"Mauer im Kopf" is a very interesting article, and something I had never really heard much about. The idea that it takes a long time for different regions to reconcile and find common values after strife, division or conflict is not surprising, and had many examples in history. There are still large cultural divisions in the US between North and South, after a civil war that happened 150 years ago. Despite the longevity of resentment, differing values and expectations, this article is 10 years old, and I wonder what opinions my own peers would have. Everyone through their 20's now in Deutschland would have little or no memory of the fall.
The "Ostalgie" is definitely something I saw in Berlin this Sommer. Evident is the Ampelmann mouse pad sitting right next to me here at my desk. Other evidence I saw were things like the Trabi Tours and numerous little shops selling cold-war memorabilia.
I think that the North/South divide and its parallels in the US are very interesting. This Spiegel article focuses on Bayern as the example for the south, and indeed that is where the classic German Stereotype in America comes from. Though Baden-Württemburg may be different, it is also in the south. My father would mention the concern his mother had for him when he had his first internship in Deutschland. She was worried his Schwäbusche accent would discredit him in the eyes of company professionals.
Posts mit dem Label Kultur11 werden angezeigt. Alle Posts anzeigen
Posts mit dem Label Kultur11 werden angezeigt. Alle Posts anzeigen
Donnerstag, 17. April 2014
Kultur 11 - Kailey Schwartz
Breaking Down the Wall in the Head
Reading about the different viewpoints in relation to the fall of the Berlin Wall wasn't very surprising after learning about Germans' distaste for patriotism. You would think after years of tragedy and destruction that reunification wouldn't be such a bad idea, but I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion. I do understand the problem of unifying two 'nations' and finding a path for common values. I can see why that would be frustrating for those who got so used to living a certain way. It is a little sad that some people still think that way, though.
Ostalgie
While reading this article, I couldn't help but compare it to the United States i.e. the Union and the Confederacy. I'm not too brushed up on my history, but sometime after the Civil War, the Confederacy was wiped away. Yet, I'm sure there are STILL some individuals who would prefer it to go back to the old way, which is quite ignorant, in my opinion. With the reunification of East and West Germany, East Germany was kind of forced to get rid of all GDR representations, similar to the Confederacy. Just to clarify, I highly doubt East Germany represented anything close to the awful things the Confederacy did. At least they got to keep the Ampelmännchen, though.
Backward Southerners, Frigid Northerners
The true issue lies between north and south Germany. North being Catholic and south being Protestant, mainly, should say everything about where problems stem from. Also, the fact that both sides are highly prejudice doesn't help the situation. Everything is different between the two regions from politics to religions to dialects. Because of these major differences, the people of the north and of the south really do not see eye-to-eye. This, again, reminds me of the US way back when. I'd really hate to be caught up in all of that. Why can't people just get along?
Reading about the different viewpoints in relation to the fall of the Berlin Wall wasn't very surprising after learning about Germans' distaste for patriotism. You would think after years of tragedy and destruction that reunification wouldn't be such a bad idea, but I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion. I do understand the problem of unifying two 'nations' and finding a path for common values. I can see why that would be frustrating for those who got so used to living a certain way. It is a little sad that some people still think that way, though.
Ostalgie
While reading this article, I couldn't help but compare it to the United States i.e. the Union and the Confederacy. I'm not too brushed up on my history, but sometime after the Civil War, the Confederacy was wiped away. Yet, I'm sure there are STILL some individuals who would prefer it to go back to the old way, which is quite ignorant, in my opinion. With the reunification of East and West Germany, East Germany was kind of forced to get rid of all GDR representations, similar to the Confederacy. Just to clarify, I highly doubt East Germany represented anything close to the awful things the Confederacy did. At least they got to keep the Ampelmännchen, though.
Backward Southerners, Frigid Northerners
The true issue lies between north and south Germany. North being Catholic and south being Protestant, mainly, should say everything about where problems stem from. Also, the fact that both sides are highly prejudice doesn't help the situation. Everything is different between the two regions from politics to religions to dialects. Because of these major differences, the people of the north and of the south really do not see eye-to-eye. This, again, reminds me of the US way back when. I'd really hate to be caught up in all of that. Why can't people just get along?
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