Question remaining in my mind

After this semester, I feel that I have learned quite a bit about Germany.  However, one question still remains in my mind.  During class, we discussed in depth about current culture.  However, I am really intrigued by the time periods of Martin Luther and Johann Sebastian Bach.  What was their influence on German society and culture, both while they were alive and after they died?  I felt that there was still more to learn in that area that we didn't really touch on in class.

The Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF)

This group officially was formed in 1970, with Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Horst Mahler, and Ulrike Meinhof.  After them came two more generations of the group.  The second operated in the mid to late 1970s, and the third in the 80s and 90s.  They claimed to have been dissolved on the 20th of April, 1998.

The group began forming in the late 1960s, when student protests began.  The students were arguing against the conservative groups running the government and media at the time.  There were many people running the government that had been involved in the NAZI regime. They felt that the governement was too authoritarian. Then, peaceful protests against the government turned into riots.  The RAF then formed.  They were put in jail but granted pardon by the government.  However, the government soon revoked this pardon and only one of the group obeyed.  The rest went underground, fleeing first to France, then to Italy.  Mahler visited them there and encouraged them to come back to work as urban guerrilas.  The group was eventually caught and arrested in 1972.

The group had many things happen to them while they were in prison.  They went on hunger strikes to protest the treatment they had received.  One of the members died of hunger, Ulrike Meinhof killed herself in her cell, the rest were on trial.  The trial was one of the biggest, most controversial trials in the history of Germany.  Eventually, the rest of the group was convicted to life in prison.  They also were responsible for the hijacking of Lufthansa flight 181 on October 13, 1977.  The hijackers demanded that the 10 prisoners be released.  After the hijacking failed, the prisoners were found dead in their cells. 

I wonder, as I learn about this, how the people of Germany felt as this was going on.  Was there a fear, as there is today?  Many people in America, especially after September 11, 2001, had a great fear.  Was there this fear as they walked out of there house that the RAF could be planning another attack?  It seemed, however, that many of the population were sympathetic to what they stood for.  So was it just the government that was afraid of them?

Reactions

As I started watching this movie, I noticed that I first took sides with the students.  I felt that they had the right to make their point but the government kept trying to shut them up.  It felt a little frustrating to me and I wondered how a government can  take those freedoms away from people. I'm not sure how it went in real life, and if the government was really trying to keep the students quiet, but I guess I can see how that forms terrorists.  They start getting frustrated at not being heard and need to come up with different means to be heard. 

I also noticed that throughout the film, I felt like I understood the RAF's position in why they would want to do what they did.  However, I didn't agree with the way they did it and I know I could never do that.  However, I do feel that if someone doesn't feel like they're being listened to and if they feel that what they say is important, they'll do something drastic to get their point across.  This then can be spun out of control quickly. It was surprising to me at how quickly I felt like I agreed with the RAF point of view. 

However, as things started getting more and more violent, I started feeling a little distressed.  It was scary to me at how powerfully they felt that they needed to be listened to and the drastic means they went about being heard.  They were ready to do anything, the more powerful the better.  Usually, terrorists are portrayed as terrible people and crazy, insane people.  However, this didn't seem to be the case.  They seemed like perfectly normal people.  This seemed good, however, because it's probably closer to the truth.  Political terrorists like that probably aren't generally crazy people.  They're just people that have a strong point of view and aren't being listened to.  It's impossible to listen to every point of view, however it seems that they only do it to be heard.  After viewing this film, I was left with this question: What can we do to prevent this?

Twelve reasons why the EU will help Germany

1. People in the EU are free to move to other countries to work, thus giving Germany a large work force.
2. Treaties between countries will help maintain peace.
3. The EU also provides Germany with an easy and cheap way to trade between countries.
4. Germany can show that it is more interested in a good economy than having a strong military power.  This helps Germany gain a good reputation
5. Countries in the EU can work together to solve global issues.
6. The EU can support Germany should they have an economic downturn.  This also gives Germany more stability.  (As shown recently with Greece)
7. The countries in the EU offer a diverse range of products.  This allows Germany to get almost anything easily.
8. Free travel between countries encourages people to travel to Germany.  They then spend their money there and boosts Germany's economy.
9. The EU allows Germany to show the world that they are a productive country, not wanting to cause trouble.
10. With all of the countries using the same currency, it's easier to be globally competitive.
11. Unifying with the EU gives them more power in voicing opinions and seeing global changes happen.
12. The EU has an aim to protect the environment.  This helps Germany keep their country clean.

Rulers and Government in the 19th Century

19th Century Rulers and Gov't Presentation

Literature in the 19th century

Presentation-19th century writers

Best Blogs

I looked through all the blogs and rated them on overall appearance (30pts), completeness (20pts), solid writing (20pts), and the images and sources used (10pts).  I also chose my own criterion from which to rate the blogs, and that was if the colors chosen and pictures used created a nice effect (20pts).  Here are the top three blogs:

1. Danielle Ostendorf 100 pts

• Appearance was great!
• It looks like she had put quite a bit of effort into it.
• All of the posts were there.
• The text was thorough and complete.

2.  Jenita Teachout  98 pts

• Very well organized
• Easy to read
• Neat appearance/everything was included

3. Matthew Steinborn 95 pts

• I really liked how he took out all of the mess along the edges of his blog.  It made it look a lot neater.
• All of the posts seemed to be there
• The color scheme was nice
• May be lacking some images, but overall it wasn't a negative effect.

All is Quiet on the Western Front

On Monday, we began to discuss All is Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. Our discussion was fruitful, although maybe a little quiet at times.  There were quite a few ideas presented in the book that we discussed in class that perked my interest quite a bit.

To start out the discussion, we talked about Himmelstoss and how he abused his power in the military.  He is a postman by trade, however with the war, he has found a way to use power.  As he trained the recruits, he would make them do ridiculous training methods that didn't help much with the war, such as marching around in circles.  That was where he found he had power. 

We also dicussed the relationship between World War I and World War II and how that affected German culture and lifestyle in an enormous way.  Without WWI, there wouldn't be WWII.  The book describes WWI and how this war caused a lost generation.  It wasn't about the guns, or the deaths, or the people, although they were present.  Erich is trying to show us how that generation is lost.  They were students, then they were soldiers, and after the war they didn't know where to go or what to do.  The only thing they know is how to be soldiers.  This lost generation created people with neither identity nor self-esteem.  This, along with the poor economy created by the Treaty of Versaille restrictions on Germany, allowed Hilter to come to power.  People were looking for someone to identify with and someone to boost their self-esteem and Hilter provided just that.

I've always wondered how that can happen.  How can a whole group of people so easily bite into what Hitler preached?  But, this explains it so much better for me and I now feel like I can understand what happened.  We watched one video in high school about a teacher who tried to show this.  He got the students to do what Hitler did: to follow one guy blindly.  It got so bad that students started hurting other students in name of that group.  The principal started telling the teacher that it needed to stop so the teacher called a meeting with the group and told them that their leader was going to speak there.  He then showed a clip of Hitler and explained to the students the relationship  between their group and the Nazis.  I kind of understood how that worked after that, but I still had questions.  After reading this book and discussing how this war related to WWII, I can understand.  When someone doesn't know who to identify with, it's easy to go with someone who will boost your self-esteem as well as friends. 

This also relates to our discussion on what happens when we lose or identity.  We talked about how some people turn to suicide, drugs, or alcohol.  We also talked about a more positive thing to turn to such as a religion or a sports group or even starting a new business.  Everyone needs something to belong to.

This also shows a problem Germany has had.  In the past 100 years, they have bounced around so much that they don't really have anyone to identify with.  They started as Prussians, then after WWI they were part of a democracy; then was the Hilter regime, then the Berlin Wall and the country was split.  Then the Wall fell and a full Germany, as we know it today, was created.  So, Germany has really been around for only 20-21 years.  They are trying to build a country that they can identify with strongly.

This discussion has really made me understand Germany a whole lot better.  I also can understand both WWI and WWII so much more.  It's very important for us to remember and study the different wars, so we can learn for the future. 

Sachsen-Anhalt Presentation

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AepWVNlYAJzuZGt2Z2NiZ18wZGh2Mm5oY2Y&hl=en&authkey=CJ-e2cIN

Trivia Questions & Answers:Team Two

Trivia Q & A – September 21^st

Life in Germany

1.       When and where did German scientists recently discover a new species of ape?Answer: In Asia on Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-world/german-scientists-discover-rare-ape-species-in-asia-20100921-15lkn.html

2.       What city is known as the salt capital of Germany? When did the salt production end?
Answer: Lüneburg, a German city in the state of Lower Saxony, is known as the salt capital of Germany.  It was not until 1980 that the production of salt in the Lüneburg Saline finally closed.
Source: http://worthgem.blogspot.com/2010/09/german-salt-museum-at-luneburg.html

3.       What type of schooling is forbidden?
Answer: Homeschooling
Source: www.german-way.com/educ.html

German History

1.       What was the difference in population in Germany from 1939 to 1946?
Answer: 4 million less people from 1939 to 1946

2.       In the early and middle eleventh century the Saxon kings were able to defeat which Germanic tribes thus strengthening the Elbe Saale frontier?
Answer: The Magyars and the Slavs

3.       What Germanic tribe held onto their tradition of worshiping heathen gods the longest?Answer: The Saxons

German Media

1.       What date did the "television contract" (Fernsehvertrag) get signed?
Answer: March 27, 1953
Source: pg 91 of "The Mass Media of the German Speaking Country" by John Sandford

2.       The Deutsche Welle first began broadcasting is what year?
Answer: 1953
Source: pg 39 of "The Mass Media of the German Speaking Country" by John Sandford

3.       What German newsmagazine is on the rise while its predecessor is on the decline?
Answer: The Focus is on the rise while Der Spiegel is on the decline.
Source: http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/facts/bl_newspapers.htm

German States: Bavaria

1.       Who are the three primary Germanic tribes to inhabit Bavaria in history?
Answer: Bavarians, Franks, and Nordgau

2.       Pope Benedict was born in town of Marktl Bavaria. Where did he live his adolescence?
Answer: Traunstein
Source: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/biography/documents/hf_ben-xvi_bio_20050419_short-biography_en.html

3.       The Hofbrauhaus is a famous beer hall in Munich Bavaria. What family still owns and operates this historic site?
Answer: The Gerdas
Source: http://www.aviewoncities.com/munich/hofbrauhaus.htm

German States: Schleswig-Holstein

1.       Where was the chief base for the Third Reich's navy operations?
Answer: Kiel
Source: pg 259-260 of “Discover Germany” by Jack Altman

2.       Schleswig-Holstein was part of Denmark until what year?
Answer: 1866
Source: pg 259-260 of “Discover Germany” by Jack Altman

3.       What is the world famous annual rock fest that takes place in Schleswig-Holstein?
Answer: Wacken Open Air
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Rhine-Westphalia

German States: Westphalia

1.       The Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia convenes to which city in Westphalia?
Answer: Dusseldorf
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schleswig-Holstein

2.       Where can the best soil in North Rhine-Westphalia be found?  (specific place)
Answer: The fertile, deep loessial soil of the Köln Bay.
Source: pg 12 of “North Rhine-Westphalia” by J. A. Hellen

3.       What are the names of the two broad trails, one a road the other a trading route in North Rhine-Westphalia that can be traced back to prehistoric times? Answer: Rhine (Road) and Hellway (Trade Route)
Source: pg 18 of “North Rhine-Westphalia” by J. A. Hellen

Berlin

1.       What animal infestation did the U.S. Army eradicate in Berlin?
Answer: Rats
Source:  “The Berlin Wall: How it Rose and Why it Fell” by Doris M. Epler

2.       What is this and what does it stand for? (Picture Link: http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/berlin-d1434.jpg)
Answer: The Soviet War Memorial; it was built in memory of all the Soviet soldiers who died in the battle of the conquest of Berlin. (WWII)
Source: “The Berlin Wall: How it Rose and Why it Fell” by Doris M. Epler

3.       What was the full birth name of the mayor of West Berlin who was in office during JFK’s “Ich bin ein Berliner Speech?”
Answer: Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm

Final Category – Poetry & Cars

1.       “At Bacharach on the Rhine, Lorelei is lingering” is the English translation of the first line of whose poem?
Answer: Hans Rudolf Hilty – poem’s title Lorelei
Source: pg 131 of Contemporary Germany Poetry: An Anthology

2.       “I greet Berlin as three times
 I band my head, three times
against one of the walls” is the English translation of whose stanza?
Answer: Günter Grass – poem’s title Brandmauern
Source: pg 147 of Contemporary Germany Poetry: An Anthology

3.       How does the BMW logo represent the company’s history?
Answer: Originally, the Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW or “Bavarian Motor Works”) was a German airplane engine manufacturer, which later came to focus on making sweet cars.  The BMW Logo is supposed to represent a white airplane-propeller against the blue sky; a reflection of the company’s beginnings in the early days of flight.

Must See Natural Wonders in Germany

The Valley of the Rhine


Image from Roll International


According to Roll International, from its origin, the Rheinwaldhorn Glacier, to the North Sea the Rhine runs approximately 820 miles. It travels North and East through many different countries. About 80% of the travelable river is in Germany. Ocean worthy vessels travel the river all the way to Cologne until there the river becomes too narrow and shallow to manage; there the load must be transported by smaller ships.

 The Rhine River is a popular destination for vacations. Over thirty majestic castles are located on the river. In the 17th Century it was tradition for new lords and noblemen to preserve ruins of their ancestors becoming a tourist destination during the 19th century. It is also very popular for its vineyards. The most common grape that is grown in this area is the (white) Riesling. This grape is used primarily for wines including pinot blanc and Chardonnay



Image of Bacharach from Virtual Tourist.com



Because the river travels through many different countries there are several names for this river:

Rhein in German

Rhine in French

Rijn in Dutch (Netherlands)

Rhenus in many ancient dialects

In 2003, the Rhine Valley was added by the UNESCO to the list of World Cultural Heritage Landmarks.

One of the most famous Germany folklore is of the Rhine siren named Lorelei who would sing in order to entice men and eventually send them to their death by shipwreck. There is even a rock named after her which is located in St. Goarshausen (image below).The rock is over 145 yards above the waterline.

There are many famous art works, songs, and poems that are attributed to this infamous rock. This includes Heinrich Heine's The Lorelei. The following is a single stanza from the poem borrowed from ArtMagick.com:

The boatman listens, and o'er him
Wild-aching passions roll;
He sees but the maiden before him,
He sees not reef or shoal.

Sylvia Plath also wrote a poem Lorelei. The following is two stanzas borrowed from PoemHunter.com:

It is no night to drown in:
A full moon, river lapsing
Black beneath bland mirror-sheen,

The blue water-mists dropping
Scrim after scrim like fishnets
Though fishermen are sleeping



Image from Wikipedia.org

  Information from:
About-Germany.org
Virtual Tourist.com
Roll International.com

German print media reviewed

In Germany, about 78 percent of the population reads the newspaper in a daily basis.  This is quite different from Americans, who generally don't read the paper on a daily basis.  After reviewing the content of the paper, I noticed that most newspapers offer a similar array of topics as most American newspapers.  One thing that struck me, is how international the German newspapers are.  One newspaper, Suddeutsche, sends papers to 150 different countries daily.  Die Welt sends out to 130 countries daily, and Frankfurter Allgemeine sends to 148 different countries daily.  Most newspapers, like American newspapers, also offer their news online, which allows people to stay updated on what's going on in Germany from wherever they are.

My observations about the Top 20 radio stations in Germany

State with the most radio stations:

• Bayern (78)

States with the fewest:

• Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (6 each)

Before looking into German radio stations, I thought they would be pretty similar to radio stations here.  With globalization, it seems many countries are beginning to be quite similar.

After taking a look through the types of radio stations offered, it seemed like they were pretty  similar to what we have here.  However, one difference I noticed was the amount of techno stations.  In my perspective, it doesn't seem like there are so many techno stations here.  Techno is also the main music in 4 of the stations on the list of the Top 20 in Germany, one of those being 5th all-around with another following close behind at 6th over-all.

The interest the German people have in regards to what is played on the radio seems quite similar to what we have.  In conclusion, I think the German army is pretty similar to the American radio media.

Natural Wonder in Germany

The Rhine Valley is located along the Rhine River, between Bingen and Bonn.  The beautiful landscape has the mountains, the Black Forest and many majestic castles dotting its landscape.  Many people come here to hike, tour the castles, and enjoy what the area has to offer. There is also a train that passes through the valley to show the area.  "Rhine in Flames" is a festival with fireworks and music to showcase the area.

http://www.about-germany.org/regions/rhine.php   09/15/10
http://www.eurail.com/eurail-scenic-rhine-valley   09/15/10

List of all the topics on Berlin

1. Music/Literature/Art in Berlin
2. Structures in Berlin
3. Berlin Buildings
4. Reichstag
5. Brandenburg Gate
6. U-Bahn & S-Bahn
7. Tourism
8. Berlin Tram
9. Sports
10. Berlin during WWII
11. Berlin After WWII
12. Art and Culture in the 1920's
13. Nightlife in Berlin
14. Popular Sights in Luebeck

Berlin in the Past and Today

Berlin during WWII

By: Khrystyna and Jessica

Homework for 09.01

The 16 States of Germany:

• Baden-Wurttemburg: This state's capital is Stuttgart.  It is Germany's leader for patent registrations and inventors, among these being Gottlieb Daimler, Carl Benz, and Robert Bosch.
• Bavaria:  This state is the oldest state, with the capital being Munich.  Oktoberfest and Neuschwanstein Castle attract more foreign tourists than any other fedral state. The economy, which is stronger than Sweden's, is home to BMW, Audi, and Siemens.
• Berlin:  Berlin is the country's capital and biggest city, with a population of 3.5 million.  It was the capital of Prussia until 1945.
• Brandenburg:  Brandenburg surrounds Berlin.  It brags Hollywood productions produced in the film-producing city of Babelsberg.
• Bremen:  Bremen is the smallest state in the country.  However, it's a great place of trade which influences its culture greatly.
• Hamburg:  The port in Hamburg is the powerhouse of the economy.  It is known for its musicals, which attracts thousands of visitors every month.
• Hesse:  The city of Frankfurt is located here.  It has the largest buildings and airports, however isn't big in population.  The capital city is Wiesbaden.
• Lower Saxony:  The auto industry is the main industry in this state.  The rulers from 1714-1837 were kings of England.
• Mecklenburg-West Pomerania:  This state boasts more than 2,000 lakes as well as 350 kilometers of Baltic coastline.  Tourism is the main source of income.
• North Rhine-Westphalia: UNESCO has dubbed this area next to Paris and New York as the world's most cultural regions.  It has a very large number of cities.
• Rhineland-Palatinate:  This area is the center of wine production.  Karl Marx came from this area, in the city of Trier.
• Saarland:  In the past 200 years, this state has changed nationality 8 times, with the French influence very evident now.  The capital city is Saarbrucken.
• Saxony:  This area is known for its porcelin as well as it's 800-year old Thomaner Choir, where JS Bach was a cantor.  Richard Wagner also came from this area.
• Saxony-Anhalt:  Georg Friedrich Handel has come from here, which has been the basis for the major festival in Halle every year.  The many castles in Wittenberg and Martin Luther also make this area a big attraction.
• Schleswig-Holstein: The most feared mythical figure in this area is Blanker Hans, which stands for the destructive forces of the sea.  The sea is very important here, as it has the most important ferry ports in the Scandinavian routes in Kiel, Puttgarden, and Lubeck.
• Thuringia:  Mountains are the backdrop for the 160-kilometer long Rennsteig trail, the longest in Germany.  This area is also known for its long, thin sausages.  Rolls-Royce comes from this area as well.

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies is a beautiful church located in the Alpine Valley near Munich, Germany. The building was designed by Dominikus Zimmermann with help from his brother Johann. The building project began in 1745 and was completed in 1754.


The history of the starting of this church is interesting. The area was always known for a wooden figure of the Scourged Saviour. However, on June 14, 1738 a peasant named Maria Lory saw tears in the eyes of Jesus at the whipping post. That began the pilgrimage that has lasted to this day. Many, many people began pouring in to see the Scourged Saviour. A wooden chapel was built to accommodate all the people in 1740. However, that wasn’t big enough so Steingaden Abbey agreed to commission a bigger church.

The church is a beautiful masterpiece of Bavarian Rococo in the German Baroque style. The center of the church is the Scourged Saviour; Jesus Christ who offers himself as a sacrifice. The main ceiling depicts a resurrected Christ, sitting on the rainbow; the Judgment throne; and the door to eternal life. The architect, Dominikus Zimmermann, couldn’t bear to leave his most beautiful and complete work. So, he built a house right next to the church and lived there until death.

This church is visited by many yet today. There are 1 million visitors to the Pilgrimage Church of Wies each year, most of those being pilgrims. People who have prayed in front of the statue have claimed that people have been miraculously cured of diseases, which has made even more people come in hopes of being cured. This beautiful church is a nice haven for those looking for spiritual cleansing, as well as to those who would like to stand in awe at the majestic architecture. The writer Peter Dörfier wrote: “The Wies is a bit of heaven in this suffering world.”

Presentation

Germany and the FIFA World Cup Presentation


My Favorite Five:

• Cologne Cathedral
• Frontiers of the Roman Empire
• Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof
• Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
• Pilgrimage Church of Wies