The Language Legacy Raising children bilingually. Consider the benefits of youngsters speaking in more than one tongue. By Jill Metzler

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	August/September 1997 The Language Legacy Raising children bilingually By Jill Metzler At the Cutler house in Topeka, Kansas six-year-old Antoinette's storybooks line the shelves, and her sing-along tapes are stacked alongside the stereo in the family room. Although Antoinette goes to an American kindergarten and speaks English with her father, Bill, most of Antoinette's cassettes and books are in Swiss German, the language of her mother, Elisabeth Suter. Thanks to the efforts of her parents and extended trips abroad, Antoinette is fully bilingual and well versed in much of the culture of her mother's country. Parents who wish to give their children a sense of their family's heritage have a strong tool in the German language. Language brings context to notions like tradition and culture. In many respects, language is the very symbol of cultural identity. Take, for example, the recent U.S. debate on whether to make English this country's official language: There are those who worry that bilingualism threatens the nature of American culture. But for many parents, teaching their children the language of their ancestry is about bringing two cultures together and providing a sense of duality and global awareness unachievable in a monolingual world. For parents committed to the idea, raising bilingual children is not only a challenging-yet-rewarding task, but one that is both practical and accessible--even if neither parent is a native German speaker. In fact, even parents who have limited German proficiency can find ways to at least introduce their children to the German language, and thereby achieve many of the same benefits families who are fully bilingual enjoy. Sooner Is Better than Later In many families, the decision to raise kids bilingually is largely pragmatic. Especially if either parent comes from a German-speaking country, it becomes important that the children be able to communicate with relatives and friends from abroad. Other parents anticipate the advantages their bilingual children will see as they get older, including having more fun traveling, a greater appreciation of other cultures and languages, and increased career opportunities. Whatever the motivation, research has shown that the earlier children are exposed to a second language, the better. Young children have an amazing capacity to learn and distinguish the sounds of language--not surprising when you realize that a two-year-old has twice as many synapses, or connections, in his or her brain as an adult does. But neurobiologists say that if these connections are not used, this ability may be lost forever. In terms of language, newborns are "citizens of the world"--capable of learning and acquiring any sound in any language, according to University of Washington speech scientist Patricia Kuhl. By the age of six months, children have already begun to recognize and sort out the "necessary" sounds, or phonemes, of their own language. By twelve months, says Kuhl, exclusive exposure to their own language will limit children's ability to discriminate sounds absent from their native tongue. Parents therefore have a critical window of opportunity to introduce German--or any other language--to their children. The older children get, the more difficult it is for them to learn a separate set of necessary sounds. In fact, children taught a second language after the age of 10 are unlikely to ever gain native fluency--no wonder so many high school and college students struggle when learning a foreign language for the first time. Bilingualism: Myths and Politics Chances are, the minute parents decide to raise their children bilingually, well-meaning neighbors and relatives will descend upon them with criticisms and worries, citing horror stories and myths about bilingualism: The poor kid won't be able to talk until he's six. He'll be confused by the two languages. Bilingual children aren't as smart as monolingual children. The best advice for determined parents is to ignore the nay-sayers and listen to the experts. Myth: Children Will Be Slow to Talk. Some parents worry that children exposed to two languages will be slower to utter their first words, but research shows that any delays are usually negligible. In fact, in one study, in which mothers were asked to note their child's "first word," bilinguals averaged 11.2 months, whereas monolinguals averaged 12 months. Granted, doting moms aren't the most unbiased judges of what constitutes a real "word," but the study does suggest that parents needn't worry about minor delays. Myth: Children Will Get Confused. As bilingual children begin to work with both languages, they often go through various stages of language mixing. Early on, for example, when the child is not yet able to differentiate the two systems, he or she may draw words from both languages into a single vocabulary. Later, the child will develop separate vocabularies, but apply the same "grammar" to each, saying, for example, "the book belongs to me not"--English words, German word order. Meanwhile, an occasional German word may find its way into an otherwise English sentence. Most linguists don't believe that such mixing stems from actual confusion in the child's mind; rather, the child is simply working to map out a language pattern that makes sense to him or her. Myth: Bilingual Children Aren't as Intelligent as Monolingual Children. Flawed studies from the first half of the century claimed to prove that bilinguals were less intelligent than monolinguals. But these studies better measured an anti-immigrant sentiment than actual intelligence: The bilingual children who fared poorly on intelligence tests were often recent immigrants with poor English skills and harsher living conditions than the monolingual children. More recent studies have shown bilinguals to actually be more proficient in some areas than monolinguals (generally in language-based tasks), but otherwise have found little difference between the two groups. Many argue, however, that an anti-immigrant climate persists today, continuing to thwart the acceptance of bilingualism. At the forefront of this controversy is the concept of bilingual education and the value of preserving the native languages and cultures of immigrant children while introducing them to English. The debate illustrates the differences between so-called "elite" and "folk" bilingualsm-- between those who, to a large degree, choose bilingualism for themselves and their families, and those pressured to learn a new language, largely for practical and financial reasons, at the expense of their first. Within the modern socioeconomic structure, parents in the position to "choose" bilingualism for their children will face less opposition than those society wishes to assimilate. Rules to Live By Language acquisition specialists have identified some linguistic "boundaries" that parents can establish to help their children sort through two separate languages. The most commonly used methods are "One Parent, One Language" and "Minority Language at Home." With the first method, one parent speaks to the children in the foreign language (German), while the other addresses them in the local language (English). Sometimes each parent will pretend not to understand the other language in order to encourage the children to communicate readily in both. Parents who use the Minority Language at Home strategy set up a German "territory" at home, a physical setting where German is always spoken. Children learn English outside that boundary--in school, from the babysitter, or from other family members. Of course, there are probably as many variations of these methods as there are bilingual families, and what works best depends on each family's particular situation and goals. German Father, American Mother Alfred Hellstern was raised in Germany and learned English from his British mother. Yet he and his American wife, Caitlin Walsh, didn't make any real attempts to teach their son, Marcus, German until Marcus was one year old. At the beginning of a four-week visit in Germany to see relatives, Alfred's German sisters "ganged up" on him and told him he must immediately begin teaching German to his son. So Alfred started speaking in German to Marcus, while Caitlin continued on in English (One Parent, One Language method). By the end of the four weeks, Marcus, though not yet verbal, had begun to respond to German as well as English. Now at two, Marcus has a few German sentences in his repertoire, although English is still dominant. More important, says his mother, Marcus has begun to understand that not everybody says things the same way. He recently announced with remarkable perception that "Mommy says 'bike' and Daddy says 'Fahrrad.'" German Mother and Father Philipp Heine was two years old when he moved with his parents, Manfred and Birgit, from Germany to Monterey, California. Manfred had secured a one-year academic contract to teach at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Because the family didn't anticipate a long stay in the States, Philipp was exposed to very little English. But Manfred's contract was extended the next year and then again the following year, at which point the family finally decided that Philipp had to learn English. While Birgit and Manfred continued to speak German with their child (Minority Language at Home method), Philipp got a heavy dose of English when he began attending Montessori preschool. Within a month, says Birgit, Philipp was speaking English. Now Philipp is in first grade, exposed to English all day long, and has become completely fluent in both languages. American Mother and Father Kristina Shurts spent five years in Germany as a child, and studied German teaching and language acquisition as an adult. Although neither she nor her husband, Karl, are native German speakers, they decided they were fluent enough to speak German to their young children at home, and at least introduce them to the language. Kristina recalls late evenings memorizing German lullabies, songs, and nursery rhymes. She and Karl have tried to incorporate German holidays and traditions into their family life, and to make their home a truly German environment. "I think I have worked harder at this than if I had been a native speaker," says Kristina. Despite their enthusiasm, the Shurts' are realistic. "It's important to stay within your abilities," says Kristina. "If you get to a point where you can't express yourself, it's time to stop speaking solely German at home." Kristina and Karl have started occasionally to use English with their oldest child, four-year-old Ben, whose exposure to English has been limited to what he has heard at church, from friends and relatives, and from listening to conversations between his parents. The transition has been successful: Ben's English skills, after just a few months, are almost equal to his German skills, and he switches languages comfortably and will few problems with accent. "I have my doubts sometimes," admits Kristina, who worried that teaching her children German first would hinder their abilities to speak English as a native--something that is clearly not a problem for Ben. "But all of my doubts seem to get resolved." Tips and suggestions Raising German-speaking kids in English-speaking America is no small task. To be successful, parents must introduce their children to as many sources of German language and culture as they can find. Immersion in a totally German-speaking environment is the most effective way to build fluency, but few families can afford extensive European visits. Fortunately, other options exist. Many schools and weekend programs offer language immersion courses for children, and language camps, such as Concordia Language Villages in Moorhead, Minnesota (see GL, Feb./Mar. '97), provide language instruction cloaked in the disguise of summer fun. Many families form bilingual play groups for their children. Elisabeth Suter formed her play group when her daughter, Antoinette, was three, and Elisabeth was struggling with issues monolingual parents couldn't appreciate. "I felt totally isolated," she says. It takes hard work, tireless patience, and a lot of creativity to make learning a second language fun for kids. Whether singing songs, translating favorite stories, or making up silly bilingual word games, parents are constantly teaching their children the importance and power of language. "It is an extra effort," admits Elisabeth. "But those who are really determined usually have more success than they expected." Jill Metzler writes from Leawood, Kansas. Sidebar: A Resource Guide for Parents The following is a list of products, services, and information resources for parents who are interested in exposing their children to German language and culture. Language Camps Concordia Language Villages (ages 7-18) 901 S. Eighth Street Moorhead, MN 56562 Telephone: (218) 299-4544 http://home.cord.edu/dept/clv/index.html Kansas Wesleyan Language Camp (ages 9-14) Dept. of Languages Kansas Wesleyan University 100 E. Claflin Salina, KS 67401 Telephone: (913) 827&-5541, ext. 1372 (William Clyde Brown) http://www.kwu.edu/lang/langdept.htm#langcamp Summer Foreign Language Camp at the Air Force Academy (age: high school students) Language Camp HQ/DDF, Suite 6H63-A 2354 Fairchild Dr. USAFA, CO 80840-6244 Telephone: (719) 333-3202 Summer Language Camps at Millersville University (age: high school students) Department of Foreign Languages Millersville University P.O. Box 1002 Millersville, PA 17551-0302 (717) 872-3526 Books, CD-ROMs, Tapes and Videos Living Books http://www.livingbooks.com Living Books is a collection of interactive CD-ROMs available in different languages. The "books" are interactive stories, which are read digital page by digital page. Each page contains multiple objects which children can "click" on to discover hidden songs and pictures. Sound Beginnings 123 World Trade Center Dallas, TX 75207 Telephone: (214) 680-4443 or (800) 460-6802 http://www.soundbeginnings.com Sound Beginnings is a set of three cassettes, each containing six 15-minute segments of nursery rhymes, alphabets, numbers, and words in several different languages. The product is based on the idea that infants can distinguish the sounds of all languages and that if the neural connections that detect those sounds are nurtured, children will be better able to learn languages later in life. Schoenhof's Foreign Books 76A Mount Auburn Street Cambridge, MA 02138 Telephone: (617) 547-8855 http://www.schoenhofs.com/ Schoenhof's sells foreign language books for adults and children. World of Reading, Ltd. P.O. Box 13092 Atlanta, Georgia 30324-0092 Telephone (404) 233-4042 or (800) 729-3703 http://www.wor.com/ World of Reading sells foreign language software, books, tapes, and videos for children and adults. Internet Resources Bilingual Families Web Page http://www.nethelp.no/cindy/biling-fam.html This site lists information on the leading research, methodologies, resources, and tools for raising bilingual children. It also provides access to the bilingual families mailing list, on which parents of bilingual children can communicate via Email and share experiences and advice. Bilingual Parenting http://www.byu.edu/~bilingua/ This site was created for native English speakers who wish to raise their children bilingually. It lists numerous books, articles, and newsletters on the subject of bilingual parenting, as well as creative ideas for developing a foreign-language environment at home. Innsbruck, Linz, Graz: Where Austria Breaks From Clichés By John Dornberg Modern Austria is what remains geographically and politically of the once mighty Austro-Hungarian empire of the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled much of Western and most of Central and Eastern Europe for 600 years. In its present size--some 32,000 square miles or smaller than the state of Maine--it has existed only since 1918, the end of the empire and World War I; and for seven years--1938 to 1945--it didn't exist at all but was a part of Nazi Germany. The Hapsburgs are said to have created their huge realm with the slogan "Let others wage war, you, happy Austria, grow by marriages." It sounds peaceful but is a half truth. The other half is that this imperial clan, which actually originated in Switzerland's Aargau canton at a castle and hamlet still called Hapsburg today, was as bloodthirsty and conquering as any other. They were, however, unusually skillful at marketing the scenic beauties, architectural wonders, and cultural splendors of their main turf, and travelers have been coming there since the early 18th century. Tourism is still big in Austria. Some 16 millions visitors--double the population--come to the country each year, and what they spend accounts for eight percent of the gross domestic product, 15 percent if leisure and related industries are added. Some 400,000 Austrians, or about 13 percent of the total labor force, earn their living from the guests, and net foreign currency revenues from tourism help to reduce Austria's persistent annual deficit in foreign trade of goods and services by about 60 percent. Most of the travelers, however, converge on Vienna, the glittering capital; Salzburg, Mozart's home town and scene of famous music festivals; the winter skiing and summer hiking resorts of the western alpine regions where jagged snow-capped peaks rise to 12,400 feet; the puszta-like plain and Neusiedler Lake area along the Hungarian border; or they take cruises on the Danube River. Though it is inexplicable to me, three splendid cities--Innsbruck, Linz, and Graz-- are left mostly by the wayside, which is a shame. Not only do they have just as much to offer, but they represent a break from the cliché that Austria has become and are less overrun by fellow travelers, thus also more affordable. Innsbruck The inclination of most people is to pass by or through Innsbruck on their way from Germany to Italy. After all, the Brenner Pass and Italian border are only a 20-minute drive south, and if you have a lead foot on the autobahn like mine, you can be in Munich in just over an hour. But they don't know what they're missing. It is hard to find a town more beautifully situated and rich in sights than this capital of Tyrol, the erstwhile duchy that Bavaria conquered briefly in the early 19th century and the southern half of which is now part of Italy. The city of 115,000 is tucked between the swiftly flowing grayish- green Inn River and the rugged bluish-white wall of the Nordkette, a usually snow-capped chain of peaks that rises dramatically to 7,500 over the Renaissance and Baroque Altstadt (Old Quarter). Founded as a river-crossing and market town on the most important trade route over the Alps in 1180, chartered in 1239, Innsbruck was a residence of the Hapsburgs from 1420 to 1665, and had its greatest epoch under Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I who lived in and made it his capital after marrying his second wife, Duchess Maria Bianca Sforza of Milan, in a sumptuous ceremony in Innsbruck in 1494. It is largely due to Maximilian I, and also to Empress Maria Theresa 250 years later, that Innsbruck is such an architecturally stunning place: a city of grand palaces, lavishly embellished patrician mansions, richly decorated churches, broad boulevards, and picturesque squares. Their legacy is omnipresent. The city's best known landmark is the Goldenes Dachl (Gold Roof) on Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse. This ornately sculptured and frescoed loggia, covered with 2,657 gilded copper tiles on its steep roof, is on the facade of the chancellery of Tyrol's Duke Friedrich IV a.k.a. Friedl-the-Penniless. Maximilian I used it as a "royal box" from which to watch jousts or pageants on the square below. One of its reliefs depicts him between a court jester and a city councilor, another shows him flanked by his two wives: Mary of Burgundy, who had died in 1482, and Maria Sforza. Though he is actually buried near Vienna, Maximilian I is immortalized in Innsbruck by a sumptuous tomb in the Hofkirche, the court church adjacent to the Hofburg (the ducal and imperial castle). Commissioned by the emperor himself, the intricately carved marble cenotaph is surrounded by 28 elaborately sculpted larger-than-life bronze figures depicting real and legendary European rulers. It is a key work of the Northern Renaissance to which famous artists contributed. Three figures--King Arthur, Ostrogoth King Theoderich, and Count Albrecht of Hapsburg--were designed by Albrecht Dürer. Another tomb in the church is that of Andreas Hofer, the Tyrolean innkeeper and national hero who led a peasant army against the Bavarian and French occupiers and liberated Innsbruck in 1809. The church's adjoining Silberne Kapelle (Silver Chapel), so named for its silver altar, has the cenotaph of Austria's Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Philippine Welser (the Augsburg merchant's daughter and cookbook author--see GL Feb./Mar. '97). These were sculpted by Alexander Colin, a 16th-century Flemish master. The Hofburg, originally built in the 15th century, then re-styled and enlarged by order of Maria Theresa, is remarkable for its Baroque and Rococo chambers, especially the Riesensaal (Hall of Giants), decorated in marble and gold leaf with three huge ceiling frescoes. The adjacent Hofgarten (Court Garden) is an English-style park, bordering on the Inn Promenade, from which you have a glimpse of the mountains leading to the Brenner Pass. While just walking about, ogling the old buildings and sniffing the atmosphere are what make Innsbruck so attractive, three museums in the Altstadt are musts. The Maximilianeum, housed in the building with the Goldenes Dachl, is a collection devoted entirely to the life and times of Maximilian I. Paintings, objects of applied art, and audiovisual displays give you a feeling for the epoch of this Holy Roman Emperor whose son, King Philip I of Spain, and grandson, Emperor Charles V, extended Hapsburg power to Mexico and Latin America. The Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum, near the Hofkirche, shows a vast collection of Tyrolean folk art, peasant artifacts, rustic furnishings, costumes, and textiles, pottery, glass, and farm tools and utensils. Some 20 life-size exhibits show the interiors of alpine farm houses. The nearby Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum has a substantial art gallery specializing in Gothic and Renaissance works by German, Dutch, Flemish, and Italian masters. Another must-see is Schloss Ambras, one of the finest and best preserved castles in Austria, about two miles southeast of the Altstadt. Built in the 11th century, then redesigned and enlarged as a residence for Duke Ferdinand of Tyrol in the late 1500s, it is not only a spectacular example of Austro-German Renaissance architecture but a treasure trove of paintings, art objects, weapons, armor, furniture, household utensils, and tools dating from medieval times. The Spanischer Saal (Spanish Hall), dating from 1570, is richly decorated with a coffered ceiling and wall frescoes. To really see and enjoy Innsbruck, with perhaps a short excursion on the cog-railway up to the Hungerburg and from there by cable car to the 7,500-foot Hafelekar peak north of the city, you ought to spend several days. Linz Two geographical aspects characterize this capital of the state of Oberösterreich (Upper Austria): its proximity to Bohemia and the Danube River. Whereas Innsbruck is practically within shouting distance of Italy, Linz is almost within sight of the Czech Republic. The border is only a half-hour drive north; Ceske Budejovice, also called Budweis, the famous beer-brewing town, is another 15 minute hop; and from there it is a mere 100 miles to Prague. And of all Austrian towns and cities along the Danube, Linz is the only one that is really astride and derives its urbanity from the river. Credit goes to the Romans who built a fortified town on the right bank in the 1st century A.D., calling it "Lentia." The Germanic Baiuoarii tribe who succeeded them in the early 6th century had the same sense of place. They also settled right on the edge of the river, and the best evidence is the Martinskirche (St. Martin's Church) on the Römerberg (Roman Hill). This Carolingian and Romanesque chapel is the oldest existing church in Austria. It must have existed before Charlemagne referred to it and the community of "Linze" in a document in A.D. 799. Whereas in Vienna you have to search for the river and will be disappointed when you find it because the neighborhoods flanking it are bleak and uninviting, in Linz the Danube is very much part of the Old Quarter and inner city. Indeed, Hauptplatz, the beautiful 130,000-square-foot main square, lined by splendid Baroque patrician houses, opens directly on the river. What Maximilian I was to Innsbruck, his father, Emperor Frederick III, had been to Linz. He lived there and made it his capital for eight years from 1485 until his death in 1493. It was he who built the huge Linz castle. The complex today houses the Schlossmuseum, an excellent collection of art, decorative art, armor, musical instruments, and furnishings from the Middle Ages to the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) period. Linz, population 200,000 and Austria's third largest city, was home to the famous and infamous. The most infamous was Adolf Hitler. Though born at Braunau on the Inn, he spent his teenage years in and attended school in Linz and always regarded it as his "home town." He intended to build the world's largest art gallery there containing the tens of thousands of masterworks he stole, confiscated, or bought cheaply by extorting rightful owners all over Europe. He also intended to transform Linz into an international metropolis with bombastic buildings in typical Third Reich style, including a crypt in which he would be buried. The obsession never left him. In March and April 1945, while ensconced in Berlin's Reich Chancellery bunker, he spent hours looking at the models and drawings for Linz's new town center. Needless to say, his name is not mentioned in local guidebooks or tourist brochures, though the horrendous beginnings of his mad architectural plans can be seen at the riverside opening of the Hauptplatz--two "bridge-head" buildings completed in 1940. On a happier note, Johann Kepler, the great astronomer who promulgated the laws on planetary movement, taught mathematics at Linz from 1612 to 1626. His house is at Rathausgasse 5. Adalbert Stifter, the Austrian Bildungsroman novelist and painter, lived and worked in Linz from 1848 until his death in 1868. His house at Untere Donaulände 6 is an institute named for him. Mozart wrote his "Linzer Symphony" while a guest of the Count of Thun on Klostergasse in 1783. By far the greatest "Linzer" was the composer Anton Bruckner, born in nearby Ansfelden in 1824. He lived and worked in Linz for more than 20 years, and from 1856 to 1868 was the organist of the 17th-century Alte Dom (Old Cathedral), now called the Jesuitenkirche (Church of the Jesuits), designed by Italian architect Pietro Francesco Carlone. Its Baroque organ is still played. Bruckner is omnipresent in Linz. At the Hotel Wolfinger on Hauptplatz they will tell you that he ate there often; Linz's modern concert hall is called the Brucknerhaus; the annual Bruckner Festival (September 13-October 5) is an international event with orchestras, conductors, and soloists from all over Europe. Most of the inner city is closed to cars, so walking is the way to see it. In addition to a profusion of Baroque and Rococo churches, be sure to see the 16th-century Landhaus, now the seat of the state government, with its arcaded courtyard. The oldest and most richly decorated patrician houses are on a street appropriately called "Altstadt" which leads from the Landhaus to the Danube. The Neue Dom (New Cathedral) was built in neo-Gothic style from 1862 and 1924 and is one of the world's largest churches, with space for 20,000 people. For the foot-weary there's the "Linz City Express," a replica 19th-century train, which makes the rounds, departing from the Hauptplatz. If you are traveling with young children, take them to the "Fairy Tale World" grotto on the Pöstlingberg, a hill above the city on the left bank of the Danube. This realm of gnomes, dragons, witches, princes, princesses, and doll-like houses has been an attraction since 1906. The magnetic-adhesion tram that runs up to the hill is the world's steepest: a 1.8 mile route with an incline of 10.5 percent, which the tram covers in 17 minutes. Linz is also a good departure point for boat trips on the Danube from May through October. There are almost daily excursions upstream to Passau and Deggendorf in Bavaria; thrice weekly downstream with stops at Mauthausen, site of Austria's largest concentration camp, now a Holocaust memorial-museum; Ybbs, origin of the Nibelungen saga; Melk, famed for its beautiful 18th-century Benedictine monastery; and Krems in the heart of the Wachau wine district. Graz "A graceful town on the banks of a lovely stream." Thus Napoleon described Graz. It was an understatement. Austria's second largest city, the capital of Steiermark, or Styria, nestled in alpine foothills and bisected by the swift Mur River, a scant half hour by car from the Slovenian and Hungarian borders, is bewitching. Though general tourist visitors are few, literati, cinema fans, art lovers, and music enthusiasts converge on it. They are attracted by "Steierischer Herbst" (Styrian Fall), an annual festival of avant-garde art that was instigated by Graz native Peter Handke and other writers (September 25-November 2); "Styriarte," a yearly classical musical festival in June and July founded by the conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt, also born in Graz; the "Eggenberg Palace Concerts" from August to mid-September; AIMS, the August series of daily performances by U.S. students at Graz's American Institute of Musical Studies; and the yearly International Alpine and Adventure Film Festival in November. But even without all the cultural events, the city is a charmer, which, once you have discovered it, doesn't let you go. Graz, population 250,000 of whom 40,000 are students, first mentioned in a document in 1128, chartered as a town in 1281, and situated at the Germanic-Slavic frontier, derives its name from the Slav word gradec, meaning little fortress. That fortified castle was on the Schlossberg, the city's highest point and the perfect place to start a tour because from this landscaped park you have a breathtaking view of the Old Quarter's red- tiled roofs, Baroque church spires, and warren of winding streets. To get there you can either climb 405 steps or take the Schlossbergbahn, the 100-year-old cable railway, from the river's Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai embankment. Last spring I had no choice: The cable car was out of order. For 200 years the castle served the Hapsburgs as a bastion against the Ottoman Turks. Today only two of its original structures remain. One is the Uhrturm (Clock Tower), part of the original 13th- century defensive wall. The clock, visible from all over Graz because of its 18-foot dial, was installed in 1712 and is unique in that the large hand shows the hours, the small one the minutes. Climbing farther will take you to what remains of the bastion, now a popular restaurant and open air stage, and the Glockenturm (Bell Tower), originally part of the castle chapel. It was saved during the Napoleonic Wars when townspeople paid French occupiers a ransom of 3,000 guilders not to destroy it and its 8,000-pound 16th-century bell, which still rings the hours. Graz's maze-like Altstadt is a perfectly preserved marvel of architectural gems from the 16th through 19th centuries: elegant aristocrats' mansions, intricately embellished burgher houses, government palaces, and richly furnished churches. Its epicenter is the Hauptplatz (Main Square). On the square at the corner of Sporgasse, Graz's chief shopping lane since the 1300s, is the startling Luegg complex: two 17th-century houses with rich stucco facades that depict masks and faces. Another amazing building is the Gemalte Haus (Painted House) on Herrengasse: Its facade is entirely covered with frescoes by the Italian artist Pietro de Pomis. The city's most impressive structure is the Landhaus, originally Styria's house of lords and now used, together with the adjacent Landeszeugheus (Provincial Arsenal), as a museum and venue for concerts. The ornate Landhaus courtyard is a masterpiece of Renaissance arcade design, built between 1557 and 1564 by the Italian architect Domenico dell' Allio. The arsenal has one of the world's largest collections of old armor and weaponry--30,000 brightly polished objects. Some of the finest palaces are on Sackstrasse, where you will also find the best antique shops. Built by Italian craftsmen and artisans, they date from when Graz was a residence of Hapsburg rulers with their following of courtiers. The largest and grandest is the Baroque Palais Attems, the town manor of the Counts of Attems. Its stuccoed and frescoed rooms can be seen when there are art exhibitions in the building, especially during the Styrian Fall festival. Palais Herberstein nearby houses the Neue Galerie of modern art, which is showing works of Egon Schiele until September 14. While walking about the Old Quarter, be sure to see the richly carved portals, elaborate facades, and go into the charming courtyards. On Hofgasse don't miss the intricately carved and inlaid wooden front of the Hofbäckerei, the court bakery, a family-owned enterprise since 1569. Graz has a castle, distinct from that on the Schlossberg: the Burg, commissioned by Emperor Frederick III in 1438, enlarged by Maximilian I in 1494, and used by Hapsburg rulers until 1619, when they moved their court to Vienna. Today it is the seat of the Styrian state government and filled with offices. But in the north wing there is a unique stone double-spiral staircase from 1499. The Hebrew inscription on a wall of the first courtyard refers to the expulsion of Jews from Graz in 1387. Across from the Burg is the Dom (cathedral), a Gothic hall church with Baroque interiors. A fresco on the outside from 1481 depicts the three plagues that had afflicted Graz the previous year: locusts, Turks, and pestilence. Almost hidden by the cathedral, though its green copper domes are visible from the Schlossberg, is the Mausoleum commissioned in 1614 by Emperor Ferdinand II as his last resting place. The Italian architects who worked on it, and the emperor himself, died long before it was completed a century later by Johann Fischer von Erlach, the Baroque master-builder, born in Graz. Its marble sarcophagi are as dazzling as Fischer's interiors, but only one royal is actually buried there: Mary of Bavaria, Ferdinand II's mother. Graz abounds with museums of which one is a must even if it is not raining and you don't need to keep dry: the Joanneum. It has departments and sections at various locations. The collection of Old Master paintings at 45 Neutorgasse is worth a detour: There are fine works by Hans von Aachen, Lucas Cranach, and Jan and Pieter Brueghel. Graz is a good base for excursions and sidetrips to its environs. One of the most rewarding is a two-mile drive westward to Schloss Eggenberg, a dazzling chateau, commissioned in its present form with 24 huge chambers (one for every hour of the day) and 365 windows (for each day of the year), by Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg, a wealthy Styrian merchant and adviser to Emperor Ferdinand II, in 1625. Besides the eye-popping interiors, which are part of the tour, the palace houses the Joanneum Museum's hunting section and a startling collection of 8th-century B.C. gilded bronze treasures from a nearby Celtic burial mound. Eggenberg is the palace of summer concerts until mid-September. To really explore Graz and its environs, you need several days to a week. And if, after that, you still feel a compulsion to join the maddening tourist crowd, well Vienna is just a 120-mile autobahn drive, and if you stick to by-ways and don't have a lead foot, you can get to Salzburg in about three hours. But after Innsbruck, Linz, and Graz, why even bother? Contributing editor John Dornberg writes from Munich. SIDEBAR BOX AUSTRIAN HOTELS Innsbruck Goldener Adler, just across the square from the Goldenes Dachl and in the heart of the Altstadt. Doubles $165 to $182, breakfast buffet included. At 6 Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse, 6020 Innsbruck; Tel.: 011.43. 512.586364, Fax: 011.493.512.584409. Schwarzer Adler, a historic house that has been family run for four generations. Doubles $147 to $182, depending on size and view, breakfast buffet included. At 2 Kaiserjügerstrasse, 6020 Innsbruck; Tel.: 011.43.512. 597109; Fax: 011.43.512.561697. Weisses Rössl, an inn since 1410 but updated inside. Doubles $110 to $120, including buffet breakfast. At 8 Kiebachgasse, 6020 Innsbruck; Tel.: 011.43.512. 583057; Fax: 011.43.512.5830575. Linz Dom Hotel, close to the new cathedral and some of the rooms have balconies or winter gardens. Doubles $104 to $129, including buffet breakfast. At 17 Baumbachstrasse, 4020 Linz; Tel.: 011.43.732.778441; Fax: 011.43.732.775432. Hotel Wolfinger, right on the main square with a restaurant that was Anton Bruckner's favorite. Doubles $78 to $104, including buffet breakfast. At 19 Hauptplatz, 4020 Linz; Tel.: 011.43.732.7732910; Fax: 011.43.432.77329155. Graz Grand Hotel Wiesler, the poshest in town, right on the Mur embankment. Doubles $243 to $304, including buffet breakfast. At 4 Grieskai. 8020 Graz; Tel.: 011.43.316.90660; Fax: 011.43.316.906676. Schlossberg Hotel, an old house at the base of the castle hill, elegantly furnished with antiques. Doubles $191 to $234, including a sumptuous breakfast buffet. At 30 Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai, 8010 Graz; Tel.: 011.43.316. 80700; Fax: 011.43.316.807070. Hotel Erzherzog Johann, an elegantly appointed spot with antiques in the rooms, right off the Hauptplatz. Doubles $169 to $186, including breakfast buffet. At 3-5 Sackstrasse, 8010 Graz; Tel.: 011.43.316. 811616; Fax: 011.43.316.811515. Hotel Mariahilf, delightfully situated but the rooms are overdue for renovation. Doubles $86 to $121, including buffet breakfast. At 9 Mariahilferstrasse, 8020 Graz; Tel.: 011.43.316.9131630; Fax: 011.43. 316.917652. Hotel Drei Raben, within easy walking distance of the old quarter. Doubles. $84 to $97, breakfast buffet included. At 43 Annenstrasse, 8020 Graz; Tel.: 011.43.316.912686; Fax: 011.43.316.9159696. (Exchange rate used: ASch 11.50 = US$ 1.00) A Mural's Story: An Image of Modern Germany, and More By Heidi Whitesell New York City is awash with neon signs, posters, or graffiti screaming for the attention of passersby. The visual stimulation is easily taken for granted--the images noted and ingested often without a conscious moment's notice. At the corner of First Avenue and 49th Street at the north side of the United Nations Plaza, however, there's one mural that will make a person stop and think. Beginning with the Berlin Airlift Monument and concluding with an open-ended Brooklyn Bridge, the mural on nine and one-half 4-by-8-foot panels is a thoughtful tribute to Germany and German-American relations. The artwork sits atop the front scaffolding at the construction site of the three new German diplomatic offices in New York: the Consulate General, the Permanent Mission to the United Nations, and the German Information Center (GIC). Now situated in separate locations, these three agencies are expected to move into their new collective home by June 1998. The mural will be up until the end of 1997. Looking for a way to advertise this new German building, Hannelore Koehler, information officer at the GIC, proposed the idea of the construction-site mural at a staff meeting. The notion took on momentum when the office of the German Ambassador to the UN, Dr. Antonius Eitel, had a similar proposal. In the fall of 1996 Sandra Spannen, a 26-year-old independent artist originally from Germany now living in New York City, won the contract to design and paint the mural. By January of this year she and an assistant, Lynn Gruszow, were hard at work on its execution and had it completed within one month. Having studied art and design at the University of Würzburg in Bavaria, before coming to New York, Spannen worked on murals and other interior design for the architectural group Raum und Form in Nuremberg. Her work has also been in designer showcases such as "Raum und Objekte" in Berlin (where Spannen formerly lived) and "Designer Forum" in Kassel. Spannen's specialties include murals, trompe l'oeil, fresco, and decorative and backdrop painting. In August 1995 Spannen was especially thrilled to paint and install the set for popular music star Joan Osborne's music video "One of Us." Besides set paintings for other music videos, she recently completed a backdrop for Rolling Stone magazine. Spannen worked closely with Koehler in creating designs for the mural. It makes sense that the mural's conception and actualization was instigated by the GIC. Of the three agencies scheduled to move in together, the GIC has the most public function. Whereas the UN Mission represents German international interests, specifically toward the United Nations, the Consulate General is more of a local liaison, representing Germany to New York City and state, the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and a certain part of Connecticut. The GIC New York, the information arm of the German government in the United States, coordinates public relations on a national level. The center produces and circulates numerous publications on political, economic, and cultural aspects of German society, and its library and archive facilities serve as a source of information for professional and academic institutions, the press, and individuals conducting research. More than any other German diplomatic office in the United States, the GIC is responsible for projecting an image of modern Germany to America. The new location at United Nations Plaza will accommodate an even broader focus for the organization, including a conference center, a screening room, and exhibition space. Among other resources, the expanded library will offer the public computers for conducting research of the GIC holdings online. The construction-site mural broadcasts Germany's connection to the Internet by featuring the GIC's Web site across the bottom of the lower panels. Spannen came up with the idea in response to the organizers who wanted to make sure that those people not necessarily familiar with the mural's symbols would at least know where to look for more information. To prepare for painting the mural, Spannen loaded up on information. Until this project came about, she maintains, "I don't know that I would have sat and read so many books on Germany otherwise." Taken with the idea of presenting a "fresh, new, modern outlook" for Germany, however, Spannen found that the project improved her own, skeptical, relationship with her home country. She now looks at Germany appreciatively and "with different eyes." In fact, the mural is about much more than Germany. It is about the future and inevitable change, each building or monument depiction carrying with it meaningful symbolism. The powerful imagery of the Berlin Airlift Monument recognizes the Western Allies', especially the United States', contributions to Berlin's and ultimately Germany's freedom. The New Synagogue in eastern Berlin portrays new beginnings for Jewish life in Germany and growth for German-Jewish dialogue. Emblems of cultural pride abound. New York City is honored by the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Brooklyn Bridge--a creation of German-born engineer J. A. Roebling; and Germany's once-and-future capital of Berlin is represented by the Brandenburg Gate, the Bauhaus Archives, the Reichstag, the TV tower, and the Berlin bear. Bouncing balls dressed in the national flags speak for Germany and the United States at the federal level. And the stars of the European Union flag give way to the globality of the United Nations logo and the earth itself. For all this comprehensiveness, the mural now adorning the construction site is a scaled-down version of original plans. Moreover, the mural's placement became more of a strategic matter than was expected because the site includes an apartment and a restaurant. The necessary accommodations admittedly detract from the mural's potential. To the left, the mural competes with a sign from the Turner Construction Company, and tacked onto its far right panel is an advertisement from the United Nations Cafe located underneath it. And because of the approximate 10-foot elevation, even Spannen notes that "It shrinks up there." Nevertheless, despite these distractions, the mural is making its mark. Some of the first reactions came from the construction workers at the site who were curious about the different symbols. In reading the Web site, some may not have known what "www" stood for, but the word "Germany" certainly caught their attention and inspired numerous questions to Spannen. In concluding the panels with an image of the Brooklyn Bridge stretching across the globe and heading into the unknown, Spannen represents the interconnectedness of people and continents. As she puts it, people of "different races, classes, and ages can all do something with [the mural]." And it is having this perceptible effect. At a traffic light at First Avenue and 49th Street, passengers in cars turn their heads to examine the art. On the street corner, a couple is obviously discussing the images, pointing at the mural as they talk. For a mural dedicated to Germany and German-American relations, it captures a diverse audience. Countering the paucity of public art related to this worthy topic, the mural communicates a strong message. GL-Editor Heidi Whitesell has a long-standing interest in German- American relations. Appearing on the lower panels of the original mural, the Web site for the German Information Center is http://www.germany-info.org Until June 1998 the German Information Center can also be reached at 950 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022; Tel.: (212) 888-9840; Fax: (212) 752-6691. AT HOME: 'Tis the Season for New Wine By Sharon Hudgins Early autumn is the beginning of the "new wine" season each year in northern Europe. In the wine-producing areas of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Alsace, and the Italian Tyrol you'll find the locals merrily imbibing a cloudy, light beige liquid that has a variety of regional names. This unusual drink combines the taste of yeast and freshly crushed grapes with the sparkle of champagne and the foam of beer. Neuer Wein, as the term is used in Germany, refers to grape juice that is in the process of becoming wine. The brew is still undergoing fermentation, whereby yeast converts the grapes' natural sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide--and eventually into wine. Because the fermentation process is not yet complete, this "new wine" is lower in alcohol than true wine and still has some of the sweetness of grape juice. The carbon dioxide makes it bubbly. Most new wine in Germany is grape juice that's on its way to becoming white wine--hence the cloudy beige color of the drink. Occasionally you'll also find new red wine, produced mainly in Italy, which is mauve or dusty rose in color. Since the fermentation process for white wine can take up to six weeks, new wine is available only in the autumn, during the grape harvest, and in the few weeks immediately following. The new wine season begins in early September and lasts through November. The first new wine to appear on the German market actually comes from Italy, where the grape harvest begins in August. North of the Alps, where the grape harvest starts a bit later, the local new wine usually isn't ready to be drunk until October. In the German-speaking areas of Europe new wine is known by a number of different names. Some of the terms are derived from local or regional dialects. Others describe the different stages of fermentation of the grapes. And sometimes the exact definition of the term depends entirely on the person you are speaking to. Here's a list of several names for new wine: Bitzler, from a word in the German Pfalz, or Palatinate dialect, meaning "bubbly" or "effervescent" because most new wine is full of carbon dioxide. Federweisser, meaning "feather white," a name derived from the wine's light beige color. This is one of the most common names for new wine in Germany. Federweisser, the best-known German new wine, is made mainly from the white Müller-Thurgau grapes in the Rhineland- Palatinate region. Federroter, or "feather red," describing the dusty rose color of new wine made from red grapes, primarily from the Italian Tyrol. Moscht, the Swabian term for fermenting new wine, from the German word for "must," or freshly pressed grape juice. Neuer Wein, another of the most common terms for this drink. In German it literally means new wine. Sauser is what new wine is often called in the Italian Tyrol region because the wine saust, or rushes, to your head (and can quickly make you as soused as the term implies). Sturm is the Viennese name for new wine because the wine looks cloudy or stormy. Süsser, or sweet, because not all of the grape sugar has yet been converted into alcohol or carbon dioxide. This term is especially prevalent in the Rhineland-Palatinate and Lake Constance regions. It refers to grape juice in the earliest stages of fermentation. Raucher, or smoky, is another name for cloudy new wine, often used in the Rhineland-Palatinate. Reisser is a term for new wine that has fermented longer and is not so sweet. The dryness supposedly reisst--pulls at, or puckers--your throat. Neuer Wein, Neuer Süsser, and Vin Nouveau are all terms that you'll encounter in the region of Alsace, where both French and the Germanic Alsatian dialect are spoken. The regional dialect also produces such unusual spellings as Neia Siessa, Neier Süsser, and Neujer Siesser, which I have seen on printed signs in Strasbourg and Wissembach. None of these terms should be confused with the more general French use of vin nouveau (literally "new wine") or the famous Austrian Heurige. Both of these terms refer to new wines in the sense that they are the first wines produced from the most recent autumn's harvest. These are true wines, completely fermented and ready for drinking--in November of that harvest year (in the case of Beaujolais nouveau and some Heurige), but more usually not consumed not until the following spring or summer, after they have had a bit of time to "age." Why is new wine, still fermenting in the tank, even sold at all? There are several reasons. The vintner might have determined that this particular batch of grape juice isn't going to produce a very good (or even decent quality) wine, so it might as well be drunk now. During certain years some vintners have an excess of grapes or grape juice that they don't have room to make into and store as wine or that they can't sell for an acceptable price to the big wine cooperatives. So they decide to market it as soon as possible, as new wine. But I suspect that tradition also plays a big role in the consumption of new wine. What grape harvest in Germany, Austria, Italy, or Alsace would be complete without new fine to fortify the grape pickers and to satisfy the tourists? New wine is as much a part of the harvest season as decorated evergreen trees at Christmas or Easter egg trees. During the grape harvest in these areas it's fun to drive through the wine-producing regions and stop at a vintner's house or a local inn for a glass of bubbly, cloudy, foamy, new wine. Customarily the new wine is served in short, fat glasses, or glass mugs, which hold about six ounces of liquid--not in the stemmed glasses that are used for real wine. You can also purchase bottles of new wine directly from vintners--or buy it at local open-air markets and wine stores. Keep the bottles loosely covered in your refrigerator. If you cork them tightly, they'll explode. And drink the new wine within two days of purchase. After that it will go flat and lose its zingy taste. New wine is reputed to be a healthy drink because of the low alcohol content and the B-vitamins from the yeast. I have even seen a handwritten sign in Vienna, advertising new wine, that said, "Sturm ist Gesund" (New Wine is Healthy). But new wine can also be insidious. Because it doesn't taste very alcoholic, you can easily drink a large quantity of new wine before the effects suddenly become obvious. Then you'll truly understand why new wine is sometimes called Sauser! It's best to eat something to slow down the heady effect of new wine. In Germany you'll often see small signs in the windows of restaurants or inns advertising "Federweisser und Zwiebelkuchen." The Germans know that Zwiebelkuchen (savory onion tart) is an excellent accompaniment to new wine. Just across the border, in the French region of Alsace, new wine is often served with whole walnuts and a slice of country-style rye bread--or with the Alsatians' own tasty version of onion tart, known by a number of similar names in the local Alsatian dialect: Ziwelewaß, Zewelwaß, Zewelküacha, Zeewelkueche, Zeewelwaßa. So if you're traveling through any of these wine-producing lands in the autumn, don't pass up the opportunity to celebrate the season with a glass of the local new wine (whatever it happens to be called in that particular area) and a taste of the regional food specialty that accompanies it. An award-winning author and food writer, Sharon Hudgins lived for five months at a German winery on the Mosel River. SIDEBAR Neuer Wein is made in most of the wine-producing areas of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, northern Italy, and Alsace, but it seems to be most common in those regions near the Rhine, Mosel, Saar, Ruwer, and Nahe Rivers. During the grape harvest season in Germany, you can purchase bottles of new wine from many local vintners or try a glass of it at restaurants and inns, along the roads from Koblenz to Trier on the Mosel River, from Koblenz to Freiburg and Breisach near the Rhine River, and particularly along the Deutsche Weinstrasse (German Wine Road) in the Rhineland-Palatinate district east and south of Kaiserslautern, on highway 271 between Bochenheim and Schweigen. Look for handwritten or handpainted signs announcing the sale of new wine, in the windows of restaurants or at the entrance to the wineries. For more information in the United States, contact the German Wine Information Bureau, 79 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, Tel.: (212) 213-7028. SIDEBAR II Onion Tart for the New Wine Season Onion tart is the traditional accompaniment to "new wine" during the grape harvest in. Zwiebelkuchen is made from a yeast-raised dough covered with a thick topping of onions, bacon, and sour cream. You'll find this authentic onion tart available mostly during the "new wine" season every autumn from September to November. German Onion Tart (Zwiebelkuchen)Dough: 2 packages (2 scant Tbsp.) dry yeast 1 tsp. sugar 1/3 cup lukewarm water 1/4 cup butter 1 tsp. salt 2/3 cups milk 3 cups unbleached white flour 3 egg yolks Topping: 4 large slices bacon, diced 2 Tbsp. butter 5 cups chopped onions 4 eggs 1-1/4 cups sour cream 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 2 tsp. caraway seeds In a small bowl dissolve yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water. Put butter and salt in large bowl. Scald milk, pour it over butter, and stir until butter melts. Let mixture cool to lukewarm, then stir in yeast mixture and 2 cups of the flour. Mix well. Set bowl in a warm place until the mixture becomes light and bubbly (about 30 minutes). Beat egg yolks until light and stir into the dough. Gradually work in the remaining 1 cup of flour to make a smooth dough. Turn out the mixture onto a floured board and knead for 8 to 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. (NOTE: You can also make the dough in a bread machine by putting all the dough ingredients into the machine and processing/rising them on the dough cycle. Make sure that all the liquid ingredients--water, milk, and melted butter--are lukewarm when you put them into the bread machine.) Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Punch the dough down and stretch it to fit a greased 11-inch-by-17-inch shallow baking pan. Press the dough edges up to form a rim about 3/4-inch high. Set the pan aside in a warm place while you make the topping. In a large skillet fry the bacon until crisp, then remove it and set aside. heat butter in the same pan as the bacon fat and cook the onions until soft but not browned. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Lightly beat together the eggs, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Spread the onions evenly over the dough and sprinkle half the bacon over the onions. Pour the egg mixture over the onions and bacon then sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining bacon and the caraway seeds. Bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and the egg mixture has set. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Zwiebelkuchen can be reheated by wrapping it in foil and placing it in a preheated 325° Fahrenheit oven for 15 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

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