Lower Saxony/ Niedersachsen

Lower Saxony

Where is Lower Saxony located?

Located in the northwestern part of Germany

Lower Saxony borders many other German states:

• Southeast: Thuringia
• East: Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt
• North: Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein
• South: Hesse
• Southwest: North Rhine- Westphalia
• Northeast: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Also bordered by the Netherlands and the North Sea

How many live here?

• 7,977,000 people
• 4th largest state in population

How does its size relate to Minnesota, or any other US state?

• In population:
• Lower Saxony is equivalent to the population of Minnesota and Iowa together
• It is about half the size of Indiana

What is special about Lower Saxony?

• Second largest state in size
• 20% of the state is designated to nature conservation
• Agriculture and farming make up a big part of the economy
• Automobile manufacturing and automobile parts manufacturing are also important economic part of Lower Saxony
• Volkwagon has 5 production plants here along with its headquarters, which is located in Wolfsburg
• The capital of Lower Saxony is Hannover.
• Hannover is also the largest city in Lower Saxony
• Mining has been an important source of income in Lower Saxony for centuries. Lower Saxony is also an important supplier of crude oil in the European Union. Mineral products still mined today include iron and lignite.
• The coat of arms shows a white horse (Niedersachsenross) on red ground, which is an old symbol of the Saxon people

What was the Lower Saxony historically? A kingdom, a duchy, a free city?

• Was originally a duchy
• It is named after the Saxons
• Originally the region was simply called "Saxony", but as the center of gravity of the Duchy of Saxony gradually moved up the Elbe, towards the present-day states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, the region was given the name of Lower Saxony
• The state was founded in 1946 by the British military administration, who merged the former states of Brunswick,  Oldenburg, and Schaumburg-Lippe with the former Prussian province of Hanover

http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=14414

http://www.germanfoodguide.com/niedersachsen.htm

http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/11155

Compition questions

Group 1

~What are the two restaurants/bars in Germany where you can dine completely in the dark?
Life In Germany Today
Unsicht-Bar in Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg (http://www.unsicht-bar-berlin.de/)
Nocti Vagus in Berlin (http://www.noctivagus.com/)

~Germany is the second most populous country in Europe. Which is the first?
Life in Germany Today
Russia!

~On Saturday, September 25th, Munich will be hosting a pop sensation. Who is it? Where are they from?
Life in Germany Today
Kate Nash, Britain

~What German ruler backed Martin Luther from very early on, and ensured his safety after he was declared an outlaw?
German History
The Duke of Saxony

~What German state rapidly rose to a first-class miliary power between 1670 and 1740?
German History
Prussia

~Who is this?
German History
Richard Wagner

~Who is this?
German Media
Franka Potenta

~What was the name of the movie where German actress Angelica Domröse plays the sister of a Man named Jens?
German Media
Die Legende von Paul und Paula

~These three men founded a video game company located in Germany, what is the name of their company and who are they?
German Media
Company name: Crytek
Brothers: Cevat, Avni and Faruk Yerli

~Who spoke at the Ingolstaedter Muenster church in Ingolstadt, Germany on 24.4.10?
Bavaria
Chancellor Angela Merkel and Defense Minister Karl-Theodore zu Guttenberg, in a service for four soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

~Why were King Ludwig the Second's castles opened up for tourism shortly after his death?
Bavaria
To pay for the cost of building them.

~Which of King Ludwig the Second's castles in Bavaria was the only one to be finished before his death?
Bavaria
Linderhof

~What is the oldest flowering plant in Germany?
Lower Saxony
A rosebush at St. Mary's Cathedral in Hildeshein

~What are the 7 inhabited Frisian Islands?
Lower Saxony
Borkum, Juist, Norderney, Baltrum, Langeook, Spiekeroog, Wangerooge

~This character from the Shrek movies is based off lore from Lower Saxony.
Lower Saxony
The Pied Piper

~What do the colors of the NRW flag represent?
North Rhine-Westphalia
Green - the River Rhine; White - the White Horse; Red - the Red Rose

~Which political party had the greatest percent of votes in the May 9th, 2010 election in NRW?
North Rhine - Westphalia
Christian Democratic Union, with 34.6%

~What was the precursor to the treaty of Westphalia?
North Rhine - Westphalia
The Concordat of Worms

~What street is this building on?
Berlin
It is the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche, located on Werderscher Strasse in Berlin.

~This structure is a key location in which German film?
Berlin
Run, Lola, Run (in English) or Lola Rennt (in German).

~Held in Berlin, what are the German equivalent to the British Pop Awards?
Berlin
Echo Awards

~What famous novel, anonymously written in the early 13th century, ends with the death of all key characters?
Our Choice
Nibelungenlied

~Where is this statue and what is it depicting?
Our Choice
It is in Bremen, Germany, and it is depicting the Bremen town musicians.

~Which German car was the first one to be built solely outside of Germany?
Our Choice
The BMW Z3

16 German States Pivotal Facts

Schleswig-Hoistein

• Is the land between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea

Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony)

• The biggest employer in the industry is the Volkswagon in Wolfsburg
• The second largest state

Bremen

• Is a city state- consists of two enclaves, Bremen and Bremerhaven. Both cities are surrounded by Lower Saxony.
• Bremerhaven is the home of the German Martime Museum

Hamburg

• The port of Hamburg is the second largest port in Europe

Mexklenburg-Vorpommern (Mexklenburg-Western Pomerania)

• Largest population density

Brandenburg

• Capital is Potsdam. Was the residence of Prussian kings until 1918
• Has the second least population density

Berlin

• Capital city of Germany
• Germany's largest city

Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt)

• The oldest German chocolate factory is in Halle

Sachsen (Saxony)

• Economic leader of the five "new" states

Thuringen (Thuringia)

• Many famous people where born and lived here

Hassen (Hesse)

• One of the smaller states
• Home of the Grimm Brothers

Nurdrhein-Westfalen (North-Rhine West Phalia)

• Germany's westernmost and most populous state. Has the largest metropolitan area

Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate)

• Germany's wine state
• Home of the largest chemical company in the world, one of the largest breweries, and car manufacturers

Saarland

• Smallest German state in area and population

Baden-Wuerttemberg

• One of the most prosperous states
• People are known for being inventive and industrious

Bayern (Bavaria)

• Largest state and one of the oldest

http://www.germany-insider-facts.com/german-states.html#schl

Radio Staions and What they Broadcast

Are Mass Media more globalized than the people who consume them?

• I think the mass media globalizes the people and the people globalize the mass media.

What does it mean when patterns across the Western globe are so similar?

• That the Western countries follow other countries and end up doing the same things.

Where do cultural differences "survive" if media do not carry them - or do they?

• Within the people of that culture.

What can you say about Radio in Germany?

• It is very similar to radio in America.

German Print Media Reviewed

These German newspapers all have their own unique features. Like in America, these papers cover a wide variety of topics. Also, these newspapers sometimes cover only their area while others cover many countries. What's differnet I think is that a couple of these newspapers appeare in over a hundred countries not just Germany.

My Observations About the Top 20 Radio Stations in Germany

After listening to the top 20 radio stations in Germany I relized that there are a lot of techno stations. Also there is a lot of stations with music played especially for clubs for people to dance to. While these stations are located in Germany there are a lot of songs that come from the United States and from Englan. I noticed these because I speak English so it is easy to recognize these songs. However, I assume that other country's music might also be played on a few stations. Out of the top 20 stations many of the stations are similar but there is also enough different stations to fit most people's preferrences.

Most and least radio stations

Most: Bavaria 78 stations
Least: Bremen and Mexklenburg-Vorpommern have 6 stations

Bayerische Wald

• The Bayerische Wald (Bavarian Forest) is the oldest national park in Germany
• This forest has been completely returned to nature.
• No humans live here
• There are wet valleys, streams, bogs, moors and meadows in this forest
• The Bavarian Forest is the largest contiguous area of protected forest in central Europe.
• Many rare species have made the Bayerisch Wald their home
• lynx, black stork, eagle owl, and the three- toed woodpecker are a few examples
• There are 300km of walking trails
• 200km of cycling paths
• Mountain biking is all popular here
• This forest is not well known which makes it a great place to go to avoid tourism
• The Bayerische Wald contains Germany's cleanest air
• This forest use to be covered in glaciers
• Home to the tallest mountains in Bavaria
• One of the oldest hand- axes in Germany was found here around 80,000 years ago

http://www.slowtrav.com/germany/bavarian_forest.htm

http://www.germanplaces.com/germany/bavarian-forest-national-park.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8292819@N08/4247956363/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sophie-/3138137194/

Berlin Topics

Berlin Topics

1. Bradenburg Gate
2. Berlin Buildings
3. Berlin Structures
4. Berlin Nightlife
5. Museum Island
6. Reichstag
7. Sports
8. Berlin Olympiastadion
9. Popular Sights and Activities in Luebeck, Germany
10. Berlin Music, Art, and Literature
1. Art and Culture of the 1920's
11. Berlin Tram
12. U-Bahn and S-Bahn
13. Berlin During WWII
14. Berlin After WWII

Berlin in the 1920's and Today

Art and Culture in the  1920's

In 1923, inflation swept through Germany. Having no money led to the odd mixture of despair and manic festivity that led to Berlin’s artistic, musical, and literary renaissance.

Theater
Das Proletarische Theater (The Proletarian Theater) was founded by Erwin Piscator in 1920. Piscator used theater as a way to keep the working middle class Germans from their depression and prepare them for the coming "socialist revolution".

Kurt Weill came up with the “Singspiel” (song play) and introduced German audiences to the musical as we know it today. Although Kurt Weill was very popular he was a Jew. When the Nazis came to power Weill came to America where he continued to be very successful.

Music
As in America, jazz music was very popular in Berlin during the 20s.  Josephine Baker, and African-American singer, caused a sensation in Berlin with her overtly sexual “banana dance.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1tVgzMy5dY&feature=related

Classical music also flourished during the 1920s. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra was under the leadership of conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler,  a very creative and passionate man.

Art

In Art, DaDaism was a controversial and exciting movement in Berlin during the 1920's. DaDaism used collage and photomontage techniques. Many DaDa works were overtly political. The majority of DaDaists denounced the Prussian government and were anti-capitalistic.  Prominent DaDaists included artists Hans Richter, George Grosz, and Raoul Hausmann.

Writers

The most influential book in Germany in the 1920’s was “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Written by Erich Maria Remarque. Erich was a young veteran of the German Army in World War I. His book is about the horror of the war and the sense of utter defeat felt by many Germans. His book has become one of the most read novels of all time.

Art and Culture in Berlin Today

Theater

Berlin is world famous for their status as film festival capital of Europe. They are third behind Cannes and Venice.

Berlin's and one of Germany's most famous theatre companies, the Berliner Ensemble, was founded by Bertolt Brecht. Today it still is producing great theater

Music

Peter Fox belongs to the band Seeed but he has gone solo and  has became very popular. Culcha Candela is a famous dancehall group.

Art

Berlin attracts artists from all over the world. Berlin's annual art trade fair has made the city a melting pot of the international art market.

Berlin is once again the city where trends are put in motion and is fast becoming one of Europe's art capitals.

Writers

Günter Kunert has written in nearly every literary genre, including literary criticism, short stories, television plays, and poetry. Kunert's most recent poem is So und nich anders, which he wrote in 2002.

 

http://www.berlinfo.com/freetime/Film-Theatre/index.htm

http://www.essortment.com/all/artberlin_rbut.htm 

http://www.visitberlin.de/english/sightseeing/e_si_museen_museumsjahr.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Fox_%28musician%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culcha_Candela
http://www.greeninteger.com/pipbios_detail.cfm?PIPAuthorID=979