Archive for 'Culture'
Winter week in Österreich (Austria) Posted by jan on Feb 9, 2010
For our winter holiday, my family and I passed a week in Österreich which is situated just next to the south of Germany. The Region (region, area) we’ve been to is called “Vorarlberg”. We lived in a Bauernhaus (farmhouse) which is over 300 Jahre (years) old! Right out of the window there´s an exceptional view…
Die Mauer muss weg! (The wall needs to go!) – The anniversary of the German unification is coming closer Posted by holger on Feb 2, 2010
Anybody who has an interest in German culture and history remembers the pictures on TV about the wall coming down. I myself was one of the lucky ones who were able to go to Berlin in the winter of 1989 and collect a piece of the Berliner Mauer (the Berlin Wall). We saw the East…
Essen’s SPIEL Fair 2009 Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 24, 2009
Germans take board gaming ernst. In German culture, it’s considered a family-oriented hobby, popular to the point that a whole genre of board games exists known as “German-style games,” “Euro-games,” or “designer board games.” These Spiele aren’t your Grandma’s Monopoly (though Germans play that, too). The genre is known for high production value, favoring wooden…
Vornamen Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 12, 2009
I’ve always been fascinated by German vornamen, or first names. Today we’ll look at some of the meanings and origins of German first names. If you don’t have a German name, hopefully this will inspire you to choose a German name that best represents yourself. Anna/Anne : is a populär girl’s name. It means “grace”…
Richard Wagner Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 9, 2009
Richard Wagner war ein deutscher Komponist. He believed in Gesamtkunstwerk, which was the synthesis of art, music and drama. Richard Wagner wurde am 22. Mai 1813 in Leipzig. Sechs Monate nach seiner Geburt, am 23. November 1813, starb der Vater an Typhus. Wagner’s stepfather introduced Wagner to musical theater. He was inspired by artists such…
National German Anthem Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 17, 2009
The German anthem, sung at international soccer events and other public events, is actually three stanzas long. However, only the third stanza is sung, so that is the version I’m displaying today. The title of the song is: Das Lied der Deutschen or the Song of the Germans Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit Unity, and…
O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 8, 2009
Today will be a German literature and music post. O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst is a poem written by the German poet Ferdinand Freiligrath. The composer Franz Liszt was inspired by this poem. The famous Liebesträume (Dreams of Love) No. 3 is the result of reading Ferdinand’s poem. I have a Youtube video so that…