"Bonsai in the middle of Europe".
This is the motto of the EBA/ESA Convention from 30.09. – 02.10.2011, taken place in Ratingen near Düsseldorf / Germany.
The hosts of the meeting for Bonsai friends coming from 19 European countries are the German Bonsai Club and the members of the local Bonsai Club from North Rhine-Westphalia. For the fourth time since 1985 the convention will take place in Germany. Parallel to the EBA/ESA convention the German Bonsai Club will execute his yearly exhibition and annual general meeting in Ratingen.
The Bonsai Club Germany is already, since its establishment in the year 1978, connected to the European Bonsai idea. This reflects itself also in the original name of the BCD, which was” Bonsai Club – European Association of miniature tree friends “. After a series of informal contacts between Bonsai enthusiasts of different countries at the beginning of the 80’s of the last century the BCD president at that time Paul Lesniewicz invited 1982 to the first common meeting to Heidelberg. Representatives of the Bonsai organizations from Great Britain, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Germany became fast united to pursue the project of a European Bonsai Association.
1984 in Mannheim/Germany in the context of the 2nd international European Bonsai symposium during the first general assembly (“Annual general Meeting” AGM) of the EBA, Peter Brown (UK) was elected as the first president of EBA. The formal establishment followed in the autumn of the same year, when the by-laws became also in practice effective.
1985 in the Netherlands Apeldoorn starts then the series “official” yearly meeting, which continues until today. The BCD was thereby three times host: 1988 in Heidelberg, 1996 in Munich and 2001 again in Munich, at that time connected with the 4th World Bonsai Convention.
In this European tradition of the German Bonsai Club and the local Bonsai Club Nordrhein-Westfalen feels free to organize the EBA Convention 2011 on top of the organization of the BCD annual general meeting.
For the organization of the project EBA Convention Jürgen Stodt and Axel Paduch (president of the North-Rhine/Westphalia federation and Business Manager BCD) are responsible. The fact that both belong to the BCD board, provides for short ways. For the connection to the EBA Jürgen Carocci (EBA delegate of the BCD and the EBA treasure) is responsible.
Without the mechanism of a large organizing committee Stodt and Paduch are working with several working groups, which care in each case for concrete fields.
The Convention is located in the „House of Sports“. The location has all the requirements we need for a perfect exhibition (areas for two exhibitions – Bonsai and Suiseki, areas for sales stalls, demos and meetings).
The geographical position of the location is near the airport of Düsseldorf and also near several highways. So it is for all foreign visitors easy to reach. Also there are a lot of accommodations in the neighborhood in different categories and prices.
The visitors in Ratingen can look forward to a number of top-class Bonsai artists from Italy, Switzerland, France and Germany. Primus inter pares of them all might be thereby the South Tyrolean Othmar Auer. For the first time in Germany Aurelio de Capetani will show his art of Bonsai. Capitani is considered as the prominent Shohin specialist of Italy. Well known in Europe are also the Alsace Francois Jeker and Serge Clemence from Switzerland.
The national contingent of the demonstrators reads itself as ” Who’ s who” of Bonsai in Germany. Names such as Walter Pall, Udo Fischer, Hartmut Münchenbach, Werner M. Busch and Jürgen Zaar influence the scene in Germany over years. With Christian Przybylski and Ralf Steiner the visitors will see that Bonsai in North Rhine-Westphalia again and again brings new talents out.
Added to nearly 200 Bonsai and Suiseki, the Bonsai artists, the presentations and lectures the visitors will also find a number of dealers, coming from different European countries, with an offer of a variety of goods.
More information about the gala dinner, prices and hotel accommodations etc. you will find on the convention homepage: www.european-bonsai-convention.eu
Hope we see us in Ratingen
Jürgen Carocci
BCD Board
FPB-Federação Portuguesa de Bonsai 