A number of us returned last week from a trip to three cities in the former East Germany. I had intended to write frequently while travelling, but I had trouble forming coherent impressions. It goes without saying that Germany is a country with a most complicated past, encompassing both the […]
Tag: german
TRAVEL PURSUITS – Germany: a paradox of the sublime and the barbarous
This June Classical Pursuits travels to Dresden, Weimar, and Berlin, all once part of the Soviet Bloc and now part of a reunified Germany. Each city has a unique story to tell about a different aspect of German history: its triumphs and failures, and its vibrant culture in today’s flourishing country. Germany, the […]
Deutsch Filme
Jo-Ann Minden and I are watching German films as part of our preparation for our Made in Germany trip this June. By far, the best has been Heimat, a long trilogy of episodic films by Edgar Reitz which views life in Germany between 1919 and 2000 through the eyes of a […]
CLASSICAL TRIVIA! The Awful German Language
If you’ve ever studied German (and maybe even if you haven’t), you’re likely to find this short essay to be hilarious. Published as Appendix D from Twain’s 1880 book A Tramp Abroad, this comedic gem outlines the pitfalls one will encounter when trying to wrap one’s mind around the torturous […]