The Michael and Veronica Schmidt Foundation has joined the Laude–Reut Educational Complex to promote education in German in Romania.
It is the third year of partnership between the two organizations which aims to make future generations of Romanians proficient in German one of the main languages of the European Union.
The Laude-Reut Educational Complex which came to Romania in 1997 was set up by Ronald S. Lauder. It aims to revive and preserve the Jewish culture and Hebrew language in the European Diaspora, devastated by Holocaust and the Communist regime. Reut means ‘friendship’ in Hebrew.
Its mission is to “educate pupils in a multicultural community” using native teachers to teach foreign languages.
At Lauder-Reut, students can learn English, French and German, among the most widely used languages in the EU which Romania is a member of. They are encouraged to obtain certificates in the languages which attest to a certain level of linguistic competences.
The Laude-Reut Educational Complex is also keen on developing student exchanges with schools in Germany, and in the Samuel von Brukenthal National College in Sibiu, central Romania, which was arranged by Mr. Schmidt who is on the Laude-Reut Board of Trustees.
„We are proud of our joint construction of excellence in education, and we appreciate and cultivate tradition and friendship,” a statement released Sunday said.
The Michael and Veronica Schmidt Foundation was established in 2010 by Michael Schmidt, the owner of the Automobile Bavaria Group and his wife Veronica to preserve Saxon patrimony and culture in Romania, and develop educational projects which promote the German language and culture in Romania.
The German-speaking Transylvanian Saxon population has steadily decreased World War II. Transylvanian Saxons began to emigrate during and after the war and during the communist era when former Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu allowed them to leave in exchange for hard currency paid by West Germany. Many settled in Austria and southern Germany.
There were 14,000 in the last census in 2003.
