Nation thanks stalwart
A CAIRNS man has been recognised by German President Joachim Gauck for his work in helping distressed German tourists and keeping German culture alive in Australia.
Werner Siegmann was presented with The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by Consul General Lothar Freischlader, who flew from Sydney to Cairns for the occasion.
Mr Siegmann, 80, said he was stunned to get a call from the Consul General saying “he had a surprise for me”.
“I thought ‘what have I done?’ He said he was in receipt of a certificate signed by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany and would be coming to Cairns to present me with the certificate and a medal,” he said.
Mr Siegmann was surrounded by family and friends at his favourite haunt, the German Club Cairns, for the presentation.
“It was unbelievable. I felt humbled and honoured.”
Mr Siegmann has been a stalwart of the club for years and a driving force of the city’s annual Oktoberfest until ill health forced him to relinquish the presidency last year.
Before moving to Cairns, he was president of the Townsville German Club and was on the board of the Migrant Resource Centre and would be called at all hours to act as an interpreter for German tourists or new arrivals.
“They would call me if German tourists had problems, had an accident, fell ill or had issues with their driver’s licence and I tried to sort it out for them,” he said.
“It was all very interesting and I didn’t mind doing it. If you’re in a position to help people, great.”
Mr Freischlader said Mr Siegmann helped countless citizens when consular assistance wasn’t available and “went far beyond what one might expect from the honorary
it makes you
feel president of the German clubs abroad”.
He had also strengthened both German clubs so they became a “model of intercultural associations of citizens, not only in Queensland, but in Australia generally”.