The Year in Review

As is my custom, I find it helpful to reflect upon the good and the bad of 2020.  I start the year with goals; this post looks back at some of them and considers other factors we experienced this year.

I'll begin with the obvious: the pandemic that defined the year certainly upended a lot of these goals. Some were easier to meet as a result of lockdowns; others impossible. I found new hobbies and abandoned others. The disruptions meant nothing went as planned- but that's not always a bad thing.

Nutritional/Fitness

Weight loss was a big goal for me, so I weighed myself every day I had scale access. I started the year at 195.5 lbs and wanted to lose 20. I dropped 12 rather readily and maintained that level until the holidays (and colder weather), when I biked less and gained back a few. Some of that gain is muscle- I think- and I'm pleased with my overall fitness. As of this morning, I'm 187.5. Staying under 185 is doable and the max acceptable moving forward, with 180 as the goal. I think dropping under that would mean muscle loss.

Weight in 2020 (lbs)

The pandemic helped me up my overall workout totals. Though an achilles injury shelved my running for three months, I still got some decent miles in (and could do 2 miles in 14:00 and 3 in under 24). I discovered bicycling and enjoyed over 1,300 miles on the wonderful German bike trails. No six-pack yet, but lots of core workouts mean I see hints of one at times. Gyms were closed for about three months, which affected those gym totals, but I still hit the gym consistently when it was open. Overall, I did workouts on 268 days (out of 314 eligible- I rest on Sundays), meaning I worked out 85% of the days I could; not bad, especially with the injury.

I tracked push-ups this year and did 26,200 (personal best: 50 in a set; 100 over multiple sets in 5:03). I worked on pull-ups starting in autumn and can now do 13 pull-ups in a set. Looking back over recent years, this one was the best overall:

2014: 51 runs for 104.6 miles, 98 gym workouts
2015: 47 runs for 103.0 miles, 81 gym workouts, 5 soccer games, 5 PT sessions

2016: 98 runs for 205.8 miles, 115 gym workouts, 4 bike rides
2017: 77 runs for 203.9 miles, 111 gym workouts
2018: 44 runs for  78.2 miles, 107 gym workouts, 32 yardwork sessions
2019: 54 runs for 120.6 miles, 85 gym workouts, 26 'other' sessions (hikes, bike rides, moving, etc.)

2020: 94 runs for 180 miles, 83 gym workouts, 91 bike rides for 1310 miles

My diet wasn't the best, but I did have reasonable discipline until the holidays- though biking so much meant I had to frequent the German bakeries (you know, to make sure I was getting enough fuel). 

Financial
We started 2020 tracking spending exactly like we hoped, and doing a good analysis after each month to see where we could improve. Then came COVID, and many of our routines went out the window. But to be fair, we saved a good deal this year- there's not much to do in a lockdown. So we met some goals without the systematic budgeting we thought would be necessary. Still room for improvement, though. How do people budget 'easily' (without it dominating their time)?

Reading
It was a good reading year. I exceeded my goal of reading 50 books, made good progress on my German Reading List, kept my 'owned but unread' pile to a reasonably small number, and enjoyed a lot of authors new to me. My post here caps this year's book recommendations. 

Travel
Ha!  Whereas we hosted visitors for 28% of 2019 and traveled a good deal, 2020 brought it all to a screeching halt. We took the kids to the Black Forest (pics here, here and here) for a long weekend in the early Fall, and did a day trip into France while there, but that was it for foreign adventures. All was not lost, though- we explored the more local sights a fair deal, focusing on ruined castles that were easy to see while social distancing. (We even had a 'three castle day'.) I learned to delight in these less popular attractions; I love castle ruins. I think our favorites were Wertheim, Hohenstein, and Auerbach. Or Manderscheider Burgen. Or Runkel. Sheesh; I can't decide.

Fluency
My goals were to learn 5000 more German words (no idea if that happened), complete the DuoLingo German course (that did happen), and read 5 books auf Deutsch (I read a few). Still not fluent- and admittedly dejected about that- but I need immersion to get me over the hill here, and that's not going to happen in this pandemic. So I keep plugging away to maintain what I have (meeting the DuoLingo daily goal through review), but I have little hope of reaching my goals here.

Games
I wanted to host more game nights and play online games less this year. Again- ha! I did get a game night or two in before life shut down in March, which was nice. And I learned that a number of friends enjoy playing Magic: Arena, so I now have several monthly 'game dates' where a specified friend and I play each other on that platform and use Discord to chat while so doing. It's a lot of fun. Technology has been a wonderful aid in this time.

Personal Spending
I still spent too much this year, though I did a decent job tracking it, and I sold a few things to get back in the black. That needs to improve next year, though. I have too much that I don't use regularly, and spending plays into that.

Blogging
Blogging was consistent about the typical games, books, and movies. It continues to be an enjoyable hobby for me, perhaps even 'necessary' as my memory is so poor, and this helps me track things. In February, I started a second blog about my favorite card game, Magic: the Gathering. 

Parenting
I have no idea how to gauge parenting. I have a vague sense that we made some improvements this year, but much remains. The pandemic forced us to spend lots of time indoors and together, which was sometimes wonderful, sometimes crazy. 

Spiritual
My spiritual routine (prayer and scripture) was better this year- more meaningful and consistent. Early in the year, I finished some readings related to church leadership which were quite valuable. And I started being more intentional about teaching the family in these matters, though it was mostly ad hoc dinnertime discussions, and I need to be more structured and consistent about that.

Conclusion
2020 was certainly different than we expected. We were blessed with health and job, so we can't complain. I was happy to meet some fitness goals and improve spiritually. It was wonderful to discover German biking trails and explore local castle ruins. More than anything, though, we miss people. I hope fellowship can resume in 2021. 

Death in Venice and Other Stories (Thomas Mann)

 

Today's review is of a collection of seven short stories or novellas by Thomas Mann, with Death in Venice being the longest and most famous.I read five and then put it down.

Mann's form is wonderful- he's a gifted writer (especially Death in Venice- wow)- but his content got old. All five of the tales I read were essentially the same- a tortured character (often an artist of some kind) is upended by someone or something, he becomes obsessed, and eventually dies. There's a good deal of philosophizing about beauty and art, too, and the artist's perspective on life (which is misunderstood or unappreciated, these works imply). 

After reading four stories, I read about half of the ample (60-page) introduction, where my suspicions were confirmed: Mann was a devotee of Nietzsche among others, and his writings certainly reflect that. On the one hand, these works are insightful because they (rightly) conclude or imply that life, on its own, is vanity (see the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes).  On the other hand, Mann never arrives at the way forward (as the Ecclesiastes author does); for him, God is not present, and so his stories end in the abyss. This is also to correct conclusion- those without the Lord engage in futility and, ultimately, result in despair. So these works are valuable from that perspective- a helpful reminder to be sure. But I didn't need to read the same thing repeatedly, so read one more and stopped after five. 

Rating: B

Thus Concludes 2020

Another reading year "in the books." This post recaps the year and presents what I consider the best of the bunch.

I read 53 books this year, totaling 16,013 pages- about 43 pages a day.  That about doubles last year's output, which is satisfying. 

Of the 53 books, 0 were audiobooks, 0 were eBooks, and 2 were borrowed from the library or friends. (Unlike prior years, this was a 'physical book'-focused year.)  I read 16 books on theology and 23 books related to life in Germany (my German Reading List or pursuit of German fluency).  

Here are my top ten reads from this year:

Kevin DeYoung: The Hole in Our Holiness

Michael Ende: Momo

(honorable mention: The Never-Ending Story)

G.I. Williamson: The Westminster Confession Study Guide for Classes

Otfried Preussler: Der Rauber Hotzenplotz

Vern Poythress: The Returning King

D.A. Carson: Love in Hard Places 

(honorable mentions: Exegetical Fallacies and Christ and Culture Revisited)

Neil  MacGregor: Germany: Memories of a Nation

Robert Jordan: The Great Hunt

Judith Kerr: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

Peter Schneider: The Wall Jumper

If I had to pick two authors above all, I'd go with Michael Ende and D.A. Carson. Ende's fantasies are wonderful and inspiring; Carson's theology is insightful and convicting. 

On the whole, things bounced back after two 'down' reading years. This year, I had a hard time choosing only ten for my 'best of' list. May 2021 bring further works of excellence. Happy reading!

Momo (Michael Ende)

Momo is an orphan who lives in an ancient, abandoned amphitheatre on the outskirts of town. She enjoys a pleasant existence with her friends and excels at her special talent. Things are going fine until the day mysterious men in gray arrive in the city. Slowly, people become irritable and don't have time for anything other than work; nobody stops to enjoy life's simple pleasures or relationships. With special friends helping, Momo can save the world. But will she make it in time?

Amazing. Outstanding. I can't recommend this one highly enough. It is enlightening, convicting, humbling, and exciting. Makes you think about what you value and why. Pick this one up today. Another winner from the author who penned the also-excellent The Neverending Story.

Rating: A

The New Testament in its World (Wright & Bird)

In their book The New Testament in its World, prominent Biblical scholars N.T. Wright and Michael Bird offer "an introduction to the history, literature, and theology of the first Christians." The nine parts of this work cover:

• Reading the New Testament (the NT as history, literature, and theology)
• The World of Jesus and the Early Church (history of the Jews, and the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts of the early Church)
• Jesus and the Victory of God (studying the historical Jesus)
• The Resurrection of the Son of God (studying the Afterlife and Easter story)
• Paul and the Faithfulness of God (background on Paul and introduction to each of his letters)
• The Gospels and the Story of God (introduction to each gospel)
• The Early Christians and the Mission of God (introduction to the other NT letters)
• The Making of the New Testament (the canon of Scripture)
• Living the Story of the New Testament (the relevance today)

I read the first four parts- 33% of the ~900-page work- as much of the rest is a book-by-book introduction to and summary of each New Testament work, best used as a reference.

I have mixed feelings about this one. The authors are outside of my tradition, and my disagreements with their theological statements became more evident as I progressed. At times, I felt they were trying to address common modern evangelical biases to Scripture by overreacting to the problem and exaggerating alternative interpretations (and consequently introducing a different, but also incorrect, bias).

It is good to understand different perspectives, and I benefitted from that, but there is a reason I follow the Reformed tradition (I believe it is the most faithful interpretation of Scripture). That said, there is value here; I especially enjoyed the historical section and cultural contexts of the New Testament era. The Bible is applicable to all people at all times, but was written to a specific people in a specific time (well, times- over centuries), and it is important to understand the original context to more accurately interpret the meaning and significance for us today. 

Rating: B

The Mandalorian (Season 2)

Season One of The Mandalorian was well-received. Season Two picks up right where we left off: The Mandalorian has "baby Yoda" and is evading the mysterious pursuit of an Imperial remnant and its warlord, Moff Gideon. Mando is trying to get the baby to a Jedi who can appropriately care for the child. His journey will take him to strange worlds and encounters with familiar faces. But danger lurks at every corner . . . can he succeed?

Wow. Just wow. Season Two started a bit slowly (though still enjoyably), but things really heated up over the eight-episode run. The biggest "wow" moments are where they tied material in from the comics, video games, books, and animated television shows into this post-Return of the Jedi universe. I am very familiar with the pre-Disney Expanded Universe (EU), and mourned its 'loss' when Disney purchased the franchise and scrapped most of it as non-canonical. The Mandalorian brought some key moments back into the fold in a quite satisfying fashion. I want to talk about it more! But I'll refrain from spoiling it. Check this one out. I finally enjoy Star Wars again.

Rating: A

Germany, Part 7: A Greater Union

 We left our story last time with Germany divided into East and West, with the West thriving and East languishing. But change was on the horizon.

Reunification

Communist regimes fell like dominoes across Eastern Europe in 1989/90. For Germans, attention turned towards reunification. 3 October 1990 is the “Tag der Deutschen Einheit”- Germany unity day. Again, and at last, Germany was reunited. But disparities and difficulties remained- after all, the East had fallen far behind the West in prosperity, and taxes were raised on the West to help address that.

Sport

Sports have done wonders to help unite and heal the German people. Soccer, of course, is the most popular sport in Germany. Germany hosted the World Cup in 2006, and this was the first time since WWII that you saw Germans proudly waving their flag. They would win the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, powered by a systematic nationwide soccer program.

European Union

In 1957, West Germany was a founding member of the European Economic Community, which was a precursor to the European Communities (1967), which was a precursor to the European Union (1993). Today, the EU is "a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe . . . [and] has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states in those matters, and only those matters, where members have agreed to act as one." (wikipedia) In 2002, a common currency- the Euro- was introduced in many (but not all) member nations, replacing national currencies (like the Deutschmark).

The EU has morphed in function and member countries over time. Today, be aware that there are three main components to the EU- the overall union, the border agreement, and the common currency. Countries may be in one, two, or all three of these areas- check first when traveling! The graphic I show above is no longer accurate, as the UK exited the EU in February of this year.

It is no surprise that Germany plays a leading role in EU affairs. They have, after all, centuries of experience working within a 'patchwork' construct that was the Holy Roman Empire, which has given them a willingness to compromise and accommodate differences.

Germany Today

Germany today is strong and a model for the world. (As a friend from the Balkans put it: "Germany is our ideal.") Though their twentieth century story includes the horrors of WWII, the Germans have done a remarkable job owning up to, and atoning for, their mistakes as they rebuilt their society and played a significant role in the reconciliation and restoral of Europe. For example, they accepted more than one million refugees in 2015 from the war-torn regions in the Middle East and have worked hard at integrating them into society, giving a future and a hope to people who otherwise had none. 

Looking back through Germany's more distant past, we see a land strong and diverse. They beat back the Romans, enjoyed a more decentralized existence during the HRE than many of their neighbors (which enabled tolerance of diverse views), played a central role in the Reformation, endured the horrors of the Thirty Years War, and started to coalesce in a more unified way after the Napoleonic era.

I have lived in Germany for six years now (2007-11 and 2018-present). I can attest to the strength of their society. It is structured (sometimes annoyingly so) but fair. The government seems (to me) a pleasant mix of conservative and liberal ideas, borrowing the best from both idealogies to create a strong nation. We see it in many areas, not least their handling of the current pandemic. It is certainly not perfect- no country is- but we have benefited from and enjoyed our time here.

Touring Germany

Germany is full of breathtaking sights, from the historical to architectural to natural. One way to see them is by following their roads.

Germans have always loved their roads. In fact, the US got the idea of highways from the Germans- in WWII, Eisenhower was impressed with the German network. In Germany, there are many roads designated as tourist ‘trails’- they are great to follow in part or whole if you’re looking for things to do. 

Some examples:

• Fairy Tale Road- follow this route to towns, buildings, and sites said to inspire tales found in the Brothers Grimm stories.
• Romantic & Castle Roads- routes that run through areas of high numbers of castle or ‘romantic’ sites
• There are others- the Limes Road, Wine road, half-timbered road, and more!

In the pandemic, these roads provide excellent ways to enjoy the land while maintaining appropriate distance. See my 'pandemic tourism' page for more information.

Works Cited

I hope you enjoyed this brief overview of German history. Covering two thousand years in seven blog posts requires a good deal of summarization, reduction, and omission; that said, I hope that I hit the highlights (and if I missed or misrepresented something major, please contact me).

I relied on a number of resources in creating this presentation. For a book-length survey on German 

history, Neil MacGregor's Germany is fantastic and inspired the general outline for my presentation. Other works focused on specific times or topics:

Roman times:

- Tacitus, Germania

The early church & Reformation:

- Justo Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity (Volume 1)

- Stephen Nichols, The Reformation

Medieval times:

- C.V. Wedgwood, The Thirty Years War

Prussia:

- Christopher Clark, Iron Kingdom

World Wars:

- DK Publishing, World War I: The Definitive Visual History

- DK Publishing, World War II: The Definitive Visual History

Wikipedia and general Google searches supplemented the above resources, filling in gaps and providing local information. 

Images presented are a combination of the author's personal photographs and pictures, graphics, and other images found from simple Google searches. 

For Further Reading

Other works pertaining to Germany on my German Reading List.

Germany, Part 6: War

From last time, Germany had become an Empire under Prussian leadership in the late nineteenth century. This Empire was unlike the former Holy Roman Empire and its patchwork nature (the HRE "was only nominally a discrete imperial state"- wikipedia). Instead, the German Empire was more 'traditional' as a "sovereign state consisting of several territories and peoples subject to a single ruling authority, often an emperor." (wikipedia) And it was not to last long.

World War I (1914-1918)

Simplistically, the rise of nationalism and interlocking alliances let to world war, sparked by the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the Balkans. In response of this act, Austria issued an ultimatum to, and then invaded, Serbia. Russia (Serbia's ally) mobilized, Germany (Austria's ally) declared war on Russia in support of Austria, France (Russia's ally) declared war on Germany, Germany attacked France through Belgium (Britain's ally), so Britain declared war . . . you get the picture. As the dominoes fell, it was the German Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy vs other powers. Central Europe vs. East & West.

World War I was a conflict unlike any other. Modern weapons with old tactics led to stalemate and disaster- trench warfare, tear gas, machine guns, mass death. The Western front ran through France and Belgium-  highly recommend you tour battlefields/tranches in those areas (especially Verdun). The Eastern Front collapsed after the Russian Soviet revolution, allowing Germany to focus on the West. But it was too late; the Germans were outmatched and out-resourced, as France & Britain could get supplies from the US (who was technically neutral until late in the war, but favored these nations throughout).

Interwar Period- Weimar Republic

After Germany’s defeat, the Emperor abdicated, and the government was reorganized to become the Weimar Republic. Germany was held guilty and made to pay impossible sums in war reparations. This differed from previous European wars, where the losers might lose territory or have policies imposed to limit expansionist tendencies (like with France a century earlier), but they were still welcomed back into the community. Germany wasn’t.

The policies led to widespread poverty, hyperinflation, and hardship. In 1923, for example, one USD = 4.2 trillion German marks. People were using their money for wallpaper and kindling. Hardships like this in turn led to the rise of extremism- which brought in Hitler, the Nazis, and World War II.

World War II (1939-1945)

Historians largely agree that World War II was, in effect, caused by World War I and the harsh terms imposed upon Germany after her defeat. Hitler came to power and his authoritarian party- the Nazis- soon dominated German affairs. He proclaimed Nazi Germany the third empire- a Third Reich (Reminder: the first two were the Holy Roman Empire (962-1806) and German Empire (1871-1918)).

Hitler re-militarized (going against WWI treaties) and insisted on enlarging German territory. He annexed Austria and parts of Czech with minimal global response. Emboldened, Germany then invaded Poland, which caused England and France to declare war (the official start of the conflict). Using 'blitzkrieg'- lightning warfare- Germany struck fast and hard through Belgium at France (going around the Maginot Line), solidified the western front before turning its attention east and attacking the Russians (with whom they had had a secret truce). Germany, at its greatest extent, occupied most of Europe.

The Germans would be driven back, thanks in large part to America and Russia. As they were retreating, the horrors of concentration camps were discovered, and their atrocities- largely against Jews- came to light. Visit Auschwitz or Dachau if you can.

Note the casualty numbers in both world wars- for most allied nations, WWI was much deadlier! You’ll note this on town memorials, who often list the names of the fallen for both conflicts on the same obelisk. Of course, for Germany and Russia, WWII was harder- note the Russian losses in particular.

Germany Reduced

When you lose wars, you generally lose territory. In the below graphic, note that Germany lost some territory (in yellow/orange) after WWI and more (green/purple) after WWII. The entire country of Poland shifted west (at Russia's insistence) to occupy what had once been the Prussian heartland. part of Germany that had contained Königsberg- a major Prussian city- became Russian and remains so to this day (the city is now called Kaliningrad).

Germany Divided

After Germany’s defeat, the Allies split up the country (and Berlin) into zones. The western zones would be consolidated in 1948 to become the Federal Republic of Germany; the eastern would become the German Democratic Republic (GDR)- communist, under Soviet influence.

The  Soviets tried to get the Allies out of Berlin through blockade, but the Berlin airlift- running from several airfields including the one in Wiesbaden- kept supplies flowing until Russia conceded the point and re-opened the land arteries into the city.

East Germany was bleeding people at an alarming rate- 200,000 people escaped every year, so by 1961, 3.5M East Germans had left (20% of the entire GDR). In response, they erected the Berlin Wall in 1961. It would remain standing until 1989. About 5,000 people would escape after it was built.

The situation in the West was much better. It was a “Wirtschaftwunder”- economic miracle- as the economy roared back, helped by the Marshall plan. This time around, the victors chose reconciliation and restoration over solely punishment. It worked. The West thrived while the East languished in ways that are evident even to this day. But the division was not to last- Germany would be united again, which is where we will pick up next time.

Summarization is always hard, moreso when global wars are being discussed. For reading recommendations, see my "War history" page.

Germany, Part 5: Empire

We left last time with a Germany victorious over Napoleon but humiliated and rattled by her defeat to the same ten years prior. The Holy Roman Empire is no more (replaced by a German Confederation), and more change is in the air.

During the Napoleonic occupation, the French introduced their equality and liberty ideas- and the idea of freedom is not easily removed when populations suffer in non-democratic regimes. Thirty years after Bonaparte's defeat, in 1848, revolutions would spread across Germany and Europe. It is around this time when the familiar black/red/gold flag begins to be waved (possible origin: in 1813, when fighting Napoleon, a group of volunteers in Prussia wore black uniforms with red buttons and gold trim). This flag was of a German people rather than a German state. Remember the patchwork nature of the Holy Roman Empire- Germany wasn't one state and hadn't ever been. That was soon to change.

The 1848 revolution wasn’t just about throwing off old princely power, it was about forging a new national entity for the Germans- a ‘Deutschland,’ above more specific regions like Prussia or Saxony. Though this revolution would be crushed within two years, 20 years later, Prussia would take a leading role in uniting the German people under a different flag- their own. But flags alone do not unite a people.

FAIRY TALES

In the 1800s, the Grimm Brothers set out to define “German-ness.” This drive was found in art, too, as a response to the French Aggression. People were looking for things that defined and united them and could not be taken by force of arms. Stories are powerful forces for doing so.

The Grimm Brothers collected tales from all parts of Germany. In 1812, they published a collection of 86 stories called “Children’s and Household Tales.” Subsequent editions would grow the collection until 1857’s edition had 210 tales. Over time, these stories changed to fit public desires for morality tales and other things. A German identity was taking shape . . . and one region would be the ultimate driver to unite them. We now turn our attention to Prussia.

PRUSSIA 

The German state of Prussia rose over the centuries from a tiny state of Brandenburg (the region surrounding Berlin) to become a huge territory through a combination of marriages, war, political maneuvering, and favorable/fortunate inheritances. (Christopher Clark’s Iron Kingdom provides more detail).

Prussia fought a series of wars in the 1860s-70s. Their Minister President was Otto von Bismarck, who made his intent clear. “I shall . . . declare war against Austria, dissolve the German Confederation, subdue the minor states and give national unity to Germany under Prussian leadership.” And he did.

An 1863 war with Denmark would grant Prussia more territory. In 1866, a short (seven-week) war with Austria created a new North German Confederation that excluded Austria and gave Prussia the leading role in German affairs (recall that, until this point, Austria had dominated German affairs during the HRE with a string of Holy Roman Emperors). In 1870-1, a six-month war with France found Prussia allied with the rest of German states to take down their traditional enemy. They took back Alsace-Lorraine. The German Empire had arrived.

EMPIRE (1871-1918)

After the Franco-Prussian war, the German Empire was declared in Versailles, with the King of Prussia (Wilhelm) declared Emperor, and the prime minister (Bismarck) declared chancellor. This new German Empire changed the balance of power in Europe. Prussia would dominate Imperial affairs, as they had such a large percentage of the territory before unification. Understandably, this didn’t always sit well with the other German states (or other countries, for that matter). But here our story shifts as we turn our attention to world war.

Germany, Part 4: Food & French

We ended on a real downer last time, leaving a Germany decimated by decades of war. Let us drown our sorrows in . . .

BEER

Beer was big in Germany, now and always. “Germany was in fact celebrated throughout Europe at this period [the seventeenth century] for nothing so much as eating and drinking. ‘Oxen,’ said the French, ‘stop drinking when they are no longer thirsty. Germans only begin then.’ Travelers from Spain and Italy were alike amazed at the immense appetites and lack of conversational talent in a country where the rich of all classes sat eating and drinking for hours to the deafening accompaniment of a brass band. The Germans did not deny the accusation. ‘We Germans,’ ran a national proverb, ‘pour money away through our stomachs.’ ‘Valete et inebriamim,’ a jovial prince was in the habit of closing his letters to his friends. The Landgrave of Hesse founded a Temperance society but its first president died of drink; Lewis of Wurttemberg, surnamed the Pious, drank two challengers into a stupor, and being himself still sober enough to give orders, had them sent home in a cart in company with a pig. The vice ran through all classes of society . . . at the weddings of peasants in Hesse more would be spent on food and drink than could be saved in a year, and the bridal party arrived at the Church more often drunk than sober.” (Wedgwood)

Of course, Oktoberfest originated here, being first celebrated in 1810 for Ludwig’s wedding (in Bavaria). And Germans love purity as well as parties: a ‘beer purity law’ (Reinheitsgebot) was created in the 1500s. It specified that beer could be made with only 3 ingredients: water, barley, and hops [yeast was not mentioned, but probably assumed as necessary in brewing process]. Why? At the time, it was to prevent people from brewing with wheat or rye (which they wanted to keep for bread production). This law would drop out of sight for centuries until being ‘rediscovered’ during the 1800s and become a part of the rising nationalistic tide of the era.

The concept of ‘beer purity’ continues to affect Germans today. After German reunification in 1990, a brewery in East Germany producing black beer with sugar was allowed to sell it, but could not label it ‘beer’ (they’d be allowed to after a long legal dispute). And in late 2015, Bavarian brewers voted in favor of a revision to the beer laws to allow other natural ingredients.

While we’re on grains . . .

BREAD

“Brot” is a significant part of German cuisine. The variety of bread and rolls here is legendary! According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country, produced in 17,000 dedicated bakeries and another 10,000 in-shop bakeries. It’s not surprising that the German word “Brotzeit” means snack time.

German bread is heavy and has substance, often packed with grains and seeds. People needed something nourishing against the often cold and rainy days.  Germany doesn’t have the same amount of sunshine as southern France or Italy, and many areas are not conducive to wheat production, so grains such as rye and spelt tend to thrive better here and produce the breads still favored today.

It is perhaps not surprising that bread stars on TV. “Bernd das Brot” is a puppet star of a German kids TV program. From Wikipedia: “Bernd is a depressed, grumpy, curmudgeonly, constantly bad-tempered, surly, fatalistic, melancholic loaf of Pullman bread speaking in a deep, gloomy baritone.” Fun!

What goes well with bread?

WURSTS

And now we come to the wurst part of this presentation (nyuk nyuk): the German sausages. As with bread, Germans love their wursts. There are 1200-1500 different types of sausages in Germany!

Sausage making is a complicated feat of craftsmanship- each region has their specialties. Some examples:

• The Frankfurter was originally used for coronation of HRE in Frankfurt cathedral (the finely-minced meat was expensive). Remember that the next time you’re at a ballgame; this is the food of kings.
• The Nuremberger had cinnamon and other spices, due to its access to Venice for trade. But they were small because such spices were expensive. I should say “are” small- they remain so to this day. But they’re quite tasty and well worth it.
• Currywurst became huge in Berlin after WWII as they loved the foreign element. It’s also nice.

Okay, enough about food. Let’s move on to the French.

NAPOLEON

As the horrors of the world wars are still relatively fresh, we tend to forget that before the Germans were trying to take over Europe, the French were. In the early 1800s, Napoleon rampaged through Germanic areas, soundly defeating Austria, Prussia, and the smaller German States. They were humiliated. In 1808 almost all German-speaking territory was under French control. Some cities (like Cologne) were annexed to France, and others allied with them as Napoleon continued on to Russia. 

Napoleon's success wasn’t to last, of course. Prussia and allies would help beat him back 10 years later, defeating him at Waterloo. But the damage was done. The French invasion, occupation, and humiliation of the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) left it unstable and divided. And over- the HRE was no more. At the Congress of Vienna, the map of Europe was re-drawn with the intent of averting future wars (spoiler: it didn’t work). The patchwork of the HRE was consolidated into fewer states (from 300+ down to 37) and became the German Confederation.

Further Germanic consolidation was on the horizon. Napoleon would (unwittingly) help create a united Germany . . . but more on that next time.

Germany, Part 3: Reformation and War

During the height of the Holy Roman Empire (see last time), the world would be transformed by the Reformation. That event needed the printing press, which is where we begin today.

Born in Mainz around 1400AD, Johannes Gutenberg invented the European movable-type printing press ~1450. He used local winepress technology and applied it for pressing letters. It took two years to create enough metal letters to print a Bible, but once done, they could print 180 Bibles in the time it took a scribe to produce one. The result? Knowledge was no longer “the privilege of the few.” And Mainz’s location (at the confluence of the Main and Rhine rivers) was a natural distribution system for related and subsequent ideas, skills, and products. Being in the HRE helped- the political fragmentation of the Empire guaranteed a remarkable level of 'freedom of the press'. Printers could not be stopped at a national level like in (for example) France or England. Gutenberg’s invention revolutionized the world and set the stage for the Reformation. Check out the museum dedicated to him in Mainz if you can.

REFORMATION

On October 31, 1517, Monk Martin Luther posts “95 Theses” on a bulletin board at Wittenberg, outlining problems he had with the church’s teachings. Troubled by what he viewed as the church’s departure from the Bible, he wanted a conversation. What he got was a revolution.

Luther’s Theses ignited controversy. Aided by Gutenberg’s printing press, Luther’s comments spread far and fast. In 1521, Luther was summoned to a HRE assembly (called a Diet) in the city of Worms. (Aside: saying “Diet of Worms” never gets old).  He was forced to choose: recant or reaffirm his words. He stood by his comments. They call Luther a heretic and demanded he be punished. But Luther would be saved by the HRE’s patchwork nature- some chose not to follow the Emperor’s edict. A local prince kidnapped him and took him to Wartburg Castle, where Luther would translate the New Testament into German in just eleven weeks in 1521-22. In so doing, he became the father of the modern German language (see sidebar below). Luther became increasingly popular among the people, and the Reformation was well underway. People who protested with Luther would become known as Protestants.

Recall that the HRE was a “mosaic of hundreds of states and statelets, governed by kings, electors, dukes, prince-bishops, and host of minor nobles, all holding their territories under the Emperor, divide by rivalries and intermittently united by changing alliances. The Reformation soon forced every ruler to choose: Catholic or Protestant. It created political crises, constitutional conflicts and religious and cultural divides that have in some cases lasted until today.” (MacGregor) See here for more background on this monumental event.

SIDEBAR: LANGUAGE

Martin Luther was responsible for the one written form of German, a language with many different dialects, some of them barely mutually comprehensible. Luther, in translating the New Testament into German, strove “to find a German that was both fit for the word of God and fit to be read by ordinary Germans.” He modeled it on the Saxon version, which was sort of a middle ground between various dialects.

The Brothers Grimm- we will talk about them later in our story- were pioneers of language study and origins. The Germans had kept their original language, unlike the French or others; German had more direct ties with antiquity.

For English speakers, remember that English is a Germanic language (see below language tree). In fact, going through the dictionary during our COVID lockdown (yes, I was that bored), I found that over 2,500 German words are instantly recognizable to English speakers (but be wary of spelling/pronunciation differences)!  Since most experts argue that you need to know 5,000 words to be fluent in a language, that means English speakers are halfway there!

Just kidding of course- there are certainly difficulties for English speakers learning Deutsch. All German nouns have a gender and take different (in)definite articles depending on case. Adjectives take different endings, too. Verb conjugations can also be hard. And regional variations can be difficult. But don’t lose heart! Apps like DuoLingo make it easy to spend a little time each day building your skills. I’ve practiced daily for years now, and can say with confidence that . . . it's still really hard. I think my German is getting worse all the time. And my English is slipping, too. (There's no substitute for immersion.) But it is worth it, I promise.

THIRTY YEARS WAR (1618-1648)

One hundred years after Luther, religious diversity existed throughout the HRE. One Holy Roman Emperor wanted to reinstate religious uniformity- Catholicism. The Protestants in Bohemia revolted, throwing the Emperor’s advisors out of a window and electing their own king. This didn’t go over well, and the Catholic areas of the HRE gathered armies to put down that rebellion, causing other Protestant areas to come to Bohemia’s aid. The Thirty Years War had begun.

What started as a war of religion grew. Protestant Denmark and Sweden would intervene to assist the Protestant parts of the HRE. But then, something mysterious happened: even Catholic France would join to help the Protestants. Why? Because at this point the war had widened in scope beyond religion to encompass the Habsburg (family who ruled HRE & Spain) vs. Bourbon (France) jockeying for dominance on the continent.

By the time it ended, the war proved the most destructive conflict in Europe outside of the world wars; over 8 million Germans died, and some areas lost over 50% of their population. Regions were devastated by long-term presence of soldiers, who often had to feed/pay themselves through growing their own crops or pillaging. Wiesbaden’s population after this conflict, for example, was down to ~40 people. Some scholars suggest that this war set Germany back hundreds of years and allowed France to be the dominant power for a long time to come.

I hate to end on a downer, but next time we'll turn our attention to beer.

Germany, Part 2: Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire

 Continuing from last time . . .

About 300 years after the fall of Rome, Charlemagne united a large territory in Europe through the typical means- conquest. On Christmas day 800AD, he was crowned in Rome as “Emperor of the Romans” by the Pope. He was the first to be crowned Emperor in 300 years in the West (the Eastern Roman Empire- the Byzantines- existed until 1453). His capital city was Aachen (worth a day trip), and his territory covered much of western Europe. His grandsons would divide the inherited kingdoms into lands that would eventually become Western Francia (France) and Eastern Francia (the Holy Roman Empire). Among other accomplishments, Charlemagne helped spread wine in Germany.

CULTURAL SIDEBAR: Wine

The Romans introduced wine to the Mosel region (and perhaps elsewhere in Germany), but it was Charlemagne who noted the Rhein’s characteristics and encouraged the spread of viticulture throughout the region (his winter quarters were in Ingelheim, near Mainz, and he noticed the southern-facing slopes of the Rhein River were suitable for growing- as the snow melted earlier there than elsewhere). 

Monasteries were centers of wine culture. Monks cultivated the vineyards that are famous today, probably reaching their greatest extent ~1500, when 4x the present vineyard surface was planted in Germany. Quality matters, and violators were punished: “in 1471, a vintner was entombed in a wall for adding water to his wine.”

Today, Germany produces a lot of Riesling (we see first mention of it in 1435), and Riesling vines originated in the Rhine region. The Archbishop of Trier, in 1787, ordered all ‘bad vines’ be replaced by Riesling within seven years. They have over 60% of the world’s market share today.

Two varieties of wine were discovered in this area- both by accident:

• Spatlese: in 1775, a messenger carrying permission to harvest orders to Johannisberg monks was delayed by two weeks, so harvesting began after grapes were affected by noble rot. Spatlese was born.
• Eiswein: in 1830, near Bingen, ice wine was born. “the winegrowers did not  harvest the grapbes because of their poor quality, but then decided to pick them in winter to use as cattle feed. They then noticed that the frozen grapes turned into a very sweet and tasty juice . . . they pressed the grapes, and ice wine was born.”

HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

The Holy Roman Empire (962-1806)- hereafter HRE- started with Eastern Francia King Otto I. It was a shifting territory that included all of present-day Germany and much adjoining territory besides. The HRE was not a centralized state. Instead, it was a “decentralized, limited elective monarchy composed of hundreds of sub-units: kingdoms, principalities, duchies, counties, prince-bishoprics, Free Imperial Cities, and other domains. The power of the emperor was limited, and while the various princes, lords, bishops, and cities of the empire were vassals who owed the emperor their allegiance, they also possessed an extent of privileges that gave them de facto independence within their territories.” (wikipedia) Within the HRE, there were about 300 different territories, some as small as a few square miles! Some of the larger areas struck their own coin (but worked in other areas, like the Euro today), some could raise their own army, have their own courts. So they had a degree of sovereignty within the realm of Empire of a type not seen in kingdoms like Britain or France. Yet “they were subordinate to the Emperor and they all worked within the common framework of law, which was agreed jointly between the Emperor and the princes as the Imperial Parliament- the Diet- on a regular basis.” (Joachim Whaley)

Seven electors (3 religious, 4 secular) chose the Emperor, who was crowned in Aachen (900-1500s) or later Frankfurt cathedral (1500-1800). Electors could have rule elsewhere. The King of Great Britain, from 1714, had a seat in the Imperial Diet (he was elector of Hanover). The elector of Brandenburg was King of Prussia, and some Electors of Saxony were the kings of Poland. “Other, totally external, monarchs also held territories in Germany under the Emperor.” Once elected, the ruler was called “King in Germany” until they could be officially coronated by the Pope in Rome (hence “Holy Roman Empire.”). Some (like Adolf of Sonnenberg here in Wiesbaden) were King but never Emperor, as they died or were deposed before Papal coronation. Though elected, the Austrian house of Hapsburg would come to dominate the HRE, having a string of Emperors and moving the center of power to Vienna and Prague.

The HRE isn’t easy to explain, but it worked- for 800 years. “One might describe the HRE as a triumph of creative fragmentation. The fragments know how they belong together, are parts of a unit. The only questions are how tightly they should fit together and who is in charge of the process.” Ultimately, “the weakness of the central Imperial power meant that in Germany, compromise won the day.” It was “a political unit that [eventually] could accommodate religious differences.” (MacGregor)

CASTLES

Near the beginning of the HRE, we started to see those wonderful fortifications: castles. They became increasingly prevalent from about 1000AD. At one point, there were ~20,000 castles in Germany- the most in Europe (that’s one castle every 7 square miles)!

Castles were popular for obvious reasons. They protected people and goods from harm, and could oversee and protect important lands/strategic spots. Gunpowder (in Europe from 1300s) and artillery advances gradually made them obsolete in subsequent centuries (though still effective in Napoleon’s time- some castles were destroyed by his army, ~1800).

Today, there are four types of castles: real, restored, ruined, and romantic (this delineation is my own and subject to criticism).

• Real: the castle exists today in a ‘natural’ state, perhaps expanded over the centuries (as most castles were) but never destroyed or appreciably altered for other purposes. (Marksburg is an example)
• Restored: the castle exists today but was destroyed and rebuilt (often in more modern styles or in accordance with fashions of the era); it has a degree of original authenticity but has been substantially changed. (Cochem is an example)
• Ruined: the castle was destroyed or abandoned and has decayed naturally, often helped by residents using the stone for other projects. (Eppstein is an example)
• Romantic: the castle was built after the age of fortification and never intended for use as a stronghold. (Neu Schwanstein is an example)

Today, only 20% of castles in Germany have roofs, 40% are in a state of ruin, and 40% have only ground-level foundations (if that!). In fact, some have disappeared; we know about them only through literature. Castles were expensive to upkeep; when they became obsolete, they were abandoned, auctioned off, used as local quarry, etc.

That's all for today. Next up- a Reformation changes the world.