Christianity in Germany: Fueling the Fire or Putting out the Flames?

Germany had long battled between different forms of religion, eventually taking up a major Protestant influence in their newly united nation. At the last point of our reading, we read through the development of this German nation into one, united space. Now, what were they to do with this unity? It is no secret that Germans were not without corruption in many forms, and war was on its mind next. Now that Germany had some power, it was almost too eager to use it. However, throughout these endeavors of prosperous times and war, there is a common factor between Christianity and these events taking place. Could Christianity be the shining light that Germans desire, or could it be the fire destroying it? Throughout multiple instances we see Christianity taking part in both stances; Germany was unified under a strong, Christian ideology, but it created a barrier between Germany itself. Although this time from the Great War to the end of the Second World War seems to be highly influenced by politics, Christianity and religion in general created quite a stir, leading in both positive and negative outcomes.

A map of religion in Germany after unification and pre-wars - Predominantly religious between Catholics and Protestants

One could say that the Great War began with Christian motives behind it. Although it started behind political regimes, some were urging "people to see themselves as the agents of God's will," even depicting the enemies of them as "the embodiment of Satan" (192). In certain cases, such as this, one would say that Christianity fueled the fire of the war that became World War I. To Germans, they were simply following their Protestant pastor's advice of doing God's work. Would Christian Germans today desire to follow that biblical wish? To think back, Martin Luther worked very hard to make sure all Germans had access to the good teachings of the Bible. He wanted it to be a happy, personal encounter. This new notion that lead to WWI leads religion to be a destroyer and not a personal happiness at all. Martin Luther did not risk his life for biblical teachings to be seen as this. This war brought war upon the world and Germany and also a civil war, following multiple hardships including dollar inflation and deflation, finally ending at a point of some prosperity before the rise and fall of Weimar. The short rise and decline of Weimar lead to a rise in the Nationalist Socialist party that would allow Hitler to rise to power.

Martin Luther's bible - was it saving Germany or destroying it?

Hitler, in fact, was tied with religion and therefore, that ties religion back to Germany. Although Hitler believed that "he alone proclaimed the truth faith" (230). Hitler's National Socialist Party followed him greatly, and were excited to know that Weimar was dead; they celebrated like it was the Second Coming (245). At this point in time, Hitler was high-ruling and had a plan that was tied to his religious beliefs. Also at this time, Lutheranism was gaining popularity, as well, and those people even formed the Confessing Church, "whose members tirelessly attacked the National Socialists despite government reprisals and arrests" (253). At this point, it seems like religion vs. religion; shouldn't religion bring people together and not apart?

Overall, Hitler's beliefs were in his belief, to be biblical.

To explain, he believed in the Aryan group, which are "the bringers of light and redemption, a group of people who merely by belonging to a particular "race" embodied everything evil, bad, and deviant" and Hitler's group identified this as the Jews (254). Essentially, Aryans were the master race and Jews were simply in the way. The government at the time also implemented laws that were seen as "from above" (255). In which religion, especially one such as Christianity, would accept the targeting of a group to be right and gracious in God's sight? During this time, Hitler's deep desire for war and power to raise up a group of people that were more desirable lead to a second World War. To embody Hitler's belief, the book put it amazingly, "Hitler believed only select, homogenous peoples were capable of establishing a lasting empire, and that the Aryan race was hindered in its pursuit of the one through the divisive and corrupting nature of its age-old adversary, the Jews" (271). 

A surprising picture of Hitler leaving a church after praying. He was religious, after all.

The Second World War was upon Germany, and Hitler was more than ready. In the meantime, "cathedrals, palaces, and old town centers went up in flames" (278). Now, cathedrals and other religious places were being torn down. Where is the religious righteousness physically and in the hearts of Germans at this time? Eventually, Hitler, like the towns and cathedrals, went down, as well.  After the Second World War, we see Christianity righteousness become prevalent again in the rise of the Christian Democratic Union, as a new party (290). A leader of that party became a big name in German's recreation (yet again).

Overall, we can see Christianity playing a major role in the development of two wars. This interests me greatly because Germans fought for so long to be free of the Holy Roman Empire and have their religious choice, which ended up being predominantly Protestant. The unity only could last so long religiously, and it seemed to come together to tear them apart. The religious views of politicians lead them to more wars, destruction physically and also mentally and emotionally. The premise of a religion is essentially to bring people together, and Christianity, in particular, had a large part in bringing the Germans down once again. However, it interests me that it helped bring it back up again. People like Hitler misunderstand what religion is all about; this is clear because he believed he was the one who had the true faith. These people who take it too far are the ones who bring Germany down. The ones who see religion clearly are the ones to bring it back up, like those members of the Confessing Church and also those who formed the new political party. It also interests me that before that political party, mixing religion and politics was the reason Germany went into two more wars, but it came together again to make a righteous political party. Overall, Christianity can be seen as both a fuel to the fire and also putting out the flames of German demolition. 

This picture symbolizes my paper - the destruction and starting of recreating of a church in Dresden after it was bombed in the war. The church played a major role in the demolition and the rebuilding of Germany in this time. 

Word Count: 1,036 (not including picture captions)

Works Cited: 

Schulze, Hagen. Germany: A New History. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1998. Print. 

http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_image.cfm?image_id=1339

https://stevehyde.wordpress.com/2010/11/01/luthers-bible/

http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/did-you-know-that-adolf-hitler-was-a-christian/question-793883/

http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/travel/intdestinations/dresden-travel/2.html

Finally, A United Germany

If someone were to describe Germany today, they would describe it as a united country. If you asked for a description of Germany around 30 years ago, it would be seen as divided between East and West Berlin/Germany. If this question of Germany was asked around the mid-1800's, no one would be able to identify Germany physically, as it was divided among many provinces. In fact, "the actual significance of the term "Germany" remained elusive..."German" still referred only to a language, nothing more, and at times even the prospects for its future were murky"(Schulze 86). It is easy to forget where our roots lie, in today's society. It is vital to look back on German history for this class to understand where Germany came from and how it built itself up (through many hardships) from 300 or more provinces into one, strong country, as we see today.

This is a visual representation of what the Holy Roman Empire looked like in 1789; this is a wonderful representation of the separation of Germany before the unification.

After large events like The Thirty Years War that destroyed Germany and the Treaty of Westphalia which separated Germany, we see a decline of the Holy Roman Empire and an uprising in the power of stronger, united countries, like France. The fall of the Holy Roman Empire (eventually destroyed by France in 1806) finally gave Germany its rights to become a nation, where they could all be German, however, most Germans did not seek or desire this unification because they were so separated. The decline of this Empire was just the beginning for a physically and emotionally united Germany. However, the increasing power of France brought Germany down, as it was a destroyed, weak country. To identify Germany at this point (early-1800's), we should call it Prussia.

This depiction of Prussia helps us define the borders and location that is Prussia, as it is crucial to our understanding of German unification. 

Prussia was in and out of country-wide despair. There were multiple rebellions from its citizens because of famine, disagreements, etc (92). In order to be successful in having a chance against the powerhouse of France, Prussia did the most inconceivable thing and joined forced with Austria; this would be a short-lived partnership. This partnership correlated in time with the partnership of France and Russia, which was to be feared among Europe. In order to show progress of unity, the 300 provinces of "Germany" were downsized into about 30, symbolic of progress but still a lot more to go. 

At this point, Prussia seeks to come out on top, no matter what the outcome may be, even though"it became more difficult than ever to say what Germany actually was" (102). As France, under Napoleon's rule, made its presence clear among Prussians, however, terms like "fatherland" and "nation" became cries for unification, as a united force against Germany (104). Here, we see the beginning of the birth of a German nation. Simply put, as these forces and battles carried on, France took some major blows, and was slowly declining while German unity was rising. In a way, French forces were causing damage to Germany physically, but giving Germany a reason to come together as a nation to fight one common enemy, and finding common ground in nationhood. Time passes, and we can see that "the shape of a future German national state had been visible only in the barest outlines. There were increasing references to 'German people' and the 'German fatherland,' but as a rule these terms were used to heighten the contrast with the enemy, the French.." (117). Although these times were trying and Germans still were experiencing hardships like famine and national confusion for identity, the years following 1840 saw a rebirth in German nationhood (119). Germans finally saw eye-to-eye on nationhood and liberal opposition, as they were after the same goals. In this, we see that Prussia finally has the right mentality to become a united Germany, as explained in the text.

A glimpse by the Brandenburg Gate of what the wars and battles brought on by Napoleon and the French Empire might have looked like while they were occurring in the early 1800's. 

In the last 30 or so years before Prussia evolves into Germany, we can see a birth of German social standards and goals being set. Also, the end is coming for French domination with the help of Otto von Bismarck. Of course, this was not without dispute amongst citizens. There was a desire for a German future that included the ideas of Great Germany (all German regions, Austria, and lead by a Hapsburg emperor) and  Small Germany (exclude Austrian areas and would be ruled by a Hohenzollern emperor) (125-126). A small group was trying to fight for a democratic Germany at this point, but this notion was halted rather quickly. Prussia could not achieve German unity yet, because of disputes like the future of Germany, and they established a constitution in November of 1848 (127). It was still clear that this large land could not be unified as long as goods moved slowly. At this point, the first German railway line was open, which opened up jobs for many citizens, and an economic boom took place because this (and other) labor was cheap (131). From this point on, Germany sees like revolts because of hardships of the past, like famine or pauperism (the great social threat to Europe's future in the first half of the century) (132). Because of industrialization, it transformed Germany's society to shape this emotional and mental bond for a progressive route to a united country. 

Politically, however, Germany saw an uprise in nationalistic notions, yet again. Napoleon's nephew, Napoleon III tried to influence Italy and challenged Austria in doing so. This was not going to bring Germany down again. Around this time, 1862, Otto von Bismarck was named the new prime minister, and he viewed this job as a goal and the means to which he could achieve higher aims (138). In doing so, he needed to separate from Austria, and he did once they defeated them in an Austrian-declared war. Austria ejected from Germany and all ties were dissolved from these two. Next, Bismarck sought to take down France in order to achieve dominance. At this point, another short war took place between a weakening France and a powerful Germanic country. After a quick win, Germany had established itself as one of the most dominant countries, and finally, it became an official united country. This unification finally occurred after a peace treaty from France (weakened them) and King William I of Prussia was declared the German emperor on January 18, 1871 (145). Finally, a united Germany existed for years to come.

A photo representation of Otto von Bismarck, the leader who set and achieved goals for German dominance. 

A depiction of a new, unified German map - 1871.

Apart from all of these issues, there are many others that deserved to be explored through this nationhood foundation. There are many compelling parts of German history, especially while exploring its journey into unification. One, in particular, that stood out to me is the large issue of famine and hunger/food in general. Although it is quite a small idea, the largeness of it throughout Germany is what was interesting to me. Too often, when students look at large political issues, we forget what it must have been like to experience life as a German/Prussian citizen. One of the main causes of revolt in the provinces was due to hunger and people were not being fed. According to the chart on page 115, most people survived off of grains until even grains became too expensive for people to eat. With this becoming too expensive, it is no wonder why there was so much anger in the provinces, as people were struggling to wrap their heads around nationhood when they were not guaranteed their next meal or day. How were they to be expected to look to the future when the governments and leaders of Germany could only think of the physical future of Germany? What would a future Germany be if these people were to die from lack of nourishment? This issue seems to be more important in the provinces and less important in the grand scheme of nationhood, although I view it as a common ground for the citizens to agree on something and gain that German identity together, even though it was through hardships.

It was through these hardships that Germany was founded in unification. It is compelling to me to think that through such traumatic times like poverty and undernourishment, that Germans came to a unified identity and nation. Without going through these hardships, would Germany be the same nation that we see today? I doubt that it would be the same. Take the German flag for example, the colors were used in times of revolution, but now they are used on the flag to symbolize unification throughout the nation. Also, it is strange to think that Germans today are finally unified, but they do not show national pride, like we talked about in class. We know the colors of the German flag, but you will not see them waving at national events and on national holidays. They have lost this sense of unification and pride, even though they finally have it. With hardships, war, conflicting and controversial occurrences happening in Germany, it is not surprising to see that they are wary to raise their unified flag high. In class, we also learned that Germans do not deny their history, either. They are very apt to show the dark side of their history, and are not ashamed to keep remnants of it around to remind them of times past. One would think that a country that is so modern, innovative, prosperous, and known worldwide would have some pride in that. They are too often carrying around burdens from the past and memories of the hardships they endured to be proud. German society came up from principalities, confusion and a spread community and triumphed to become one, great, nation. To me, this is compelling because it is seen as amazing to the people of today. To think that Germans were not even considered a united term, like Germany, and were starving people, literally, and became prosperous in unification is amazing. That is why Germany is so revolutionary, in more ways than one.

Although Germans/Prussians faced many hardships together, they were all starting to come together under these three colors, which now represent their entire country as a whole. These colors have been present with them since earlier revolts and now it represents unity on their flag. 

Overall, through this long period of Germanic separation, we see how the German state was founded, through wars and a need to come together as a dominant force. German identity evolved as well, through nationalistic notions of coming together to revolt against hardships, unification through cheap labor and an increasing desire to become one nation. Looking back, it is incredibly captivating to read and study how a country was once so torn apart, and today, we only think of how progressive and united this area is. 

Word count: 1,877
Citations:
(n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.german-flag.org/german-640.gif
Iron and Blood – The German Wars of Unification. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://eisenundblut.wordpress.com/tag/otto-von-bismarck/
Map of German unification. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/history/map_german_unification.html
Map of Prussia 1648-1795 - Territorial Expansion. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2014.
Napoleonic Wars. (2014, October 15). Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars
Our Maps of the 18th Century-and Theirs. (2011, April 8). Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.geocurrents.info/geopolitics/our-maps-of-the-18th-century-and-theirs
Schulze, Hagen. Germany: A New History. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1998. Print. 

Wolf, G.H. "Germany." GLS 362 Meeting, Room 11, Oesterle Library, Naperville. 24 September, 2014. Lecture. 

Berlin: Influence from the Past

Going into this documentary, I felt that I had a lot to learn about Berlin, and even Germany as a whole. Although there were many points that this documentary made, there were a few topics that struck me: Frederick the Great and The Berlin Wall tied with East Berlin. Frederick the Great was essentially a mold for the total beliefs of Germany, in more ways than one. The Berlin Wall, created by East Berlin was a theme of Germany for many years, but truly helped create a united Germany rather than a separate Germany. Without these two topics in German history, Germany and Berlin would not be the same.

Frederick of Prussia, commonly known as Fritz, was a prince born into the position. His predecessor was his father, also named Frederick. Frederick the First aspired for his child to be an aggressive, military child; he wanted him to be a rebel, strong leader. Naturally, Fritz sought to be completely opposite, even adapting the philosophical views of Voltaire. Although he studied a more philosophical life, the military whims still pulsed through his veins; he was a strong, militant leader, despite his desire for a peaceful life. Because of choosing to follow in the military footsteps of his father, he made great strides in aggressive takeover in war and in land, which created a contradictory view of him as a leader and person. For example, Hitler’s prized possession was a portrait of Fritz. Hitler’s fascination with Fritz’s ideals of military takeover, of sorts, most likely molded Hitler’s views of Germany, and therefore helped mold Nazi ideals. After the Second World War, and Berlin has been separated, East Berliners had never called him “Frederick the Great,” but rather, “Frederick the Second,” as he had done nothing great in their eyes. Despite the different views of Frederick, however, his ideas were bound to the city as it entered new phases in its development. Overall, Frederick is a wonderful representation of Germany and its conflicting ideals. Germany was constantly in limbo of being a symbol of militarism or idealism, oppression versus liberation, and that was also the internal struggle of Frederick the Great. It is interesting to me that his conflicts in his personal life of being more aggressive or philosophical were idealized by Hitler into the Nazi Regime, and carried on for centuries after his death. He was mentioned throughout the documentary, which proves how influential his legacy was and is to Berlin and Germany as a whole.

This is the portrait of Frederick the Great that would have resembled the portrait that Hitler loved so much. Frederick's influence on Germany is one of a kind, a true mix of love and dislike. 

Sansoucci, the palace of Frederick the Great, located in Potsdam right outside of Berlin. He was more recently laid to rest here, and we will be seeing this palace when we are in Germany, I believe. 

Growing up, I had always known Germany as its own country. For a long time, years even, I did not know that Germany had been separated politically, but also physically by the Berlin Wall. West Berlin was a capitalist territory, and East Berlin was a communist territory, controlled by Russia. These conflicting political views had been present for a long time, but really came into play once Berlin had been destroyed in the war, and many East Berliners had fled to the capitalist West Berlin. As a response, East Berlin constructed the Berlin Wall in efforts to keep those people out of the West, even though three million people had already made their escape. Until watching this documentary, I had no idea just how much the Berlin Wall had shaped Germany. For too long, West Berlin had become a voluntary prison, as the wall surrounded this area alone; people were happy to be there, though, because of its capitalist views and freer lifestyle. East Berlin interests me because although many people were trying to escape it, others flocked in, like the Northern Vietnamese. In search of work to fill in the millions of spots open, the Vietnamese made their way into East Berlin, and this was okay with this territory because it created more allies and connections globally, even though these Vietnamese people were undesired after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Again, I see a connection to the Berlin Wall with Germany’s conflicting ideals as a whole. Germany, for centuries sought to have a certain set of ideas to run the country, but the conflicts between sides would not allow for resolution. The Berlin Wall was a physical representation of seclusion of ideas rather than settlement and progress from that. Once it was torn down in 1989, Germany was a united country, which helped unify Europe, as well. Although the fall of the Wall did not change history’s path, as it was predicted that it would eventually have been torn down and communism would have collapsed, it shortened the process and almost nonviolently. Germany had been separated by its own people, but the Wall came down by those same citizens, who desired a united Germany after years of separated ideas and territory.

A depiction of the wall's separation of West and East Berlin. As it would be portrayed by East Berlin at the time, West Berlin is white, as if it does not exist.

This is a photograph of the Berlin Wall as it would have looked while it was constructed. A side view of the Brandenburg Gate is in the background. Although the height of the wall was not great, it symbolized a torn Germany, and it kept many people from escaping a communist East to a capitalist West.

All in all, Germany was a complex land whose leaders and borders were conflicting and unable to commit to one set of ideals. These events shaped Germany in the past, but also help mold the future into one set of ideals. Without leaders like Fritz, who internally battled with viewpoints and the separation of the country itself, Germany may continue to not know exactly what it wants for itself and not be unified like we see today.

Word Count (without pictures): 864

Citations:

Bamman, Mattie. "Sansoucci: The Palace of Frederick the Great." Europe Up Close. 11 June 2014. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. http://europeupclose.com/article/sanssouci-the-palace-of-frederick-the-great/

Frei, Matt. "Berlin - Culture & History." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Jan. 2011. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2AADC66884A22F0D. 

Lander, Sebastian. "The Fall of the Berlin Wall 20 Years On: How to Join Germany's Anniversary Celebrations." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 9 Nov. 2009. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1224183/The-fall-Berlin-Wall-20-years-join-Germanys-anniversary-celebrations.html>.

"The Berlin Wall & The Death Strip – Checkpoint Charlie." The Berlin Wall & The Death Strip – Checkpoint Charlie. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. <http://www.berlinmost.info/berlin_wall_death_strip_checkpoint-charlie_document-centre_cold_war.php>.

"The Frederick the Great Collection." Germania International. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. <http://www.germaniainternational.com/great.html>.

Martin Luther: Reluctant Revolutionary

Martin Luther: Reluctant Revolutionary

Martin Luther, was he a true reluctant revolutionary, or just a man with a plan to spread God’s word? After watching, Martin Luther: Reluctant Revolutionary, I believe that the answer could be both. He is fundamentally known for posting his 95 Theses in Germany, outwardly saying that there are multiple things wrong with the church. For German-speaking lands, this is a monumental event because most, if not all, German-speaking lands are under the religious/political rule of the Holy Roman Empire, as there was no real separation between church and state. Martin Luther sparked a small fire that burned into a revolution against the rule of the Holy Roman Empire, and for this, he could be considered the most influential man of his time, culturally, politically, and religiously.

At first, Martin Luther noticed many wrongdoings being committed by the church. Rather than having people read the bible and follow the word of God, the church had decided that religious figures would make rules in this life and determine where people would go in the afterlife. Of course, Martin Luther, a monk, would not believe or stand for this. For these and many other reasons, he decided to post his 95 Theses stating what was wrong with the church, so that others would be informed of the wrongs that he sees. As heresy, of course, that started a small uprising, but this did not stop him from publishing his works for the population to read, he never faltered from his works, as he trusted his life and his actions in God. He was excommunicated because of his actions and disregarded all threats and actions from the Pope. His words of revolution against the church spoke to many people who were truly unaware of what the bible actually said, like how salvation was achieved through faith and not through the affiliation of a Pope. Not only did he shift from Catholicism and create a new, more spiritual way of religion, he even transcribed the bible later on in his life, so that even more people could understand his teachings. Essentially, he changed the ideas of religion. After all, religion should not be about what you can establish for the Pope or for other leaders; it is the relationship with God that is important for Christianity. By this, he did not seek to be a radical, but he was brave enough to speak out against the biggest force of his time, to do what he thought was right.

This movement began religiously, but of course, politics found a way in it. This was hard to avoid because the Holy Roman Empire was both a political and religious force. What Martin Luther proposed was more democracy in religion and in government, as he thought the two should be separate, unlike what was happening in the Holy Roman Empire at the time. He did not want the church to have power over most things in life, but most importantly, people. He even seemed to find connections through his teachings, politically. Frederick the Wise, a prince, seemed to make the political deals for Luther on his behalf, even saving his life against those who felt threatened by him and his work. Even at the Diet of Worms, Luther was tried for his works and stood up for them in a democratic fashion, because of what he believed and he had the ability to stand by his beliefs; this is just a glimpse of actual religious freedom, a strong political and religious occurrence. Overall because of Luther, Germany could find a way to become Germany, and no longer be a division of the Holy Roman Empire. Although, Martin Luther did not intend to be a political figure, the role came naturally with his rebellion against the religious aspects of life back then.

Like it was previously mentioned, Martin Luther reached out to many others through his writings and transcribes of the bible. To some, the information published may have come as a shock, and they could have made people feel like they had been tricked and lied to, and that would have fueled some anger in them. Some behaviors displayed after information and revolution had been spread; the culture was affected by having more of a democratic lifestyle. People could now read the bible as they had the opportunity to, and they did not have to listen to such a harsh government anymore, as people would go against the Holy Roman Empire as well and even destroy properties like churches. People were becoming a part of a revolution that would create a new, more free Germany, and that is somewhat attributed directly to Martin Luther’s thoughts and actions.

Martin Luther may have been a ‘reluctant revolutionary,’ but he was also a man who sought to bring light into the world through his theses, published works, and his thoughts against a corrupt, unified Holy Roman Empire. He had a bigger vision for himself and Germany, which included a higher form of democracy, even if it caused some form of revolution from himself and his country. Because of his ideas about a more God-centered religion, he created a way for Germany to stand alone and not be a part of the Holy Roman Empire, which helped Germany become a strong, model country through changes in religion, politics, and culture.

Word Count (before pictures): 889

A photo depiction of what it would have looked like when Martin Luther was displaying his revolutionary 95 Theses. 

In the video, we saw a replication of the Diet of Worms, where many people and leaders met to discuss Martin Luther's future and if he would have one.

The room in the Wartburg Castle where Martin Luther transcribed the bible. 

Citations: 

"Luther’s 95 Theses: An Interview with Carl Trueman." Justin Taylor Luthers 95 Theses An Interview with Carl Trueman Comments. Web. 9 Sept. 2014. http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2010/10/25/95-theses/

PBS. “Reluctant Revolutionary.” YouTube. YouTube, 30 March 2009. Web. 09 September 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni1gupkGAW0

Pettegree, Andrew. "The Execution of Martin Luther." History Today. Web. 9 Sept. 2014. http://www.historytoday.com/andrew-pettegree/execution-martin-luther

"Wartburg Castle - World Heritage in Thuringia." Wartburg Castle, Pictures Wartburg. Web. 9 Sept. 2014. http://www.germanplaces.com/germany/wartburg-castle.html

Germany: A New History

As I read Chapter 2 in Hagen Schulze’s book, “Germany: A New History,” I found multiple aspects of German history that I found interesting. From emperors, to the Holy Roman Empire, ideas and ideals of personalities of the centuries, and change in the country, I found it hard to choose just one topic to write about. Nevertheless, after consideration, I chose to further explore the woodcut work of art of “Jewish Moneylenders.” I suspect that others have and will also choose this topic for one major reason: when we first met as a group and spoke about what we knew about Germany, most people referenced the Holocaust/WWII, a large part of which would be the treatment of Jews. As we, the students, are well versed in this topic through school, it seems natural to pick this topic instead of a more foreign one. However, the more I gave thought to this illustration and its description, the more I wondered about this topic throughout history and also collected observations based on this new knowledge.

This piece has one main component that is understandable to the English speaker’s eye, which is the illustration aspect of the woodcut, as the surroundings are in German. What the illustration portrays is “a pawn shop with drinking cups and articles of clothing; to the right a Jewish moneylender calculates interest at a counting table, and to the left a scholar raises a finger in warning” (34). The description explains that Jews had few rights during the Middle Ages, and they could only really earn a living through moneylending, as they could only see the king directly or the church for protection and they could not practice trade. In summary, Jews were given little to no way of living a successful life, and were seen as lower people. Well, I would say this sounds quite familiar. Like it was previously mentioned, most people are aware of the mistreatment of Jews during the Holocaust. Besides the mass amounts of death involved, how is the treatment of the Jews during the Holocaust and late Middle Ages entirely that different? They were given barely any chances in order to thrive, let along survive. In fact, if one considers the element that Germans were once seen as savages, why would they inflict that sort of pain and ridicule onto others, even going out of their way to make rules of how others can live/better their lives (4).

As a comparison to America, however, we can see that we are not any better. African Americans were in fact treated quite differently, similar to the Jews in Germany, for quite a long time. The ideals of America and Germany were not far off, as they both obviously seemed to think they were above others, and mistreating them to put themselves up higher. Of course, both nations have grown since then, morally. But, if one was to only know about the treatment of Jews in German history, Germany would not seem like a place to visit, if they abuse their own people like that. Germans could be considered as savages once again, if people were not willing to take stock in the circumstances and perhaps see past them, as Germany has improved in the treatment of Jews, as a general whole.

Why this piece interested me was because of the comparisons you can draw between Germany past and present, along with the comparisons between America and Germany. As a student traveling to this land, I believe it is important to reflect on where you come from, as well as the country you are traveling to, in order to understand information, past and present. “Jewish Moneylenders” depicts a sad, relatively unknown aspect of the German late Middle Ages. Commonly, the mistreatment of Jews is only an understood element of the Holocaust in Germany, but the same mistreatment has been witnessed in the same country hundreds of years prior to that large, recent event. It interests me that although Germany could be known for thousands of positive things, it only takes one, big, horrifying characteristic of that country that will be its infamous trait. 

Word count (of paragraphs prior to photographs): 689

Citation: Schulze, Hagen. Germany: A New History. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1998. Print.

This is a photograph of Jewish Moneylenders of France that are quite similar to the ones of Germany during the Late Middle Ages. This represents a less harsh version of the "Jewish Moneylenders" depiction that was seen in "Germany: A New History." The picture portrays Jews going about their business with no negative influence or representation of their business during the time. 

On the other hand, this picture represents a more harsh version of "Jewish Moneylenders" from the text. Jews were far more mistreated during the Late Middle Ages than our book seemed to let on, as they were burned alive for a number of reasons (perhaps some could have been breaking the laws set up against them at the time). Overall, these pictures were meant to represent both sides of Jewish mistreatment, to display different sides of what our illustration from our text shows, and to further confirm just how difficult it was for Jews to survive during these times. What I hope to learn from this and our Germany experience is - how are Jews portrayed and treated in Germany today? How do people of Germany perceive this past mistreatment? Is it seen as a mistake and easily forgiven? Is it something no one speaks about out of embarrassment? What do people really think about this and how much has changed since then? All of these are important questions because I am sure some people in the world still see Germany as what these pictures represent, and I believe that they are much more than their past.

Photograph Citations:
1) "Jews in the Middle Ages." - Jewish History for Kids! Web. 3 Sept. 2014. <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/religion/jews/middleages.htm>.
2) "Jews of Cologne Burned Alive in Germany in the Late Middle Ages Posters." Jews of Cologne Burned Alive in Germany in the Late Middle Ages Posters. Web. 3 Sept. 2014. <http://www.goldposters.com/item-4237294/jews-of-cologne-burned-alive-in-germany-in-the-late-middle-ages.html>

Satisfying Fernweh - Why Germany?

Fernweh: (n.) an ache for distant places; a craving for travel; being homesick for a place you’ve never been. As I began to question why I wanted to go to Germany, I discovered a connection between this term fernweh and my choice to travel to Germany. Unlike some of my peers, I have traveled out of the country many times in my twenty years, having been to six countries outside of the United States. Fernweh is a recently discovered term in my vocabulary that sums up my previous and future feelings. Essentially, I am a traveler. By far, Germany has always interested me in satisfying fernweh, but I never had the opportunity. You see, as an education major, in college, funds and time are scarce, but the desire to go abroad has never ceased. As a little back story, I am over 50% German, and have always wondered what it would be like to discover the land that my family came from in 1863. Well, now that I have brought up a historical event, you may as well know that I am a complete “history nerd.” Germany holds so much history in its own and internationally. How amazing would it be to step into such a historical place rather than read about it in yet another textbook? Of course, this trip will be more than just a textbook experience. I have once heard that “travel is the one thing that you buy that makes you richer.” I believe this is in reference to knowledge gained. I plan on learning many interesting facts (mainly historical) about the country and its effect on the world throughout time, but I also plan on learning a lot about myself during these 18 days in the Fatherland. Berlin in particular, seems to be particularly interesting to me. A great, big, historical, capital city that was once separated sounds like a great home-base for this trip. The opportunity to see many other cities and the opportunity to learn more is also a great appeal to me, as well. Of course, it will be wonderful to explore this country around my favorite time of year, Christmas time! If I was not sold about going on this trip by its description, the title alone caught my attention. “Germany from Luther to the Present: Castles, Cathedrals, and Culture” sums up just about everything that I could ever want or expect out of a D-Term trip. As a traveling, castle-loving, Christian girl, this title just seemed to speak to me. Overall, the best way for me to satisfy fernweh is through this amazing opportunity to spend 18 days in Germany, and I could not be more excited. Until next time!

Word Count: 449

A photo of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. This was located nearby the famous Berlin Wall, but was built in the late 18th century. We will be seeing this beautiful sight that has been there in times of turmoil/separation and times of unity/peace. (berlin. Mass Pictures. Retrived June 5, 2014, from http://masspictures.net/berlin/)

As I mentioned before, I am so excited to be in Germany during Christmas time because it is my favorite time of year. This is extremely special in Germany because of the Christmas Markets they have that is used more as an outdoor social event. This will be a new way to introduce Christmas celebrations and another great experience to remember this trip by! (Historic Christmas Market Berlin - Photo of Historic Christmas Market Berlin. About.com Germany Travel. Retrieved June 5, 2014, from http://gogermany.about.com/od/picturesofgermany/ig/Photo-Gallery---Christmas-/Christmas-Market-of-Berlin.htm)