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.”