Jurgen Gerbig was clearing out his desk at Taipei’s German Cultural Center when I finally caught up with him on May 28. Over the previous 10 days he’d been in Warsaw and Beijing, but now he finally had to come to terms with quitting a job he’s had since 2002, directing what anywhere else would be called the Goethe Institute, but what in Taiwan had to adjust to Chinese sensibilities.
Nowhere else in Taiwan can free wine have been dispensed so liberally at arts events that were free-of-charge and open to all.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GERMAN CULTURAL CENTER, TAIPEI
Gerbig was ideally suited to be the host of such largesse — his warmth and openness shone out, and indeed these same qualities came to characterize the events themselves.
“Last week there was a farewell party for me here,” he said, “and it ended with all the musicians present jamming together, mixing every possible style. But, as if that wasn’t enough, they went on to announce that our center wasn’t only open to everyone — it represented the very principle of open-mindedness itself! I couldn’t possibly have had a more welcome farewell compliment.”
As he led me around the center’s premises, Gerbig pointed out items of the art collection, currently on display in a special exhibition. All had been donated by the artists, he said, and there were around 50 of them. It had been his policy to charge nothing for the exhibition space and to take no commission on sales. Instead, he asked each exhibitor to give one work to the center.
“And there they all are,” he said — not, I thought, without a tinge of sadness in his voice. “They are my legacy.”
Gerbig’s Chinese experience didn’t start with his appointment to Beijing, whose Goethe Institute he helped set up, as one of a team of three, in 1988. Prior to that he’d been teaching German in Shanghai’s Tongji University to students from all over China, preparing them to go to Germany to study for doctorates. Many later returned to Germany to take up senior positions there as cogs in the field of Sino-German economic cooperation.
Even so, it was initially hard work for Gerbig to get his Taipei posting. He’d already worked in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong and was due to be rotated to some other part of the globe.
But he insisted he needed to know about “the other China” to have a complete picture of the Mandarin-speaking world. And it’s an indication of his standing in his employers’ eyes that he was eventually transferred to Taipei.
But when he arrived, he said, he felt he was starting all over again.
“I still remember how, early in my stay, I received an invitation from the then-director of the Cultural Affairs Committee, Madame Tchen Yu-chiou (陳郁秀) to attend a puppet show. I thought ‘Oh no, not again!’ I’d seen at least a dozen on the mainland, but out of courtesy I went. And I was so impressed! I’d never seen puppetry of such a high artistic level,” he said.
And not only were Taiwan’s artists themselves top-notch — they also knew a lot about the German arts scene, and approached the center with specific ideas on who to invite and which projects to consider, he said.
A number of factors had helped along the way.
When he arrived in 2002, Gerbig was told the building the German Cultural Center had occupied for close to 20 years was beyond repair, but this proved a blessing in disguise as he was able to establish a new image, with a transparent reception area and a multi-purpose performance venue, lots of glass, warm colors and open spaces.
He also launched a user-friendly Web site and a new logo.
“We were fortunate to find sponsors who helped — Mercedes when it was still called DaimlerChrysler, which financed our new Web site and leased us a SmartforTwo which I drove for more than a year with our new logo splashed all over it and underneath ‘We are Smart!’” he said.
“Later there were Opel and Continental Engineering, who supported us in organizing nationwide green projects,” he said.
There were inevitably a few irritants. One of the artists the center exhibited obviously had problems with certain individuals, who called day and night threatening to break in and remove the objects on display as security for outstanding debts, even though most of these were large stone sculptures. The heaviest was a 6 tonne piece at the entrance to the building, which had to be lifted into place by a special crane. The threats died away after staff members explained what the callers’ proposed scheme would actually involve.
“Again, early on I had a run-in with the press,” Gerbig said, “over a grossly distorted article which claimed I’d said the areas around the train station and the airport looked like Palestine! Not only had I never said that, but I’d also never met the journalist who wrote it. The ensuing war of words was never unambiguously terminated — there was only a half-hearted comment in the newspaper, far short of a correction. Ever since I’ve been rather wary of the press — with notable exceptions, of course.”
But Gerbig has nothing but praise for Taiwan’s artists, as well as the official bodies who’ve proved so helpful over the years. And it’s a singular tribute to Taiwan that, along with his Shanghainese wife, he’ll continue to live here, in Tianmu (天母), after his retirement and will no doubt remain a familiar face at local arts events.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source