Sixty years ago, Korean nurses and miners were sent to Germany to serve as guest workers during the 1960s and 1970s. On April 15th (local time), a concert was held at the Berliner Dom in Germany to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the dispatch of Korean guest workers to Germany and the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Germany. The Seoul Nanum Clarinet Ensemble performed “Missing Geumgang Mountain” with soprano Son Ji-hye at the commemorative concert.
BERLIN, April 16 (Korea Bizwire) —A charity concert was held in Berlin by the Seoul Nanum Clarinet Ensemble and organized by Haero, a non-profit Korean social welfare organization. Over 700 Koreans living in Germany, including families of miners and nurses, attended the event. The concert was held to repay the kindness of the first generation of Korean seniors living in Berlin who endured hardship.
A scene from the movie “Ode to My Father” depicts the life stories of pit miners who were dispatched to Germany in the 1960s. (Image courtesy of CJ Entertainment)
The Korean government and German officials expressed their gratitude towards the workers who were dispatched to Germany many years ago, and emphasized the importance of allowing workers to grow old with dignity and feel part of German society. The concert provided a time of consolation, and the audience was moved to tears by the performance of Korean songs such as “Missing Geumgang Mountain.”
Korea sent 7,936 miners to Germany from 1963 to 1977 and over 11,000 nurses from 1966 to 1976. The Korean diaspora in Germany, formed by these miners and nurses after 1963, is now the largest in Europe with 47,428 members.
The Namhae German Village was established in 2001 as a settlement and tourist destination for guest workers from Korea who were sent to Germany in the 1960s and contributed to Korea’s economic development. The village allows visitors to experience Germany’s exotic culture. One of the village’s main attractions is the Padok Exhibition Center, located in a German square called Deutsche Platz, which was established on June 28, 2014. The center is hosted by German village residents and features several German-themed shops and eateries, including Deutsche Imbiss, which sells German beer and handmade sausages, German Workshop, which sells handmade leather products and souvenirs, and Bayreuth, a German-style restaurant.
Image credit: Yonhap/ Namhae-gun Office/ CJ Entertainment /photonews@koreabizwire.com
