Hans Grugel: The teacher Brühler wants to straighten the image of the Indians

Bruhl –

“If the exchange took place in the autumn, we were allowed to cross Pueblo with the homecoming parade”, writes Hans Grugel in the first volume of his notes “Living with the Indians”. For these parades, schools, kindergartens and associations build beautiful allegorical floats and groups of foot soldiers dress up. “And we danced in the streets of Pueblo behind our flag like in a Rhenish carnival procession,” writes Grugel.

He has written two books

Former high school teacher Hans Grugel wrote his notes on the student exchange that St. Ursula High School organized between 1986 and 2006 with New Mexico Indians in a vividly precise and lively interesting way. The result is two books in which the former geography and sports teacher, now 81, takes the reader to the Indian tribes Zuni, Laguna and Acoma on the Colorado plateau. In about 1000 pages, he tells about the development of this special student exchange program.

It describes the rituals of the Indians, describes their daily life and culture, explains their religion, gives information about what the Indians and the Rhenish have in common, but also mentions misadventures, such as the umbrellas they brought from Germany for the Zuni . “Rain is a great blessing for them,” says Grugel. No Indian would think to protect themselves from him. “When it rains, you hold your hands and face against it,” quotes an Indian. As often as possible, Grugel lets the heroes of his books have their say. “We are rich because we have our culture and our religion,” say the Indians.

“We could learn so much from them”

With his notes Grugel would like to straighten the image that many people have of Indians. This is one of the reasons why you have written what you have experienced privately over the many decades and 20 years of student exchange with and with Indians in New Mexico. “We could learn so much from them,” Grugel believes. Most of the Indians he has been able to meet are life-affirming, positive and respectful of all life.

However, it was really difficult for the young Indians to stick to the schedules set when visiting host families in Brühl. “Your punctuality is definitely one of the keys to your success here in Germany,” they said.

On Tuesday 15 November, at 7.30 pm, Hans Grugel will read his two books in the Brockmann bookshop in Brühl. Early entry costs 12 euros, 14 euros at the box office. Both books were published by BoD Verlag. The first volume costs 24 euros, the second volume 22 euros.