Growing Up German In America

What Does a German Look Like? Dealing with Stereotypes

June 8, 2015

karenanne

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Growing Up German In America

  I’ve been thinking about stereotypes a lot lately… and what does a German look like? Whenever Germans are portrayed in advertising, or in festival invitations, they always seem to be wearing Lederhosen or Dirndls. But, as I’m reminded EVERY TIME I post such a photo, that is not how the typical German looks or […]

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Cute Animal House Slippers from Germany

German Fairy Tale Wall Art -Wandfiguren from Mertens Kunst

June 4, 2015

karenanne

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Games and Toys

  See what I found while clearing out the closet? Like many German kids in the 1970s, my room was decorated with colorful wooden Fairy Tail wall art, Wandfigur, that depicted some of my favorite Fairy Tales. Made by companies like Mertens Kunst and Ravi Kunst, these bright and cheery wall hangings have become collectible […]

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Cute Animal House Slippers from Germany

The Black Forest Lodge- A Slice of Germany in America

May 5, 2015

karenanne

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Growing Up German In America

In the 1970s travel to Germany was expensive, but my parents still wanted that German Vacation experience. So, instead of hopping on a cheap flight to Germany on Condor, they packed up the family’s green 1970 Monte Carlo with supplies and headed north to Chester, California near Lassen National Park where we would stay at […]

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Smashing a few German Stereotypes

Schreckendorf, The Home they Left Behind

February 9, 2015

karenanne

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Growing Up German In America

The House in Schreckendorf in the 1930s Note- I told this story without any extra input from my mother… I’m sure that she will add to the story some day. This isn’t really my story to tell, but, I’ve cobbled together a few bits and pieces from stories my mom told. I remember the old […]

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Smashing a few German Stereotypes

Christmas 1970 – Remembering a German Christmas in America

December 23, 2014

karenanne

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German Christmas Traditions

On Christmas 1970 I was only 3 years old… just old enough to get really excited about Weihnachten. The lights, the tinsel, and wonder of wonders… the presents! You can see me on Mama’s lap… somewhat wide eyed (hard to see behind those glasses…. those days finding stylish eyeglasses for children was a difficult thing). […]

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The German Easter Holidays- Easter Weekend in Germany

Losing a Language- How I Tried to Teach my Kids German, and Failed

December 2, 2014

karenanne

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Celebrating German Culture in America

German was my first language. ( In fact, I sometimes joke that I could be an ESL, English as a Second Language Student, and apply for benefits.) You see, even though I was born in California, my parents are German… and had just recently arrived in the country. It’s only logical that they spoke German […]

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How to make Eierlikör at Home

More Christmas Tablecloths than Tables Mehr Tischdeckchen als Tische

November 18, 2014

karenanne

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November is when I start cleaning the things I will need for the holidays. Glassware gets a polish, the “good dishes” get a wash, and the tablecloths all get checked for a touch-up iron. So, yesterday I went to the drawer were I keep the smaller Weihnachts Tisch Deckchen (Christmas table cloths) and I realized […]

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Christmas Traditions from Germany that are Celebrated in America

Once there was a Wall- A Visit to the Berlin Wall in 1988

November 9, 2014

karenanne

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Growing Up German In America

(note, I wrote this a few years ago on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. My mother and I made a trip to Berlin in 1988 to visit her aunt and cousins… so much has changed since then) I visited Berlin in 1988…. when there was still a Wall. It was a […]

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A Visit to the Nuremberg Toy Museum- Spielzeugmuseum Nuremberg

Memories of my Oma’s Keller – The Wonders of the German Basement

November 3, 2014

karenanne

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Growing Up German In America

  You could blindfold me, spin me in a circle three times, and drop me through time and space into Oma’s Keller, and I would still instantly know where I was, just by the smell and feel of the air; cold, with a hint of damp, the smell of earth and laundry soap, and maybe […]

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Smashing a few German Stereotypes

Visiting My Oma in Germany- From Suburban California to NRW

October 10, 2014

karenanne

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Growing Up German In America

My Oma, Elfriede, was a strong woman. She was a widow for the last 20 years of her life, and lived alone with her dog, Ben. But, she never seemed lonely. She had her routines, her friends, and a set way of doing things. I loved going to visit her in Germany. Once I turned […]

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Smashing a few German Stereotypes