Did I find the "real" Germany?

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Whenever we think of Germany, there are certain things we picture: lederhosen, big beer halls with oompah bands, mountains, and romantic castles. In truth these do not exist in the entirety of the country, but derive from one state: Bavaria. This is a common misconception and if you make the mistake of asking a German outside of Bavaria why they aren't wearing lederhosen, they will at the very least look at you disgustedly and will most likely be insulted. This points to a huge distinction in what it means to be a German. Yet again, and I know you are excited to hear it, I will have to go through some history to explain.

Germany, as is similar with most countries in Europe, was long fractured into multiple kingdoms during the middle ages. As you can guess, not all of these regions got along... (yes, big surprise there) and there was much fighting over land (as well as strategic marriages). This, of course, was quite a long time ago, but the feelings of difference between regions carries over. This disunity can be seen within the most divisive and deadly fracture in German history, which came during the 30 Years War (1618 – 1648). Although this war was fought throughout much of Europe the main front of the war was centered in what is now Germany. The basis of the war was theological (religious) and can be traced back about 100 years earlier when Martin Luther wrote his influential Ninety-Five Theses, which was a list of criticisms against the Catholic Church. It is here where we first see the rise of the Protestant reformation. Fast forward 100 years and this fight over the responsibilities of the church has resulted in fierce battles over which Christian sect will have the greatest control over Europe and also morphed into a fight for political power. Southern Germany, with being so close to Italy, held strong to the Catholic Church and the Vatican in Rome. This disunity of the region highlights the historical differences of Germany and still resonates in the present. To this day, Bavaria retains a very strong catholic background, which makes it easy to see why Pope Benedict XVI was stationed in Munich before leaving for Vatican City. (You can see the cathedral where he preached in my pictures)

Of course, you might be thinking that this conflict happened so long ago that its influence is not as significant. Welp, as I discussed thoroughly in my posts earlier, there was this thing called “The Iron Curtain” that separated East from West Germany during The Cold War. The impact of living under communism in the east versus capitalism in the west created two very distinctly different cultures. Remember that the fall of the Berlin Wall and breakdown of the East/West barrier is only twenty years old and when it fell there were thousands of migrants moving from East to West to look for jobs. In addition, when these migrants found jobs they were many times viewed as lazy and poor workers because of there being little incentive to work harder under communism. In the present day, there is still a tax for those living in former Western Germany to help to rebuild the east!

At this point, you are probably thinking, “alright, I get the point now.” Well, I figure I might throw a standard five-paragraph essay at you and finish with one final piece of evidence: geography. Straddling almost the entire middle of the European Continent, each region has distinct differences in geographical features. For example, those in the north, such as Hamburg, tend to have a stronger tie to the sea and have a greater reliance on fish in their diet. In contrast, in the southern regions, like Bavaria tend to rely on domesticated animals such as pork. Bavaria, with its strong monk influence, is focused on pure beer production using only the essential ingredients of barely, hops, water, and yeast. On the other hand, the Rhine region is more similar to the nearby French region to the east, with its strong focus on wine production. The culture of Bavaria is also much more relaxed (you can drink a liter of beer while working without any consequences!) compared to the more frantic business hub of Frankfurt.

Before leaving for this trip, I would have never been able to understand how one in Germany may have a greater devotion to their particular region over the country as a whole. Now, it is much easier for me to see why one in Bavaria may hold their state up as being a more defining characteristic of their culture. The question at the top of this blog asks whether I found the “real” Germany in Bavaria. Personally, I can answer “yes” to this question, but only because Bavaria was my last stop in Germany. Only by traveling throughout a large section of Germany have I been able to more truly appreciate and understand the cultural mosaic that makes up the country. Is Bavaria itself, the “real” Germany? Although it is the stereotypical heart of the country and what Americans picture before traveling, Bavaria is only a piece of the puzzle that creates the entirety of Deutschland.

Alright, enough of my proselytizing on the importance of travel! Here are some highlights from Munich:

The Glockenspiel: If you want to laugh at the tourists in Munich, this is the place to go. Every day at 12:00 the Glockenspiel goes of in Marienplatz to the delight of many visitors. Check out the video of it here:

. Make sure to watch until the end to see the result of the joust!

The Beer Hall Putsch Route: This was fascinating to me and my interest of history. Munich was long considered the birthplace of the Nazi movement as Hitler first brought his message to the people in this Bavarian city. It was in the famous Hofbrauhaus (now the go-to beer hall for tourists) that he set up his first meetings. In addition, Munich is home to Hitler's failed attempt of taking over power in (1923?) when he rallied together NSDAP (later known as Nazis) members in a march on the capital. He failed in this attempt and was arrested, but due to his increasing popularity only got the minimum sentence of five years. It was during this time spent in prison that he wrote the book Mein Kampf, which detailed out the necessity of removing the Jewish population from Germany.

Dachau Concentration Camp: As I posted a lot of my feelings when going through Sachsenhausen, I will instead allow the pictures I took while touring the exhibit at Dachau to explain themselves. I took many pictures of explanations of what occurred at Dachau, as well as what I found to have the most impact: quotes from those affected by Dachau.

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Photos

Frauenkirche
Pope Benedict XVI's Former Church

Virgin Mary Obelisk
Built during the 30 years war to protect the city

Golden Bricks...
Signify those that avoided the NSDAP force

Beer Hall Putsch Memorial
Dedicated to the policemen that lost their lives during the putsch

Comments

[anonymous]

I was fortunate to spend a week in Munich in 1994, 1995 and 1998 and thoroughly enjoyed each visit. I loved the atmosphere in the beer garden in the summertime. It was not the drunken brawl I had envisioned but a real family affair with children playing on the grass, families sharing a meal, chess being played on one of those large outdoor boards, etc. I gather you knew enough to watch for pickpockets at the Glockenspeil. I hear they do a roaring business while the tourists are gazing at the scene above. Dachau is unforgettable. Jean