An old school desk from the primary school in Neidingen (Picture: Christine Baumann)
When we came to you 22 years ago from neighbouring countries, we were able to enrol our children in one of the smallest village schools. We had been there for a few weeks when this school held a big celebration. We experienced first-hand how extensively people celebrate in East Belgium, so of course we took part and also helped with the preparations. So we’d ‘arrived’ in no time and were accepted in the village and the community. A small school but a big party! At the festival, we were able to buy this school desk, at which our children had done their schoolwork for a long time, at an auction. Now, they have long since grown up, and following their studies, have moved on to careers ‘in the whole, wild world’…
I would like to give you this school desk from a small village school for your birthday because it is an expression of what one can achieve, even or precisely because one is small! You too, East Belgium, are truly small, surrounded by large neighbours in Belgium and even larger ones in Europe. We would like to thank you for managing to maintain your profile and humanity precisely because of your small size. During the current Covid-related crisis, it is the proximity of our representatives, the small local shops and the small local hospitals and care homes that have been able to adapt quickly to our needs and give us security and confidence!
The school desk is also a symbol for me of how important schools are to you. The preservation of the German language, but also multilingualism, have been important pillars of your identity from the very beginning. In your eventful history, there have been many battles over education, not only the ‘school battle’ in Sankt Vith.
The school bench shows a lot of wear and tear, but it is stable and pratically indestructible. That is exactly what we wish for you for the centuries to come.
Be proud of your smallness, of your small structures, of the two hospitals and the many schools, combined with all the possibilities of today. In the meantime, tablet computers have also found their way into your village schools, and that is a good thing! Stay small and neat to give your people a manageable living space that is self-determined in many ways, but educated and networked to be able to think outside the box.
Congratulations!
Yours
Christine Baumann