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.”