Final Blog

German 110 was a surprise to me. I had imagined it to be more like any other class, but it wasn't. It was very different. Professor Roland made much different then a lecture class. As student, we had to participate, more so like we were teaching the class and in sense, we were. We all presented on subtopics from a larger standpoint and subject. I didn't expect the long hours of class time, however, how the class was conducted I can understand that the long hours were needed. It was very well constructed and Professor Roland made it an interesting class with his humor.

We started out class with a group discussion of what we know and what we thought of Germany, as for, the cultural, politics, history, and other information. We started from the beginning with the 16 states of Germany in which are, Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig, and Thuringia. Each group or state had made a short presentation on the demographics of their state. We than learned about the government and the political side of Germany. Germany has six different political parties: The CDU, The CSU, The SPD, The FDP, The Greens, and The Pirates. After, the political parties we read and watched, "All Quiet on the Western Front". Which was very interesting, first time reading it. I did't fully realize what it must have been like in World War I or to have that emotional stress pinned on you day after day. I liked how the movie match the book so well. In conclusion to the book and movie, we all blogged about it and chose a character we wanted to represent and go into more depth of that character. Next we covered arts, literature, music, medicine, sports...etc. in multiple time zones such as 17th,18th, and 19th century. As for blogs and research, this was the most interesting to me. However, my favorite topic of Germany whether it is good or bad history is World War II. Unfortunately we never covered it in class and in sense I can understand why we maybe did't, because we have all heard the run down of it. We then, watch a couple of movie, Berlin Calling and Der Baader Meinhof Komplex. This was my favorite part of class away from the blogs. Both movies stayed on topic of Intro to German and showed a particular side of Germany whether it is modern day or 30 years ago.They were both good movies, but I would have to put Berlin Calling on top. The music I think was what drew me to the music because I went home and downloaded the album from the movie.

All in all, this was a good class, and a different pace from others classes. Having a night class last semester, I was skeptical how this one might go, but it went well, and kept me engaged, thanks to the professor. On another note, because I need to take a language for my degree, and my passion for the German culture, I am going to take German as my language and I am hoping to have Professor Roland again in the near future.

Leberkase

Leberkase, is a specialty food found in southern Germany. In English, Leberkase means, "Liver Cheese", but in Bavaria, it does not contain liver or cheese.

Leberkase is a traditional German food made from mixed ground meats baked into a loaf, much like meatloaf here in America. Traditionally, the main ingredients are liver,pork and/or corned beef. However, the amount of liver that it contains varies from place to place.

You may look at this with a disgusting look on your face, but don't think of it has a meatloaf. It is actually more like ham and it can be eaten the same ways.

This was my favorite dish when I studied abroad in Germany and it was made by my host mother the exact same way it is shown in the picture.

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leberkäse

http://www.germanfoodguide.com/wurstdetail.cfm?wurst_number=15

Classroom Discussion

1. They organized their protest by accepting members who were willing to fight back in the same ways and beliefs as their own. They protested against newspaper statements along with television prodcasts. In there protest they also used articles in newspapers and television prodcasts. With their actions, they killed cops and political members. In addition they trained as guerrilla fighters, bombed military bases and police stations.

2. At the beginning, its seemed as the group had something logical to fight against and knew what they were doing to get across to others. They all had common goals and a purpose to what they were trying to do. The group became more violent and started losing control of their purpose and themselves. They basically gave up and most were killed or caught and thrown in jail. As newer groups began to protest they soon found out the newest generation didn't have goals at all. The new group merely became terrorists and killing innocent people just because they could. They didn't so much have a meaning for it.

3. I do believe his determination and rudeness was a factor in him having a role as the leader of the group. Because of his determination and rudeness, others began to listen and follow him. He had a sense of what he was talking about it and he had plans which ultimately lead to his leadership of the group.

Rote Armee Fraktion/Red Army Faction

The Red Army Faction formerly the Baader-Meinhof Gang. They aimed to eliminate Western influence and capitalism, using terrorism to stimulate worldwide Marxist-Leninist revolution. They were well-known for attacking U.S. military targets in Germany in hopes of eliminating U.S.-German cooperation. They also engaged in large terrorist operations in order to secure the release of fellow imprisoned members.The RAF war founded by Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Horst Mahler, and Ulrike Meinhof. The Baader-Meinhof Gang was established in 1968 during the student protest movements in response to post-Nazi Germany during the 1960s. The RAF was Germany’s most violent and notorious left wing group in history.

The RAF had three generations.. It started with the first generation the original founders such as; Andreas Baader and his followers. By 1972, a large number of the core members of the Baader-Meinhof Gang had been captured and imprisoned. However, the second generation appeared and there were other young terrorists available to swell the dwindling ranks of the Gang. These revolutionaries mostly had similar backgrounds to the first generation. They were middle class and mostly students. Most of them joined the Gang after their own groups disappeared. The third generation was active mostly throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Tom Vague says they were more vicious than their predecessors and says that they perhaps didn't have as much cause as the earlier generations to rebel.

The group announced an end to its terrorist campaign in 1992, and several of its surviving militants were arrested and tried. However, the group formally disbanded in 1998, though arrests and trials continued.




http://vkb.isvg.org/Wiki/Groups/Red_Army_Faction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Members_of_the_Red_Army_Faction

Baader- Meinhof Complex

In the beginning of this movie I was not very engaged. The moment the extremist began to protest against the German government was when it got interesting. It reminded me much of the other movies and photos when the same thing was happening here in America during the Vietnam War era. Riots became an everyday occurance and the voices of outsiders and extremists were non-existent. German authorities went above and beyond what I believe was the necessary action. Extremist were being physically abused and even killed in the chaos. As the movie went on extremist took a similar approach as the German government. They began to form organized groups with well planned out actions to counter the German authorities and make their actions heard. However, towards the end, those groups started to get a little too complacent and began to lose complete control of their organized plans. Each member slowly were taken to jail or even killed. The movie was interesting. It put in prospective what I was too young to see. Little did I know, these revolts took place around the world and not just here in America. Its unfortunate we did not make it to the ending.

Berlin Calling

1. Personal Reaction

The movie is full of emotions and awesome electronic music. The club scene is associated with drugs, but it is not a movie about drugs either. Yes the main character is a drug addict DJ who has mental issues. The movie explores the life of an artist, their choices, their complete loneliness, creativity and above all his relations to other people. I thought this movie was great for a low budget film and the soundtrack is pretty good as well.
2. What do drugs mean to Ickarus?

They mean a release from the outside world and also his past and music. It seems to put him in a calm state so he can make and perform his music.

3. Why, when, and how are his fans taking drugs, and which drugs do they take?

The drugs seem to make the audience become more easily transformed and get into the music. They take the drugs before, during, and after the show.  They buy them from dealers at the show and continually take them at the show. They take all sorts of drugs, but the common ones throught the movie were crystal, keta. MDHD, and ecstasy.

4. While we can see that his drug habits get him ill and into a psychosis, and while we witness his relapse and inability to work successfully, why does the subculture Ickarus is in focus on drugs?

In that atmosphere the drugs are the culture. The atmosphere is surrounded by drugs in which so is Ickarus. Because the drugs surround those people and everybody takes them, others seem to have the need to take them also. Maybe the drugs are the culture of that type of music as how the music is played and how the drugs make those people feel during the shows.

5. Compare the standards you know from your home society with the people you see depicted in this movie. Which are the stark differences and contrasts?

The clubs we have here in America are what I think are far different. I don't think the drug seem is as prominent as what they are in Germany. I could see how and maybe and underground club or something of that nature would be more closely related. However, there maybe drugs going around in the area of downtown St. Cloud on a Thursday night but it is not publicized the same way. It's not out in the open.

6. Germany is considered a strong industrial nation the world over. Do you think that the youth culture as depicted here could change that? How about work ethics of Ickarus and of Alice, the label director who fires and then re-signs him?

Yes I do think this culture could change that. Its like the trickle down effect.  If this culture is used to party all the time there will be no time for work or responsibilities. In the direction the economy has gone with lack of people in the work force today that is very well possible. All are just trying to make fast money, make a name for themself and party. Nobody is willing to put in any effort to their life, its just one big party to all of them.

7. Which similar "cult movies" of US origin have you seen, if any?

I would have to say maybe Pulp Fiction, Out Cold, or Half Baked.

The German Literature Expansion on the 18/19th Century

Thomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 he had won the Noble Prize. He was known for his series of symbolic and ironic novels. His work was noted for its insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual. His analysis and critique of the European and German soul used modernized German and Biblical stories, as well as the ideas of Goethe, Nietzsche, and Schopenhauer. Mann was a member of the Hanseatic Mann family, and portrayed his own family in his book Buddenbrooks.

When Hitler came to power in 1933, Mann moved to Switzerland. A few years later when World War II broke out in 1939, he fled to the United States,Thirteen years later he returned to Switzerland in 1952. He would never again live in Germany.

In 1930 Mann gave a public address in Berlin titled "An Appeal to Reason", in which he strongly denounced National Socialism and encouraged resistance by the working class. This was followed up by countless essays and lectures atttacking the Nazis. Due to his unliking of the Nazis policies his son advised him not to return and in 1939 the Nazi government took away his German citizenship. During the war, Mann made a series of anti-Nazi radio-speeches, Deutsche Hörer! They were taped in the USA and then sent to Great Britain, where the BBC transmitted them, hoping to reach German listeners.

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

20th Century Sports- 1936 Olympics

I will be expanding on the topic of the 20th Century Sports particularly on the 1936 Olympics which was held in Berlin, Germany. I chose this because I enjoy watching the Olympics and I was interested in how Hitler tried to hide all the propaganda and ensure how Germans and foreigners envisioned the German race.

In 1931, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1936 Summer Olympics to Berlin. Two years later, Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany and quickly turned the nation's democracy into a dictatorship.

In April 1933, an "Aryans only" policy was instituted in all German athletic organizations. Jewish or part-Jewish and Romani (Gypsy) athletes were systematically excluded from German sports facilities and associations.

In August 1936, the Nazi regime tried to hide its violent racist policies while it hosted the Summer Olympics. Most anti Jewish signs were temporarily removed and newspapers toned down their harsh slander. Thus, the regime exploited the Olympic Games to present foreign spectators and journalists with a false image of a peaceful, tolerant Germany.

Forty nine athletic teams from around the world competed in the Berlin Olympics, more than in any previous Olympics. Germany had the largest team with 348 athletes.

Germany skillfully promoted the Olympics with colorful posters and magazine spreads. Athletic imagery drew a link between Nazi Germany and ancient Greece, symbolizing the Nazi racial myth that a superior German civilization was the rightful heir of an "Aryan" culture of classical antiquity. This vision of classical antiquity emphasized ideal "Aryan" racial types: heroic, blue-eyed blonds with finely chiseled features.

After the games, Hitler pressed on with his plans for a German expansion. Persecution of Jews resumed. Two days after the Olympics, Captain Wolfgang Fuerstner, head of the Olympic village, killed himself when he was dismissed from military service because of his Jewish ancestry.

Sources: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005680

20th Century Industries and Business

I chose Germany's 20th century business and industries with focus on the economy. I chose this topic because I would possibly like to work internationally in Germany someday. The previous group did a good job explaining what it is like earlier in the 20th century, but I wanted to know about today's economy.

Previous Presenters:
    David Colbert

What type of transportation is used?

• Because Germnay is in the very middle of Eurpoe, Germany's transportation is essential to getting around to various places. Germany has established polycentric network of high speed tran systems. The InterCityExpress is the most advanced. Germanies largest airports are in The southern portion of Germnay, in Frankfurt and Munich. Talking about transportation in Germnay we cannot forget the autobahn.

What is the autobahn and why is it so famous?

• The autobahn is also called "federal express ways". The German autobahns have no speed limit but the advised speed limit is 130 kilometres per hour or 81 miles per hour. The autobahn which is ranked fourth in the longest highway system. It is follwed by The China, United States, and Spain.

Germany and its Energy

• Germnay is the fifth largest consumer of energy. Two-thirds of its primary energy was importing, however, in 2002. The Germna government policy promotes the development of renewable resources, such as solar,wind, biomass, hydroelectic and geothermal. Since the 1970's this has been improving. The government has set goals to meet half the countries energy demands from renewable sources by 2050.

Technology

• Germnany comes in third, after the United States and Japan when it comes to patents, but the leader amongst Europe. Somes companies you may be familiar with that have large amounts of patents are Siemens, Bosch, and BASF. While Siemens is focused on industry, energy, transportation and healthcare, Bosch is mainly focused on the automotive section including many other products.

Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bosch_GmbH
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Germany#Natural_resources

20th Century Fine Arts

Enjoy!

Copy of Arts of Germany on Prezi

Five Talking Points: All Quiet on the Western Front

• The significance of this book to be a part of history and still be read by all ages today
• All the main characters die
• The affects of the war on the soldiers and families that are fighting
• How war can have an effect on someone (good or bad)
• The pressure from there elders for the younger generation to join the war.

All Quiet on the Western Front- Chapter 7

Chapter 7

                In chapter seven, the narrator of the story, Paul, reveals some of the most powerful moments of the book. Two distinct events occur in this chapter: Paul and his friends chase French girls, and Paul goes on a leave of absence. Many of Paul’s friends have died; in fact 120 men had died up to this point in the book. 
               After gawking over a poster of a pretty young girl, Paul and his friends hang out near the canal. They see a few French girls across the canal, and begin yelling in broken French. Throughout the book, the boys talk about women quite a bit. They make up stories of sexual experience to impress the other soldiers. Because the boys had only limited access to women for such long periods of time, it was an outlet for their budding adolescent sensations. Tjaden even offered the girls some bread as a bribe to get them to come across the canal. Food is another recurring theme in the book. As young men, the soldiers are desperate for more food each day that the war runs on. They are even willing to barter rations out for equipment or clothing when they become extremely desperate. The boys decide to visit the girls at night, and end up getting Tjaden so drunk that he can not walk. After meeting up with the girls, Paul realizes that he will not be able to hold on to the girl that he is with, and his mood turns grim. He can not take his mind off of the horror of the war.
             Paul gets seventeen days for his leave of absence. He goes home for the few days of travel time that he receives. His mother is very sick, but his family is happy to see him. Paul gets angry at the way some of the civilians treat him. He doesn’t enjoy the fact that they feel a sense of honor when serving him, especially when one train tenant refers to him as her ‘comrade.’ Paul is extremely happy to be eating food that differs from the plain, tasteless military food. Basically, everyone is who is not involved with the war continues to ask Paul questions, and he gets upset. His mother is the only one who refrains from these questions. Paul explains that he would like to please the civilians with heroic battle stories, but he simply can not put it all into words. And if he did find a way to word it, he feels he would lose control completely. The civilians perceive the war front completely different. They believe its better fighting the battles than it is at home. Paul brushes off many of the upsetting comments. Surprisingly, Paul states that he wished he’d never come home on leave. He felt that he was hopeless, and that he was a man of war, nothing else.

Cody, Will, Tess, Mustafa

Paul Baumer

In All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul Bäumer is the main character and narrator. Prior to the war, Paul was close to his family, thoughtful, sensitive, and enjoyed writing poetry. But during the war, Paul’s personality and emotions changed with the trauma of the war. He is unable to cope with the death of his fellow friends/soldiers and feel as he once did at home. Paul finds it hard to express his negative experiences associated with the war and think about his future. Through fighting in the war, Paul’s character endures hardship and the loss of many people who were close to him.

Paul’s character changes more towards the end of the book. An example of this is when Paul gives away the jam and potato cakes his mother made for him to the Russian prisoners. This is because the cakes remind Paul of his mother’s pain and suffering. Paul’s views on death start to change as the war goes on. Paul has to kill a French soldier who jumped in his shell. He describes the experience as agonizing, since the soldier didn’t pass away until several hours later. Paul had bandaged the soldier and given him water. After the soldier passed away, Paul talks with the dead soldier, explaining that he didn’t want to kill him. Later on, Paul then witnesses the death of one of his closest friends, Kat, while Paul was trying to save him.

Throughout the novel, Paul’s character changes from being a content guy before the war to a lost and haunted soldier after the war. Paul is the only survivor of the original group of classmates. He feels he is left with a bleak future after he receives leave from the war from inhaling poison gas. While Paul’s on leave, he thinks about his fellow soldiers and what their generation will face. Paul has basically lost all hope in himself and his generation. Paul is killed on a peaceful October day. His face seemed to express relief as if it was alright for him to let go.

Cody, Will, Tess, Mustafa

My Work on the CDU Party

My Work on the CDU Party

The CDU is a federally organized party and has the second largest amount of members throughout Germany. The CDU is also known as the union in the Bundestag.(1)

Immediately after World War II and the Nazi regime had fallen, Germany was in need of a new political organization. So, the CDU was established in Berlin on June 26, 1945, along wtih Rhineland and Westfalen.(2)Within the CDU's first two decades it was the most dominate party following the establishment of West Germany in 1949. After the fall of East Germany in the late 1980's, Kohl was supported by France, United Kingdom, and the United States which was called German reunification. On 3 October 1990, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was abolished and its territory re-annexed by West Germany. The East German CDU merged with its West German counterpart, and elections were held for the reunified country.(2)

In my studies today, I examined the realm of their purported stance on various issues. For instance,  the group is greatly focused on education. They feel that knowledge is one of the key components to have a civilization develop as a whole.  They also feel that schooling should teach values and virtues held by religious institutions, teaching spirituality to ultimately yield growth (3)

Group Interactions

We had a fairly large group, so we split upon different sections. Everyone participated in finding research on their own smaller topic. However, due to some work related issues emailing was the main source to getting our information across to each other and  only three of us came together to create a PowerPoint and put everything together.

My Thoughts

The CDU reminds me much like what we have here in America. It seems they have the right ideas for their citizens, but in a sort of odd way. For example, the Junge Union, a special organization within the CDU, only allows members to be within the age rages of 14 and 35. Well, beings 14 is pretty young and 35 is much older, as you know younger children in there teens either don't know whats going on at all or little say in what they think because so much power is held by the older adults. However, they do like to have education be a big part which is critical for the up coming leaders of the party.

Sources

Last accessed: September 19, 2012

(1)http://www.cdu.de/en/3440.htm

(2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Democratic_Union_(Germany)#Special_organizations

(3)http://www.cdu.de/en/3440.htm

CDU/Special Organizations

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1G-3jbgZplOGSBL5rKuD7Q03LjT0nVC0iI8tP7J64voY/edit

Special Organizations

·       Junge Union

“Young Union” of Germany is the combined youth organization of the two conservative German political parties CDU and CSU.  Membership of this organization may only be between 14 and 35 years of age. It defines itself as an organization that aims at increasing awareness about the CDU/CSU’s political goals and representing other interests .

·       Christian Democratic Employees Association (CDA)

The CDA was created after WWII by the Christian trade unionist. The official establishment of the CDA was in 1946. The CDA today covers pension, health and family policy, in addition to labor and social policy.

·       Evangelical Working Group

The EAK was founded in 1952. Today, the EAK’s role is facilitating contact with Protestant churches and their members. The actual trigger for the formation of the EAK was the dispute between Konrad Adenauer and Gustav Heinemann, a leading Protestant-evangelical member of the Christian-democrats (CDU) at that time, on the issue of rearmament. Heinemann, who opposed the rearmament of (western) Germany for religious and conscience reasons, had resigned as interior minister. He had formed the All-German People’s Party (Gesamtdeutsche Volkspartei which was seen as a serious challenge to the CDU. Heinemann was also provost of the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany and also one of the leading Protestant representatives in Germany. This alarmed the Protestant Union politicians. The failure of the Gesamtdeutschen Volkspartei of the election in 1953 was seen by the CDU as a success of the newly formed EAK.

·       Association of Christian Democratic Students (Ring of Christian Democratic Students)

This is a German student organization founded in 1951. The RCDS is the largest and oldest existing political student association in Germany. Its focus was initially in the former Soviet Occupation Zone (SBZ). After the student councils fell apart in the GDR and the Free German You was declared the only support focused CDH groups work increasingly to the Federal Republic and Berlin. Many fled from the Soviet Zone and GDR activists so they then found new university groups in the West. In 1951 it was named the Christian Democratic Students.

Sources:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Democratic_Union_(Germany)#Special_organizations September 15,2012

Saarland Project

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