Germany Blog

Stories, tips, and reflections about life, travel, and culture in Germany.

  • Hope Found When The Berlin Wall Came Down

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    Last week marked the 50th anniversary of the building of the infamous Berlin Wall. A series of events marking this not so auspicious day was (and is) found throughout Berlin and the rest of Germany.

    It was on August 12th, 1961 that East Germany leader, Walter Ulbricht, gave the order to build a separation wall between them and the West Germans, which had started the day after. Hmm, interesting since only two months beforehand he said that “no one wants to build a wall.”

    But, he did build a wall. A 160km concrete barrier around Berlin, to be exact.

    As if the wall wasn’t insulting enough, watchtowers (which is believed that no two were alike) were added along the wall’s perimeter with soldiers ordered to shoot anyone trying to defect. They called it Repulikflucht, or illegal immigration.

    East Germans were a bit creative in trying to flee to the more free West Germany, using a variety of methods to get across, including tunneling, hot air ballooning, and one soldier drove a tank through it.

    In 1989 after the East and West Berliners could cross “freely,” it was still dangerous, as the Soviets had buried landmines along the Eastern side — so it did take a while for it to be truly safe. And there’s no exact number of people who perished trying to cross the wall, estimates guess somewhere between 136-200 souls lost trying to reach freedom.

    Now a little more than two decades after the fall of the wall, a new exhibit has opened up at Unter der Linden 40 in Berlin with never before seen photos taken from the East German perspective. Which is to say, taken from the eastern side of the wall.

    The exhibit opened August 5th, which will until October 3 before heading off for an exhibition in Poland.

    Maybe the exhibit should circle the globe, as a reminder of hope to all those who are repressed.

  • A Replica Of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater For Sale On eBay

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    It’s official, you can buy anything on the Internet.

    I was a bit stunned to see Shakespeare’s Globe Theater for sale on eBay a while back. Not the real Globe Theater in England, but a full-size replica at the famous Babelsberg Studios just outside of Berlin.

    The best part? It would’ve only cost you 11.50 Euro to buy it. The down side? It would’ve cost you about 50,000 Euro to have it dismantled and carried away.

    You really didn’t think they’d ship it to you in Some Small Town, USA, did you?

    Still, would you’ve been interested?

    The Babelsberg’s Globe Theater can actually seat 700 people; and is worth an estimated half a million Euro (approx. $716,000 USD). I can just imagine what the neighbors would say if you tried to put this out in your backyard.

    It was a gift to the Shakespeare Company Berlin from the German-born director Roland Emmerich (he directed Independence Day with Will Smith) after he made the movie Anonymous.

    The studio where this Shakespeare’s Globe sits is pretty historical in its own right; it’s the oldest theater in the world, ready to celebrate its 100th birthday next year.

    Did you know that The Blue Angel (the movie that catapulted Marlene Dietrich to stardom) was made here in 1930, and Fritz Lang’s movie Metropolis was also made in the studio’s lot in 1927.

    More modern movies have been made at Babelsberg Studios (all under the watchful eye of the Globe), including Valkyrie, The Reader (with Academy Award winner Kate Winslet), The Pianist, Inglorious Basterds, and The Ghost Writer.

    Not to mention, the approximately 1000 movies made by Joseph Goebbels between 1933 and 1945. OK, they were propaganda films, but in terms of number of movies that’s still a whole lot being made.

    If amazing pieces of cinematic art like the Globe Theater (or the closest you’ll get to the real one) were for sale on eBay, I guess it is true; you can buy anything on the internet.

  • Germany’s Nude Beaches And A Few Rules

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    It’s hot, and most likely you’ve managed to shed just about every ounce of clothing that‘s possible without being arrested for indecent exposure.

    Summer’s rough, isn’t it?

    However, if you want to shed ALL of your clothing, then you might as well do it at one of Germany’s nude beaches.

    Nude beaches? Germany’s got nude beaches?

    Yeah, it sure does and they are scattered throughout the country, so you’ll find one when you really want one (or, got the guts to go ;-).

    Uh, where are they; and what are the “rules” for being there?

    Let’s start at where it all started; the island (and town) of Sylt (in North Frisia). The entire island isn’t a beach for naturists (as nude beach goers are called), but an area of the island has been set aside for those looking to don their clothing since the 1920’s.

    Situated on the Baltic Sea in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, you’ll find some nude beaches in the Rügen district. The white chalky cliffs make for a great background. Too bad though you can’t bring a camera to take pictures of them.

    You really didn’t think you could bring cameras onto a nude beach, did you? ;-) Do yourself a favor and keep the camera put away until you’ve left the beach area. OK?

    Even Berlin gets in on the nude beach action over at the Wannsee. The sandy beach might be clothes free, but make sure you’ve brought something to cover up with while you’re playing beach volleyball or are out paddle boating.

    It’s always good form to bring something to sit on or cover up when you’re at a nude beach restaurant, or some other concession area. Sanitary, ya know.

    Lower Saxony has got a nude beach on the island of Borkum. Whether you keep your clothes on or take them off, you’ll love the clear lakes and nude camping.

    One thing, Gentlemen, if you’ve come to Borkum or some other nude beach to pick up the ladies; you better think twice. Nude beaches aren’t meat markets!

    Yeah, that means you don’t invade anyone else’s space. And you certainly don’t want to be up close & personal not smellin’ all that fresh. So, make sure you’ve practiced some hygiene before arriving.

    Look, don’t kill the messenger. I didn’t make the rules, I’m just passing them on. ;-)

    Hamburg isn’t going to be left out. So, if you’re a true naturist, the Sommerbad Volksdorf is the place you’ll want to be.

    Places like this are (believe it or not) quite family-friendly. So, please don’t come to the Sommerbad Volksdorf thinking it’s like Jamaica’s Hedonism. Keep the public displays of affection to a very (very, very) bare minimum.

    Better yet, don’t display them at all.

    But, don’t let a few rules of etiquette keep you from enjoying the best of Germany’s nude beaches. Then again, most of these “rules” would apply if it was a clothing-required beach, as well. Right?

  • Rest In Peace, Rudolf Brazda, You Deserve It

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    It was a sad day on August 3, 2011 when Mr. Rudolf Brazda died at the age 98. His age doesn’t make Herr Brazda’s story remarkable. The fact that he was the last known homosexual survivor of the Nazi death camps makes his story worth writing about.

    His death forever silencing the first hand account of what it meant to be gay in the Third Reich (homosexuality was declared illegal in 1935).

    He was sent to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp in 1942, imprisoned there until the camp was liberated in 1945. He moved to France after the war ended, staying there until his death — where he was buried.

    Now, sixty-six years after Brazda’s release from the Nazi’s persecution, there’s talk in Germany about legalizing same-sex marriages.

    Yes, the country’s had same-sex partnerships for the last 10 years — but when it comes to things like adoption and taxes, the current law doesn’t measure up (legal marriage between same sex couples is legal in Norway, Sweded, Spain, and Portugal).

    Even the conservative Catholic Church might be softening. The Archbishop of Munich says that all gays and lesbians are welcome — despite the teachings against the “S”-word between same sex couples.

    While some gay and lesbian couples might not be ready to tie the knot, they (and hetero-folks) are more than welcome to party at Christopher Street Day or Berlin Gay Pride; a huge event every June.

    Right before the festival kicks off, there’s a smaller one (the Lesbisch-Schwules Stadtfest) at the Nollendorfplatz in Schöneberg the week before.

    Munich and Cologne also get in on the gay-filled action (oh, that doesn’t sound right, does it?) Sorry — I should say that Munich holds a Christopher Street Day of its own every August. As does the ColognePride in Cologne.

    If you attend the event in Cologne or Berlin, stop by the memorials to those who were forced to wear the dreaded pink triangle in concentration camps — just like Mr. Brazda.

    Rest in Peace, Sir — you deserve it.

  • The Incredible Edible German Potato

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    Thanks to a post by Sandra at the German Language Blog, the German Kartoffelsalat with its incredibly versatile potato got some attention.

    Sure Sandra was only talking about “German” potato salad; but there are a bazillion other recipes that calls for this pantry staple. How could there not be, Germans eat an average of 70kg of them a year.

    Potatoes are eaten with just about anything in German cuisine, although what (and how) might be a regional thing.

    For example, potato pancakes are served throughout the country; but the buttermilk variety are primarily made (and eaten, ha-ha) in Saxony’s Ore Mountain region.

    Also made in Saxony (and Saxony-Anhalt) is Sauerkrautpuffer, another type of potato pancake made with (as its name suggests) sauerkraut. It also has a dash of cayenne pepper in there for extra zing. :-)

    I’m a big a fan of potato pancakes as well as potato soup (Kartoffelsuppe). You’ll find all kinds of yummy goodness in a bowl — carrots, bacon, celery.

    Great, now I want some. ;-)

    In all fairness, and going back to Sandra’s topic, I should bring up potato salad (Kartoffelsalat). It’s not uncommon throughout Germany to find everything in the salad except the kitchen sink. Depending on who’s making it, you’ll get potato salad with either mayo or vinegar, cabbage or bacon, or cucumbers or leeks.

    As if something made with mayo is the healthiest choice, wait until you try Kroketten. This potato recipe calls for frying up mashed potatoes until a they’re golden and crispy. This dish is usually served as a side-dish for some saucy meat dish, but ain’t that another blog altogether…

    Not a heart healthy choice, but OHHHHHH so delicious.

    I don’t want to leave out Kartoffelklöße, a potato dumpling that’s popular in Bavaria, Thuringia, and the Rhineland. The trick is not to leave them to chill in the fridge for longer than 4 hours, otherwise they’re too “moist.” When cooked (thrown into salted water) they float to the top. This way there’s no overcooking. How easy is that?

    So, in case I’ve left you hungry, here’s a recipe for the Sauerkrautpuffer (thanks to our friends at GermanFoodGuide.com):

    Sauerkrautpuffer

    1 – 1 1/2 lbs Potatoes
    8 oz Sauerkraut (ready-made in a glass jar or can)
    2 Eggs
    1 tablespoons Bread Crumbs
    1 tablespoon Flour
    Salt
    Fresh Pepper
    Pinch of Sugar
    Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
    Oil or Butter for frying

    Wash & peel, then shred the potatoes into a bowl. Drain potato juice. Mix in the Sauerkraut, eggs, bread crumbs, and flour. Add seasoning to taste.

    Heat oil or butter in a frying pan. Using a large spoon, add spoonfuls of batter to the pan forming pancakes. Brown on both sides. Remove from oil and allow to drip on paper towels briefly. Serve hot.

    © Copyright German Food Guide

    If you make these, give me a shout and let me know how they turned out!

    —Marcus