Sehen Wir Fern?

To watch television in German is literally "to see far" - or fernsehen.  The actual device is der Fernseher.  Fern means far.  Sehen is to see, to look.
The verb is interesting because it is conjugated based on the "sehen" (to see) part:
ich sehe fern. du siehst fern.  er/sie/es sehen fern...

There are 2 other verbs that can also be used as "to see, to watch":  gucken & schauen.

Gucken is also translated "to look," and in my family, we would like to guck' fern am abend (watch TV in the eveing).  Schauen is also appropriately translated "to look, to watch".  So we really have many ways to express ourselves if we want to watch TV:
Ich gucke gerne fern
Ich schaue heute abend fern.
Wir wollen fernsehen. 

Do you have a preference or opinion??

Anyway....I was then thinking about all the television shows I watched as a child.  Here are a few I remember well:

1.  Sesamstraße - the German version of the show had some different characters than the American show (which, by the way, had a huge part of my learning English when I came to the States at age 4, along with Electric Company and good ol' Mister Rogers):




2.  Die Biene Maja (The Bee Maya) - she has now hit the US scene with translations - but the original 1970s original version is all I know:



3.  Heidi - The classic Johanna Spyri novel in cartoon form, one of my favorite.  Of course, my mother's name is also Heidi, so I loved it that much more!  :)




4.  I think every evening in Germany, a short children's series called Die Sendung Mit Der Maus (the show with the mouse) was on - first on the channel WDR, then later on ARD (one of the main German channels, much like America's ABC, CBS, and NBC).  It's catchy opening music will forever be embedded in my brain!



5.  The same goes for the little cartoon Onkel Otto who accompanied the German commercial time (commercials didn't run between shows but all at once for a certain time period).  He was the mascot of the Hessischer Rundfunk (hr) which is why his antenna formed an H on his head.  Onkel Otto was a seal which is Seehund in German (literally sea dog).  Cleverly, the writers of this cartoon combined the German verb fernsehen (to watch television) with Seehund --- and Onkel Otto was officially a Fernseh-hund.



6.  On another channel (ZDF), die Mainzelmännchen entertained us during the commercial period.  By the way, their names were:  Det, Conni, Berti, Anton, Edi und Fritzchen.



7.  Lastly, many an evening I was bid good-night by ARD's Sandmännchen (the sand man), whom parents relied on to remind kids it was time for bed!  Each evening, he said, "Nun, liebe Kinder, gebt fein acht, ichhab' euch etwas mitgebracht."   (Now, dear children, pay close attention; I have brought you something) --- and that something was a sweet little bed time story:



An interesting fact I just learned was there were actually 2 Sandmännchen - one used in the former East Germany (DDR) and one in West German (BRD) before the 2 parts of Germany were unified.  I always knew the above "western" Sandmännchen as I grew up in Frankfurt ... but the Eastern Sand man looked like this:


Do you have any memories of your favorite German children's shows?  

A REVIEW: Tulsa German-American Society German Fest 2018

For the weekend of May 11-13, 2018, the Tulsa German-American Society hosted an annual German Fest.    Thanks to the blog of German Girl in America, I read about this fest in early April.  Since I live in Northwest Arkansas, this fest was about a 2 hour drive from us - and so my husband and I decided to go for a short getaway.  

I was unaware Tulsa, Oklahoma even had an active German-American Society - but apparently, they nurture the German language and culture through language lessons, folk dancing, concerts, various fests, and children's activities.  Membership is taken seriously with rules & dues (but very reasonably priced).  If I lived closer, I'd definitely join!

The German-American Society is housed in a lovely stone church building-structure.  The fest was well organized and attended - seating was ample for probably 200 or more people.  

Live music was on-going throughout the fest days - with various bands and singers performing.  Crowd participation was often encouraged - with much schunkeln (swaying with linked arms) and clapping.  A May Queen was crowned at noon on Saturday.  

There was a small variety of German items to buy - food, candy, and trinkets. We indulged in some of my favorite childhood-memory chocolates:

and these "lucky" Glückskäfer chocolates - one for each child:

There were a few vendors present - beer, pretzels --- and my favorite:  roasted nuts (almonds & pecans) courtesy of The Nutty Bavarian:

Lastly - the FOOD - the food was DELICIOUS!  To quote a German student my mother once had:  Wunderschmecklich (wonderful-tasty).  

Everything tasted fresh; the portions were generous; and the prices were reasonable!  

I had a classic Wienerschnitzel (breaded pork tenderloin), and they even included the traditional lemon slices to squeeze over the meat!  The potato salad wasn't warm (like a traditional recipe might be), but it was flavorful.  Salad and a pickle spear were nice added touches. 

My husband chose the Jägerschnitzel plate, which was equally as good (although we've both eaten better hunter sauce with real mushrooms than what was served).  

Anyway, it was a fun experience.  Admission and parking were free (and parking was easily accessible).  The volunteers were friendly and helpful.  One could hear some authentic German accents throughout the building, and there were plenty of American supporters of the fest there as well.  

I hope to go back for the Christkindlmarkt if they host one this year - and maybe this time, we'll take the kids.  Sounds like something the whole family can enjoy.

In conclusion, I give the German-American Society of Tulsa (GAST) a 1-A (Eins-A).  In Germany, this is the highest rating one can earn!  

German Cities & Towns: Heidelberg

In an effort to preserve my memories and pictures of Germany, I am writing a series:  German Cities & Towns.  While you can get information about these cities from far more professional websites than mine, these are MY memories, perspectives, and pictures.  I hope you will enjoy them with me!  And share what are YOUR favorite German cities & towns.  

Today I am sharing some information and memories I have of visiting Heidelberg in 1996:

Heidelberg is a university town, located in southwestern Germany, just 50 miles south of Frankfurt, above the Neckar River.
Its castle ruins are probably one of the most recognizable and visited sites in Germany - among Ludwig's Neuschwanstein, Berlin's Brandenburg gate, and München's Oktoberfest ...

In 1996, the entry fee to the castle courtyard was a mere 2 Deutsch Mark and and included a stop to see the famous world's biggest wine barrel, which was built in  1751 and stands 7 meters high and holds 58,124 gallons of wine. There is even a dance floor on top of it!

The castle tour cost us another 4 DM each - but of course, was well worth the money!

Heidelberg's castle is an interesting mix of styles from Baroque to Gothic.  It was built in stages, first as a residence for the Prince-Elect Ruprecht III, starting in 1398, and in the 16th and 17th centuries two buildings were added to make the castle more of a fortress.  Much of the castle was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and the Palatine War of Succession (1688-1697).  Restoration attempts in 1764 by the prince elector of the time were thwarted by lightening.  Then the castle grounds were used as a kind of quarry to supply stone for new houses in the city of Heidelberg - until this was put to a stop in 1800 by Count Charles de Greimberg, who began the restoration process.

Johann von Goethe walked the parks of Heidelberg castle in the late 1700's; Mark Twain lived in the city in 1878 with his family.  Martin Luther was fetched to the city of Heidelberg shortly after posting his 95 Theses in Wittenberg to defend his writing in 1518.

On the northern bank of the Neckar River is the "Philosopher's Walk" where philosophers and university professors would discuss and contemplate.  Heidelberg is after all the home of the oldest university in Germany, founded in 1386.

I have visited Heidelberg several times in my life ... and it is true to state that "I lost my heart in Heidelberg" as a famous song, composed in 1925 by Fred Raymond with lyrics by Fritz Löhner-Beda and Ernst Neubach states.  This song remains Heidelberg's theme song as well as the inspiration for the 1927 film, The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg:

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg, also known as The Student Prince and Old Heidelberg, is a 1927 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer silent drama film based on the 1901 play Old Heidelberg by Wilhelm Meyer-Förster.  (source)

Other Cities To Read About:

Rothenburg o.d. Tauber

Bamberg

Dinkelsbühl

German Cities & Towns: Dinkelsbühl

In an effort to preserve my memories and pictures of Germany, I am writing a series:  German Cities & Towns.  While you can get information about these cities from far more professional websites than mine, these are MY memories, perspectives, and pictures.  I hope you will enjoy them with me!  And share what are YOUR favorite German cities & towns.  


In April of 1996, soon after arriving in Germany for a 3 year tour with the U.S. Army (we were stationed in Würzburg), we explored the nearby town of Dinkelsbühl, also located on the Romantic Road.

Dinkelsbühl is located in Central Franconia (Franken) in the state of Bavaria.  It was about an hours' drive from our home in Würzburg.  The U.S. military also had a post in nearby Ansbach, Katterbach Kaserne and a small artillery division in Dinkelsbühl itself.  

Dinkelsbühl - like Rothenburg - is a medieval, walled city.  Another walled city of note is Nördlingen, also on the Romantic Road.  

There are several towers along the walls ...

St. George's minster (Münster) is the largest church in the heart of the city, built in the 15th century.

An interesting fact about Dinkelsbühl is that is that during the Reformation in Germany, it is one of only four bi-confessional cities.  There was approximately an equal amount of Catholics and Lutherans living in the city, combining the rights and rule among leaders from both denominations.  This remained until 1802, when it was annexed into the Kingdom of Bavaria.  

There are many more churches, museums, chapels, and streets to explore in Dinkelsbühl than I can mention.  This town is well worth spending a day exploring if you are ever on the Romantic Road!

Other Cities to read about:  

Bamberg

Heidelberg

Rothenburg o.d. Tauber

German Cities & Towns: Bamberg

In an effort to preserve my memories and pictures of Germany, I am writing a series:  German Cities & Towns.  While you can get information about these cities from far more professional websites than mine, these are MY memories, perspectives, and pictures.  I hope you will enjoy them with me!  And share what are YOUR favorite German cities & towns.  

Other cities:  
Rothenburg o.d. Tauber
Dinkelsbühl
Heidelberg

Soon after arriving in Germany in January of 1996 for a 3 year tour in Würzburg with the U.S. Army, we began to explore our surroundings.  
In February, we drove the approximately 65 miles east of our new home to the town of Bamberg.  (The U.S. military's Warner Barracks was also located in Bamberg until 2014).  

Bamberg is located in Upper Franconia (Franken), in Bavaria, on the Regnitz River.  It extends over 7 hills, which gives it the nickname the "Franconian Rome".  

Bamberg has a cathedral and an abbey, dating back to the 12th century.

^Bamberg's famous alte Rathaus (old town hall) has an interesting story.  It was built in 1386 in the middle of the Regnitz River.  The current bishop of Bamberg did not allow for a town hall to be built, so the citizens planted stakes into the middle of the river and created a small island on which to build their town hall.

The neue Residenz was built from 1698 to 1704.  It was initially intended as the home of the prince-bishops who ruled various cities of Bavaria.  

The elaborate Residenz can be toured (for a mere 4.00 Deutsch Mark back in 1996).  We happened to snap pictures of the ball room and the desk that Napoleon used when he passed through Bamberg at one time.  

Bamberg is Germany's largest UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) city -- and well worth a visit!

German Cities & Towns: Rothenburg o.d. Tauber

In an effort to preserve my memories and pictures of Germany, I am starting a new series:  German Cities & Towns.  While you can get information about these cities from far more professional websites than mine, these are MY memories, perspectives, and pictures.  I hope you will enjoy them with me!  And share what are YOUR favorite German cities & towns.  

First of all, let me show you how I look EVERY TIME I arrive at the Frankfurt airport:  pure joy! 

This was in early January of 1996.  My husband and I were greeted at the Frankfurt airport by my 2nd cousin, who lived in Frankfurt.  We were about to begin our 3 year tour of living in beautiful Würzburg, Germany, thanks to orders from the U.S. Army.  Married just 3 years and before we had children, this was about to be the beginning of an adventure I will never forget.  

As a student of history, my husband was enthralled with the chance to see and explore the places he had yet only read about.  We jumped into traveling immediately!   Our first weekend after settling in was to visit the town of Rothenburg.  It was a mere 40 minute drive away, so we visited very often afterward.

Rothenburg is in middle Frankenland, in Bavaria, a stop along the famous "Romantic Road".  It is one of - if not THE - oldest walled cities in Germany.  It is officially known as Rothenburg ob der (or o.d.) Tauber.  ob der means "above the" ... this city is above the Tauber River.  

Sites to see include Käthe Wohlfahrt's Christmas store.  There are many of these stores across Germany now - and there is even one in Stillwater, Minnesota!  

St. James Lutheran church is lovely ... There are wood carvings by the famous Würzburger resident Tilmann Riemenschneider, which he completed somewhere between 1500 - 1505.

 ^a typical lane in Rothenburg.  I recommend trying a local bakery delight:  Schneeballen (snow balls).  They are crunchy but sweet - a unique "pastry".

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The town hall of Rothenburg is amazing, there are beautiful garden paths all around the city - and there is a criminal museum in town, if you like the macabre.

Have you been to Rothenburg?  It is truly one of my FAVORITE places in Germany!

OTHER CITIES in the SERIES:  

Bamberg

Dinkelsbühl

Heidelberg

"Green" Thursday

Those who follow the liturgical calendar (church calendar) observe today as Maundy Thursday.  It commemorates the evening when Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples - the "Last Supper" before his death on the cross.  It's also when Jesus washed this disciples' feet, which is another symbolism of the day.  Coins (alms) might also be given to the poor as a sign of charity. 

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Maundy might be a word that is derived from the same root from which we get the English word "mandate".  In John 13: 34 - 35, Jesus gave his disciples a mandate, a new commandment: 

...that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

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In Germany, today is called Gründonnerstag (Green Thursday).  Why green?  Some sources say that green symbolizes the "new beginning" of being forgiven of sins.  Apparently, some churches decorate with green, budding branches for a green themed decor. 

In my hometown of Frankfurt, many people look forward to eating grüne Soße (green sauce) this time of year.   It's called Grie Soss in the Frankfurt dialect. This herbal sauce is equivalent to chimichurri or salsa verde - and yet, it is uniquely Frankfurterisch. 

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One needs 7 herbs to make green sauce:  Kerbel, Schnittlauch, Petersilie, Pimpinelle, Sauerampfer, Kresse & Borretsch

1.  chervil - also known as French parsley
2.  chives
3.  parsley
4.  pimpinella - an herb of the carrot family, which includes anise, also considered medicinal
5.  sorrel
6.  cress - garden cress, related to mustard and watercress
7.  borage or starflower, also considered to be medicinal

This wonderful blend of herbs is combined with yogurt, sour cream, cooked egg yolks - through a sieve, mustard, garlic, oil, and lemon juice - then cooked, chopped egg whites and salt and pepper.  It is served with boiled eggs and boiled potatoes.  A true Frankfurter will drink Appelwei' (apple wine) or Apfelsaft (apple juice/cider) with this meal. 

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A real Frankfurter recipe can be found here:  Traditional Grüne Sosse

My recommendation is you get on an international flight TODAY and fly immediately to Frankfurt and try this sauce for yourself.  ;)

On the 1st Day of Spring: More Ostern

I was last in Germany about 6 years ago with my son Andrew, who was 13 years old at the time.  I love springtime in Germany!  German florists are AMAZING - the above picture is a shop in the train station in Frankfurt.  

Germany is well known for its Christmas markets, but did you know there are also Easter markets?  Once again booths are filled with delicately painted, hollowed-out eggs, crafts, and flowers - along with food and drink. 

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The Easter rabbits below are very much like ones my mother had to set around our living room.  We also had little, wooden duckling figurines:

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There are so many more things I could say about Easter in Germany, but a google search would show you way more than I can adequately explain.

I will mention, lastly, the one thing I find MOST clever about German Easter - and that is that they celebrate not only Easter Sunday but also Easter Monday, which is a holiday in most German states.  I have always thought that Easter deserved an extra day of celebration!   

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