Allemania, Niemcy, Vokietija, Tedesco, Tyskland, Germany, Deutschland…. Why are there so many different names for Germany? And these aren’t just names that are a translation of the word Deutschland; they are very different words with different etymologies (starting place of a word). Even the word Deutschland is relatively recent. The answer has a lot to do with Germany’s location.…
Category: German History
The Linden tree in Germany – The Tree at the Heart of Germany
A friend sent me a clip from a news story out of West Virginia about the removal of a Linden Tree. What made him curious was not the toys found under the tree; it was the tree itself. This particular tree was the last survivor of three Linden trees brought to the United States by German immigrants. Why, he asked,…
What is a Radler? – The History of a Drink Named for a Cyclist
I realize that this might be considered blasphemy, but I’m not much of a beer drinker. I just never developed a taste for it (apparently, I make an “eeewww” face from the bitter flavor when I drink it). And soda is just too sweet to be refreshing. Fortunately, an innkeeper in Deisenhofen, Germany, came up with a solution when he…
Roman Limes in Germany – Borders of the Roman Frontier
Cover photo by Michael Graber The first time I saw the words, “Germanic Limes”, I immediately flashed to those tart green citrus fruits… but I couldn’t have been further from reality. The Roman Limes in Germany are leftover border fortifications from the days of when Germanic Tribes and Roman Troops were keeping a sharp eye on each other. By…
German Basic Law – 75th Anniversary of the Grundgesetz
“The state is there for the sake of people, not people for the sake of the state.” I’ve been thinking a lot about the Constitution and how it compares to German Basic Law. Until the Grundgesetz (Basic Law) went into effect on May 23, 1949, Germany was still a divided, occupied country under martial law. How much did the…
Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Resistance Movement
While riding a bike through Munich, we stopped in a University of Munich courtyard. There, looking like some dropped or scattered papers, we found the White Rose Memorial embedded in the stones. The guide spoke to us about Sophie Scholl and the White Rose group. We learned about the pamphlets that young Sophie threw and how she and her brother…
What is Maggikraut : All about Liebstöckel or Lovage
riend Edie told me about Maggikraut, I didn’t believe her. In my world, Maggi exists in liquid form to add flavor to soups and stews. I’ve even visited Spicey’s Spice Museum in Hamburg to see the Maggi exhibit (yes, I realize the previous sentence makes me sound like a nerd, but we all know how much I love small museums).…
Statues of Roland – Who was Roland and why is he Everywhere?!
Tucked against a front corner of the Quedlinburg Rathaus stands a statue of Roland. The figure is small compared to the massive Roland statue in Bremen. Our tour guide told us that the Statues of Roland were the sign of a free market town and a symbol of strength. (She also mentioned that Roland used to stand in the center…
St Hildegard of Bingen- The German Visionary Saint
St Hildegard of Bingen officially holds the title of Patron Saint of Writers and Composers (and some suggest she’s unofficially the patron saint of both Beer and of Women, especially those of a certain age). Beyond the trappings of Sainthood, Hildegard was most certainly an extraordinary woman. The Benedictine Abbess was a Polymath who received visions from God, wrote books…
What is a Turnverein? How do Turners fit into American History?
When I told my mother that my latest research was a deep dive into the Turner Movement, she said, “OH! Vater Jahn! Your Opa did gymnastics with the Turners!” Freiderich Ludwig Jahn essentially invented gymnastics in Germany around 75 years before my grandfather was born, and he’s still spoken of with reverence by many because of his teachings- democratic reform,…