Over 20 years ago Herr Ruediger Wohlers visited Cornwall from his home in Oldenburg and fell in love with the county. This led to a meeting with Howard Curnow, Cornish Bard and then chairman of Cornwall Wildlife Trust and a twinning between the Trust and NABU one of the largest, most well-known, nature conservation groups in Germany.

Howard Curnow, CWT trustee says,

“Ruediger has made a truly phenomenal commitment to Cornwall and it is the cultural aspects of his work that the Bards recognise and his genuine love for Kernow. In addition through his personal involvement with the Trust he has injected more than £3million into the Cornish economy.”

Every year Ruediger organises for groups of people from all over Germany to come on 10-day trips to west Cornwall, visiting local beauty spots including the Trust’s nature reserves, as well as learning about the folklore, the language, and meeting local people.

Back in Oldenburg Ruediger has set-up a group called Freunde Cornwalls. He has created a free lending library of a wide range of Cornish books and magazines and has a display of leaflets of Cornish attractions. With Heike, his loyal supportive wife, he gives talks, slide shows, song and language sessions, along with samples of typical Cornish food and drink to groups from the North Sea coast to the Harz Mountains.

The Gorsedh is attended by Bards from all over Cornwall, the British Isles and Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and America. Among those invited to attend is the Mayor of Oldenburg.