Celebrating Excellence in German Language Learning

The 2025 Auckland Goethe Society Prizegiving was held at the University of Auckland’s Fisher & Paykel Auditorium on October 8. The evening was filled with a sense of celebration as students received certificates and prizes recognising their outstanding achievements in German.

This year’s oral speech competition had already taken place in August, offering students from across Auckland the opportunity to demonstrate their language skills and enthusiasm for German before coming together again for the awards ceremony.

Vice President Stephan Resch led through the evening, while President Simone Linz presented the prizes.

A particular highlight was the address by Hugh Malcolm – a two-time winner of the Auckland Goethe Society Competition, University of Auckland graduate, and former recipient of the International Parliamentary Scholarship of the German Bundestag in Berlin. In his inspiring speech, he reflected on his journey of learning German — first at school and later at university — and on the professional and personal opportunities it has opened for him.

Eight schools from across Auckland participated in this year’s competition, with approximately 150 students, parents, and teachers attending the ceremony.

A special acknowledgment goes to the many dedicated German teachers in Auckland secondary schools, whose commitment and encouragement enable their students to achieve such excellence and make events like this possible — especially Nicole Polke.

Congratulations to all participants and prize winners on their achievements and continued engagement with the German language. We can’t wait to see where your German will take you next!

Written by Mareike Schmidt