Shiven here to stay

Press, 1 September 1986, Page 2

Shiven here to stay

The German clown, Shiven, is in New Zealand to stay. At a ceremony in the Akaroa County Council chambers on Friday, Mr Gunter Bennung, formerly of Berlin, was awarded New Zealand citizenship. Shiven has become- a well known face to schoolchildren throughout New Zealand during the last 3y 2 years. His brightly painted camper van has become a familiar sight in schools from Kaitaia to Stewart Island.

Friday’s ceremony was conducted by the Akaroa County Council’s chairman, Mr Tad Harris. "We welcome a citizen to New Zealand in such gloomy times whose vocation is to make people laugh. It is a tremendous credit to you,” Mr Harris said.

Mr Bennung lives at

Duvauchelle with his German wife, Rita, and their two children, Julika, aged six, and Katya, aged 18 months. He told the councillors he had admired New Zea-

land since he was a small child. The decision to live on Banks Peninsula was made after Mrs Bennung saw an article in an airline magazine while on a flight from Singapore. After the ceremony, he said the quality of life had drawn the family to New Zealand. “We became aware of the many tensions in Europe after Julika was born. New Zealand is a much quieter place, with its almost unspoilt nature,” he said. But he thinks New Zealanders will have to work hard to preserve that environment. “Now we have to watch it carefully to keep it this way. In Europe we saw the destruction around us and for me it would be quite sad for these things to be repeated.”