Maybe it’s because I loved the TV show Deutschland 83 and the film Good bye Lenin, maybe it’s because I’m forever haunted that a city can be divided in half, or maybe it’s the wild wallpaper… but the DDR Museum in Berlin ranks as one of my favorite German museums. This little hands-on museum is a fascinating look back into…
Category: German History
What is a Tante Emma Laden? A Corner Store with a Special History
Cover photo- My mom behind the counter of her father’s Laden. That’s me, the Daumenlutscher, on the right A Tante Emma Laden holds a very important place in my life since my first memory is of tumbling down the steps leading to my Opa’s Tante Emma Laden. (This had nothing to do with the store and everything to do with…
The German President- What do they do? How are they elected?
On March 19, 2022, Frank-Walter Steinmeier was re-elected President of Germany. Many people in the United States who are unfamiliar with the German political system are probably wondering if Germany has a Chancellor, what the German President does, and how the German President is Elected. The system is much different from the presidential election in the USA, but the job…
Orderly and Humane – German Refugees from World War 2
I grew up with family stories about the German refugees from World War 2. Both of my parents came from the east, Mama from Silesia, Dad from Brandenburg, and both lost their homes. I had heard about Donau Schwaben and stories about staying ahead of the Soviet Army. About being expelled from homes and villages. About leaving houses, friends,…
Schreckendorf, The Home My Mother Left Behind
Note- I told this story without any extra input from my mother… I’m sure that she will add to the story someday. I’ve cobbled together a few bits and pieces from stories my mom told. I remember the old picture from photo albums… it was just always there. The newer photo hung on the refrigerator for a while; Mom’s memory…
Culinaria Germany – More than Just a Cookbook
Culinaria Germany might be stored on my cookbook shelf, but it is not a standard Cookbook. This encyclopedia of German food and food history contains more than just recipes. The book covers each German state, and the foods each region specializes in ( and why). This is the type of book you can read cover to cover, or you can…