Chance Meetings Bring German Youth Group To Newtown

By Tanjua Damon

Was it pure coincidence or fate that kept Rev Steve Gordon of the Newtown Congregational Church running into a family from Berlin, Germany while visiting the western United States? Whatever it was, that connection helped build a relationship that brought a German youth group of 15 to the area for two weeks.

Rev Gordon first met Anne-Katrin Muller and her brother, Christoph, and father, Wilfried, in Flagstaff, Arizona, when Mr Muller asked what time the sun rises. Rev Gordon was not sure since he was not from the area, but the group made their way to the Grand Canyon, where they spoke some more.

Through talking, Rev Gordon found out that Christoph was an exchange student in Texas where Rev Gordon knew a pastor who once served there. Anne-Katrin was wearing a tee shirt with Congregational United Church of Christ on it and also had been on a student exchange in West Virginia.

The group had dinner together and then parted. Rev Gordon then went to St George, Utah, where he again ran into the Germans at a Motel 6. Now the group was beginning to wonder. But they parted ways again. This time Rev Gordon made his way to Las Vegas where he would catch a plane to head home.

“I went out to look at the MGM lights,” Rev Gordon said. “And there they were again.”

Once again the group met by chance and started talking about a youth group trip from Germany to Connecticut. Once back in Germany, Anne-Katrin started to email Rev Gordon to organize the trip across the ocean with members of the German Youth Group, who arrived April 16 and headed back to Germany on April 30.

Newtown Congregational Church and Walnut Hill Community Church members hosted the guests, ranging in age from 16 to 21. The group spent the first week sightseeing in New York City, at the Mystic Aquarium and Seaport, Silver Lake, and at Nyack College in New York. The group also spent a day at Newtown High School.

In Germany high schools vary in size. Many of the students thought the high school was large.

“It’s very big,” Denis Winterfeld said. “In Germany the high schools are not so big. It’s more crowded than in Germany.”

Every day is not the same in German high schools. The schedules vary a bit, according to Florian Trieloff. Mondays and Wednesdays might be the same, as might be Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“It’s very different in Berlin,” he said. “Here every day is the same. In Germany it changes.”

The German students also noticed how different the atmosphere is between the two countries.

“It’s easier here,” Denis said. “In Germany it is more disciplined.”

“If the teacher says something it is quiet,” Florian added. “There are more people in one class, about 30.”

German students learn two languages while in high school. Besides German they can take English, French, Latin, and sometimes Spanish.

Kindergarten is separate from elementary school. Many students attend an elementary school that houses students in grades one through six. High school runs from grades seven to 13 and there are different choices students can make on which school they attend.

Gymnasium is a high school that students who do well academically attend; it prepares them for university. There is also an option for students to attend from seventh through tenth grade where students who do fairly well academically can go. After the tenth grade the student would go to a training school. There is also a school for students who do not do well academically. They too would stay until the tenth grade and then move to a training school.

Students go to school from 8 am to 3 pm in Germany. The students also take every subject each year, particularly science. Students take chemistry and biology each year.

“Here you have high school spirit, school sports, and a huge music program. In Germany academics are important. Most schools are not as school spirited. It’s harder like the AP classes here,” Anninka Mier said. “I think it’s better to have it all the way through. We review the basics and do things on top of that. It gets more complicated.”

The students took part in many activities and spent time getting to know people, which was a highlight for some.

“Getting to know everybody. I met some really, really wonderful people,” Anninka said. “They are interesting. A lot of things we did you can do on vacation, but you don’t really get to know the people. I love it. It’s great.”

Jessica Winterfeld enjoyed the trip into New York City while the students were here as well as seeing the high school.

“It’s very nice the view from the Empire States Building. The Twin Towers, the ocean, the big city, seeing it from above,” she said. “I think it’s easy here [school]. I went to lessons that were funny. I’d really like to go to school here. In Germany I don’t like to go to school because it is very strict and hard. Here is it a lot of fun. It’s great. You choose your subjects. It’s cool.”

The hope is that some day soon, American students will take a trip to Berlin to take part in the life of the German youth group that was here.