And then the BDÜ in Baden-Württemberg turned 75!
It was a busy week. I returned from my Munich trip on the Friday, then found myself on another train on Saturday morning. I was headed to Stuttgart to join my colleagues from the BDÜ (German Association of Interpreters and Translators). It was time for our annual meeting and a special celebration: the 75th anniversary of our regional association in Baden-Württemburg.
Client-facing opening
A huge ‘well done’ to everyone involved in this very successful event. It took place over two days. Friday had a more client-facing flavour with guests from the business world and lots of opportunities to explain the value we offer as human translators. I was sad to have missed that part, but my daughter’s school graduation was on the same day. From what I hear, Friday’s activities were a great success.
On the Saturday, the focus turned to us as translators and interpreters. Annual general meetings might sound a bit dry – and there is some admin to get through – but over the years I’ve always found the BDÜ ones quite enjoyable. Baden-Württemberg is a big state, and the AGMs are a good opportunity to meet up with people from further away. The 75th anniversary celebrations added an extra element this year.
Inspiring words from our chair
Our chairperson, Barbara Sabel, opened the proceedings with a heartfelt call to embrace change and opportunities in the face of AI. We were gathered in the ‘Bertha Benz’ room. Bertha Benz was an automotive pioneer and is known for being the first person to drive an automobile with an internal combustion engine over a long distance*. Barbara drew a parallel with our need to step into the future, be open to change and try out new approaches, even though we might not know exactly what lies around the corner. Let’s all be a bit more Bertha Benz!
How to stay relevant as linguists
Then came a talk full of interesting insights by Petra Kuhn and Ivana Tselekas of ZF. It was fascinating to hear about how the scope of their work has developed over the years. They talked about how their department has taken the initiative to carve out a meaningful space for linguists, stay relevant and continue to add value.
Exciting times ahead
After taking care of the official admin matters relating to being an association, we heard from Norma Kessler, chair of the BDÜ at national level, who has exciting ideas for the future of our association, plus tons of energy and enthusiasm.
In between, there was lots of time for networking with new and familiar faces, plus local specialities for lunch (Maultaschen for the win!). It was a brilliant day all round.
*There’s a whole story around that and the ‘world’s first petrol station’ which is just up the road from where I live – perhaps a post for another time.
