All Quiet on the Western Front- October 5th

Clip: “One of the most powerful anti-war statements ever put on film, this gut-wrenching story concerns a group of friends who join the Army during World War I and are assigned to the Western Front, where their fiery patriotism is quickly turned to horror and misery by the harsh realities of combat.…the finale, as Ayres stretches from his trench to catch a butterfly, is one of the most devastating sequences of the decade.” End clip. (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1000642-all_quiet_on_the_western_front/ September 29, 2011)

My understanding of those who read the books was glad that Remarque had a more realistic outlook on war, and WWI in particular. With all of the other books that were published, they had a less realistic view on war and it was very “Hollywood.” The authors looked at the heroic aspects of soldiers’ lives and not nearly the same amount of traumatic and detrimental events like the author of “All Quiet on the Western Front.” The storyline took place in 1917 when Germany was losing and focused more on the negative effects of war. Other readers, including myself, see many symbolic meanings behind the novel: the horror of war, effect of war on people (soldiers and those back home), and nationalism. Overall, this book demonstrated the strong belief in anti-war. At the beginning, when the boys were in class, they thought that they could walk right in and walk out unharmed in a short matter of time. They believed that war was the answer until they saw for one day that it was mortifying. The book quickly switched from being war-happy to strongly anti-war. A lot of the reviews that I read also agreed with what I thought as far as what seems to be few and far between anti-war novels, newsletters, and stories on the nightly news.

Clip: “Published in 1929, it sold 1.2 million copies in its first year. The film won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director in 1930 and sits securely at number 54 on the American Film Institute's list of the best movies ever made.” End clip. (http://www.headbutler.com/books/fiction/all-quiet-western-front September 29, 2011)

Chapter Four Summary & Overview- September 28

Main Characters in Chapter Four:

Paul Bäumer

Stanislaus Katczinsky

Detering

Albert Kropp (short appearance)

Chapter Four Summary and Overview:

In chapter four of the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul Bäumer and the Second Company are required to lay wire down at the front of the line.  As the truck is driving toward the front they pass a house where geese are heard. Paul and Kat talk about going back later and getting the geese to feast on. Kat explains to the recruits how to distinguish which guns are firing by listening to the blasts. He announces that he feels that there will be a bombardment later in the night because the English began firing an hour earlier than usual.  

Kat’s prediction that they would be bombarded was correct resulting in everyone scurrying around to take cover. Paul tries to put a recruit’s helmet back on the recruit’s head, but the boy cowers under Paul’s arm, and Paul places the helmet on his back instead to protect it from shell pieces. After the shelling decreases and things slow down, the recruit notices that he had gone to the bathroom in his pants and Paul tries to comfort him by saying many soldiers experience this problem at first, and tells the boy to take off his underwear and throw them away.

Then the men hear the wounded horses shrieking. Detering is particularly horrified because he is a farmer and loves horses. After the wounded men are gathered, those in charge of shooting the wounded animals do their job. Detering declares with disgust that using horses in war is wrong.

Toward the end of the chapter Paul climbs out and sees a soldier not wearing his mask who appears to be okay. Paul tears his mask off and gulps fresh air when the shelling has stopped. Paul notices the recruit who defecated in his pants earlier, laying on the ground with his hip a mess of flesh and bone splinters at the joint. Kat and Paul know that he will not survive his wounds. Kat and Paul were considering shooting him before the misery of his wound begins to bother him. They weren't able to end the wounded's life before other soldiers emerged from their holes.

"All Quiet on the Western Front" September 21

The novel “All Quiet on the Western Front” was written for an audience that is roughly our age. The main idea, I believe that Remarque was trying to get across to the readers is that life can change in a short matter of time; everything we once felt, knew, and believed in can change when a traumatic event takes place, like war in the case of Paul Baümer.

In the book, Paul is considered part of the “Lost Generation” because his generation of men was taken into the war all over the globe but with different uniforms against each other. Most of the young men did not make it out of the war alive and toward the end of the book he states that there was only a small fraction of his class left when the end of the war was in sight. Erich Maria Remarque tried to explain through vivid mental pictures that at that point in time many faces and people were lost. Even those who survived lost themselves almost completely.

Then, when Paul comes back from his leave he is not sent up to the frontlines right away. He has a couple of weeks of training to do and then is back where he began. Once he has returned to his position, he is very close to enemy lines and has to lie in a puddle of muddy water and pretend he is dead so nobody attacks him. At this point when the French man falls into the puddle and Paul attacks him to save himself, it was then that Paul lost all of his senses. The author shown us that war takes the sensitivity and emotions are toyed with while witnessing and participating in wartime. Once there was a face and story to the man he left dying, Paul Baümer started to lose his mind. He could not process what happened and how it was “normal” and all of his friends had fought face-to-face and went through the same thing.

To conclude, reading Remarque’s novel was not only entertaining but he also got his message across to me. I do not understand the war(s) and what people went and go through any better, although he has painted a series of pictures in my head as to what it possibly looked like for a good portion of those involved.

Hamburg- September 14th

            My favorite German state of the 16, is Hamburg. Hamburg was the most appealing to me because of the big harbor, and they have a very livable and enjoyable location. The reasons Hamburg interested me so much is because of the location, the economy, and the attractions the city-state has to offer.

 To begin, Hamburg is located in North-west Germany on the Elbe River. Clip: “Located at the southern tip of Jutland Peninsula, Hamburg is physically placed at the middle of Continental Europe and Scandinavia as well as, two water bodies of North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Hamburg is positioned at the confluence of rivers Elbe, Alster and Bille. The center of the city is also surrounded by two scenic lakes of Binnenalster or Inner Alster and the Aussenalster or Outer Alster.” End clip. (http://www.mapsofworld.com/germany/cities/germany-city-maps/germany-city-information/hamburg-germany.html 9/13/2011).

Second, the city has the highest GDP in Germany. It has a high employment rate with 88% of the working age population, employed in over 120,000 businesses. The most significant economic source for Hamburg is the Port of Hamburg. Hamburg ranks 3rd in Europe and 9th in the world. Clip: “Hamburg, Germany’s second-biggest city and the richest, has the strongest economy in the country.” End clip. (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-15/hamburg-has-germany-s-strongest-economy-capital-magazine-says.html 9/13/2011).

Lastly, this city is a home to over 1.8 million people. The people who live here try to keep the city atmosphere to remain open, but also remain discreet at the same time. Many citizens at first seem to be quiet and reserved, but when they get to know whom they are dealing with them tend to open up. Most people report that they are warm and friendly.  Clip: “The city is a major tourist destination both for people who live in Germany and out of nation travelers. This city has many options for people who love art and history. There are 40 theatres, 60 museums, and 100 music venues and clubs.” End clip (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg 9/13/2011). There are many sites for tourists to go to and residents to visit regularly. Available attractions suit interests of nearly everyone, from museums and venues for drama, concerts and musicals to a never-ending miniature railway and a chamber of horrors. Clip: “Hamburg's harbor has had a profound influence on the town's history right from the start, and, with its landing stage (the Landungsbrocken) and huge container ships, the harbor is still Hamburg's biggest tourist attraction today.” End clip. (http://www.antor.org/germany/hamburg/port-of-hamburg.html 9/13/2011).

To conclude, Hamburg, Germany is the most appealing state. The location is beautiful for visiting and residing, the economy is expanding, and the attractions are entertaining for people of all kinds.

German States September 7th, 2011

Danika Leavitt, Kristin Kreuger, Jekabs Klasons


Baden-Wurttemberg:

PEOPLE:  Clip:  Baden-Württemberg is located in the Southwest Germany, at the center of Europe. End clip. (http://www.bw-studyguide.de/home/state/map2/page.html. 9/6/2011).  This is the third largest in both area and population of Germany’s states. This state is a popular destination during the holidays.  This state experiences fluctuations of tourists staying in their state. 

            ECONOMY:  Even though Baden-Wurttemberg lacks natural resources, they are among the wealthiest states in Germany.  In this region, there is low unemployment.  There are many well-known industries in this state.  Some of them are Porsche, Carl Zeiss, and SAP.  Their economy is populated by small and medium-sized enterprises.  The manufacturing industry made more than 240,000 million dollars in 2003.  43% of these came from exports.  The majority of the people working in the manufacturing industry are mechanical and electrical engineers or in automobile construction.  Another popular industry in Baden-Wurttemberg is the textile industry.  This industry has diminished in the areas around the state, but is now only popular in Baden-Wurttemberg. 

CITIES:  Most of the banks of Baden-Wurttemberg share a border with the Neckar River.  The Rhine forms the western border of this state.  The Black Forest is the main mountain range of Baden-Wurttemberg.  This state also shares foothills of the Alps.  Most of the cities fit the needs of tourists.  There are a lot of attractions, biking, skiing, hiking, hotels, festivals, and accommodations.

HISTORY:  Clip:  The area used to be covered by the historical states of Baden, including the former Prussian Hohenzollern, and Württemberg, part of the region of Swabi.  Baden-Wurttemberg was occupied by the Romans in the first century AD who defended their position. Early on in the third century, the Alemanni drove the Romans beyond the Rhine and the Danube, but in their turn they fell to the Franks under Clovis I.  It later became part of the Holy Roman Empire.

 After World War II, Allied forces established three federal states: Württemberg-Hohenzollern, Baden (both occupied by France), and Württemberg-Baden (US-occupied). In 1949, these three states became founding members of the Federal Republic of Germany.  After a referendum held on December 16, 1951, Württemberg-Baden, Württemberg-Hohenzollern and Baden voted in favor of a merger.  Baden-Württemberg officially became a state on April 25, 1952. End clip. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg#History. 9/6/2011).

FACTS:  For many years, Baden-Wurttemberg had the lowest crime rate in Germany.  Clip:  Baden-Württemberg is often referred to as a “southern German melting pot”. It is also the most popular German state for Immigrants. End clip.  (http://www.regleg.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52. 9/7/2011).

Hamburg:

PEOPLE:  Hamburg is located in North-west Germany on the Elbe River.  This city is to over 1.8 million people.  The people who live here try to keep the city atmosphere to remain open, but also remain discreet at the same time.  Many citizens at first seem to be quiet and reserved, but when they get to know whom they are dealing with them tend to open up.  Most people report that they are warm and friendly. 

ECONOMY:  The city has the highest GDP in Germany.  It has a high employment rate with 88% of the working age population, employed in over 120,000 businesses.  The most significant economic source for Hamburg is the Port of Hamburg.  Hamburg ranks 3rd in Europe and 9th in the world.  It ships an average 134 million tons of goods each year.  This is an important location of the civil aerospace industry.  The media business employs over 70,000 people.  There are a few television stations based out of Hamburg.  A couple of stations are the NDR Fernsehen and Bibel TV.  There are also regional radio stations such as Radio Hamburg.  Hamburg was one of the locations for the film Tomorrow Never Dies of the James Bond series and the 1994 Beatles film Backbeat. 

CITIES:   Hamburg is a member of the medieval Hanseatic League.  It is a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire.  The city is a major tourist destination both for people who live in Germany and out of nation travelers.  This city has many options for people who love art and history.  There are 40 theatres, 60 museums, and 100 music venues and clubs.  This is a huge part of the state’s culture.  Hamburg is also known for several festivals and regular events.  They also have many street festivals and parades. 

HISTORY:  Clip:  In 1842, about a quarter of the inner city was destroyed in the "Great Fire". This fire started on the night of the May 4^th, 1842 and was extinguished on May 8th. It destroyed three churches, the town hall, and many other buildings, killing 51 people and leaving an estimated 20,000 homeless. Reconstruction took more than 40 years.  

In the Third Reich, Hamburg was a Gau from 1934 until 1945. During World War II Hamburg suffered a series of British air raids, which devastated much of the inhabited city as well as harbor areas.  The raids, codenamed Operation Gomorrah by the RAF, killed about 40,000 civilians. About 1 million civilians were evacuated in the aftermath of the raids.

 At least 42,900 people are thought to have perished in the Neuengamme concentration camp mostly due to epidemics and in the bombing of evacuation vessels at the end of the war.

 Hamburg surrendered without a fight to British Forces on May 3^rd, 1945. After World War II, Hamburg was in the British Zone of Occupation and became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. End clip. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg#History. 9/7/2011).

FACTS:  When I was looking at the history of Hamburg, I found out there was a lot of natural disasters and epidemics.  There was the Black Death, Great Fire, and a cholera outbreak. I also found out that the people who live in Hamburg are known as Hamburgers.     

 Hessen:

            PEOPLE:  Clip:  Hessen is situated in west-central Germany.  It borders the German states of Lower Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. End Clip. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesse#Geography. 9/7/2011).  Hessen has a population of over six million people.  The people of Hessen value education because higher education stands at the center of the Hessen economy and society.  Many of the younger generations are being taught English as a second language.  Most people, who travel to Hessen, don’t have a huge issue of communicating with the locals.  The citizens who live here are actually friendly.  They usually even give good suggestions on local events and places to visit. 

            ECONOMY:  Hessen is one of the most dynamic business regions in Europe and has one of the strongest economies in Germany. Clip:  In addition to the high-technology sectors that generate strong revenues and exports, the booming services sector is driving rapid structural change and continuing economic growth in Hessen. End clip. (http://chronicle.com/academicDestination/Hessen-Germany/69/facts/. 9/7/2011). The State of Hessen has the largest per capita GDP of any of the German federal states. Future-oriented sectors such as environmental technology, logistics, medical technology, and nanotechnology are growing quickly, benefiting from the research infrastructure at Hessen universities and non-university research institutes. In the competition among German business regions, Hessen has the highest labor productivity and one of the best employment rates.

Hessen’s exports are dominating the chemical industry with chemical exports making up roughly 25% of the total $70 billion dollars worth of goods and services exported each year. The chemical industry is located primarily in the Rhine Main region and global companies include: Celanese, Clariant, Evonik Degussa, Fresenius, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Procter & Gamble, Sanofi-Aventis, and Stada. Machines, vehicles, vehicle parts, accessories, and electro technical goods also represent over $6.7 billion US dollars. The three most important export markets for Hessen are France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

CITIES:  Clip:  Hessen is the 7^th largest state of Germany.  End clip. (http://www.germany-insider-facts.com/hessen-germany.html. 9/7/2011).  It has one of the best transportation networks in Europe. Many trans-European and German transportation lines cross through Hessen.  Most of the population is in the southern part of the Hessen, which would be the Rhine Main Area.  Some important cities in Hessen are Frankfurt, Limburg, and Darmstadt.  Hessen’s cities are divided into three federal administrative districts.  Within these large districts, there are also smaller ones.  There are lowlands around Frankfurt and along the Rhine.  The state also had low mountain ranges and river valleys. 

            HISTORY:  Clip:  The territory was annexed by the Kingdom of Westphalia in 1806, but restored to the Elector in 1813. In 1866 it was annexed by Prussia, together with the Free City of Frankfurt, Hessen-Homburg and the duchy of Nassau, which established the province of Hessen-Nassau.  The revolution of 1918 transformed Hessen-Darmstadt from a monarchy to a republic, which officially renamed itself to "Volksstaat Hessen" (People's State of Hessen). The parts of Hessen-Darmstadt on the western banks of the Rhine were occupied by French troops until 1930 under the terms of the Versailles peace treaty that officially ended WWI in 1919.  After World War II the Hessian territory left of the Rhine was again occupied by France, whereas the rest of the country was part of the US occupation zone. The French separated their part of Hessen from the rest of the country and incorporated it into the newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The United States, on the other side, proclaimed the state of Greater Hessen on September 19^th, 1945. End clip. (http://german110f11.blogspot.com/2011/08/homework-for-sept-6.html. 9/7/2011).

FACTS:  I found it interesting that the death penalty is not allowed in Germany, but Hessen still uses it.  I also found it interesting that Hessen has no tuition for citizens or international students.