Interview with Anne Hübinette
What were your first impressions of the seminar?
Oh, that was a long time ago. I think my first time was some time in the mid-2000s, but I do remember thinking that at the beginning it was somewhat messy. I remember I kept thinking to myself “Oh, what is happening now?” and “Oh, what am I supposed to do now?”, but it actually didn’t take too long for me to get comfortable, and when I returned here later, I had no problem knowing what to do.
How has the seminar changed over the years?
Well, the core structure of the seminar hasn’t changed too much at all. A few workshops have appeared, and a few have disappeared, but the general arrangement remains the same. If I had to say anything, I think it’d have to be that the seminar is more reliant on technology now. When I first came here, there was a lot of writing by hand.
Oh, there is another thing I’ve noticed. Well, I suppose it has less to do with the seminar and more to do with the students, but either way, I have noticed that the students have become much better at English in recent years. When I first came here, there were a lot of students who could barely speak English at all. Perhaps a little bit of German, but hardly any English. Obviously this caused a bit of a communication problem between the students, but it’s not a problem I see anymore.
In what ways do you think the seminar is good for students?
I think the seminar helps students communicate and understand each other. It helps them get to know each other better and grow closer. There’s been maybe one time when a student absolutely did not want to be here, but it’s most common for everyone to enjoy it here.
What tips would you give to a teacher who is new to the seminar?
I would say to stay close to the other teachers, and don’t wander off alone. Here at the seminar we teachers need each other, and I think it’s important to stay together. Even though I don’t have a specific workshop, I socialize with the other teachers at meals and in the evenings. During the evenings it’s also important to keep an eye on the students to make sure they don’t hurt themselves.
Interview with Annette Sindénius
What were your first impressions of the seminar?
I thought it was pretty fantastic. This is a very beautiful place. The buildings are very beautiful, and especially the baroque-style monastery. The rooms we teachers stay in are very nice, and the food…well, the food is okay, at least. There’s a lot to see here and I think it’s good for students to come here. You see, the idea of bringing Europe together was started after World War II, so I think it’s good that students from different countries can come here and meet each other, make each other acquaintance and get some understanding for different cultures. Even though we live in the same part of the world, they’re still a little different.
How has the seminar changed over the years?
Well, I actually don’t think it has changed a whole lot at all. We’ve had different themes, so they have changed after the current topics. I can’t quite remember what the first theme was, but…I think it was “I’m a human”. And then we had a lot of themes about refugee and immigration policy and now we have this theme about the environment. So that has changed, but apart from that I don’t think there have been many changes, which would mean that this is a concept that works and is good.
In what ways do you think the seminar is good for students?
Well, I think it’s good that you get to speak English, and perhaps a little German too, so you improve your languages. You also get to communicate over country borders and get to hear how people of the same age have it in other countries in Europe, and perhaps even get some new friends. We don’t write letters anymore, like we did before, but you still get in touch with new people, so I think that is very important for the youth to see what the world is like, it’s important we get to know each other and thus prevent estrangement.
What tips would you give to a teacher who is new to the seminar?
Hmm… Tips, well… Bring a good mood, and try to talk a little with the other teachers. That is important for us, too. It may be comfortable only to speak with people we know, but it’s also important to communicate and have a chat with the other teachers. And then I’d also let them know that they have a fantastic week ahead of them.
It was asked somewhat frequently back in the day whether Marienthal was school or vacation. I’d say it’s something in between the two. I mean, we do work pretty hard, it is 8 hours a day, after all, but perhaps not in the same way as in school, and it’s like that for us teachers too, even though we also get to do some different things. We take it easy sometimes, but we are also at hand when the students need us.
