Group-Analytic Contexts, Issue 80, June 2018

36 Group-Analytic Society International - Contexts
• I can remember how much I (and I think Kurt too) was relieved
when you Gerda decided to become one of the chairs of the
symposium. I (and we in the D3G) always were very clear in not
wanting a double German chair-ship (Kurt and me). Two German
chairs would not fit to a German/International Symposium. I think it
was as necessary for GASI and for the international community as it
was for us the Germans and the Berliners. And for Kurt and me it
was very good, to have someone we can rely on beside ourselves. It
was not only you Gerda but you were important because of being
linked with both of us, as also was Robi. A special thank you to both
of you!
• The following sentences a bit redundant but I don't want to throw
them out: The double chairs from the very beginning were very
important and became more and more so in the on-going symposium
event. It was good (as Gerda wrote) to have chairs staffed by
national organisers (Germans) and by international ones (GASi). The
symposium took place in Germany/Berlin so it was good to have the
country and the city well represented. And it definitely was (and
became more and more) an international conference because we
were not divided and less and less separated into Germans and
internationals! It more and more became a collaboration with the
diminishing importance of our origins (except with the language! ;-).
In my opinion it could only become a German influenced
symposium because of being an international one from the bottom to
the top.
• Kurt is very right in mentioning that the BIG and D3G were not
experienced with conferences of this size - and we were supported
very well by GASi experience. Also important was, we were not
experienced in collaborating to organize a conference, we had to
learn it while we were doing it - and at the same time had to get
along with our own ambivalences. Kurt did mention the ambivalence
in BIG and I would add the ambivalence which also existed in the
D3G at the beginning. In both organisations it was very important to
get into the process of discussing these ambivalences. Probably
hidden ambivalences of organisers are always an important topic that
has to be reflected on.
• I think also for GASi it was a challenge to organize such a big
conference with two independent partners not easily connected. Kurt