Massive gathering in Germania in 2009

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Alexandre,

As many people seem not to be online during the same time, it seems that discussion works better in the thread than in the chatroom. Also, I've used PM a lot because some information about organisers (such as bad comments) is simply not for everbody to hear.

Mostly though it seems that too many different ideas circulate, and maybe we should limit the number of possibilities in the near future before going further and lose more time.

[Caius Fabius]

My goal is much smaller, just to put together an accurate AD 9 kit. Of course, in 2009, even if I am still alive, I'll be too old to be a regular soldier, so I'll probably be looking at a surgeon or elderly staff officer of some sort...

[Tarbicus]

Depending on how things went between Germanics and Romans you could be the most popular Roman there :wink:

[M.H. White]

Hey hey, this gives me two years to put together my kit. As we say here in the south, I'm "on this like white on rice."

I'll be twenty two years old, 5'9 and a hundred and sixty pounds, perfect for a Roman soldier!


And on top of that, I'll have a minor in German and a chance to use it!

[Alexius]

Dear Valerius and Tarbicus (and other interested fellows…)

Actually we have the planes – aâ€

[Robert Vermaat]

€ 100 is a lot of money for me. I'm willing to help in organising the event, very bglad to, but at least until we decide what period we will try to organise (will Late Romans be included or not) I'm not willing to pay that amount of money just to talk face2face.

[Alexius]

Dear Valerius,

I only have given a general idea to try to help to organize something…

The “100 €â€

[Tarbicus]

This is not an expense – this is an investment!

Unfortunately, it's not an investment at all, it's an expense that will never be recuperated, and is purely based on speculation. Ideally yes, provided you are willing to write off the expense, as there is no more guarantee that anything will happen from the face-to-face than talking about it here. From what I can tell, there are a number of options, and I would like to see Tobias involved in any such thing.

[Robert Vermaat]

Of curse, this is only my opinion and my little contribution for this matter – if you (and the other people) have others opinions, its ok for me.

I don't see how critisizing my comment by comparing it to the national income of my country can be a contribution. :wink:

I just don't see how travelling some place close or further away to talk things over face2face solves any problems better than discussing them here on the forum? What matter should we discuss in person that we cannot discuss here? I just do not see that.

If we want to have this thing organised, we must limit ourselves to a few basic wuestions, which already have been adressed but not settled.

Where do we want to do this event?
What period or period will we do?

Only then can we approach groups and authorities.

[Alexius]

Dear Fellows,

Answer to your questions:

(Tarbicus wrote)

Unfortunately, it's not an investment at all, it's an expense that will never be recuperated, and is purely based on speculation.

- If you made an EU project they have this re-payment for preparatory travel expenses.

Ideally yes, provided you are willing to write off the expense, as there is no more guarantee that anything will happen from the face-to-face than talking about it here.

- I work on this projects area about (since 1995…) and I sure you the face-to-face are totally different than by internet – see this Topic Forum, an example – in seven month of “enthusiastic opinionsâ€

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

one small group of persons set a date and a SUITABLE location, in 2009.

then you make a signature list of people who definetely will try to attend.

after which you set a fee for lodging etcetera or arrange a massive 5000+ camp site somewhere. (you could try to incorporate the Roman camp technique if we are with enough people to build a camp)

water, drinks and food can be arranged via deliveries, latrines can be set up too. (not nessecarily modern ones)

Woodstock was also done in the same fashion...

I worked on a few feature films of which one had at one given time 1000 extras on-set. so why should 5000 be a problem.

I know these arent the sixties, but i do think it is feasible and the place to start it off is RAT.

all periods of Roman life should be there. we can even divide the camp site in periods.

if the Romans could do it, so can we!

M.VIB.M.

[Caius Valens]

Well if by Germans you mean Blonde busty Barvarian Milk Maids :oops: :o wink: Cheers Caius/thomas R

[Cornelius Quintus]

I don’t see the real results until now, but ok… let’s go see some in the future?

Ave Alexius,

I don’t want to disturb, just throw in my two cents.

The result always depends on the input. You always have the choice between the three D’s. So dream, discuss or just do it.

In about the same time, we improved a lot of Deepeeka items. Far more than I ever dreamt of. And all just by a ‘virtual’ online discussion.

So I suggest to create a sub-forum, split-up into special topics, covering locations, preferred periods and so on. Fill that with information and polls and for sure you will get feedback. And all progress will be shown to the community.

The main team may also be in contact ‘backstage’ by e-mail or chat.

And don’t forget the ‘minor’ bureaucratic details. Foe Germany, you need some permissions and perhaps also insurances. For some years I lived in a small village and every year our vintage tractor club had a small public event (only about 200 tractors from all over Northern Germany and 2000-3000 visitors). No big thing at all. But we needed parking spaces, suitable roads, and if there’s only one dealer selling a sausage or a beer, a minimum of toilets, depending on the estimated visitors. Some public relations…and..and..and…

It’s nice to think about the European Union giving money to the project or high politicians holding opening speeches. Personally, I’ve learned, that the most important thing is making a program very interesting to both, the participants and the spectators. So start a visible project and allow it to grow, but avoid backroom bar conferences about daydreams of mega-events. Anything else often ends up as hot air.

[Alexius]

Dear Cornelius

I Agree whit you 100%!

Salve!

Alexius

[Ulfwin]

Avete!

Some words from the germanic side again ...

@ Caius: from my own experience - insider statement, so to say - don't hope for too many people matching your description. The germanic groups that I know have more men than women, and much less single girls. And real beauty is a rare flower, isn't it. :wink: :lol:

@ All: some germanic groups are right now organising themselves, common sense is to do some smaller events together, including the 2007 Kalkriese, to make friends and see what's possible and what not. During summer 2007 it will be clear if it is worth to go for the big 2009 thing. The point is, that we will already be prepared because we see the years between 9 A.D. and 16 A.D. as a interesting time with many events to come in the next years. So for me and my comrades it does just mean, that we start another period parallel to our periods we have been reenacting before.

I think similar development on the Roman side might help. And the first steps may well enough happen in a www community: finding out, who wants to go for that period - these are the ones to make kit and gear guides for those, who only want to participate at one single event - and, more important than the place of the 2009 events, the question, who wants to do a period reenactment of a historic situation, and to the contrary, who wants to do a huge event with as many Romans as possible, using the 2000-years-after date only as welcome opportunity for a great meeting.
Maybe that there are two different parties who up to now think that they are talking about the same thing. There is little sense in yoking together two oxen who go astray, right? But there is no shame in giving each ox its own chariot.

In my opinion it makes no sense to get into the face2face work as long as it's not clear in which direction the team will pull. Simulating teamwork and later discovering that the members of the team have different aims is waisting time. It might be more effective, building different teams for different aims. Those can cooperate whenever it makes sense, e.g. for the one great event, and go their own way otherwise.

For the germanic side it is just the same. It would be a very naive illusion, if I thought of getting "all" germanic groups who are interested in 2009 in one boat. The way is only to work out a good program on a high authenticity level that may convince the more serious musea, that a reenactment of the Varus Battle need not be portrayed like a Wagner opera. Other germanic groups will then have to follow the given example, because they want to participate. That's the way Hastings works: there is a somewhat high level given, many people want to take part in a big Hastings Battle, so they work for it. The trick, because there is no tradition of great Germanic/Roman reenactments,is to be ready and at arms when some location asks for germanic troops. If then there are only some non-cooperating high-level living history groups, but some hundreds of freefighting dry-land-vikings, well, then you can imagine how that meade-drinking, horn-tooting, Odin-yelling bunch of men will look like. I have no problems with horn-tooting and yelling, but it should be somehow adapted to what science tells us about the period, and it should be somewhat different to the big battle in Wolin, Hastings, or whatever the participants are used to. And I fear, that many Romans would not want to repeat that experience.

In short terms: we work on a period, trustworthy meta-group. Not only a network, but forming a new group out of a number of existing groups, that enables us to play a bigger game than we are used to. Union might be a good word. Because we like the idea of some bigger events. We can offer our cooperation, if any Roman event needs Germans of that period.
It would be nice, if there is the potential, to find some Romans who are able to form a bigger formatio than there own group. Maybe this is just now developing, out of this thread?

And then, not earlier, I am willing to make face2face meetings, working out a standard of (choreographic?) fighting, strategies, but also of diplomatic actions, trade and barter. Anything, that makes interaction possible. It would be very nice to know, this and that Roman group is part of the Roman XYZ Union :wink: , and you know, yep, these barbarii belong to the Germanic ZXY Union and they and we have a common level, those Germans can tell an Optio from a Decurio and they adress us in a correct manner. And so on. I have had a lot of fun acting together with Romans, and they had, too. So had the audience. Working out the same thing on a bigger level, I would travel to Netherlands and England and elsewhere, if I only can afford it. The same way I would be glad, to get into these things on some events in the next two years, so be sure that I watch out very well and will not stay silent in the Germanic camp, whenever there is a chance to talk to some of you.

Many words? Enough, I think.

Greetings,

Stefan