Rosen Methode Körperarbeit Deutsches Zentrum, the German Rosen Method school, is celebrating 25 years since the start of the school. Read below the beautiful tribute to the school and its history written by Juliane Knoop, school founder.
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„When you return to Germany please open up a school“
Marion said this to me when I decided to return back home after a few years of staying in California learning Rosen Method Bodywork. Rosen Method was not known in Germany at that time.
Left to right: Juliane & Marion, Berkeley, 1985; Juliane & Marion; Thurid, Marion & Juliane
How it started
Back in Germany I offered sessions. The work was spread by word of mouth.
After a while some clients became interested in learning this method. Two years later, I organized an open house accompanied by an introductory workshop. A few years later, in March 1992, the first intensive took place in a small village up in a renovated barn loft. At this time intensives were ten days long. I invited Paula Kimbro to be my mentor and trainer for becoming a teacher.
Left to right: Paula Kimbro, first Intensive, March 1992 . Juliane, Anne-Marie Paris, Monica Bolling, Christel & Horst Maisel
We assembled assistants from several different countries. Amongst the students were Christel and Horst Maisel. This course was a big success! Paula and other teachers from abroad came to support and train me. The foreign language was no problem: We had Thurid Müller for translation. In 1997 and 1998 the first students were certified. Christel was one of them. Besides coordinating internships, she was engaged in the curriculum of the training. Her husband Horst created our first webpage. He also developed a special software, a student data, which helped to facilitate the bureaucratic work. Horst is still available when we face technical problems.
Marion Rosen’s first visit to Germany was in 1993. She was accompanied by Hans Axelson, the Director of a well-known Body therapy Institute in Stockholm. Both kept coming for more than 10 years in a row to give three-days introductory workshops.
These courses seemed like a blessing for Marion. It made her happy to approach her old homeland in that way, with her own work in her suitcase.
Left to right: Marion & Hans; Juliane, Anne-Marie Paris, Marion & Monica Bolling
Rise and development
Since 2001 most of the courses have been taking place in “Seminarhaus Waldmatt”. This is also the location of the German Center, situated in a small village in the midst of the Black Forest rolling hills, close to the famous “Spa-town” Baden-Baden.
When in 2006 the translation of the book: Rosen Method Bodywork (by M.Rosen/S. Brenner) was published, Rosen Method experienced a boost in Germany. Many people read this book and arrived from all over.
We had begun with two intensives a year, then started to offer three, later four and now even five six-day intensives. From that time on, I couldn’t handle the administrative work by myself anymore. I also felt that the responsibility was growing and becoming a big challenge. We are now a leading team of four people, supporting each other, discussing student affairs and accomplishing admin work.
I asked Maud Guettler to be trained as a teacher. She was a Rosen practitioner, certified by the French speaking school in Switzerland. She happily agreed and now co-teaches Rosen Method as a senior teacher, mainly in Germany and Switzerland. Recently Maud became a member of the executive team of the Rosen Institute.
Senior teacher Lotti Vialle, although living in France and Switzerland, found her way to the German Rosen School in order to experience and learn Rosen Method in her mother tongue. She stayed, not only because of friendships but also due to her enthusiasm for Rosen Movement.
Left to right: Maud Guettler and Lotti Vialle-Maibach; the leading team; Christel Maisel
Maud, Lotti, Christel and I are the members of the leading team.
Since the very first classes, Jane Malek has been coming every year to teach Bodywork and Movement. She established the Rosen Movement training, teaching Movement intensives twice a year. Meanwhile Lotti, senior Movement –teacher, teaches Movement intensives as well.
For many years Bill Samsel has been coming to teach in Germany. His very first intensive was an (only) men-intensive in 2002. We are very grateful that Bill keeps coming, despite of long travelling hours. On one occasion, lunch break was just over, he succumbed to his jetlag, and we found him sleeping at the dinner table in his apartment. After waking up he was ready to go and teach!
Alan Fogel and his wife Jacqueline (Movement teacher), from the US, have belonged to our teaching team for a few years now. Their special way of conveying Rosen Method brought a deep understanding of the neurological sources of embodied self-awareness.
Left to right: Jane Malek; Bill Samsel; Juliane & Alan Fogel
Eva Rask from Sweden has been teaching emotional anatomy for about 10 years at our school. One important side effect of her teaching: She initiates a lot of laughter in the class room!
Likewise from Sweden comes our loyal assistant Wolfgang Schulze. His aim is to support students on their way through the training. His devotion to Rosen Method has created a longstanding friendship with the school.
Left to right: Wolfgang Schulze; Eva Rask; Seminar Haus Waldmatt
Acknowledgements
All people named in this chronicle have supported and have helped the growth of the school. That fills us with gratitude. Special thanks to the students who come with their questions, critique, enthusiasm and their zest for learning.
When the first Rosen Method international Congress was planned Marion’s roots came into focus. In 2004 the German Center was asked to plan, organize and arrange this coming together of the Rosen people around the world. The location was a hotel up in the Black forest hills. Marion was in the middle of us, enjoying herself while she listened to songs of the twenties. Moving her feet, singing along to our Rosen choir.
It was a four day long, happy and closely being together of our worldwide Rosen community.
Juliane Knoop