Final Post

Part A

http://ge110fayezal.blogspot.com/

The blog drew my attention, because I had never worked with Fayez. The blog is well organized and the posts are presented in properly format. Thus, I would rate his blog as 5, he included many details, which helps the understanding, and I would rate its readability as 5. Comparing his blog to mine, this one is better. It has more information than mine.

http://ge110denisebe.blogspot.com/2014/12/final-post.html

I chose her blog for the same reason I chose Fayez's blog. She seems to be interested in this class, but she could add more information. I would rate the overall as 4, and 3 for the readability, since its lack of information. Compare to my blog it is slightly worse. It has less information than mine.

http://ge110tatianasa.blogspot.com/

Her blog is well organized, it has a nice background and she posted all assignments. It seems that she cares a lot about its appearance, and content. I would rate her blog as 5 for both informative quality and readability. It is better than mine.

Part B   

          

          Taking Intro to German Culture, I found out details about Germany's history that I had no clue. All the entertainment topics such as music, sport, theater, poetry and movie were a delightful surprise, but I kind expected it. However, topics that had a great impact on me are related to the WWII and the RAF. The book “All quiet on the Western Front” was an intense reading, but it showed me the side of the war that I have never thought before. The effects of the war on this generation was horrible, and the dehumanization process showed in the book and movie shocked me. The RAF, an urban guerrilla in Europe, it was a surprise. In South America we had Che Guevara, one important name when we talk about guerrilla. Thus I am familiarized with that. However, after reading some web pages and watch the movie I had only one thought on my mind, ‘They tried to do the “right” thing and they got completely lost on the way". The barbarity of these 2 topics, made my bad misconception opinions about Germany change into a concept of a harmed country, which fights hard to keep all the demons in the past. I didn’t have any issues in this class, I enjoyed the assignments, so I could not point something that could be changed. 

Baader Meinhof

               Die Rote Armee Fraktion or RAF was a West German far-left militant group founded in 1970, by Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, and Ulrike Meinhof. They identified themselves as a communist group engaged in armed resistance against what they considered to be a fascist state. However, it was considered by many people as a terrorist group.

Origin

               “They'll kill us all. You know what kind of pigs we're up against. This is the Auschwitz generation. You can't argue with people who made Auschwitz. They have weapons and we haven't. We must arm ourselves!” – Gudrun Ensslin (speaking after the death of Benno Ohnesorg).

After being convicted for burning stores; Baader, Ensslin, Thorwald Proll and Horst Söhnlein were arrested. Few month later of being released, their liberty were contested and their prison were requested. However, Horst Söhnlein was the only one to respond the request. The 3 other ran away to Paris, and Italy after that. Regis Debray helped them to escape, hiding them in his own property. Debray’s friendship with Che Guevara, and his works about urban guerrilla probably influenced Baader and his group.

They returned to Germany, to execute the plan of creating a guerrilla, but Baader was arrested. Meinhof and Ensslin planned to release him. Meinhof had access to Baader, because she was a journalist. By the excuse of writing a book with Baader, she got a meeting with him in an Institute on May 14^th of 1970, Meinhof, Gurund, Astri, Ingrid Schubert, Irene Goergens and Peter Homann executed their plan and Baader escaped with them, and the attack was attributed to Gang Baader-Meinhof. However, in July 2^nd of 1970 the group published an article where it was signed for the first time their official name Rote Armee Fraktion.  

               The RAF lasted for 28 years, and committed numerous operations that resulted in a national crisis. They fight for freedom, but for that they lost their way and killed 34 people including secondary target.. But as any guerrilla in the world, divided public opinion between lovers and haters. 

The role of Women and Men in German Society (centuries 20th and 21st)

 The Role of Women

In 1865, the Allgemeiner Deutscher Frauenverein (ADF) was founded as an umbrella organization for women's associations, demanding rights to education, employment and political participation. Three decades later, the Bund Deutscher Frauenverbände (BDF) replaced ADF and excluded from membership the proletarian movement that was part of the earlier group. The two movements had differing views concerning women's place in society, and accordingly, they also had different agendas. As factory jobs became available for women, they campaigned for equal pay and equal treatment. In 1908 German women won the right to join political parties, and in 1918 they were finally granted the right to vote.   

Women played important roles in the Nazi organization and were allowed some autonomy to mobilize other women. After Hitler came to power in 1933, the activist women were replaced by bureaucratic women, who emphasized feminine virtues, marriage, and childbirth. As Germany prepared for war, large numbers of women were incorporated into the public sector and, with the need for full mobilization of factories by 1943, all women were required to register with the employment office. Hundreds of thousands of women served in the military as nurses and support personnel, and another hundred thousand served in the Luftwaffe (the aerial warfare brand in Germany during the World War II) , especially helping to operate the anti—aircraft systems. Women's wages remained unequal and women were denied positions of leadership or control.

The Role of Men

All men age 18-23 have to attend a nine month training before going into war.

All major German military and political leaders in the 20th century were men.

Rulers, Government and Politics (centuries 18th and 19th)

Holy Roman Empire

It was the complex of territories in central Europe. This state lasted until 1806, when Napoleon I. Central Europe and conquered the kingdom of weak formations brought to collapse.

Capital: no official capital

Government: Elective Monarchy

Emperor: Otto I 962-973 and Francis II 1792-1806

Legislature: The Imperial Diet (Reichstag) was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm. It was the convention of the Imperial Estates, legal entities that, according to feudal law, had no authority above them besides the Holy Roman Emperor (or King of the Romans) himself. The deputies convened occasionally at different cities, until in 1663 the Perpetual Diet was established at the Regensburg city hall.

German Confederation

It was an association of 41 states, created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. But it was considerate ineffective. The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation off, annexing large parts of its territory and the remaining area can essentially be split into three parts: Confederation of the Rhine, Prussia and Austria.

Capital: no official capital, but Frankfurt  was the place where they met to discuss about politic.

Government: Confederation

President: Francis I 1815-1835, Ferdinand I 1835-1848, and Francis Joseph I 1850-1866

Legislature: Federal Confederation (German: Bundesversammlung or Bundestag) was the only central institution of the German Confederation from 1815 until 1848, and from 1850 until 1866. It was organized as a permanent congress of envoys.

Prussia

Kingdom of Prussia was the force behind the unification of the Germany in 1871 and the leading state of the German Empire until its dissolution in 1918.

Capital: Berlin

Government: Monarchy (absolute before 1848, and Constitutional from 1848)

King: 1701-1713 Frederick I and 1888-1918 William II

Minister-President: 1848 Adolf Heinrich and 1918 Maximilian William

Legislature: The Landtag of Prussia (German: Preußischer Landtag) was the representative assembly of the Kingdom of Prussia implemented in 1849, a bicameral legislature consisting of the upper House of Lords (Herrenhaus) and the lower House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus). After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918–19 the Landtag diet continued as the parliament of the Free State of Prussia from 1921.

North German Confederation

The North German Confederation was the first federally organized German State for historical precursor of the Empire realized the German nation-state formation. The originally in 1866 as a military alliance under Prussian leadership scale federation of German states north of the Main line transformed with the constitution on July 1, 1867, the first German state  .

Capital: Berlin

Federal Bureau: 1867-1871 Wilhelm I

Head of Government: Prince Otto von Bismarck

German Empire

German Empire is the name given to the German Reich between 1871 and 1918. The German Empire was carried out with the proclamation of the Prussian king Wilhelm I to the German Emperor on 18 January 1871 in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles. This followed the victory of the North German Confederation and the South German states allied with him in the German-French war. On small German basis and under the rule of the Prussian Hohenzollern was the first time a German nation-state emerged.

Capital: Berlin

Government: 1871-1918 Constitutional Monarchy, and 1918 Parliamentary Monarchy

Head of State: 1871-1888 Wilhelm I, 1888 Friedrich III, 1888-1918 Wilhelm II

Head of Government: 1871-1890 Prince Otto Von Bismarck, 1890-1894 Count Leo Von Caprivi, 1894-1900 Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg.

Legislature: Federal and Hereditary Monarchy.

Berlin Calling

Berlin Calling is a German movie that shows the story of Martin Karow a producer and DJ, who is trying to release a new album. However, his drugs addiction made him psychotic and he ended in rehab. The time he spent in this clinic made him realized that his will to record this album is strong enough to recover him from his drug’s problems. When I compare the culture differences related on the movie with Brazil, I could see that the family bounds in Brazil are way more strong, and usually when a relative has a “healthy problem” as he does, the family still together. 

Kantorek

" I am a former schoolteacher and my goal it inspires young boys to sign to the war. For me the war is a honor and the best way to show my patriotism and love for my father land. I represent the nationalism, the ideology of unswerving dedication to one's own country. My patriotic sentiments and bullying forced Paul and his classmates, what I proudly called the "'Iron Youth'", into volunteering for the war. Paul gains some measure of revenge when he sees that I have been enlisted in the war; at least I must now fight and possibly die for the war I have helped promote."

German Music Scene

Neue Deutsche Welle ( New German Wave)

               Started as an underground movement at 1981. It is a mixing of punk rock and new wave, but influenced by the German language.

Nena is one icon that represents this style, with songs as “99 luftballons ( 99 red balloons English version)” recorded in 1982.

“99 luftballons”  - by NENA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfPTC7-wCL8

Euro Disco

               It is a variety of European forms of electronic dance, with pop, new wave, R&B and rock. With compositions in English, it got power on 70’s. Milli Vanilli represents the style with the famous song “Girl you know it is true” recorded in 1988.

“Girl you know it is true”- by Milli Vanilli

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdSmokR0Enk

Hip Hop

German Hip Hop begins its history at early 90’s in Berlin. Influenced by the cultural elements as graffiti, breakdancing and mostly by American films, rap and hip hop artists.

-        90s

o   Die Fantastischen Vier

o   Fettes Brot

o   Samy Deluxe

o   Bushido

o   Sido

o   Kool Savas

-        2000

o   Kollegah

o   Cro

o   Casper

o   Materia

One of the popular rappers right now is Kollegah, who based his style on gangsta rap or as he wants to call Zuhälterrap (pimp rap).

“Angeberprollhap 2” – by Kollegah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kis1pMlCFxc&list=PL665DD717F90679F1&index=13

Oktoberfest Song

               One of the largest fair in the world is Oktoberfest and in terms of music Fliegerlied an Ohrwürm “ear worm” which means a song that stuck in your head. Released by a Bavarian band Donikkl in 2008

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS8YQK6x9BM

Electronic

               Germany has a largest electronic music scene, and this style consist of making music entirely using electronic equipment. The pioneer was the band Kraftwerk with songs as:

“Autobahn” recorded in 1974 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68C-r9kSLNE

Today Electronical Music is very popular and this are famous German DJ´s

-        Paul van Dyk

-        The Disco Boys

-        Paul Kalkbrenner

Rock and Roll

               One of the most popular music style in the world, has to have a special place. The Deutschrock  started in 1960 and the bands are divided in Krautrock, Metal, Punk Rock, pop rock, indie, Ostrock and Industrial Metal.

·        Krautrock is a pejorative name gave by British media to the experimental German rock, it is a mixing of experimental rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, jazz and electronic. Originated in early 1970 in west Germany,

Tangerine Dream – “Phaedra”, recorded in 1974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv2c2hZL1yE

·        Metal is a complex style that it is subdivided in many other genres. Some of the represents of this style in Germany are Scorpions, Helloween, Accept, Kreator, Destruction, Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray, Lacrimosa and so on. Blind Guardian and Helloween remains on the top of the German power/speed metal, with songs as:

Blind Guardian – “The Script for My Requiem”, recorded 1995

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZznRuOKQqQ

·        The German Punk Rock influenced by the British Sex Pistols, started in 1970’s passing by many phases of west Germany and developing an independent style named Deutschpunk that has politically radical left-wing lyrics.

o   Nina Hagen

o   Die Toten Hosen

The most successful band in this style is Die Ärzte:

Die Ärzte – “Schrei nach Liebe”, recorded 1993

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmJUtQeiQzA

·        Tokio Hotel represents the German pop rock, and it is the most famous pop rock band known in the world.

Tokio Hotel – “Spring Nicht”, recorded in 2007

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu2jWedcUSM

·        Indie rock represented by bands as Anajo, Auletta, Tomte and so on.  By The BossHoss, Sportfreunde Stiller

Tomte – “Ich sang die Ganze Zeit von dir”, recorded in 2006

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TA149UT_1g

·        Ostrock is the East German rock style, songs with indirect double-meaning lyrics, classical structure, and in some way more conservative than the experimental West German rock. Keimzeit, The Puhdys, Karat, Silly and City represent the style.

City – “ Am Fenster”,  recorded in 1978

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vzafGHkdmM

·        Industrial metal is a mixing of thrash metal, hardcore with synthesizer and distorted vocals. Rammstein is the best known band

Rammstein – “Roserot”, recorded in 2006

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz66xYVtST0

German Volksmusik and Schlager

Easy music with a sentimental content of lyrics

-        Helene Fischer

-        Udo Jürgens

-        Wolfgang Petry

-        Hansi Hinterseer (more past)

-         Heino (more past)

-        Florian Silbereisen

Helene Fischer – “Atemlos durch die nacht”, recorded 2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYtjZbjZbEk

All Quiet on the Western Front - Chapter 7

The second company was taken to a field depot, because they clearly needed reinforcements. Kemmerich, Meyer, Max, Beyer and Hämmerling were dead, Haie Westhus was dying, Martens had no legs and there was 120 wounded men.

The soldiers seemed to be in good mood, but the truth was there was not time to reflect about all the events, or they would get crazy, and one of the strategies used was the quickly forget. One day they were under fire, in other they were hanging out and meeting people.

After an adventure with some French girls and recognizing that there was a different world besides the war, Paul got  leave-pass of 17 days, being 14 days for leave and 3 days for a course training. He left in the front his friends and he had no idea if he would see them again.

Paul returned to his city and everything was different, since the sun light till the people. He didn’t fit in his civilians’ clothes, the people wanted to know everything, but he wanted to be quiet. People had the wrong idea what really happen in the war, they treated him as a hero but he was just surviving.

London

London

Matthew Schouning
Brentan Carkhuff
Andrew Pedretti
Hussain Alawami
Mariani Pereira
Abby Charlson  
Tristen Witthuhn

                           

1. What are imporant historical markers that describe the Hanse?
"The New Hanse" started in 1980, was opened to all former Hanseatic cities. The goal of this was cultural preservantion and a renewal of trade among these cities.
The Holtein gate, designed to protect the city is still standing today and is a world culture landmark.

2. How was life for citizens in Hanse cities different from other cities that recorded directly to a noble sovereign?
Citizens had special privileges in "Free cities", cities independent from the local lords of the land and instead owed allegience to the league and the emperor alone. These cities also had their own set of rules

3. Which trade routes existed and how did the trade?
The Kiel or "salt road." It ran between Hamburg and Luebeck. Popular to trade because salt was easy access and popular. Used often to dry and salt fish to distribute.

4. Describe the ships, the cities, the social makeup in Hanseatic cities.
the Hanseatic league had developed special ships called the baltic cog. the social makeup of the towns was diversely filled with people from all along the trade route cities.

5. The terms truth and trust were the key words and the driving belief among hans traders. Could you explain why?  Many merchants needed to collaborate together to be successful

The reason was because it was a dangerous occupation and if you were to lose a ship, you

would not be reimbursed anything. You would lose it all. To help with that, merchants would invest into the ships. That required trust.

Counters were examples of the importance of truthful and trustworthy. They needed to book keep all of the items brought in and out of a trading post. They were a huge keystone in the system, without them they whole system would crumble.

 


6. Anything you can find out worthy.

The "New Hanse" was started in 1980 in zwelle, Netherlands open to all previous members of the Hanseatic league including 12 russian cities. facts of hanseatic, it started since 13th century to 17th and it was founded in the twelfth century and trade was important for merchants and finding items to trade was crucial.

While I was looking for information about some northern German states, a word came up in most of the texts I was reading through, Hanseatic. This word refers to the Hanseatic League. 

It was a merchant association between some cities on northern Germany and Baltic area headed by Lübeck. Business scenario in the Middle Ages was dangerous and risky, then merchants used to travel together to protect themselves. The Hanseatic League dominated the economy in Europe and influenced many cities. Belonging to Hansa was worthy, because they protected each other and they have priority on selling and buying products.

 Source: by Valter Pitta

The northern states had some associations, but the association between Hamburg and Lübeck inspired many others cities to become part of this association. The cities that belongs to the Hansa had autonomy, these cities were independent but they had to contribute with military and financial support to Hansa.  However, this system was dissolved with the treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Although, the Hanseatic League is so great and important that in present time Hamburg and Bremen refers themselves as a Hanseatic cities.

Historical Places

Let's talk about three states located on northern Germany: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

 (Source: Wikipedia)

The University of Rostock is one of the oldest University in the world, founded in 1419. and according to its website "It is the oldest and the richest University on the Baltic sea region"

(Source: Panormio user erkkivarpa)

The University of Greifswald is one of the oldest in Europe, founded in 1456.

(Source: German Architecture webpage).

Schwerin Palace used to be the home of dukes, but today the Mecklenburg­-Vorpommern parliament resides there. The construction took 12 years to complete (1845-1857);

 (Source: Wikipedia user Niteshift)

Güstrow Castle was the Duke's house, but today is a museum and cultural center. It was built in 1589.

(Source: Yelp user Michael A.)

Ludwigslust Palace was built to be a hunting lodge for Duke of Schwerin. But it was gave to Prince Christian Ludwig, he renewed the castle and renamed as Ludwigslust that means Ludwig's joy.

  (Source: Travelinos webpage)

Schleswig-Holstein

(Source: Wikipedia)

 Holsten Gate is one of the remaining city gates, built to protect the city. It is located in Lübeck.

(Source: Wikipedia user Glenn Strong)

Flensburg and Kiel are historical cities. Flensburg is an independent city. In May of 1945 became for few weeks the seat of the last  government of Nazi Germany. Kiel is the capital and the largest city in Schleswig-Holstein. It was almost completely destroyed in World War II.

Glücksburg Castle nicknamed the Wasserschloss (Water Castle) owing to its position in the middle if a lake. It is one of the most important Renaissance castle in northern Europe.

(Source: Planetware webpage)

Eutin Castle originally belonged to the Prince-Bishops of Lübeck, and later became the summer residence of the Duke of Oldenburg. The medieval castle was expanded and renewed over the last 300 years. 

(Source: Wikipedia user Holger.Ellgaard)

Hamburg

(Source: Wikipedia)

    Port of Hamburg is one of the largest port in Germany, also called the Gateway to the World. It was inaugurated in 1189.

(By Michael Rennie)

    The Fish Market and   Reeperbahn are important places in Hamburg. The Fish Market is famous since 1703, the funny fact is it is selling eveyrthing there, but also fresh fish. The Reeperbahn is a street that was the ropewalk between the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Today is a red district, where some night clubs are located.

        Hamburg Rathaus inaugurated in 1897, it is the house of the government of Hamburg.

(Source: Wikipedia user Heidas)

I have decided to take Introduction to German Culture because I am attempting to learn German. I believe that learning about the culture and customs will help me to understand the language as well. Mostly, my goals on taking this class are learning about the history of Germany and find out the similarities between mine and their culture.