„Saudade“
Origin and motivation for this exhibition
„Longing,
melancholy and homesickness“
KLAUS PAVEL
KLAUS PAVEL
My name is Klaus Pavel.
I was born in Berlin, am an entrepreneur in Aachen and have been the second generation consul of Brazil since 1988.
Our family emigrated to Brazil after the war. We lived there for many years. That's how I became closely connected with the country and came into contact with the indigenous culture for the first time. I love this country and its people. Brazil is my third home after Berlin and Aachen. Saudade is a Portuguese word that encompasses everything:
Longing, melancholy and homesickness, which always leads me back there. The country, the people and the Saudade have left their mark on me.
RNA main plant in Aachen (with 7 manufacturing subsidiaries in the EU & UK)
125 Years Rheinnadel & 50 Years Rhein Nadel Automation (RNA)
In 1956, the family returned to Germany and ended up in Aachen by chance. Here, after my studies at the RWTH and a few years of professional travel within our group of companies that my father had acquired after his return from Brazil, I founded and built up the company Rhein Nadel Automation (RNA). After 50 years, it is the largest company in the world in the field of automated handling of workpieces - with 8 plants, four of which are in other European countries. In 2023, the parent company Rhein Nadel celebrated its 125th anniversary and the subsidiary RNA its 50th anniversary. This was the main reason for this exhibition.
Getting involved socially, culturally or for the community - we have also learned this in the course of our lives: a must for every entrepreneur, especially for someone who has almost always been allowed to be on the sunny side of life.
Collection of 150 objects
The stay in Brazil left its mark on me. Many of them were compiled in the catalogue Nekrei by Prof. Boglar (*1929 | +2004) - a connoisseur of the scene - and described in three languages. In 1998, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the first company of our group, I exhibited some objects of this culture for the first time in the Ludwig Forum Aachen.
Since the Fundacao Pavel in Brazil also looks after many children of indigenous origin, the entire collection was donated to the Fundacao Pavel in Brazil. It has now made it available to "Nekrei" e.V. and the Honorary Consulate in Aachen as a loan.
The ethnologists Luis Burgla, Serge Geraud and Werner Hammer helped plan and design the exhibition. Their ethnological knowledge led them in their early years, on expeditions of several years to the indigenous peoples of Amazonia. Thus they have become good connoisseurs of the indigenous cultures of Brazil. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them, as well as Andreas Petzold (gallery owner), Costas Leventakos (Suermond Museum) and Heiko Fuß (Recom, technical execution) for their collaboration in the design of the exhibition.
"Xingu" Indians are
guests in Aachen
At that time, on the occasion of the exhibition in the Ludwig Forum, an Indian from the "Xingu" tribe was also present, who immersed himself in Western civilisation here in Aachen for the first time. From the village in the middle of the jungle across the Amazon to the plane directly to Aachen. Unimaginable, at least back then. As a farewell gift, he gave me his very personal headdress. Since then I have been in contact with him, albeit with interruptions. Since the mobile phone has spread to the Indians, he calls me from time to time. A special friendship has developed in a completely different world. Unfortunately, I failed to accept his many invitations to his kraal to the Kayapo tribe in the middle of the jungle. I regret that very much today!
All this led to my decision to found the association "NEKREI" in 2019 in order to make my private collection accessible to the public in a permanent exhibition. I believe that this is a very special exhibition that shows in this form - perhaps even uniquely - a variety of very different indigenous objects from the Amazon region. Since the major fire at the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro in 2018 also completely burnt down the anthropological department, this exhibition has a special significance.
The exhibition, which was opened to the public for the first time in 2023 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of our company RHEINNADEL GmbH, is located on the company premises in my former offices, which have been redesigned accordingly. Here, homesickness, adventure, entrepreneurship and curiosity mix in a very special way to create a special atmosphere of melancholy and longing and lead us into a completely different world. All the objects on display are everyday objects of modern times, as they are still used today, are the property of a foundation in Brazil and were made available to us on loan.
„With this exhibition, we also want to make a small contribution to the cultural life of the city of Aachen. I hope that I have succeeded in doing so with this unique and special exhibition.“
"NEKREI" also supports our cause: the children in Brazil
Pavel Children Foundation
The Pavel Children Foundation (PCF) was founded by the Pavel family in 2018 under the umbrella of the Sternsinger Foundation and is administered by the children's missionary organisation "Die Sternsinger". In addition, there is the FUNDAÇÃO PAVEL (FP) in Brazil, a Brazilian foundation that was founded in 1992 in northern Brazil based on the idea of Gudrun and Klaus Pavel and Iva Carvalho Engels. The aim was to take on social responsibility in the poorest areas of the country.
Here, more than 50 employees care for children and young people. Children and adolescents, among others, also come from different ethnic groups of the indigenous peoples of Brazil. Both foundations are centrally controlled and financed from Aachen. Always according to the motto "give me the rod and not the fish", trusting in the goal of independence in the foreseeable future. Both foundations are financed by Rheinnadel Automation (RNA), which is also a sponsor of the foundation, as well as the Pavel family and their friends. The foundation has a three-member board of directors and a multi-member board of trustees. Their task is to control the foundation together with KMW and to ensure that the project is also financially secure in order to lead it to independence in the medium term.
In the meantime, the project with all its diverse activities has become the centre of the small town of Barao de Grajau in the state of Maranhão, which has 20 thousand inhabitants. A social success story that Pope Francis also heard about and invited the Pavel family to an audience in Rome.
Indigenous culture is also cultivated with the children and young people at the PCF. For example, with the folklore dance of the state of Maranhão "Bumba meu Boi", whose traditional clothing was created in the foundation's own work by the children and young people. In this way, a bridge is built to the indigenous population of Brazil.
WWF - Deutschland
Honorary Consul Klaus Pavel is a founding member of the WWF's Living Planet Club. The club has also made the protection of nature its mission and is thus closely connected with the indigenous peoples of the Amazon region in order to preserve endangered species and ecosystems. With 2.1 million square kilometres, the Amazon rainforest is 15 times larger than Germany. And with its 340 ethnic groups and 2.6 million people, it urgently needs protection to survive.
Our planet also needs the rainforest to survive. The exhibition reflects the unique beauty of this region and the culture of the thousands of years old traditions of its inhabitants. Therefore, the WWF also presents itself with pictures and video material. With these contributions we want to draw attention to the special beauty of the region and the necessity of the survival of its indigenous peoples as well as the unique fauna and flora that can only be found there.
Museu do Índio - Funai
FUNAI is a Brazilian governmental foundation established specifically to protect the indigenous peoples of Brazil. Its purpose is to ensure respect for indigenous rights under Brazil's 1988 Constitution and the Brazilian Indian Statute. The exhibition "NEKREI" was made with the express permission and support of the "Museu do Índio - FUNAI ", Rio de Janeiro/ Brasília.
We also thank these personalities for their support.
David
Garrett
Musician
"Art and culture mean everything to me. They are the foundation of my life. The same goes for our environment with its flora and fauna.
Protecting it and preserving it for our children is the greatest responsibility of our generation.
Therefore, it is a matter of the heart for me to support the initiative of the Pavel family in their wonderful project."
Dr. Eckart
v. Hirschhausen
Physician, science journalist and founder of the Healthy Earth-Healthy People Foundation
"Klaus Pavel convinced me with his love for the people of Brazil and his commitment to art, culture and the rights of indigenous peoples. The Amazon rainforest is not the "lungs" of the earth - it is the respirator of us all! The slash and burn that continues every day is a crime against humanity and future generations. And as long as a tree with roots and leaves is not worth more to us than one that is cut into boards or set on fire for short-term feed for meat production, this crime will continue. Healthy people only exist on a healthy earth. And the protection of the rainforests only together with the people who live there. International support is needed for this. This is what the Pavel Foundation and the Nekrei exhibition stand for. Please have a look. Look. And act."
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
The 12 Cellists
The diversity of people and cultures that we, as travelling musicians, meet again, increases our awareness of how we treat nature and our environment. In view of the destruction of the rainforest and the resulting catastrophic consequences for the indigenous population, but also for all of us, we welcome the initiative taken here, which we are pleased to support. The exhibition "NEKREI" shows the extent of this problematic development through colourful and authentic images of the Amazon region and its people.
The association Nekrei e.V.
For the benefit of your children and grandchildren, support the Amazon region and its inhabitants.
The permanent exhibition "Nekrei" is part of the association Nekrei e.V., which was founded in Aachen on 17 June 2019. It is based on a collection of post-colonial feather jewellery and sculptures from the Amazon region. This collection was first shown with great success in 1998 at the Ludwig Forum in Aachen. Building on this collection, which has since been expanded, the museum was established on the premises of Rheinnadel GmbH in Aachen in the old administration building of the needle factory, where all these objects are now on permanent display. With this exhibition we want to show as many people as possible from the surrounding area and beyond the beauty of the Amazon region and at the same time make clear what destruction is currently taking place there. "Nekrei" is also intended to show how the original Brazilians of the country are suffering from this destruction of nature. All this has not least an impact on us here in Europe in the form of climate disasters and poisoning of some staple foods exported by Brazil.
The exhibition was officially opened in September 2023. The association is open to anyone who would like to contribute to the climate. Membership is not associated with any obligations and can be cancelled at any time at the end of the month. The proceeds will primarily be used for medical care for the local indigenous population, who are vehemently resisting the destruction of their habitat.
How to become a member of Nekrei e.V.
If you want to contribute to the survival of the indigenous population in the Amazon region of Brazil and to the preservation of their habitat and thus counteract the destruction of huge areas of land - also for the survival of future generations worldwide-,
then simply send us back the signed membership application. We will contact you immediately. I would be very pleased if you would also make such a small contribution - for the benefit of your children and grandchildren.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Abraço
Consul Klaus Pavel