Dubkowmühle 7-Nations Restaurant

“No problem, Ilonna!”

Like the rest of the Spreewald restaurant industry, the Leiper Dubkowmühle faces nearly the same problems. In addition to rising costs, there is the nearly daily struggle to maintain adequate staffing levels. A chef who calls in sick at the last minute can be a huge problem, especially when a tour bus that’s been booked or a full Spreewald boat is waiting right outside the door. Ilona Konzack, the owner of the Dubkowmühle, is often unsure early in the morning whether the day will go as planned. Time and again, there are last-minute staff and equipment shortages, registered guests are late—and then there’s the unpredictable weather!

Its 22 employees are divided among eight full-time positions and additional temporary and student positions. Only eight people have German citizenship; the others are from Poland, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, and Hungary—with the largest group coming from Georgia. They are female students, mostly from Tbilisi. Ilona Konzack was referred this group of students by an agency she has been working with for many years and has had good experiences with. “The young women are an incredibly valuable asset during the busy season; they’re hardworking, focus solely on the job at hand, and are practically thrilled by every task I assign them. Their answer is always the same—and somehow amuses me—‘No problem, Ilonna!’ Their German is improving every day as they interact with customers, and some of them are even taking German classes on the side,” says the owner of the traditional Spreewald restaurant.

Maiko Arabuli is one of the Georgian students; she’s studying medicine and has also enrolled in a German course: “This is my first time in Germany, and I think it’s incredibly beautiful here: so modern, with so many people helping me settle in. My boss is so kind to us; she doesn’t just see us as workers, but takes care of us as if we were part of the family!” That’s almost the case, because all six of them live in the family home, which is also located on the Dubkowmühle property.

When things quiet down, the young women use the inn’s paddleboats to explore the Spreewald. “I never would have thought that such a beautiful landscape even existed!” says Maiko. On some evenings, a late-night hiker or cyclist might hear music that sounds strange to them—usually when the female students turn to Georgian folk music to ease the homesickness that sometimes overtakes them. Through song and dance, they feel connected to their homeland. “We have an incredible amount of fun together, and then we look forward to the next workday with joy and relief,” was the sentiment expressed by some of them. After her first few weeks in Germany, Maiko Arabuli can now definitely see herself working here as a doctor: “I had already thought about a professional future abroad while I was still in Georgia, and Germany was on my list—now it’s at the very top, I’m absolutely sure of that!”

Peter Becker, August 7, 26