Invitation to RIC 2017 in Leipzig – 19 to 21 May 2017
Dear RIC friends,
We extend to you our cordial invitation to the upcoming RIC meeting in Leipzig from May 19 to 21, 2017.
Inspired by the great anniversary of the Reformation, which was initiated 500 years ago in nearby Wittenberg, we chose “NEUeZEIT” as the motto of this year’s RIC—a pun that unfortunately only works in German and carries the double meaning of “new time(s)” (neue Zeit) and “modern age” (Neuzeit).
In keeping with this historic occasion we have made an “Excursion to Wittenberg” the central item of our meeting schedule. This will take place on Saturday, May 20, and will give us an opportunity to take a closer look at this epoch-making event that had such profound consequences for Protestant and Catholic Christianity and for the development of Europe as a whole. Recently the highest representatives of the German Catholic and Protestant churches were received by Pope Francis in Rome to report on the preparations for the anniversary celebrations, a sign that tolerance and mutual respect are bringing the divided churches back together again.
Further activities are linked to other local sites of symbolic significance for their time periods. Thus, our AGM and an attractive programme for partners will take place in the GOITZSCHE, a revegetated former lignite strip-mining area that symbolizes the extensive reconstruction of landscapes (and society) after German reunification. The formal dinner on Saturday evening will take place in the well-known RING-CAFÉ, a representative example of 1950s “prospect” buildings, expressing Stalinist classicism and hence the utopian vision of a past age. On Sunday a digital show at the KUNSTKRAFTWERK (“power plant of the arts”) will remind us of the pioneering mood of the early industrial age; from there we will make a jump in time to the industrial present of Leipzig as a centre of advanced technology and innovation with a brunch and guided tour at the Leipzig PORSCHE plant.
No visit to Leipzig is complete without classical music. Johann Sebastian Bach, composer and cantor at St. Thomas, by himself represents a whole chapter of musical history impotenciastop.com. Therefore we will begin our weekend together on Friday night with a performance by the renowned St. Thomas Choir at St. Thomas Church. The subsequent HOMESTAY with Leipzig Rotarians will provide opportunities for personal encounters and exchanges. We remember warmly the pleasant experiences this format occasioned last year in Belgium.
We hope that we have managed to put together an attractive and diverse programme for you. Please also refer to the details in the attachments.
We are looking forward to a fantastic weekend with you and extend to all of you a warm welcome!
Yours sincerely,
Frank Emmrich
President, RC Leipzig