Heidi and Wolfgang Kurschus from Stötten have been host parents for many years and are still enthusiastic. They hosted two guests from Java (Indonesia) for the first time in 2003 because their children, Tatjana and Manuel, had already been working in the team of the International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf for several years and spoke enthusiastically about it at home. "I always drove my children to the events and thereby saw for myself how great the atmosphere is behind the scenes of the competition," says Heidi Kurschus. That's why she and her husband decided to host guests from now on.

That was almost 20 years ago, and since then the Kurschus family has already hosted international guests 16 times. Both for the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition and for Musica Sacra International. The guests have come from Indonesia, Israel, Latvia, the Philippines, Hungary, Jordan, the USA, Congo, Switzerland, Cuba, Belarus, the Czech Republic and Germany. They have never been disappointed in all these years, except perhaps by a German choir, because the guests cancelled shortly beforehand in order to change to a hotel. There have never been any problems either, neither with communication, nor with eating habits, nor in everyday dealings with the guests. "My 20-year-old school English was always sufficient, although I was a little afraid before the first time that I would not be able to communicate," says Heidi Kurschus. When things did get difficult, her daughter gladly jumped in as a translator.

The very first encounter as a host family was probably the most impressive for the Kurschus family to this day. Vivin and Wiyanto from Bandung (Java) immediately wanted to go sightseeing in Marktoberdorf, despite the jet lag and the long journey. "We showed them around everywhere. They were surprised that we were already in the middle of town from Modeon in 10 minutes and first put on their coats on the steps to St. Martin's at a temperature of 27 degrees because "they were so cold", said Heidi Kurschus. During a trip to Marienbrücke, they realised that Vivin suffered from a fear of heights. But the sight of Neuschwanstein Castle made her dance on the bridge. That's how happy it made her. In the evening, they cooked together in the small kitchen, as the two guests wanted to offer something typically Indonesian. Wolfgang Kurschus, however, prepared a sausage dumpling soup for them. "Indonesian food is spicy. We know that. And we like spicy food. But what they prepared for us was really spicy. We didn't know why they kept laughing so much while we were eating - it was, we found out later, because our heads were so red," says Heidi Kurschus, laughing as if it were only yesterday.

"As a host parent, you experience the competition and the coming together of cultures in a completely different way," says Heidi Kurschus passionately. "You are much closer to the competition and feel the excitement yourself. "When the Parahyangan Catholic University Choir Unpar - the Indonesian choir in which Vivin and Wiyanto sang - won 1st prize in the 2003 competition, our son called me in the office all excited and shouted through the phone - Mum, we are a winning family." And that's exactly how they felt. It was a feeling they never wanted to miss and one that continues to this day. Because it is precisely these small interpersonal things that make up the overall picture of the Kurschus host family. They are therefore very grateful to have experienced all this and look forward to being host parents again every year.

They are still in contact with Vivin and Wiyanto from Java until today. In the first email they received when the guests were back home in Java, they immediately said "Hi Mom...". It was also fateful that the two guests from Indonesia, who were just friends before Marktoberdorf, became a couple after their stay with the host family. In 2005, the whole family with relatives even came to visit the Kurschus family during a 14-day trip to Europe. They took a whole three days to visit Marktoberdorf. When they saw the first snow of their lives on arrival, they were not only overjoyed, but also wanted to go skiing immediately. The Kurschus family explained that this would hardly be possible in just three days, so they first got everyone winter boots and took them on a snowshoe hike and a toboggan ride instead. The guests from Java were completely thrilled. And very exhausted.

Vivin and Wiyanto - the very first guests of the Kurschus family from Java - have now been married for 10 years, have an 8-year-old daughter and, after almost 20 years, are still in contact with the host family in Marktoberdorf. No wonder that Heidi and Wolfgang Kurschus signed up as host parents again this year. Especially when they found out that a choir from Indonesia is also taking part in the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition 2022. "Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps," says Heidi Kurschus, who considers it a true blessing to be able to be a host family.

Caption: Long-time host family Heidi and Wolfgang Kurschus (centre) from Stötten with their very first guests Vivin (left) and Wiyanto (right) from Java (Indonesia) in 2003 at the Festspielhaus Füssen.
Photo: Kurschus