Final Question on German Culture

Throughout the class we learned a lot about German culture and the influences that the country's history had on it's current shape. My question though is does America have a military influence in Germany anymore, as it did after WWII during the occupation of Germany? I was born in Germany on an American base that I know is not there anymore, but I hear about troops there still. I want to know why they are there and how that impacts the German culture/politics/economy.

Rote Armee Facktion (Red Army Faction)

The RAF was created sometime after the second world war in response to lack of change within the government in Germany from Nazi control. Eventually the group turned towards anti-imperialism, anti-war and against police brutality. The RAF was fairly popular is their cause having the support of ¼ of the German public. The RAF was run by three main generations of activists. The original founding member are the ones who gave the group the nickname of the Baader-Meinhof group. The founding members were Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Horst Mahler, and Ulrike Meinhof. The second generation operated in the mid to late 70s after most of the original members were caught and jailed. The third generation operated in the 80s and 90s and as pointed out in the movie, the Baader Meinhof Complex, many of the third generation had never met the founding members and even operated under false ideals. Throughout the generations, an escalation in violence occurred that drifted from the first generation’s anti-violence towards civilians. The RAF finally dissolved as late as 1998 probably since the group lost track of all the ideals and lost so much public interest and support. I think the fate of the RAF, in that new member lose the original ideals and escalate the violence, is similar to today’s terrorists. Terrorist attacks all over the world occur from people as young as teenagers who have little to nothing to do with the wars happening across the world. Terrorist actions such as this surprises both government officials and communities from where the attacks come from. I doubt anyone can know what people who are in control of real terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda think of the random attacks around the globe.

The Baader-Meinof Complex

In our German culture class, we watched The Baader Meinhof complex which is a movie about a terroristic group in Germany during the 1970s. The group was called the Rote Armee Facktion. I thought the movie was very interesting and stimulating throughout the entire plot. When the class was asked if it was easy to watch, most people responded in the negative. I thought otherwise though. I think because I thought of the whole movie as a fiction story, even though it is non-fiction based. It is hard to believe that so many of the things that happened in the movie were actually true. The main thing that I found interesting about the film was that it was that is started out talking about the American involvement in other parts of the world, such as the war in Vietnam and the influence in Israel. It is interesting as an American because it shows how the topics are viewed from other parts of the world since the movie is from Germany and we only learn things from American textbooks. Another interesting point that our professor pointed out was that new generations of people claiming to be in the same group would arise without even knowing who the original members where. At one point in the movie, one of the government leaders in-charge of the case asked what could be motivating people to keep the RAF going, and another leader answered “an idea.” I think that could be the reason for a lot of the smaller terroristic acts that have been accumulating lately. An idea drives people to do things that they think they support and identify with even though they don’t know personally who had the idea to begin with.

Fine Arts of the 18th Century

Dance culture is also included on this blog page by Kyle Louks

http://kylelouks.blogspot.com/

Why the EU will continue to be a pivotal organization for Germany in the 21st century

1. Cheaper Trading

-There are no border crossings through countries in the EU, which makes trading faster and cheaper

2. Peace Keeping

-The EU provides a place for negotiations between countries in Europe if any issues should arise.

3. Freedom of place to live

-People in the EU are free to move and line in any other country in the EU

4. Freedom of place to work

-People in the EU can work in any country in the EU

5. Larger Trade Market

-having the EU as one body creates a greater market to Germany exports

6. Stable Political framework

-Help Germany become a partner in Europe as opposed to an outcast after WWII. It also helps other countries in Europe

7. Economic Stability in the Euro

-The Euro is probably the strongest currency right now being 1/3 greater than the dollar

8. Prospect of EU growth would lead to German market growth

-increasing the EU in size will only help German exports increase

9. Allows Germany to work as a significant power without being in charge

-Germany is the economic center and physical center of Germany, but doesnt want to be the political center.

10. Easier to work on global issues as a continent rather than a nation

-Many issues of today’s world (economy, global warming, ect.) cannot be solved by one country and the EU provides a medium in which countries can work together

11. Increased employment with more countries

-again with more countries in the EU, German companies expand which opens more jobs

12. I could only come up with 11, I will look at other students blogs and cite them for a 12th one if I find one.

German Leaders and Government of the 19th Century

Poets & Writers of 19th Century Germany

Power point!

Roles of Men and Women in the 20th Century

Roles of Men and Women in the 20th Century
Matt, Kevin A., Lexi, Lacey, Kayla, Danielle, Shelby, Andrew

The link above gives the group presentation we gave for class.

The part I did was about women and politics in Germany. What I found most interesting was that under the rule of Hitler, a woman's roles was to just have children to grow Germany's population to support Hitler's plan. It was their duty to ensure the future of the German race and women were even given medals for having large families. The image above shows one of the rewards.

Top 3 Blogs

My own criteria: Overall bright blog (dark ones are not as eye friendly), my Berlin topic must be in the top half of interests (U-Bahn and S-Bahn say top 7), must reflect something about the writers personality from what I know of them in class.

1. David Grow David.German110

1. Overall Appearance: 30/30 (very clean and bright with a nice background)
2. Completeness: 20/20 (looks like everything is there)
3. Solid Blogging: 20/20 (interesting and well written)
4. Pictures: 10/10
   
5. My Criteria: 18/20 (I wasnt in the top half for my Berlin now and in the past topic)
   

Total Score: 98/100

2. Shelby Gunderson Shelby.German110

1. Overall Appearance: 30/30 (very clean and bright with a nice background)
2. Completeness: 15/20 (missing the All Quiet on Western Front post)
3. Solid Blogging: 20/20 (interesting and well written)
4. Pictures: 10/10
5. My Criteria: 20/20

Total Score: 95/100

3. Jenita Teachout Jen.German110

1. Overall Appearance: 30/30 (very clean and bright with a nice background)
2. Completeness: 20/20 (looks like everything is there)
3. Solid Blogging: 20/20 (interesting and well written)
4. Pictures: 3/10 (not many pictures, just 4 total, all in the same blog post
   
5. My Criteria: 20/20

Total Score: 93/100

All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front is a story written by Erich Maria Remarque about a German soldier in the first world war named Paul Baumer. The story is about the conditions of the war as a soldier. In my opinion it is quiet a depressing book as it feels like the characters slowly lose themselves in the war. In the beginning, the characters are all described with their individual traits that together is supposed to represent their generation. They leave home and school as volunteers to be soldier and the war becomes their life. They only know of war and going home just brings discomfort and confusion as to how they could ever go back to a life in which they had nothing. Paul relates the war to just a battle for survival, kill or be killed. They don't fight out of hatred of the enemy, they fight because they want to make it to the next day. Paul's first friend dies in the first couple chapters of the book. The rest of Paul's friends all die as well throughout the entire book, with Paul's death stated in a short epilogue. He is described to have been shot on the quietest day where it was described as "All quiet on the western front," and he was said to have a calm and peaceful look on his face almost as if he was glad the end had come.
This book became so popular because it related to soldiers from all sides of the war. It also appealed to people who wanted to understand the conditions of the war. Remarque wrote it as a means of therapy to get over some of the terrible feelings of his own war experience.

Sachsen (Saxony)

State Location: 51°1′37″N 13°21′32″E

Population: 4.16 million

Size relation: Roughly 1/10 of MN

Significance/Uniqueness: 240 museums, home to microchip, publishing,and pocelain industries.

History:

Saxony was part of a Duchy from the early middle ages. The current state of Saxony started with Heinrich I, who was the first Saxon ruler to reign as King of Germany. He came from the Harz (northern Germany mountain range), and entered the area of today's Saxony. in 1453, the duchy became a Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire. Saxony used to be a lot bigger but after the Seven Years' War (1756-63), the Napoleonic wars, and the Austro-Persian War (1866), Saxony lost a lot of land because they always ended up allying themselves with the losing side against Prussia, who acquired almost 3/5 of Saxony territory, which led to the current size of Saxony. After WWI, Saxony became a republic. After WWII, it became part of the GDR, and on October 3, 1990, it became a free state again.

Sources :

http://www.saxonytourism.com/index2.php

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/area.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxony

http://www.mapzones.org/Saxony.html

German Trivia Group 1

1. What are the two restaurants/bars in Germany where you can dine completely in the dark?

Unsicht-Bar in Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg (http://www.unsicht-bar-berlin.de/)

Nocti Vagus in Berlin (http://www.noctivagus.com/)


2. Germany is the second most populous country in Europe. Which is the first?

Russia

3. On Saturday, September 25th, Munich will be hosting a pop sensation. Who is it? Where are they from?

Kate Nash, Britain

4. What German ruler backed Martin Luther from very early on, and ensured his safety after he was declared an outlaw?

The Duke of Saxony

5. What German state rapidly rose to a first-class miliary power between 1670 and 1740?

Prussia

6. Who is this?

Richard Wagner

7. Who is this?

Franka Potenta

8. What was the name of the movie where German actress Angelica Domröse plays the sister of a Man named Jens?

Die Legende von Paul und Paula

9. These three men founded a video game company located in Germany, what is the name of their company and who are they?

Company name: Crytek

Brothers: Cevat, Avni and Faruk Yerli

10. Who spoke at the Ingolstaedter Muenster church in Ingolstadt, Germany on 24.4.10?

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Defense Minister Karl-Theodore zu Guttenberg, in a service for four soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

11. Why were King Ludwig the Second's castles opened up for tourism shortly after his death?

To pay for the cost of building them.

12. Which of King Ludwig the Second's castles in Bavaria was the only one to be finished before his death?

Linderhof

13. What is the oldest flowering plant in Germany?

A rosebush at St. Mary's Cathedral in Hildeshein

14. What are the 7 inhabited Frisian Islands?

Borkum, Juist, Norderney, Baltrum, Langeook, Spiekeroog, Wangerooge

15. This character from the Shrek movies is based off lore from Lower Saxony.

The Pied Piper

16. What do the colors of the NRW flag represent?

Green - the River Rhine; White - the White Horse; Red - the Red Rose

17. Which political party had the greatest percent of votes in the May 9th, 2010 election in NRW?

Christian Democratic Union, with 34.6%

18. What was the precursor to the treaty of Westphalia?

The Concordat of Worms

19. What street is this building on?

It is the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche, located on Werderscher Strasse in Berlin.

20. This structure is a key location in which German film?

Run, Lola, Run (in English) or Lola Rennt (in German).

21. Held in Berlin, what are the German equivalent to the British Pop Awards?

Echo Awards

22. What famous novel, anonymously written in the early 13th century, ends with the death of all key characters?

Nibelungenlied

23. Where is this statue and what is it depicting?

It is in Bremen, Germany, and it is depicting the Bremen town musicians.

24. Which German car was the first one to be built solely outside of Germany?

The BMW Z3

Trivia Questions 1-15

What are the two restaurants/bars in Germany where you can dine completely in the dark?

—Germany is the second most populous country in Europe. Which is the first?

—On Saturday, September 25th, Munich will be hosting a pop sensation. Who is it? Where are they from?

—What German ruler backed Martin Luther from very early on, and ensured his safety after he was declared an outlaw?

—What German state rapidly rose to a first-class miliary power between 1670 and 1740?

—Who is this?




—What was the name of the movie where German actress Angelica Domröse plays the sister of a Man named Jens?

—These three men founded a video game company located in Germany, what is the name of their company and who are they?

—Who spoke at the Ingolstaedter Muenster church in Ingolstadt, Germany on 24.4.10?

—Why were King Ludwig the Second's castles opened up for tourism shortly after his death?

—Which of King Ludwig the Second's castles in Bavaria was the only one to be finished before his death?

—What is the oldest flowering plant in Germany?
—
What do the colors of the NRW flag represent?

—Which political party had the greatest percent of votes in the May 9th, 2010 election in NRW?

My observations about the top 20 Radio stations in Germany

At surfmusik.de I found and listened to the top 20 radio stations in Germany. I did not listen to them for very long, because that would take a long more time that I have to spare. For the time I did listen though, I found out a few things to make comparisons to American radio stations.

Most of the top radio stations in Germany came from North-Rhine Westphalia. This is probably because it is the most populated state in Germany. A lot of the music was similar to music in America; there were artists such as Lady Gaga, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Mike Posner. Some stations were only in German and others were mixed with English and German music. Some contrasting features included the presences of several techno stations, which arent common in America (at least not in MN) and the language of some songs, I was lucky enough to catch a song with lyrics like this: IM HIGH, IM DRUNK, IM ALL F***ed UP! That language certainly doesnt appear in American radio.

Overall, the German radio stations were similar to the American stations, and one could certainly find a station in Germany that sounded like an American Station. A lot of the music has the same "sound" that is current and popular right now. The only big differences that I noticed was the spoken language and the lack of censorship that would be found in America.

Middle Rhine Valley

Facts about the Rhine River –

1230km (~764miles)

Countries - Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein, Germany, France, Netherlands

Many castles, cities, and vineyards on the river make up the main attractions. In the earliest history of Europe, small settlements developed around this river and grew into the towns that still exist today. During the middle ages, rich land owners built up castles along the banks mostly as strategic fortified strongholds. The owners put up tolls on the roads and river in exchange they would protect travelers from robbers. It was also difficult to maneuver with the many different currents. The biggest current was the Binger Loch which, at one point, took 40 horses to pull a ship through it. In the Thirty Years War between 1618 and 1648, the Rhine was a main amphitheatre for battles and several castles were destroyed. New lords and landowners rebuilt many of the castles in later centuries.

Well Known Areas

Lorelei Rock – This rock is 120 meters tall and is the source of myths and folklore. Most famously is a story about a siren who would lure sailors in with her singing, sending them crashing into the rock cliff.

Really Big City - Cologne

City in North Rhine-Wesphalia with a population of 998,105

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne

Big City – Bonn

City in North Rhine-Westphalia with a population of 319,841

Small City - Monheim am Rhein

City in North Rhine-Westphalia with a population of 43,065

http://www.fotocommunity.com/pc/pc/display/18929248

http://www.kleingarten-stadtverband-monheim.de/startseite.htm

Smaller City - Bacharach

City in Rhineland-Palatinate with a population of 1,990

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacharach

Vineyards

http://www.ehospitalitytimes.com/?p=2557

Other Sites:

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/uppermiddlerhinevalley.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine_Gorge

http://www.thelocal.de/society/20100327-26161.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine_river#cite_note-kurzerRhein-1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monheim_am_Rhein