September
2008
Report about their voluntary work in the Lorenz
Memorial in Vienna by the students Jacopo Barbati and Michael Balke.
We - Jacopo from Italy and Michael from Germany (photo
1) began our 4 week voluntary work in the Adolf and Albert Lorenz Memorial
of the Adolf Lorenz Society at the end of July under the auspices of our
tutor Ms. S. Konstantinou (photo 2), a librarian (photo 3) and a historian
(photo 4). On the following photos you can see us doing various activities
during the 4 weeks of our voluntary work.
An important task was to make an inventory of the memorial's library: this
meant that every book and every object had to be inspected and then given
an inventory number, as well as being stamped, in order to make an inventory
list (photo 5). The books, most of which are over 100 years old, had to
be stored temporally on the floor. Before sorting them back into the library
cabinets there prevailed at times "creative chaos" in the study
(photo 6).
Furthermore, the photo and document archive had to be systematised. Every
single photograph and all paintings in the memorial received a place on
the inventory list for exhibits. Of course all the furnishings had to be
listed as well e.g. Prof. Lorenz's old, original desk and his writing utensils,
his reading glasses and other personal things. Not even the smallest article
was to be left out of the inventory.
After the largest part of the work had been completed there was a public
presentation of the "changed" surgery on the 18th August. Prof.
Dr. Kotz, the Chairman of the Lorenz Society and therefore the host of the
memorial, gave a short introduction into the life and work of both Lorenz
professors to the numerous attendees. Together with Jacopo Barbati, the
Italian volunteer, he explained the function of some of the medical apparatus
in the gym (photo 7). On this special day our job was to look after the
physical wellbeing of the guests by topping up their wine glasses and showing
them through the surgery.
Of course we did not only work in the memorial the whole day. We also had
enough time to make friends and to get to know the wonderful city of Vienna
with them, e.g. in a small corner tavern (Eckbeisl in Austrian) in the near
vicinity (photo 8), at the "Heurigen" (photo 9) and at Dr. Steingress's
home (photo 10). All in all we had a very wonderful and eventful time in
Vienna during our voluntary work.
Michael Balke and Jacopo Barbati
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| 1 Jacopo Barbati (l.) from Montesilvano
(I) and Michael Balke (r.) from Bochum (G) |
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| 2 Our tutor Silvia Konstantinou |
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| 3 Librarian Dr. R. Mundschütz gives
Jacopo and Michael the necessary instructions |
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| 4 Jacopo Barbati, Dr. Norbert Steingress,
Michael Balke |
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| 5 Jacopo and Michael during the book
inventory |
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| 6 "creative chaos" |
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| 7 Our guest listened attentively to the
Chairman of the Society Prof. Dr. R. Kotz's words of welcome and explanations |
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| 8 Making friends at a typical Viennese
Heurigen |
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| 9 Meeting friends at a Heurigen in Grinzing |
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| 10 Dinner at Dr. Steingress's home |
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