culture.
Also the art of creating Venetian masks plays a significant role in Venetian culture, especially during the Carnival of Venice. The masks have cultural and historical significance and should be preserved as an expression of Venetian cultural heritage.
Traditional festivals and events like the Venice Biennale, the Historical Regatta and the Feast of the Redeemer hold cultural and historical significance. Preserving and celebrating these traditional festivals and events can also help ensure the continuity of Venetian culture.
Wednesday: Culture and sports at Obertilliach
On Wednesday, January 31, we went to Obertilliach, a very typical, traditional village with an extremely dense village center where the old wooden houses are built wall-to-wall. At the same time Obertilliach is a perfect outdoors destination with a lot of modern infrastructure. Our trip started in Lienz at 8.15. For us the expected highlight of the day was of course the skiing and sledging adventure in the mountains but we got to know Obertilliach also as a perfect example for our project because it offers such a unique combination of traditional houses and traditions with modern tourism infrastructure, especially for skiing, cross country skiing, sledging, biathlon etc. Because of these outstanding features of Obertilliach we had to discuss the following questions while visiting this extraordinarily beautiful village.
Why can the center of the village be called historical? In which ways does tourism in Obertilliach preserve the historical aspect of the area?
The center of Obertilliach is a cultural asset which means that many listed buildings of Obertilliach have an underlying legal protection. The message behind it is clear – we have to protect our past and our traditions to learn from them in order to know where we come from. The understandable concern of the inhabitants and politicians of Obertilliach is that this cultural heritage could suffer from too much tourism. Therefor modern hotel buildings have to be designed in a way that they suit the other old, wooden farm buildings, chapels, barns etc. Because of that the “local cultural policy” was established to protect and preserve the history of the village but also traditions, such as the "night watchman". Local business and hotel managers also seem to be very keen on adapting their modern architecture to traditional styles, which we could see in the “Family – Hotel- Scherer” where we enjoyed again traditional meals, such as Schnitzel, Schlipfkrapfen, Käsespätzel, etc.
Thursday: Exploring the combination of Past and Present: A Journey to Salzburg
For our journey to Salzburg we left Lienz on the 1st of February at 6am. The trip to Salzburg was not just a simple excursion but more of an exploration of how a city gracefully combines its rich past with its promising future. Salzburg is a city where history can be felt in every street. As we strolled through the old town, with its Baroque architecture and medieval charm, it could be seen clearly that Salzburg cherishes its heritage. Walking along the Getreidegasse, we admired its traditional shops mixed with contemporary stores.
Besides that, another main reason for our journey to Salzburg was the visit of the “Salzburger Landestheater”. The theater's commitment to stage youth theater plays reflects its forward-thinking approach and its continuous efforts to engage with the younger generation as well as to make the theater an attractive place for young people. We were given the opportunity to watch the final rehearsal of a youth play called „Der Lauf des Lebens “, which deals with the pressure in the sports industry as well as in real life in a humorous but also very reflected and critical way.
The title "The course of life" hints at our permanent ambition to become better in all aspects of our life, to constantly improve all our performances but also our willingness to"sell" our soul like athletes seem to "sell" their bodies to their sponsors and the media in order to gain fame and earn money. The play shows that the prize we are paying for our own goals is really high. Therefor the play tries to make people think about their their future.
Afterwards we were also able to get a glimpse behind the scenes of the theatre world and to get an insight into the making of costumes and masks while touring through the theater. The beautiful trip to Salzburg will be remembered as a thrilling experience by everyone.
Friday: Final art project and looking back at our week
On the final day of this incredibly memorable and culturally rich project, we summarized the experiences of this week in form of a written feedback, in a small workshop in which we discussed possible new "lives" and usages for old abandoned buildings both in Lienz and Kokkola and a piece of art, the "network frame" that can be seen on the first image of this journal, which visualized - with the help of photographs and little notes - our impressions of the entire week.
For all of these activities we split up in groups: the first group collected catchphrases regarding the adventures we experienced on our excursions as well as our memories of the week in general. The next group started coming up with new ideas for old buildings on a poster. And the third group began creating the "network frame" that should symbolize the connections established through all our Erasmus+ projects. Because we took it in turns everyone was able to add something to this "network frame" that also shows the strong bond between Lienz and Kokkola. At the end of this morning there was still enough time left to grab a cup of coffee at our school’s cafeteria and the afternoon and evening gave us some more time to enjoy our new friendships before saying good bye on the next day. This final good bye was indeed very emotional for everybody.
Even though it was a tiring week, we were given the gift of mesmerizing memories, we learned a lot about cultural heritage in our area and in general, we reflected both about our past and history as well as our future and our future goals as individuals and as a community and we developed new friendships and connections that we are really grateful for. So, as the Finnish would say "Tack!", we would like to say "Danke!
Participants
Teachers
|
Austria |
Finland |
|
Benedikt Fundneider |
Carola Wisén-Elenius |
|
Silvia Ebner |
Pia Björkqvist |
|
Verena Karré |
|
|
Doris Niederwieser |
|
|
Markus Huber |
Students
|
Austria |
Finland |
|
Jakob Kranebitter |
Benjam Wentin |
|
Jana Geiler |
Jessika Tylli |
|
Nina Xu |
Rakel Rebecca Välitalo |
|
Antonia Kofler |
Lina Lia Luomala |
|
Anika Robitsch |
Majken Clement |
|
Sophia Radziwon |
Lotta Holmbäck |
|
Rebecca Winkler |
Siri Elfving |