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August/September 2007
GALLERY:
German-Language Treasures at the Library of Congress
By Dorothea S. Michelman
One of Washington, D.C.’s most oft-visited cultural attractions – approximately one million visitors pass through its doors every year – is home to North America’s largest and most
diverse collection of German-language materials. In fact, our national library boasts the largest collection of German titles to be found outside the German-speaking world. And the “German connection” can be
seen before you even step inside.
Although there are actually three Library buildings on Capitol Hill, it is the oldest of the trio – the Jefferson Building – which most visitors picture as Our Nation’s Library.
Designed by architects John L. Smithmeyer, born in Austria, and Paul J. Pelz, of German heritage, it is an imposing Italian Renaissance-style edifice, both outside and within, where the visitor can marvel at the
intricately magnificent mosaics in the Great Hall, created by German craftsmen.
Today’s illustrious collection of knowledge looks back on a humble beginning. At its inception in 1800, it was a modest reference library of 3,000 volumes focusing on the fields of
history, jurisprudence, and literature. Yet its very existence was a small miracle. The common assumption in the early days of the Republic was that elected representatives had no need of a library at all. So,
with the Congress’s allocation of $5,000 for that very purpose, those first Library patrons could and did consider themselves quite fortunate.
During the War of 1812, the Congressional Library, then located in the Capitol building, was burned down by British soldiers. Thomas Jefferson came to the rescue, although his motives
were not entirely altruistic. Burdened by debt, Jefferson sold 6,487 books from his own vast collection, painstakingly acquired over the space of fifty years. These volumes formed the cornerstone of what would
one day be the world’s largest library.
The Jefferson Building was completed in 1896 and opened in 1897. Two more buildings would follow: the Adams Building in 1939 and the Madison Building in 1980.
Today’s Library of Congress comprises around 126 million items, including 20 million books in 460 languages and dialects, 12 million photos, 4.9 million maps, 5 million musical works
and related materials, and 56 million manuscripts.
With 3 million volumes and 30,000 new acquisitions each year, the Library’s German Collections are second only to those in English. These priceless treasures include witnesses to the
history of the Germanic tribes, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the great period of immigration during the nineteenth century as well as more recent events taking place in modern Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland...
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In Half-Timbered Wonderland
by Mark Slider
Another year and another opportunity to experience Germany during Germany Travel Mart 2007.
What is it about half-timbered buildings? Maybe it is the bit of German heritage in me making a connection with the homeland’s uniquely identifiable building style. Maybe it is
the warmth and individual character each building exudes, many having stood the test of time for centuries. Regardless of the reason, the option to visit Germany’s Harz region and the half-timbered gems (and
UNESCO World Heritage sites) of Goslar, Quedlinburg, and Hildesheim, was a “no-brainer” for me.
Just a mere year after a three-day post-convention tour in Berlin following my 2006 visit to GTM, I found myself back on the city’s bustling streets – only this time, there was an
eerie, orange globe in the sky. Yes folks, after three previous rain-soaked trips to Germany, the sun stayed around for the duration of my fourth visit! It seems like a small thing but being released from the
burden of an umbrella was liberating. Our first tour day focused on a city tour and a beautiful day greeted our group as we strolled around the heart of Berlin. Our tour followed a portion of the double brick
row that runs through the city, providing a faint memory of where the Wall stood just a short time ago. Familiar sights from last year were revisited: the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and the
glass-domed Reichstag. A highlight of this tour, however, was a river cruise tour through Berlin upon the Spree River. If you have a chance, the cruise is a wonderfully relaxing way to take in the sights from a
different perspective including the beautiful glass and metal Bundestag, the Bode Museum and Museum Island, and the Oberbaumbrücke. But fair warning – when the boat crew instructs you to remain seated, listen to
them. Many of the bridges are very, very low and a nasty case of head trauma can ruin an otherwise wonderful vacation.
The next tour day took us to Potsdam where we visited Frederick the Great’s Sanssouci Palace with its famed terraced gardens, and wonderful sculpted figures adorning the roofline.
The grounds also include Frederick the Great’s final resting spot along with his beloved dogs. We continued on to tour the English Tudor style Schloss Cecilienhof, built in 1914 to 1917 for Crown Prince Wilhelm
and his wife Cecilie von Mecklenberg-Schwerin and site of the Potsdam Conference.
Our late afternoon arrival in Quedlinburg was the point at which my legendary “sense of direction deficiency” became most apparent. With a rare two hours of “free time,” I decided to
venture out for some unhurried pictures of Quedlinburg’s incredible half-timbered buildings and maybe a souvenir or two before the stores closed. Over the years I have learned to make note of landmarks for use
as reference points and hey, a hilltop castle seemed a logical choice. Well, two hours later (winded and being visually chastised by a fellow tour member (the “shame, shame” finger rub), I finally dragged my
weary self back to my hotel base to join my group for a town tour (ten minutes late). But I did learn three things. First, always grab a map of the town before you leave your hotel. Second, being exhausted
undermines your ability to think clearly and your mind will take great joy in coming up with creative and completely wrong decisions. Third, when in doubt and there is no one to ask (because they roll up the
sidewalks at 6:00 p.m.), a hotel is always a great last-ditch source of help with directions (and bless the young lady who highlighted the yellow brick [actually cobblestone] path back to my hotel)…
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Roll Out the Barrel – It’s Oktoberfest!
by Dwayne Mason
Lace up your Dirndl and grab your Lederhosen – it is time to visit an Oktoberfest near you!
In order to celebrate the elaborate culture, musical heritage, language, and history of the German people, Oktoberfest is held annually, typically in the month of October. Here in
the United States, several states have their own unique version of the legendary event.
The Deutsches Haus, located in New Orleans, Louisiana, has hosted the Oktoberfest celebration in the Greater New Orleans area for over four decades. The Deutsches Haus is a social
club that was created back in 1928 for the German presence in New Orleans. The club took a hard hit in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck and was unable to host Oktoberfest that year. In 2006, Oktoberfest
returned in full force even though part of the building was damaged. Every year, the festival is held in a beer garden as well as parts of the club building. “We pride ourselves on the variety of beers we offer.
Last year, we had over twenty different brands” declared Keith Oldendorf, member of the Deutsches Haus. The Deutsches Haus is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and hopes that this year’s Oktoberfest will
greatly help recovery efforts. The 2007 Deutsches Haus Oktoberfest
will launch on Friday, September 28 and will run every Friday and Saturday through October 27. Admission will be $5.00 for adults and free for club members and children twelve and under.
There may be many places where you can embrace German culture on a beautiful riverfront. Here in the United States, you can do so in Peoria, Illinois, at
Peoria’s Oktoberfest. The event is the result of a partnership between the Peoria German-American Central Society and the Peoria Park District. This year, Peoria’s very own German band, Ratskeller Brummers, will be one of the entertainment acts. “Aside from the festivities, we usually have a car show and other areas where people can learn more about German heritage,” says Gordon Guderjan, a member of the German-American Central Society. The busiest day tends to be Saturday when over ten thousand people come to the riverfront tent to partake in authentic food and drink from several of the stations located all over the grounds. New features for 2007 include the addition of a beer garden, several carnival rides for the kids, and a petting zoo. Admission prices are $7.00 for adults, $3.00 children, and $15.00 for a family pass (parents and children under twelve). The 11
th Annual Peoria Oktoberfest will begin Friday, September 21 from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and will continue on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Richmond, Virginia, organizes the largest German/American festival in the state. In 1969, the first Oktoberfest in Richmond was held and exceeded expectations with almost five hundred people in attendance. Today, over five thousand people come out for the two-day event.
Unlike other Oktoberfest celebrations, which may be held in a tent or outdoors in a beer garden, Richmond actually holds their event in a heated/air conditioned exhibition hall that is decorated with traditional German flare. The Richmond Oktoberfest is organized by the Deutscher Sportsclub and the Gesangverein, which work through the Oktoberfest of Richmond, Inc., to put on the annual event. In 2006, the Gesangverein began the “Oktoberfest 5 K,” a five-kilometer walk/run on a circuit of participating bars in downtown Richmond, as a sort of annual warm-up for the Richmond Oktoberfest. Many local bands provide Bavarian and American dance music while other groups feature folk dancers. “Each night we feature a local band and a band from out of the country that specializes in providing that type of music,” added Hans Stienen, chairman of the Richmond Oktoberfest committee. In past years, children attending Oktoberfest have posed a problem due to the fact that there were no child-specific activities. So, last year the Kinder Korner was a new feature added to their event. In this child-safe area, children are free to dance and participate in other activities based on Oktoberfest. Once again this year, the weekend of fun will be held at the Showplace Exhibition Center. Tickets will be $12:00 at the door with free admission for children fifteen and under. The thirty-ninth celebration starts on Friday, October 26 and will go on from 6:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday night…
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Tübingen: A Treasure on the Neckar
By Leah Larkin
It is doubtful Alois Alzheimer could ever forget his beautiful hometown along the Neckar.
You would think you were in England. However, this is the Neckar River, not the Thames. The university here is the University of Tübingen, not Cambridge or Oxford.
Nonetheless, punting or Stocherkahnfahrten – drifting down the river on a flat-bottom boat known as a punt or Stocherkahn – is popular here, too. In summer the Neckar, not unlike those rivers in England, is a maze of these craft whose captain stands and propels the boat by pushing a long pole against the riverbed. Passengers are Tübingen tourists who get lovely views of the town’s historic houses rising above weeping willows on the shore, as well as a pleasant ride.
Tübingen, twenty miles southwest of Stuttgart, is a vibrant, inviting town with a population of eighty-five thousand, including twenty-four thousand students who study at its
university, one of Germany’s oldest. For years I lived in nearby Steinenbronn. Whenever visitors came, we took them to Tübingen. In addition to the lovely river location, it has plenty of old world German flavor
and a dynamic ambience thanks to all the students.
The German magazine Focus published a survey in 1995 rating Tübingen as having the highest quality of life of all cities in Germany. “Tübingen has a lot of history, a lot of green, a
beautiful landscape,” notes city resident and guide Helga Kansy. “It attracts a lot of people who come to live and study here.”
It has been a popular spot for centuries. At the gemütlich Weinstube Forelle, proprietor Tina Baur told visitors about some of the famous who had been to the establishment. “Schiller
worked here. Goethe was also here,” she said. The poet Friedrich Hölderlin was a Tübingen resident, as was Alois Alzheimer, from whom Alzheimer’s disease takes its name. Hermann Hesse worked in the town and
Joseph Alois Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, held a chair in dogmatic theology at the university. Other names of note associated with the university are the philosophers Hegel and Schelling, the scholar
Kepler, and the theologian Melanchthon.
The university is known for its faculties of medicine, law, theology, and philosophy. The medical school with seventeen clinics is especially renowned and includes the largest neurology
center in Germany.
The town’s Protestant seminary, Evangelisches Stift, is also well known. This former Augustinian monastery was transformed into a seminary after the start of the Reformation in 1534. It
granted theology students a free university education. The tradition is followed today with free room and board offered to one hundred twenty theology students…
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When in Germany – A Study Abroad Experience
by Mary Selig
A year abroad brings one student a sense of accomplishment, a new computer hard drive, and a strong desire to return.
It was with great excitement, and no small trepidation, that I arrived in Freiburg, Germany, on a sunny day in early September 2006. I was beginning an eleven-month stint abroad as an
exchange student at the Albert-Ludwigs Universitaet, living with German students, taking classes in German, and functioning in a German-speaking nation; at least, that was the idea. An environmental policy major
in the Honors College at Michigan State University, I had not taken any German in two years. If nothing else, I was in for an adventure.
Study abroad had always been among my academic goals, and was one of the reasons I choose to study at Michigan State University. I wanted to study in Germany in particular for a number
of reasons. My father grew up in Germany, and my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and some cousins still live in Europe. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to get to know them better. Germany is also a world
leader in environmentally sound policies and environmentally sustainable practices. In addition to looking forward to learning more about the policies themselves, I was eager to live in a society that placed
such an emphasis on environmental responsibility, both domestically and internationally.
Freiburg is the perfect destination for the environmentally conscious and curious. Known as Germany's solar city for its investments in alternative energy, it is the largest community
in Germany to have elected a member of the Green Party mayor, and the environmental programs at the University are very well respected. Freiburg has the additional advantages of being the sunniest city in
Germany and, with a student population of over twenty thousand in a city of about two hundred thousand, is a place where there is always something to do. Located near the borders of France and Switzerland and on
the edge of the Black Forest, Freiburg is also the perfect base for truly enchanting day-trips. Critically, Freiburg is also the only city in Germany where Michigan State University offers a year-long German
language immersion program, which I knew from the beginning was important, although I did not initially realize just how important.
Neither adjusting to a new culture nor learning a foreign language is easy, and both take time and effort. Just like every exchange student before me, I had days on which I crawled into
bed exhausted from trying to decipher German all day, on which I would have traded all of my worldly possessions for a real taco, or simply hated Germany and wondered what on earth I was doing and what made me
think moving to Germany would be a good idea. However, the “I-hate-Germany” days became increasingly fewer and farther between as the year progressed, helped by the many people who make the transition to life in
Germany easier…
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Field Trip for Foodies:
Seeking the Source of Sustenance at a Bavarian Bio-Bauernhof
by Laura Fleming Schulte
A novel vacation idea gives a city family a taste of farm life in Bavaria.
Recoiling in fear from a breakfast table set with crisp linens and translucent blue and white china, my daughter gasped, “My egg has hay on it!”
I offered our dirndl-clad hostess a weak smile. Then, with a glance out the window to the Alpine foothills across the valley, I gathered the strength to attempt to convince my horrified
city child to ignore the hay, crack the shell, and eat the egg.
The fifty-minute commuter train ride from Munich had transported my family of urban dwellers farther than I expected. For us, the five hundred twenty-five-year-old Sonnenstatter Farm on
the shores of Lake Schlier, one of Germany’s southernmost Apline lakes, held as many exotic surprises as a jungle lodge.
Frau Hirtreiter, who was accustomed to looks of astonishment on the faces of her younger guests, seized the opportunity to teach. Leaning across the table of our hand-carved corner
booth to pour a cup of steaming cocoa, she mesmerized my daughter with an amazing story: Nearly everything for our morning feast had been produced at this very farm – the strangely sweet milk, the butter that
tasted like frosting, the yogurt with the creamy top layer, the salty fresh cheese, the berry jam in the little glass bowls, the sliced salami, and even the egg just plucked from the hen house at dawn!
With attentive eyes wide, my eight-year-old Isabel reconsidered the offensive straw bits she had discovered stuck to the brown eggshell. A sixth-generation city slicker, she was not
used to tracing a connection between her food and its origins. However, at the farm, the link was obvious. For example, at check-in we received a key, a room tour, and an enameled pail. An hour later, emerging
from the barn with the same pail that now held our evening’s milk – so fresh from the cow it was still warm – my six-year-old Christina exclaimed, “The bucket’s hot!”
I crave relating what appears in my fourth-floor apartment kitchen to the earthy fields from which it comes. In today’s supermarkets, however, no recognizable animal shapes, no
feathers, no blood, no dirt, no leaves remain to hint at the former state of our groceries. Herr Hirtreiter, who runs the farmstay with his wife, is committed to helping townies experience the connection between
the land and our sustenance. Activities for guests include hiking to the high pasture where the farm’s cows graze on sweet wild grasses, which give their milk its distinctive flavor. Visitors also relish the
opportunity to help make cheese or ride on the tractor to bring back fresh hay for the horses.
In earlier times, agriculture was the area’s primary source of income, with tourism a distant second. Although most of the region’s farmhouses had an abundance of rooms for relatives
and hired help who were needed to bring in a harvest, toward the end of the nineteenth century wise farmers built on more rooms. “That story was added in 1902 for guests,” explained Hirtreiter, indicating the
third-floor balcony overflowing with geraniums. The farmers welcomed the extra income provided by wealthy families from Munich who, with their household staff, would settle in for a summer of cooler, cleaner,
refreshing Upper Bavarian air…
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Native German
by Joe Kolb
German and Navajo cultures share common ground in the vast American Southwest.
Goethe said: “Someone who does not know foreign languages knows nothing of their own.” For Navajo Indians in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, theirs is a language that has struggled
with survival for nearly one hundred fifty years. However, for a unique group of students at the University of New Mexico – Gallup Campus, which boasts the highest Native American enrollment of any college in
the United States, hundreds have immersed themselves in the language and culture of Germany.
Like a pied piper, Peter Handeland, has been the inspiration of this lineage of students that meanders through the maze of multi-syllabic words, guttural accents, umlaut
accentuation, and conjugated verbs which present a challenge to neophytes who even come from German ancestry.
Gallup, New Mexico, is an unlikely area where an academic German program would flourish. A satellite campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, UNM – Gallup is
surrounded by scenic red mesas, pinon trees, and tumbleweeds. The only similarity to an Alpine environment may be Gallup's six thousand five hundred feet above sea level altitude. The city, located two hours
west of Albuquerque, is affectionately referred to as the “Indian Capital of the World,” because of its proximity to the massive Navajo and Hopi Reservations and the Zuni Pueblo. And yet, for eighteen years
Handeland has been attracting Native American students, many of whom do not have a grasp of their tribal tongues, to the language of Goethe and Beethoven.
Handeland came to the United States from Berlin with his mother and stepfather in 1961 when he was seventeen years old. After acquiring degrees in German Literature and Education,
he eventually settled in Gallup in 1989 to teach at Gallup High School and to fulfill his lifelong ambition to immerse himself in Native American culture and language. Shortly after his arrival at Gallup High
School, the principal told him he was going to teach Navajo. Not knowing more than a half-dozen words, Handeland took classes in Navajo, an extremely difficult language to master, as well as visiting with
new-found Navajo friends. By mastering Navajo, Handeland found a sincere respect flourish with Navajo students and faculty members who admired him for respecting their language. As an adjunct faculty member in
the university's Sociology Department, Handeland also teaches classes in Reading for Nursing, Introduction to Sociology, and an honors class in Introduction to European Culture. However, it was German 101 and
102 that launched his unique following at the university.
Beth Miller, Ed.D, Dean of Instruction at the time, approached him and said she would like to see the language program expanded. The university currently taught classes in Navajo
and Spanish. However, because many science students from the two-year college ultimately transfer to four-year programs at the University's main campus in Albuquerque, she thought German would be a reasonable
option.
"So much scientific literature in the fields of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics is written in German," said Handeland who maintains his thick Berlin accent.
Gradually, the program picked up momentum and other students began enrolling in the classes, which are now regularly held in the fall and spring semesters, and have an average
enrollment of twenty-five students per session. He found that many of the students, mostly Navajo, were coming into the class not only because of their science majors, but they also boasted some kind of German
connection.
"We have many people from this area join the military and get stationed in Germany," said Handeland. "Either they want to learn the language before leaving or after
they return to develop a greater understanding of where they had been."
Nonabah Mahnke married a man of German descent from Minnesota and said her motivation for taking the class was an interest in learning a different foreign language, but also
"to see if what my husband says to me is real, or if he is just pulling my leg."
Travis Samuelson's father was also of German descent.
"Even though my parents are divorced and I live on the reservation, I want to expand my knowledge of my father's side of the family," said Samuelson. "German
culture and language interest me."
The majority of Navajo students in the class are either fluent in Navajo or can interpret the language and agree there is a correlation with German.
"The students like the sound of German," said Handeland, who has become fluent in Navajo. He often interrupts a lesson to compare the linguistic sounds each language
possesses and how the Navajos may actually have a natural propensity for German…
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Wernigerode – “The Colorful Town in the Harz Mountains”
by Zac Steger
If you are looking for a half-timbered delight, Wernigerode may be the hidden treasure you have always dreamed of.
It had been twelve years since the first time I visited Wernigerode during my first trip to Germany and, as the roads began to wind through the Harz Mountains into town, the
dramatic sight of the hillside castle made me more than excited to see the town again.
The Harz Mountains are filled with myths and mystery, including those of the witches on Walspurgisnacht. The area is also home to many wonderful small half-timbered towns,
including the two UNESCO World Heritage sites of Goslar and Quedlinburg. Often missing from many tourist books, Wernigerode is one of Germany’s most overlooked gems.
Wernigerode lies on two important routes in Germany, the “Deutsche Fachwerk Straße” (German Half-Timbered Road) and the “Straße der Romanik” (The Romanesque Road). It has one of
the most stunning castles in the Saxony-Anhalt and quite possibly the most beautiful Rathaus in all of Germany, as well as some of the most interesting half-timbered architecture.
Visitors to Wernigerode are first greeted by the magnificent fairy tale castle, which sits high above the town. Construction on the original Romanesque castle dates back to
between 1110 and 1120; however, little more than a few walls and foundations of that structure remain. The castle fell into some disarray following the Thirty Years’ War and, by the time Count Otto von
Stolberg-Wernigerode took over in 1858, the castle was in dire need of modernization. In 1862, along with his architect Carl Frühling, he initiated a major reconstruction that was completed with the inauguration
of the castle chapel in 1883. Today, the castle, with its blend of stone and half-timbered materials, is an important example of the North German “Historismus” (Historicism) building style.
The castle was built as the seat of the Counts of Wernigerode and, when their line ended, was passed to the Counts of Stolberg in 1429. For many years, the Counts continued to
reside at Stolberg until the eighteenth century, when Count Christian Ernst made it a permanent residence again. A portion of the castle was dedicated as a museum in 1930 and, following landing the land reform
of 1945, went through several stages of openings and closings based on political objections. The castle museum opened again in 1949 as a “Feudal Museum,” with many of the structures either covered up or
dismantled entirely by the communist government. It was not until Historicism was recognized as a building style in the 1970s that these interiors were again viewable.
Inside are some of the most beautifully decorated rooms in any castle in Germany. The oldest ancestral portraits are found in the main hall, which was the center of activity when
guests were on hand. The drawing room of Princess Anna von Stolberg-Wernigerode and the banquet hall are also highlights, as is the chapel.
From the castle, one can take a pleasant walk to the town, or take the small train that runs frequently up and down the steep hillside. Not much remains of the town’s medieval
protection; however, one can see portions of the town wall and gates. The Western Gate Tower is the only complete one of the original four towers from the fourteenth century…
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k.-k. or k.u.k.?
The Ausgleich or kiegyezés of 1867 and the Origins of the Dual Monarchy
by Robert A. Selig
For those interested in the history of Austria and/or Hungary, their readings on the Habsburg Empire (after the ruling family, the House of Habsburg) will include the term Ausgleich,
or Compromise, of 1867. They have also seen the empire referred to as the Doppelmonarchie or Dual Monarchy and have run across the abbreviations “k.–k.” and “k.u.k.” At first glance these terms seem to be
used interchangeably. More often than not, any explanation of the letters contents itself with the not very helpful clarification that one stands for kaiserlich-königlich and the other for kaiserlich und königlich,
that is, "imperial-royal" versus "imperial and royal." Few authors delve into the complicated historical processes behind this dualism of "imperial" versus "royal". Yet
these terms, more than any other, denote the character of the Doppelmonarchie that disintegrated in 1918 in a process that, almost ninety years later, is still running its course.
What then is the history behind these terms and what do they stand for? In legal terms, the Compromise of 1867 is defined as the set of constitutional agreements between the Hungarian
Parliament and Emperor Franz Joseph in his capacity as King of Hungary, between the Hungarian nation and the dynasty, not between Hungary and the rest of the empire, which restored the internal autonomy and
territorial integrity of the Hungarian or Transleithanian (that is, east of the River Leitha), part of the Habsburg Empire, thus creating the Dual Monarchy. The historical framework within which these
agreements, known as Law XII in Hungary, took place stretches as far back as the Pragmatic Sanction of 1719, which defined the Kingdom of Hungary as a component of the Habsburg Empire in perpetuity. Ethnic
background, language, and, to a certain degree, even religion were irrelevant in a polity that did not know the concept of a "nation" but rather bound ruler and subjects in a mutual bond of reciprocity
to each other.
Then came the French Revolution that turned subjects into enfants de la patrie, into "Sons of the Fatherland" in the immortal words of the Marseilleise. The
multi-ethnic Habsburg Empire that emerged from the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 was ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of the nineteenth century. Prince Clemens von Metternich's
policy of repression of the national aspirations of all ethnic groups, primarily the Germans and Hungarians but also the Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Croats, and Italians, collapsed in the Revolutions of 1848. The
enthusiastic support lent by the German-Austrian bourgeoisie to their fellow Germans across the borders in their attempt to create a German Nation State, as well as the Hungarian Revolt under Lajos Kossuth,
showed the deep in-roads that the concept of the ethnically defined nation-state had made in the Habsburg realm. Though concessions granted to these two ethnic groups in the "April Laws" for Hungary in
1848, which granted autonomy to the Hungarians, and the "Stadion Constitution" of March 1849 for the Germans, were repealed in the Sylvester Patent of 31 December 1851, the underlying issues remained
unsolved…
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LANGUAGE:
Wie englisch darf die deutsche Sprache sein?
Von Gert Niers
Als ich vor etwa 35 Jahren nach Amerika kam, hatte ich keine besonderen Schwierigkeiten, mich im hiesigen Sprachraum zurechtzufinden. Das einzige mir unvertraute Wortfeld bildeten die
Schimpfwörter, doch dieses Wissensdefizit war bald behoben. Wer im westlichen Nachkriegsdeutschland aufgewachsen war, nahm den Einfluss der englischsprachigen Kultur in all ihren Facetten bereitwillig, manchmal
gar begeistert auf. Ich denke da vor allem an das amerikanische Unterhaltungsgewerbe (Musik und Film). Natürlich hatte der englischsprachige Einfluss ganz massive politische Gründe: Englisch war nun einmal die
Sprache der westlichen Siegermächte. Alles, was auf Englisch ankam, musste logischerweise besser sein und die Botschaft einer besseren Welt enthalten.
Das betraf nicht nur politische Ideen von Demokratie und Freiheit, sondern auch (und vor allem) ein gigantisches Warenangebot – von Kaugummi bis zum Straßenkreuzer, von Coca Cola bis zu
Blue Jeans. Diese Aura des Besonderen versuchte sich eine ganze Branche von Zuträgern und Anmachern zunutze zu machen (und tut es heute noch): die Werbeindustrie.
Sinn und Zweck der Werbung ist es, den Verkauf einer Ware in Gang zu bringen, besonders wenn gar kein Bedarf für das jeweilige Produkt besteht oder der Markt bereits so gesättigt ist,
dass kaum noch Platz ist für eine weitere Produktvariante. Wie kann man nun jemandem suggerieren, etwas zu kaufen, das der/die Betreffende gar nicht braucht? Nur durch Verwirrung. Der Verbraucher wird so lange
und intensiv an der Nase herumgeführt, bis er bereit ist, der Werbung nachzugeben und sich auf den Kauf des angepriesenen Erzeugnisses einzulassen.
Wie stellt man am besten und nachhaltigsten Verwirrung her? Durch die Sprache. Diese Methode ist so alt wie die babylonische Sprachverwirrung. Es kommt darauf an, Sprachen und die damit
verbundenen Botschaften zu mischen, und zwar auf solche Weise, dass eine neue, den Verkauf fördernde Botschaft herauskommt. Dabei mischt man am besten Sprachbrocken ein, die von sich aus schon positiv aufgeladen
sind. Diese Eigenschaft kommt seit den ersten Nachriegsjahren in Deutschland der englischen Sprache zu. Das musste nicht immer so sein – früher konnte man auch mit Französisch oder Italienisch Eindruck schinden.
Am wirkungsvollsten ist dieser Verführungstrick, wenn der/die Angesprochene nicht genau weiß, was dieses oder jenes Wort der anderen Sprache bedeutet. Dann ist der Überrumpelungseffekt
stärker. Wer will sich schon etwas Gutes entgehen lassen, auch wann man nicht genau weiß, was es ist? Mit englischen Sprachfetzen kann man natürlich auch für sich selber oder für irgendwelche Ideen (oft
politischer Art) werben.
How English Should the German Language Be?
by Gert Niers
When I came to America about thirty-five years ago, it was not difficult to find my way around in this linguistic territory. The only unfamiliar vocabulary consisted of curse words, but
this deficit was soon eliminated. Someone who had grown up in the Western part of postwar Germany readily, sometimes even enthusiastically, absorbed the influence of English language culture in all its aspects.
I am thinking here especially about the American entertainment industry (music and film). Of course the English language influence had rather concrete political causes: English was simply the language of the
Western powers that had won World War II. Therefore, anything that presented itself in English must be of better quality and had to contain the message of a better world.
This train of thought did not only relate to political ideas of democracy and freedom, but also (and in particular) to a gigantic gamut of consumer items – from chewing gum to
super-sized automobiles, from Coca Cola to blue jeans. An entire branch of carriers and animators tried to benefit from this aura of the exquisite (and still does so today): the advertising industry.
The only purpose of advertising is to initiate the sale of merchandise, particularly if there is no need for such an item or when the market is already so saturated that there is no
opening for another variation of any given product. How is it possible to coach someone into buying something for which there exists no necessity? Only through confusion. Consumers are fooled so long and so
intensively that they are willing to surrender to the advertisement and to enter into the purchase of the praised product.
What is the best and most effective way to create confusion? Through language. This method is as old as the Babylonian language confusion. The trick is to mix languages and their
messages in such a way that a new message – strong enough to push the sale of the product – comes out of it. The best way to proceed is by mixing in linguistic bits and pieces that already have a positive
connotation. Since the early postwar years, it is the English language that has this quality in Germany. That was not necessarily the case all the time – at one point in the past, one could also impress people
with French or Italian.
This seductive trick is most effective when the person who is being addressed does not know exactly what this or that foreign language word means. In such a case the momentum of
surprise is stronger. After all, who would want to miss out on something good – even if one does not know exactly what this good thing is. Of course one can also use those English language scraps to advertise
oneself or any idea whatsoever (often of the political kind)…
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AT HOME:
Spread It On!
by Sharon Hudgins
Several years ago in Augsburg, German friends invited me to meet them at their favorite Weinstube (wine bar) for drinks before dinner. When the green-stemmed glasses of chilled white
wine arrived at our table, they were accompanied by a basket of fresh rye bread and a stoneware crock filled with something that looked like anemic butter studded with bacon bits.
After proposing a toast to our group, one of the men slathered a slice of bread with the soft spread from the crock and sprinkled a little salt on top.
"What is that?" I asked.
"Griebenschmalz," he replied, as he bit into the bread with a look of pure pleasure on his face. "Haven't you ever eaten it? It's delicious!"
As I spread some of the stuff on my own piece of bread, I thought it looked suspiciously like lard. And one taste confirmed my worst fears.
"Yuck!" I exclaimed. "How can you enjoy eating pure pork fat? And what about all that cholesterol?"
"Oh, the wine takes care of the cholesterol," he laughed. "And this Griebenschmalz is so good!"
A few years of living in Germany and eating my way around the country finally convinced me that Griebenschmalz can be just as tasty as butter on your bread – and probably no
worse for you in terms of calories and fat. Now, I'm usually the first one to dip my knife into the Schmalz crock on the table.
Schmalz is simply rendered pork, chicken, goose, or duck fat, which is used as both a cooking ingredient and a spread on bread. After the fat has been melted on the stove, it's
strained of any solids, left to thicken up at room temperature, and then stored in a cool place until needed. Rendered pork fat (aka lard) is especially popular in Germany, although chicken and goose fat are
favored by people who don't eat pork.
Grieben are pork cracklings made by cooking small cubes of pork fat (with a little of the meat attached) until the fat has melted and the solid bits that remain are brown and
crisp. These are left in the rendered fat as it cools, and they give a nice crunchy texture and bacony taste to the Griebenschmalz when it's spread on bread. Diced apple, minced onion, marjoram, thyme, and salt are also sometimes mixed with pork or goose fat to add flavor to this old-fashioned German spread.
Schmalzbrot (rye bread spread with Schmalz) is often sold at German beer and wine festivals, because the fat coats your stomach and slows down the effects of the alcohol.
You'll also find Schmalz served in many restaurants in Germany, from upscale urban eateries to beer halls and down-home country inns. Usually the Schmalz comes to the table in a stoneware crock or little individual ceramic pots, along with a basket of rye or pumpernickel bread, to accompany your first glass of wine or mug of beer. However, don't dally: Eat the Schmalz
soon, because it's customary for the spread to be taken away when the first course of your meal arrives…
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FAMILY RESEARCH:
Adoptee Born in Germany Finds Large Family
By James M. Beidler
When an adoptee searches for a birthmother in his or her own country, there are loads of challenges such as privacy issues but add an international search’s language barriers and other
difficulties, and the challenges become immense.
German Life reader David Bishop, however, is one adoptee that has surmounted those hurdles – and gained a huge biological family in the bargain. Bishop, a
Canadian citizen who lives in the United States, was born Klaus Dieter Miersch in 1959 and was adopted in 1960 at the age of ten months.
“I’ve known since the age of five,” Bishop says, “and went through life with the usual questions – where did I come from, etc.”
Bishop knew his birthmother’s name but figured that because she was an unwed mother that she would be next to impossible to find. He started searching nonetheless about three
years ago by going to some adoptee Internet websites and putting up postings seeking information.
Then in February 2006 Bishop received an email from Angela Shelley about a for-pay search service in Germany. “The amazing thing is I didn’t delete it before reading it,” he said.
“It was in my junk email box.”
In just a month, Shelley found both of Bishop’s parents, who never married each other but had eleven children from the spouses they did marry. “It was obviously the happiest day
of my life, next to the birth of my son,” Bishop said.
His mother had five children; her husband had known about her other child, but none of her children did.
Bishop’s mother also knew where his father was – she was still in occasional contact with him. He was married with six children, all of who knew about Bishop and had searched for him in
the past. “My adoptive father was a military man, so we were always moving. Good luck ever finding me!” Bishop said.
The birthmother even offered to contact the birthfather for Shelley, who commented that there is a saying in German, alte Liebe rostet nicht (“old love never rusts”).
Bishop’s birthmother sent along pictures of her family, and reported to Shelley that the birthfather welcomed the news about contact with the long-lost child…
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CALENDAR:
July
Milwaukee, WI
July 27-29: German Fest. Summerfest grounds. Visit www.germanfest.com or call 414-464-9444.
August
Frederick, MD
First Friday of the month: Der Stammtisch at Brewer’s Alley, 124 N. Market Street. Call 301-631-0127.
Indianapolis, IN
First Wednesday and first Saturday of the month: Docent-led tours of the Athenaeum at 401 East Michigan Street. Call 317-251-8658 or E-Mail shenselmeier@iquest.net .
Columbus, OH
August 3-5: Brats & Crafts Festival at St. James Lutheran Church. E-Mail kenandmarymusik@yahoo.com or call 937-642-4135.
Liverpoool, NY
August 5: Bavarian Fest at Longbranch Park. Visit www.bavarianclublamenrausch.org or call 315-447-3268.
Scranton, PA
August 5: 101st German Day Summerfest. Visit www.waldorparktiki.com or call 570-586-9721 or 570-348-2285.
Harmony, PA
August 11: Antique Gun Show at Harmony Museum’s Stewart Hall. Visit www.harmonymuseum.org, E-Mail hmuseum@fyi.net , or call 888-821-4822.
Oregon, OH
August 11: 33rd Annual Kornfest. Call 419-472-9724 or 419-475-4712.
Harmony, PA
August 11: German Dinner at Harmony Museum’s Stewart Hall. Reservations required. Visit www.harmonymuseum.org , E-Mail hmuseum@fyi.net , or call 888-821-4822.
San Antonio, TX
August 17: Gartenkonzert. Call 210-222-1521.
Leavenworth, WA
August 18: Great Bavarian Walk and Wine Tasting. Visit www.leavenworth.org or call 509-548-5807.
Buffalo Grove, IL
August 18-19: 130th Cannstatter Volksfest. Visit www.schwabenverein.org or call 630-653-1716.
Atlanta, GA
August 25: Atlanta German Bierfest at Atlantic Station. Call 678-244-1528 or visit www.germanbierfest.com .
Miami, FL
August 25: Accordion Concert. German American Social Club of Miami. Visit www.germanamericanclub-miami.org or call 305-552-5123.
Hagerstown, MD
August 25-26: Augustoberfest. Visit www.augustoberfest.org , E-Mail kgiffin@hagerstownmd.org or call 301-739-8577, ext. 116.
Berea, OH
August 31-September 2: 3rd Annual Berea Labor Day Oktoberfest at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. Visit www.bereaoktoberfest.com .
September
Frederick, MD
First Friday of the month: Der Stammtisch at Brewer’s Alley, 124 N. Market Street. Call 301-631-0127.
Indianapolis, IN
First Wednesday and first Saturday of the month: Docent-led tours of the Athenaeum at 401 East Michigan Street. Call 317-251-8658 or E-Mail shenselmeier@iquest.net .
Glendale, WI
September 7-9, 14-16, 21-23: Bavarian Oktoberfest. Visit www.bavarianinnmilw.com or call 414-462-9147.
Covington, KY
September 7-9: 29th Annual MainStrasse Village Oktoberfest. Visit www.mainstrasse.org or call 859-491-0458.
Waupun, WI
September 7-9: Annual Volksfest. Call 920-324-2610.
Chicago, IL
September 7-9: 87th Annual German American Fest. Call 630-653-3018 or E-Mail germanday@hotmail.com .
Chicago, IL
September 8: 42nd Annual Steuben Parade. Lincoln Avenue between Irving Park Road and Lawrence Avenue. Call 630-653-3018 or visit www.germanday.com .
Walpole, MA
September 8-9: Oktoberfest. Visit www.germanclub.org or call 508-660-2018.
Mount Angel, OR
September 13-16: 42nd Annual Mount Angel Oktoberfest. Visit www.oktoberfest.org , E-Mail jerry@oktoberfest.org , or call 503-845-6882.
Cincinnati, OH
September 14-16: Oktoberfest. Kolping Center, 10235 Mill Road. Call 513-923-3743.
Chippewa Falls, WI
September 14-16: Oktoberfest at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. Visit www.chippewachamber.org, E-Mail info@chippewachamber.org , or call 866-723-0340.
Lancaster, PA
September 14-16: Lancaster Liederkranz Oktoberfest. Visit www.lancasterliederkranz.com/id32.htm or call 717-898-8451.
Shepherdstown, WV
September 16: Bavarian Inn Oktoberfest. Visit www.bavarianinnwv.com or call 304-876-2551.
San Antonio, TX
September 21: Gartenkonzert. Call 210-222-1521.
Kansas City, MO
September 21-23: Oktoberfest. Visit www.kcoktoberfest.org or call 816-421-1539.
Philadelphia, PA
September 22-23: German-American Steuben Parade and Banquet. Visit www.steubenparade.com or call 215-332-3400.
Serbin, TX
September 23: 19th Annual Wendish Fest. Call 979-366-2441 or E-Mail wendish@bluebon.net
Waukesha, WI
September 27-29: Oktoberfest/German Car Show. Weissgerber’s Gasthaus. E-Mail gasthaus@weissgerbergroup.com or call 262-544-4460.
Hillsborough, NH
September 29: 5th Annual Schnitzelfest. Visit www.hillsboroughnhchamber.com , E-Mail hcofc@conknet.com , or call 603-464-5858.
Wolf Creek, OR
September 29-30. Oktoberfest. Visit www.thewolfcreekinn.com or call 541-866-2474.
Cullman, AL
September 30: Oktoberfest Visit www.cullmanoktoberfest.com or call 800-533-1258.
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