Deutsche Identität

October 31:

Deutsche Identität

The desire to have a definable identity was always an issue that Germany struggled with. As Germany: A New History has shown us, this struggle has been on going for quite some time. We have seen Germany change from tribes that sacked Rome to an organized group of principalities headed by one leader known as the Holy Roman Emperor. We have seen the idea of identify at its beginning and watched it grow as the word “Germania” was invented and the Holy Roman Empire fell. After Germany was conquered by France a new desire for a nation was born. When Napoleon lost power in France and the empire that he had built crumbled, Germany was finally free to become a nation. However not long after, it found itself in a war that would affect the country and the idea of identity once more.

World War I was a chance for Germany to prove that it was a powerful nation that held a position of importance in Europe whether the other countries were willing to accept it or not. However, Germany was defeated in the war and was forced to pay more than it would ever be able to in order to serve punishment for the war (198 and 209-210). At the same time the previous governmental system that had perviously untied Germany was disbanded leaving the country in a state of political upheaval(198). After the Germans had waited so long for a nation and a sense of identity, losing both in such a short period of time left them yearning. Of course Germany still existed. It had not be separated as the Austro-Hungarian empire had. Yet it was not the Germany that gave the Germans a sense of who they were.

German soldiers, who were allied with a political party, demonstrate.

With the old regime gone, Germany was left open to any new political party that wanted to step into power. Unfortunately multiple parties felt as if they would be the best option to run Germany and a struggle of politics ensued (200). The already weakened Germany now saw its future become even more unstable. It seemed for a time, as if civil wars were fought within the country all in an attempt to gain control of the nation (202-205). This left the German people feeling at a loss and confused. Who were they as a nation? Where did they stand in the world? They also had to cope with the sudden change of power in Europe. The country was in so much debt it seemed impossible that it could ever be paid off (210-211). The people were starving and with no political power able to take charge, the nation seemed doomed (211-212). Where once they had been a strong and powerful nation, they were now struggling for existence. This extreme reversal of power destroyed any understanding of identity, leaving Germans with the desire to feel like a nation once more.

A woman burns German Marks to keep warm. The Mark had lost so much value it cost 399,000,000,000 marks to buy a loaf of bread in 1923 (212)

It seems to me no surprise that the Germans so easily accepted Adolf Hitler as their new chancellor (221). When a man comes to such a broken country and promises to put it back together and make strong once again, how could anyone say no? Hitler new exactly what the Germans needed, and wanted, and used his campaigns to let them know he was going to bring the power back to the German “Volk” (221). Hitler was the man who promised to reestablish the German identity for Germany. After the German people had struggled for centuries to become a unified nation, Hitler seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel. No one knew what was to come in the days that would follow, however, it seemed that for once, Germany may have been able to become a strong and honorable nation that the Germans were proud to indentify with. It seemed as if Germany would finally find a permanent identity.

I have come to the conclusion that, the desire to have an identity is the driving factor in many of the decisions and events that have happened in Germany’s history.

Adolf Hitler came into power after the Weimar Republic fell.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte

Although the formation of the German state was a long time coming, there were a lot of events that occurred around the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries that seemed to speed up the process. For example, Martin Luther’s German Bible set the standard for the German language and his ninety-five theses allowed for the people of the Holy Roman Empire to break from the Catholic Church and practice a religion of their own. Ferdinand I’s cuius regio provided the principalities the power to choose what religion they practiced, therefore choosing the religion for their subjects as well. Later, the Enlightenment lead common people to believe they had the right to power and happiness which spawned revolutions in America and France (93).

After the fall of the French Monarchy, chaos ensued in France (93). Eventually, Napoleon Bonaparte, a small man from the island of Corsica, came to power as the emperor of France. It was his goal to eventually conquer all of Europe and he set out to do so (97-98). While he was very successful with the mainland, he failed to capture Britain. After his defeat in the War of the Sixth Coalition, Napoleon fell out of favor with the French and was eventually exiled to Elba, where he planned how he would reclaim his power over France, led a successful campaign over the Alps and once more became emperor of France. Napoleon faced the Duke of Wellington, who was joined by Prussian troops, at Waterloo and lost. Again facing defeat, Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena and never was able to regain that which he had lost (106).

Napoleon is most often associated with France, however, the effects of his campaign to conquer Europe had a direct effect on the formation of the German State. Although, Germany as a nation had not existed prior to 1871, the German principalities, cultural region and Holy Roman Empire (from now on HRE) functioned with little interference from outside nations. Of course the Catholic Church held some power over the HRE and the threat of the Ottoman Empire always loomed near. At the same time, battles were fought between people of the same culture of religion in the Thirty Years War, however, the people of the HRE had never suffered a substantial defeat like the one dealt it by Napoleon. In defeat, the German principalities, specifically the Confederation of the Rhine, found themselves conquered and embarrassed by the swift advancement of the French troops (102). The lack of prior confrontation left little preparation for an attack which allowed for a quick takeover by Napoleon and the consequent dissolution of the HRE. Under French rule, state lines were drawn and laws were enacted for the newly formed regions (102). The old regions lost the individual power that they held, however, the new laws that were put into place built up the foundation for the formation of the nation of Germany (103).

French occupation was not something that was welcomed by the German people. They were not French, therefore, the French soldiers that inhabited their cities were taking away from their culture (104). Words such as “fatherland” and “nation” gained power in what was to become Germany. The idea of a German nation grew with the use of these words and the German people took more steps closer to the 1871 Unification. Napoleon started to lose his control over Europe in the eighteen-teens and was eventually defeated in the War of Liberation (106).

Napoleon left the HRE dissolved, however, he also left the German people with a sense of unity. Through French rule they had come to know what the word “nation” truly meant to them and they wanted it for themselves. Although it would still be almost sixty years until Germany officially unified, its people had already begun to think of a unified German state.

A map of Europe controlled by Napoleon

A map of the Confederation of the Rhine

A map of the HRE for comparison between the Confederation of the Rhine

A map of modern day Germany

Napoleon Bonaparte

Martin Luther

Since my senior year of high school I have been fascinated by Martin Luther. Having no religion of my own, I found it odd that I was drawn to a religious founder. However, no matter how many times I have learned about Martin Luther I have not failed to be captivated by his story. Now, after studying German in high school and college, the impact that he had on the language and the country has become ever more apparent. While the country of Germany was not in existence while Martin Luther was alive, it is because of him that Germany began to become unified as a country. By translating the bible into German, Luther gave the people occupying the Holy Roman Empire a common language to speak. I believe this decision has had more impact on Germany than Luther’s nailing of the ninety-five theses to the Wittenberg church door. Religion can only unite so many people. It may be part of a culture but it does not separate one nation from another of the same religion. Nor does it unite people of the same nation. Language gives a nation identity. Had Martin Luther instead translated Dante’s Divine Comedy, he may not have had the same impact. Luther’s use of the most widely read book allowed a national language to be created.

- Martin Luther's translated Bible.

-Martin Luther.

While I believe Martin Luther’s impact on the German language was more important that the religious repercussions that occurred because of his ninety-five theses, the effect of the theses still played an important role in the creation of the German nation. Protestantism created a rift between the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) and the Papacy. Where before the Catholic church would have played a larger role in the politics of the HRE, now the HRE had more control over its nation. This independence allowed for Germany to develop its own culture, less influenced by the catholic church than it might have been if Luther had not written his theses. The effects of the Protestant and catholic split can still be seen in modern day Germany. Different forms of architecture are used in predominantly catholic regions than those used in predominantly Protestant regions. The same can be said for religious holidays.

The effects of Luther, his ninety-five theses and his translation of the bible into German have helped make Germany what it is today.

- A depiction of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg.

Warum denke ich, dass der Heiliges Römisches Reich sehr wichtig für Deutschland war.

The nation of Germany did not come into existence until much more modern times than countries such as France and England. However, the foundations of the German state can be found in the Holy Roman Empire (HRE). The HRE reached farther North, West, South and East than modern day Germany but it still encompassed the same principalities that came together to form a unified nation. Due to the size of the HRE, it would have been hard for the people we call Germans to identify with their emperor and their nation. Many dialects were spoken and different cultural aspects were practiced, yet, these people all lived under one ruler. While the HRE governed nations that would not make up modern day Germany, it started to organize all of the smaller principalities in the German region that would one day form one larger nation. The idea of Germany was born with the HRE.

When Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I created the principle of cuius regio, eius religio, he allowed for the legal spread of Protestantism. Martin Luther’s became more widely accepted and, consequently, a German language was formed. When Luther translated the Bible from Latin to German, he created a basic German dialect that soon became the most widely spoken form of German because people wanted to speak the language of the Bible. Due to the growth of Protestantism in the HRE, the empire was able to develop its culture away from the influence of Catholicism and its Pope. While the southern regions of the HRE remained mainly Catholic, the northern parts identified with Protestantism. This separation gave the future Germans a language of their own and an identity separate from the Catholic realm.

- A picture of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor.

Although the boundaries of the HRE are largely different than those of modern day Germany, the empire played a huge role laying the foundations for a German state.

-A map of the Holy Roman Empire in 1530.

-This is what modern day Germany looks like. Compared to the HRE, it is smaller.

Warum will ich nach Deutschland fliegen?

As a German student at NCC, I knew I would want to travel to Germany during my academic career even though it is not required of my major. On a previous trip with my family I had travelled to Köln (Cologne), Heidelberg, Mannheim and Stuttgart and I was hoping to travel to a city I had not been to. Traveling to Germany during the D-term would allow me to experience a different region of the country and become acquainted with some of the cultural aspects. I have never been to eastern Germany before, although I have studied Berlin particularly on multiple occasions in my German classes.

-This is a map of Germany with all of the German states and their German names.

My dream is to teach German at the high school level, and to teach a language one has to understand the culture. It is one thing to learn about the culture in a textbook and another to experience it in person. This trip will allow me to do so. It will also allow me to improve my understanding of the German language. I am hoping that being surrounded by the language will help my comprehension and I am planning on using my German at every possible chance I get.

One thing that will help my comprehension of German is understanding the foundations of the language. We will be visiting some cities that have played a huge role in the foundation of the German language. In high school I learned about Martin Luther for the very first time. I was fascinated by what he did for Germany (even though it was not known by that name at the time he lived) and the Germany language. When I saw that this trip would take us to Wittenberg, I realized that I would be visiting the town that was occupied by one of my favorite historical figures. Since we are traveling in Germany mainly during December, I will be able to experience cultural aspects such as the Kristkindlmarkt, while continuing to learn about historical cultural influences.

-Here is a picture of a Kristkindlmarkt in Berlin.

-The city of Wittenberg, Germany now called Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, Germany.

Another area of German culture that interests me is the different types of architecture used in buildings. In my German 203 class we learned about architecture and how it was influenced by the historical periods it was used in as well as events and religions that were prominent in the area that the building was built. This subject has remained one of my most favorite aspects of German culture that I have studied and I am looking forward to specifically visiting different churches and cathedrals to examine their architecture.

1.

Hello!

I am so happy that I am able to go on this trip! Three days ago I thought that I was going to fly to/visit Germany in the summer but now I am going to go in November/December with Herr Wolf's d-term class to Berlin. I hope that I can improve my spoken German as well as learn the culture of Germany. I am going to write every post in German and in English so that I can improve my written German and everyone can still understand what I am saying!

We only have to wait 185 more days!

-Until next time

Melanie

Hallo!

Ich bin so glücklich, dass ich diese Reise machen kann! Vor drei Tage habe ich gedacht, dass ich nach Deutschland im Sommer fliegen werde aber jetzt reise ich im November/Dezember mit der D-term Klasse nach Berlin. Ich hoffe, dass ich meine Sprache bessern machen kann und auch die Kultur des Deutschlands lernen kann. Ich will jede Post auf Englisch und Deutsch schreiben, damit ich mein deutsches Schreiben bessern kann.

Wir müssen nur 185 Tage warten!

-Tchüss

Melanie