Following the Signs

Germans go to the polls today! Coming from a completely different political system, I don't really understand everything that is happening, but I am fascinated by the efficiency and the civility of the process. Political debates seem to stick to the issues, candidates let each other speak, and I didn't hear any personal attacks (or of I did, I didn't understand them!). Compared to what we have become used to in the US, the elections here seem, well, kind-of boring. I miss that.

In the US, we just have a two-party system. Here there are many, many parties; there is even one with pirates! 😊





Here no single party usually gets a majority of the votes, so parties have to form a coalition government (they have to work together?!). That's about as much as I have read about the German political system. So, this is not an in-depth report on German politics; most of my information comes from political signs.  (I'm still learning German, ok? Pictures help!)  Judging by the numbers of signs out there, it's easy to tell which parties are the major ones: the Christian Democrats (CDU), Chancellor Merkel's party; and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), whose candidate for the chancellorship is Martin Schulz.






The CDU is the center-right party. Americans will probably recognize the "Law and Order" slogan (top left), but the rest wouldn't fly in an American conservative party: making things easier for families? Quoting Obama to entice voters? Check out the sign about taxes (bottom right). Roughly translated, it says, "He who has a business here, must pay taxes here." NOWHERE does anyone suggest lowering taxes.











The SPD is center-left, but their signs look like the CDU's in some ways. The SPD is for keeping the EU, and it also mention families (see below). One difference is that the SPD campaigns on equal pay for women.



The SPD family policy is "loud and demanding"... looks like my kindergarten class! 





Political parties were only allowed to put up signs in early August for the September 24 election, which makes for a pretty short election cycle (yea!). You can't get too deep into a party's beliefs with their signs, but you can get feel for their focus, and children and families were a central theme. While the CDU and SPD mention families, the Green Party specifically mentions fighting child poverty.
The Freie Demokratie" Party--the pro-business party--focuses on education ("backpacks change the world, not briefcases.")





The AfD is concerned about children as well, but AfD wants those kids to be German (see below). I don't know much about German politics, but it was pretty easy to pick out AfD as the anti-immigrant party. Babies, bikinis, Dirndls...not exactly a platform. (You can see more AfD signs, including ones that are more crass, here.


Some of their signs in Berlin were vandalized last weekend ("Voting for AfD is so 1933").




Personally, I like the Green party's signs, though I dare say none of these slogans would get any traction in the U.S.



Some of my absolute favorites comes from Die Linke, the left, probably because they would be political suicide across the pond. Have you ever seen a political sign encouraging taxing millionaires to benefit children? Or asking for more workers in the healthcare industry?




There are even more smaller parties, too, though I don't know how many votes they'll get....

The Communist party: "Health as a commodity? That's sick!" 

...and if anyone has any idea what this one is about, please let me know.

Eisenach

I love castles, and there are so many in Germany. One that has been on my list for a long time is the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach.

downtown Eisenach

Eisenach is a picturesque town in its own right, but most people go to Eisenach to see the Wartburg Castle. The thing about castles is that they are usually way above the town...

The hike up there is worth it for the view, though.

Even for a castle, the Wartburg is REALLY old: the main hall was built in 1155.  The castle is pretty well-known thanks to a famous visitor it had nearly 500 years ago. In 1521, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church, and he hid out in the Wartburg Castle.  He used his time at the Wartburg to translate the New Testament of the Bible into German.

Martin Luther's room at the castle, presumably where he wrote his translation of the Bible

chapel inside the castle

It's a BIG castle!

Road Signs

Road construction seems to be a constant just about everywhere. At least in Germany they have a sense of humor about it.

Six more kilometers of construction work :(

four more kilometers....

it's getting better...

DONE! :)

Freyenstein

When I went to Freyenstein for the first time in 2003, I didn't really know what I was doing. I knew that my great-grandmother's family had come from a town called Freyenstein; I just didn't know which Freyenstein (there are two in Germany, one in Switzerland).  I was on a mission, though, and within 48 hours of arriving in Germany, I set out on the Autobahn in a rented Fiat and headed for the nearest Freyenstein, determined to find the birthplace of my ancestors.

After a few construction detours, confusing one-way streets and traffic circles, and an almost complete inability to ask for (or understand) help, my resolve began to give way to frustration and fear.  “What am I doing driving around by myself in a country whose language I don’t speak?  What if this isn’t even the right town?  Why can’t I get this car to go in reverse???” 

Just then, as I passed the same building for the third time in Freyenstein’s neighboring town, Wittstock, a song began playing on the radio that I had never heard before. It was Harry Belafonte singing: Ma-til-da! Ma-til-da! Matilda, she take me money and she go Venezuela!  Everbody! Ma-til-da…

Matilda—as in my great-great-grandmother whose parents and in-laws came from Freyenstein, as in the woman my grandmother was named after.  I didn’t know if the Germans believed in “signs” like other cultures do, but at that moment I smiled and thought, if there ever was a sign from above, this was it.  I was headed to THE Freyenstein. 

the road to Freyenstein (not the main road--I have no idea how I found this one)

I had a good time in Freyenstein. A few weeks before going, I had emailed the town's librarian, Christine, and told her that I was trying to find out some information about my ancestors. Christine had arranged all kinds of things for me--first, I was given a tour of the church, and then the castle; I was even interviewed by the local newspaper.  While I was being interviewed, Christine went to the hair salon next door and told everyone there why I was in town, and one of the ladies came over and let me know we were probably (very distantly) related.

Town square in Freyenstein (2003)

Before I move back to Texas, I wanted to visit Freyenstein again. This trip was a lot more subdued than the last one. There weren't as many cars on the square or as many people on the streets. It seems that more and more people in this former East German town are doing the same as my great-great-grandparents: moving away in search of better opportunities. Though it appeared almost deserted, Freyenstein still had its charm.

town square in Freyenstein (2014)

St. Marienkirche, across from the square

the old castle

side street two blocks from the town square

the "new" castle (built in the 15th century) getting a facelift

One thing that Freyenstein has now that was not around in 2003 is an archaelogical park.  The original Freyenstein was destroyed in 1287 and residents then decided to move the town to its current location (across the lake).  Old Freyenstein is now carefully being dug up and displayed. There is still a lot of work to be done there, but Freyenstein is hoping this will bring more people to the town.

old East German mural on the partially-remodeled school building where the archaeological museum is
 

more work to be done at the park

Bayern-München!

Before last weekend, I had only been to Munich once on a tour in high school. The only thing I really remember from that quick run-through was watching the Glockenspiel with the crowd.

This time I watched the Glockenspiel, too, but the big event for me was going to the Bayern-München soccer game at Allianz Arena. The game itself wasn't that exciting, but just being there was. I wasn't sure what to expect, because I had seen groups of rowdy fans around Munich that day. For a pro sport game, it was all so civilized. It was more like a tennis or golf crowd. When a good effort was made on either side, the crowd clapped. When something happened that the crowd didn't appreciate (e.g., a foul not being called), the stadium erupted, but not in boos or screams. The crowd WHISTLED very loudly. When Bayern-München scored a goal, the announcer asked the crowd for the score, for which he then thanked them (and they responded in kind):

Announcer: Bayern-München?

Crowd: ZWEI!

A: Leverkusen?

C: NULL!

A: Danke!

C: BITTE! 

Bayern-München and Leverkusen before the game 

It was all so polite--at least, on the Bayern side. I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure I heard "Scheiss auf" in one of the opposing teams' chants. If you go to Allianz Arena, you probably don't want to be in the opposing teams' section; you won't be allowed to take food or drinks to your seats. I don't know why...maybe you will throw it at the FC Bayern fans? I did hear from a reliable source that the men's room in the guest section had been trashed. So, maybe some concern is justified. 

Driving past the Allianz Arena after Bayern-München's win 

It's Always Sunny in Pforzheim

Reading the news online this morning, I found this:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/02/07/fox_news_expert_on_solar_energy_germany_gets_a_lot_more_sun_than_we_do_video.html


I had a good laugh about this one. Solar power works in Germany, because Germany gets more sun than the U.S.! On a link to the article, one German identified as 3Nerd quipped, "As a German I must say I'm sorry for my fellow Americans. You must live in complete darkness." 

I started thinking, though, that I may be giving the wrong impression on my blog, since nearly all of my pictures are of sunny Germany. Germany is a beautiful country, and I like to post pictures that show it in a, eh, good light, but the truth is, the sky can be overcast and eerily gray an awful lot of the time.  So, here are a few of the many photos that didn't make the cut before:

above, Frankfurt in August; below, Frankfurt in April

 

 

The sun was trying to come out in September for the Rhine River tour, and it did--for a while. There was, however, no chance for sun in Hamburg in November.

 

 

 

 downtown Berchtesgaden just before the rain (October)

beautiful Passau through the mist (October)

I could go on (and on), but I think you get the idea.

New New Year's Resolutions

Last year, one of my new year's resolutions was to visit at least 10 cities/towns on my "German list".  Well, I almost made it:

1. AACHEN

Charlemagne's throne is in this Cathedral. You have to go on a special tour to see it ...and I didn't.

 

 

 

2. BAMBERG

 

 I visited Bamberg three times (!!!) this year with visitors. I may need to go back and take better pictures, though. My photos don't do it justice.

Above: Bamberg in May, and below Bamberg in December

  

    

 

3. BERCHTESGADEN

 

 This one should go back on my list...the trip was too short. I want to go back!

 

 

4. FREIBURG 

Sunny stop for lunch on the way to France last summer

 

 

 

5. KÖLN

I need to do a blog post just about Köln!



 

 

 

6. NUREMBERG

 I cheated a little by having this one on the list, since I knew I would be going there on the school trip.

 

 

 

7.  PASSAU

Amazing view from the hostel in the Oberhaus fortress...I highly recommend it, if only for the view!

 

 

 

 

8. QUEDLINBURG...I did manage to blog about this one here.

 

 

 

I was close to my goal, but I didn't make it...so, that means I have to try harder this year!   I've decided a new goal is for me to have visited all of the 16 states in Germany, and I don't need that many (Bremen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saarland, Thüringen). I also found out about some cool places on top of the other cool places I didn't get to visit last year, so here is my revised list for 2013:

 

1. Bastei

2. Bremen*

3. Dessau

4. Eisenach* (Wartburg Castle)

5. Garmisch

6. Hildesheim

7. Lübbenau

8. Lüneburg

9. Mettlach/Saarschleife*

10. Rüdesheim (during the Christmas market)

11. Rügen or Stralsund*

12.Sylt or Amrum

13. Weimar*

*These cities represent states that I must visit!

 



 

I'm going to try to make it to at least ten of these places this year.  Another of my new year's resolutions is to average three blog entries per month...so far, so good!