From Dresden out into the wide world and back
(Interviewed in 2015)
Steffi Eckold
Culture and Dresden are inextricably linked. In the south of the city, this symbiosis is at the heart of the TU Dresden Cultural Office. For many years, a team based at the International Office has offered students at the university a wide-ranging cultural and recreational program. Excursions to the area around Dresden and beyond, visits to museums, international evenings, concerts, and festivals are designed to bring together international and German students. Since April 2015, the events have been organized by TUD alumna Maria Völzer. Her journey (back) to TU Dresden covered several thousand kilometers.
Maria Völzer is the March 2021 Alumna of the Month
After training as a digital and print media designer, the Dresden native pursued a degree in German Studies / German as a Foreign Language, Romance Studies and Media and Communication at TU Dresden, graduating in 2008. "Despite the philological focus of my choice of subjects, I also wanted a practical education that would allow me to travel and get to know different countries – not just as a tourist, but more intimately and for longer periods of time," she explains. That this path ultimately took her to Russia and Belarus was a coincidence. While at university, she had followed the advice of one of her lecturers and learned another foreign language: Russian. "After three years of classes alongside my degree, I realized that I would not progress beyond a beginner's level without a prolonged stay in a Russian-speaking country. So I applied to the DAAD [the German Academic Exchange Service] for a scholarship and ended up in Yekaterinburg."
She worked as a DAAD reader in Russia and Belarus, teaching the next generation of German scholars and helping them to prepare for studying in Germany, and organized conferences and cultural events. "I then returned to Dresden in slow, 1000-kilometer stages," she smiles, adding: "That one year abroad ultimately turned into five, I attribute to fate – you believe in that after a year in Russia at the latest."
Maria Völzer (right)
After returning to Dresden in 2013, she "switched sides" and helped DAAD scholars at the Goethe-Institut Dresden prepare for their studies at a German university. This experience in the socio-cultural integration of academics is now of great benefit to her in her work at the TU Dresden Cultural Office – as is her experience with DAAD-funded programs, for the DAAD STIBET program has been funding the service for many years. A whole range of activities and opportunities are available to program participants. This year, the Cultural Office's summer program included visits to the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon in the Zwinger and Dresden's castles on the Elbe, discovering Dresden from above from the tower of the Frauenkirche church, and exploring Bautzen, Saxon Switzerland – including the Rathen Open-Air Stage – Berlin and Loschwitz. DAAD funding allows them to offer activities for less than it would cost participants to organize outings on their own. The internet has a major role to play in connecting German-speaking and international students at the events, which is why the Cultural Office has its own Facebook page. "For me, it's important that the international students don't live in a parallel bubble and feel sad after their stay in Dresden because they haven't found a German friend after two years here in Dresden," Maria Völzer explains. All participants profit from the excursions with guided tours and information about the historical and social context and background. "Even the German participants, who often come from other states or other cities in Saxony, can learn a lot about their own culture."
The Cultural Office does not just offer excursions. It also assists students who are organizing their own events designed to bring together international and German staff and students, for example international evenings focusing on a particular country, culture, or theme. The staff of the Cultural Office helps students with finding a venue and advertising, and can also provide a small contribution to expenses. Last but not least, the Cultural Office also organizes events itself. Preparations have been underway since August for one of the highlights of the year: the International Christmas Party on December 4. Fancy a little taster? "The celebrations begin with a culinary and cultural bazaar, followed by an amazing Christmas concert with pieces from all over the world, and continue at the party afterwards, not ending until all guests and performers are in a truly festive mood. That is our vision," Maria Völzer says.
If you can't find her at the TU Dresden Cultural Office, you might run into her on the other side of the Elbe in the Neustadt district. She also works for AG Kurzfilm, the nationwide German Short Film Association founded in 2002, where her responsibilities include public relations. "Movies and the cinema have always been magical places for me, opening up new worlds," she enthuses, referring to cinema as her "first intercultural place of learning." Her ties to Eastern Europe remain strong, and this year she is organizing workshops for German and Ukrainian short-film makers at the 45th Molodist International Film Festival in Kiev. Does she have a specific short film recommendation? Absolutely! "In just 48 seconds in 'Mensch und Maschine,' Silke Brandes and Jens Rosemann tell a story that is old but always feels new, and that I have watched countless times and can always watch again. Incidentally, the film was made in Dresden for the Dogs, Bones and Catering short film festival in 2013 on the theme of 'The Odd Couple.'"
Working two part-time jobs in Altstadt and Neustadt is a challenge for Maria Völzer, but one that she gets a lot out of, and the two roles complement each other. "I'm now firmly rooted in the fields I love: culture, research, and academia, and all that in multiple different languages," she sums up with a smile.
2021 update: After five exciting years in the Cultural Office at the TU Dresden International Office, Maria Völzer is now applying her communication skills to the "University School Dresden" research project. She is responsible for press and public relations for the "School of the Future" project in Plauen, Dresden.
Contact details:
TU Dresden
Faculty of Education
Chair of Inclusive Education
PR, Maria Völzer
Tel.: +49 351 463-39917
Email: Maria Völzer