GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — In 2013 The Department of Sport, Recreation Arts and Culture of the Eastern Cape embarked on a museum exchange programme with The Landesmuseum in Hannover, the capital of Lower Saxony, Germany.
Anziske Kayster, the head of the Graaff-Reinet Museum, was part of an Eastern Cape senior management delegation that visited Germany in 2014, to lead discussions on cultural and natural heritage, anthropological and ethnographic collections and skills and knowledge transfers. A twinning agreement has been in existence for almost three years culminating in an internship programme which commenced in 2015.
A delegation from The Landesmuseum paid Graaff-Reinet an official three-daylong reciprocal visit during the course of last week. According to - Anziske Kayster the emphasis of the visit was predominantly on the conservation of museum artefacts, both cultural and natural, educational programmes and the challenges presented by ethnographic and anthropological collections. The delegation, however, also had an opportunity to experience the flavours and the sites of Graaff-Reinet and surrounds which resulted in a full itinerary which included visits to The Camdeboo National Park, The Owl House, The Sobukwe Museum, Karoo Taxidermy and Gold Rush Casino.
The newly appointed mayor of the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, Mayor Deon de Vos, welcomed the delegation at an official dinner at The Coldstream Restaurant and voiced his endorsement of the exchange programme which will conclude at the end of November 2016.
The Department of Sport Recreation Arts and Culture is indebted to the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, The Board of Trustees and staff of The Graaff-Reinet Museum, The Camdeboo National Park, The Owl House Foundation, Dr Ansie Malherbe and Peter Whitlock, The Sobukwe Trust, Cold Rush Casino, Cedric Witbooi, Karoo Taxidermy and David McNaughton of Karoo Connections who gave of their time free of charge which contributed to the resounding success of the visit of the German delegation.
The German delegation with Mayor Deon De Vos and Envor Botha of Gold Rush Casino.
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