The State of Brandenburg (Homework for 9/28/2010)

-In the middle ages, Brandenburg was known as Margraviate of Brandenburg.
-At one point, Brandenburg was the heart of the Free State of Prussia.

-This, below, is a picture of the Prussian coat of arms.



http://homepage.newschool.edu/het//schools/historic.htm


-Here is a map of the Prussian Empire in 1871.




http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atlas/prussia.htm

-In 1952, the East German government dissolved the state of Brandenburg and divided up the land into several new districts.
-The State of Brandenburg was reunited and reestablished in 1990.
-The Capital of Brandenburg is Potsdam.

(Follow the link below for photograph of Potsdam. If I were to post it in the blog, it would cause sidescroll, because it is so big).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_photograph_of_Potsdam.jpg


-Total population is 2,511,525 as of the last day of 2009.
-This state is approximently 1/8th the size of Minnesota.
-The Social Democratic Party got the majority of votes (33%) in the September, 2009 elections.
-Matthias Platzeck of the SDP party is, and has been, the Ministers President of Brandenburg since 2002.



http://www.merkur-online.de/nachrichten/politik/platzeck-wieder-ministerpraesident-brandenburg-518901.html


Sources: http://www.wikipedia.com/ on 9/28/2010.

Final Questions of German Class Competition

Question. Which political party had the greatest percent of votes in the May 9th, 2010 election in NRW?
Ansewer. Christian Democratic Union, with 34.6%

Question. What was the precursor to the treaty of Westphalia?
Answer. The Concordat of Worms

Question. What street is this building on? (picture of a building)
Answer. It is the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche, located on Werderscher Strasse in Berlin.

Question. This structure is a key location in which German film? (picture of a structure)
Answer. Run, Lola, Run or Lola Rennt

Question. Held in Berlin, what are the German equivalent to the British Pop Awards?
Answer. Echo Awards.

Question. What famous novel, anonymously written in the early 13th century, ends with the death of all key characters?
Answer. Nibelungenlied.

Question. Where is this statue and what is it depicting? (picture of statue of animals)
Answer. It is in Bremen, Germany, and it is depicting the Bremen town musicians.

Question. Which German car was the first one to be built solely outside of Germany?
Answer. The BMW Z3

First 15 Questions For Class Competition (Team 1)

 Question 1. What are the two restaurants/bars in Germany where you can dine completely in the dark?
Answer. Unsicht-Bar in Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg. Nocti Vagus in Berlin.

Question 2. Germany is the second most populous country in Europe. Which is the first?
Answer. Russia.

Question 3. On Saturday, September 25th, Munich will be hosting a pop sensation. Who is it? Where are they from?

Answer. Kate Nash, Britain.

Question 4.  What German ruler backed Martin Luther from very early on, and ensured his safety after he was declare an outlaw?

Answer. The Duke of Saxony.

Question 5. What German state rapidly rose to a first-class military power between 1670 and 1740?

Answer. Prussia.

Question 6. Who is this? (it shows a picture of a man)

Answer. Richard Wagner.

Question 7. Who is this? (it shows a picture of a woman)

Answer. Franka Potenta.

Question 8. What was the name of the movie where German actress Angelica Domroese plays the sister of a man named Jens?

Answer. Die Legende von Paul und Paula

Question 9. These three men founded a video game company located in Germany; what is the name of their company and who are they? (it shows a picture of three men)

Answer. The company's name is Crytek, and the names of the men are Cevat, Avni, and Faruk Yerli.

Question 10. Who spoke at the Ingolstaedter Muenster church in Ingolstadt, Germany on 24.4.10.?

Answer. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Defense Minister Karl-Theodorezu Guttenberg, in a service for four soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Question 11. Why were King Ludwig the Second's castles opened up for tourism shortly after his death?

Answer. To pay for the cost of building them.

Question 12. Which of King Ludwig the Second's castles in Bavaria was the only one to be finished before his death?

Answer. Linderhof.

Question 13. What is the oldest flowering plan in Germany?

Answer. A rose bush at St. Mary's Cathedral in Hildeshein.

Question 14. What are the 7 inhabited Frisian Islands?

Borkum, Juist, Norderney, Baltrum, Langeook, Spiekeroog, Wangerooge.

Question 15. This character from the Shrek movies is based off lore from Lower Saxony.

Answer. The Pied Piper.

German Radio (Assignment for 9/20/2010)

Bolded words in quotations are from the German professors blog about this assignment.


"Are Mass Media more globalized than the people who consume them?"
Yes, but the Mass Media effects people so much, that it will gradually start making the cultures across the globe more and more similiar.

"What does it mean when patterns across the Western globe are so similar?"

It means the world is becoming a smaller place due to the way that Mass Media is connecting everyone.

"Where do cultural differences "survive" if media do not carry them - or do they?"

They survive in places like school and church, where traditions of ancestors are appreciated and carried forward.

"What can you say about Radio in Germany?"

It is very similiar to how it is other places, just with a German twist to it.

German Newspapers (Assignment for 8/20/2010)

The best thing I discovered about Germans newspapers is that they have my favorite cartoon - Dilbert - in the German language! I was not aware that Germany imported comic strips from America, so it was very cool to see that. I also discoverd that there is nudity in German newspapers, which is completely unheard of in America. In the political section there is a whole section about Afganastan, which most Americans would be surprised by, because we forget that there are German soliders in Afganastan. Given that many nations will not support America's fight in that country, it would seem important to remember the German's are supporting us, yet this fact goes unnoted. This is sad, but this kind of ignorance is not uncommon, unfortunetly. There are more differences between the styles of the newspapers, but basically, there is more similarities than differences with the American newspapers; the culture behind them is what makes them distinct.

German Project for 9/15/2010

The Bodensee shares borders with Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  With a total of 273 Kilometers of shoreline, most of it is German, with 173 Kilometers.  72 Kilometers are Swiss and the remaining 28 Kilometers borders Austria.  International lawyers consider the Bodensee to be the only lake to never have clearly defined borders.  The bodensee is the third largest lake in central Europe and reaches depths of 250 meters, but a large majority of the lake is not that deep.  The lake has 11 islands, one of which, Reichenau, is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The lake almost never freezes thoroughly.  The lake has only frozen thoroughly 32 times since 875 A.D.  The last reported freezing was in 1963.

http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/bodensee.htm

http://blogs.gonomad.com/wp-content/blogpics/beourguest/P8090074-763661.JPG

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kiemce/worldtrip2006/1149786000/tpod.html

Bodensee and Berchtesgaden

Bodensee

The Bodensee or Lake Constance is a lake at  the northern foot of the Alps.  It  has three parts the Obersee or upper lake, the Untersee or lower lake, and the  Seerhein which is a stretch of the Rhine. The Bodensee is located in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.  The lake is 39 miles long and 9 miles wide at it’s widest. It has an elevation of 1,296 feet. The lake was formed by the Rhine Glacier during the Ice Age. The shores are lined by orchards,vineyards, meadows, and pastures along with a few ancient towns and villiages.

http://www.interchalet.co.uk/

Berchtesgaden National Park                                          http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/holidays/

Berchtesgaden National Park is the lone alpine national park to be found in Germany. In this national park the Watzmann massif can be found, which is the third highest peak in the nation. Only very skilled climbers dare to attempt to climb this mountain. There is also Koenigssee, which is a glacier lake. This lake was well-loved by the Bavarian royal family; in fact, the name – when translated into English – is King’s Lake. The water in this lake is the most pure in all of Germany, and only electric boats are the only powered crafts allowed on it. The geography of this park features the Berchtesgaden Alps, many valleys, and abundant forest. The animals and wildlife in the national park include golden eagles, red foxes, roe deer, and griffon vultures. The best time to visit is in summer. This national park is relatively remote, with the closest town (Berchtesgaden) being three miles – or five kilometers – away.

                                

Berlin Project: Berlin Buildings

My partner for this project is Shelby Gunderson.


Kollhoff Tower


-It is 101 meters tall.
-It is 23 floors.
-It is a skyscraper constructed after the fall of the Berlin wall.
-It has Europe’s fastest elevator in it that reaches speeds of 8.5 meters per second.
-This skyscraper was completed in 1999.
-The ground floor is home to many restaurants and shops while the upper floors are used as office space.
-On the 24th and 25th floors there is an open-air viewing area with a history of the area and a café with an outdoor terrace.


Brandenburg Gate
-The Brandenburg Gate was built in the 18th century as a symbol of peace.
-During the cold war the gate symbolized a divided city since it was located at the border of East and West Berlin.
-Since the fall of the Berlin Wall the gate has become a symbol of reunified Berlin.
-The gate was designed by Carl Gotthard and commissioned by emperor Wilhelm II.
-The design was based on the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens.
-In 1958 after world war II the gate was restored by East Berlin, while West Berlin funded the reconstruction of the Quadriga.


Berliner Fernsehturm


This 1,207 foot high observation tower was built in 1969, and designed by architects Fritz Dieter and Günter Frankt. The stairway leading to the top consists of 986 steps. The tower belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers. It is the most visible structure in all of Berlin because of its height. It is the tallest building in Germany. When the suns shines down on the tower, the symbol of a cross appears. This was not intended by the atheist Soviets who ruled East Germany, and they tried desperately to stop the cross from appearing, yet they were never successful.


Französischer Dom


This is a cathedral which was built between the years 1701 and 1705 for French Huguenot refugees. It was designed by architects Louis Cayart and Abraham Quesnay. Carl Von Gontard designed and built the dome of the cathedral in 1785. Französischer Dom is not technically a cathedral because it has never had a bishop; however, it is generally considered to be one. Other attractions in this building are a restaurant beneath the prayer hall, and a Huguenot museum.


Websites used:
http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/brandenburgertor.htm
http://www.panoramapunkt.de/en/views.html

http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=building&lng=3&id=kollhofftower-berlin-germany
www.aviewoncities.com 9/3/10

http://www.wikipedia.org/ 9/3/10