Baden-Wurttemberg: This state has a population of nearly 11 million people. The Minister-President is Gunther Oettinger, and the the capital is Stuttgart. This is the third biggest state in Germany, and is in the southwest of Germany.
Bavaria: This is the largest of all the states in Germany. Around 12.5 million people live in it, with 1.3 people living in the capital, Munich. Bavaria is split into seven parts.
Berlin: This is the capital of Germany, and the biggest city in Germany. As of November, 2008 around 3,400,000 people lived there. This city lies in the eastern part of Germany.
Brandenburg: The population here is around 2.6 million people. This has been a state since 1990. The capital is Postdam. Up until 1945 Brandenburg was the biggest province in Prussia.
Bremen: This is the smallest state in Germany. The population is 664,000 people. The official name is “Freie Hansestadt Bremen.”
Hamburg: This is a city in northern Germany. The population is around 1.73 million people. It is the second biggest city in Germany.
Hesse: The capital is Wiesbaden. There are three rivers in the northern part of Hesse, Werra, Fulda, and Lahn. It is divided into 21 districts.
Mecklenburg-West Pomerania: The capital is Schwerin. It is the smallest state capital in Germany. Normally it would be called a city. It has 6 major cities inside of the state.
Lower Saxony: The capital is Hannover, and there are 38 districts. The minister-president is David McAllister. The population is 8,002,916.
North Rhine-Westphalia: This state has the highest population in Germany. It is located in the western part of Germany. The capital is Dusseldorf, and the population is 18,033,000.
Rhineland-Palatinate: The capital is Mainz. The population is 3.88 million. This state was created on August 30, 1946.
Saarland: The capital is Saarbrucken. The population is 1,065,000. This state lies in the south-west of Germany.
Saxony: This state is located in the south-east of Germany. The biggest city is Leipzig, but the capital is Dresden. Saxony was founded in 1990.
Saxony-Anhalt: The capital is Magdeburg. The population is 2,580.626. The minister-president is Wolfgang Bohmer.
Schleswig-Holstein: This is the northernmost of all the states in Germany. The capital is Kiel. The minister-president is Peter Harry Carstensen.
Thuringia: This state is located in central Germany. The population is 2.45 million people. The capital is Erfurt. This is the fifth smallest state in Germany.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Cologne Cathedral
The Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church in Cologne, Germany. Construction of the Cathedral started in 1248 and wasn’t completely finished until 1880, with a few interruptions of course. The Cathedral is known as one of the world’s largest churches, and it is in fact the largest church in Northern Europe. Over a span of four years from 1880 to 1884 it was the largest tallest structure in the world.
The Cathedral was built extremely well. During WWI it was hit by seventy aerial bombs. The Cathedral, however, did not collapse. It has been said that the two twin spires of the church were used as an easily recognizable landmark for Allied aircraft, so the church was left standing in a flattened city. In 1956 repairs to the church were completed. There is, of course some sort of repair or maintenance being done constantly in some part of the Cathedral. A new stained glass window was put in on August 25, 2007 in the south transept window.
The Cathedral design was quite closely based on the design of Amiens Cathedral. The ground plan, style, and width to height proportion of the central nave were all similar to that of the Amiens Cathedral. As is common in Gothic cathedrals, the plan is in the shape of a Latin Cross. Inside of the church are two aisles on either side. These contribute to the support of an extremely high Gothic vault.
There are eleven church bells in the Cathedral, with four of them being medieval. The first was cast in 1418, and installed in 1437, then was later recast in 1880. Two of the other bells were installed in 1448 and are still there today. Nearing the completion of the Cathedral there was a growing desire to increase the number of bells.
All together the Cologne Cathedral is a remarkable place. The size and design of the building alone are amazing. I hope to someday get the chance to visit it.
The Cathedral was built extremely well. During WWI it was hit by seventy aerial bombs. The Cathedral, however, did not collapse. It has been said that the two twin spires of the church were used as an easily recognizable landmark for Allied aircraft, so the church was left standing in a flattened city. In 1956 repairs to the church were completed. There is, of course some sort of repair or maintenance being done constantly in some part of the Cathedral. A new stained glass window was put in on August 25, 2007 in the south transept window.
The Cathedral design was quite closely based on the design of Amiens Cathedral. The ground plan, style, and width to height proportion of the central nave were all similar to that of the Amiens Cathedral. As is common in Gothic cathedrals, the plan is in the shape of a Latin Cross. Inside of the church are two aisles on either side. These contribute to the support of an extremely high Gothic vault.
There are eleven church bells in the Cathedral, with four of them being medieval. The first was cast in 1418, and installed in 1437, then was later recast in 1880. Two of the other bells were installed in 1448 and are still there today. Nearing the completion of the Cathedral there was a growing desire to increase the number of bells.
All together the Cologne Cathedral is a remarkable place. The size and design of the building alone are amazing. I hope to someday get the chance to visit it.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Timeline of Major Events in Germany in the last 100 Years
1914-1918 WW1. WWI – Battle in Europe between the Allies (U.S., France, UK and Russia) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungry, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria). The war erupted due to power tensions in Europe that caused different kingdoms and countries to form alliances with and against one another, with the end result being the Allies and the Central Powers. When a Serbian (Serbia was part of the Allies) assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand (Heir to the throne of Austria, Germany, obligated in their alliance with Austria-Hungry, attacked France and Belgium, while Austria invaded Serbia. This power shift dragged all the other countries into the war, which became known as the Great War, lasting from 1914 to 1918. The war ended in an Allied victory and several peace treaties, most renowned being the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty set restrictions on German military power and required Germany to forfeit land (mainly to France) and make war reparations to the Allied Powers. The heavy war debt from this treaty along with the restrictions on Germany’s government and military are some of the factors that lead up to the beginnings of WWII.
1918-1933 Weimar Republic. The Weimar Republic was when Germany was known as a Democratic Republic and governed by a constitution that was created in the city of Weimar. The Weimar Republic collapsed when Hitler was elected Chancellor and started the third Reich. The Weimar republic lasted until 1933, during the huge recession that Germany was facing at the time. The recession made the German people very angry and restless, and also making them doubt their government.
1925- League of Nations. In 1925 Germany joins the League of Nations. The League of Nations was formed as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919-1920. This was the precursor to the United Nations. At the time period of Sept. 1934 to Feb. 1935 it had the highest of 58 members. The main goals as stated by the covenant was to prevent war, settle disputes through negotiation, labor conditions, arms control, arms trade, prisoners of war and the protection of minorities in Europe.
1933-1945 Third Reich. The Third Reich started with the rise in power of the Nazis. Hitler became the president of the Third reich after the death of the original president, Paul von hindenberg. Propaganda was highly used and was encouraged. Law, education, culture and economy all went under Hitler's power. The military even swore to an oath personally honoring him. Nazi foreign policy was centered around the belief that Germans were racially superior compared to all other peoples. The third reich ended in 1945 at the end of World War Two.
1939-1945 WW2. European war between the Allies (UK, France, Russia, U.S.) and the Axis (Germany, Italy, Japan) powers. Many other countries were brought into the war on both sides. WWII started in 1939, when Hitler, after resurrecting Germany from the ashes of the first world war, sought to gain greater control over Europe and extend its empire. Threatening war, Hitler was basically given several demands from the UK and France which included large sums of land that were lost in WWI by Germany. Hitler’s aggressive policies led to the German invasion of Poland and the declaration of war on Germany by the UK and France. WWII became a war not only against military power but also against civilians, such as the London Bombings by German aircrafts, the holocaust, and the nuclear weapons dropped in Japan. The war ended in 1945 when Russian troops captured Berlin, and Russian and the U.S. basically took control over Japan.
1950's Wirtschaftswunder. In the 1950's Wirtschaftswunder that is german for "economic miracle" was described as the rapid reconstruction of economies of West Germany and Austria after ww2. What they did in the beginning was the replacement of the Reichmark with the Deutsche Mark as currency. This was provided by the help of the United states and the Marshal Plan which is the European Recovery Program (ERP); which in turn helped the rehibilitation of the currency in Germany because of the high inflation of the Reichmark. The Volkswagen Beetle was the icon of West German reconstruction as well.
1961 Berlin Wall construction. Construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961 by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). .The wall was built as a way to seperate West Berlin from East Germany. There were also guard towers along the wall. Along with the wall was a large area known as the death strip that included anti-vehicle trenches. According to the GDR the wall was built to protect its citizens against outside elements working against the socialist state in East Germany. The wall was actually built to prevent people from fleeing from East Germany into West Germany. 2.6 million East Germans escaped to West Germany from 1949-1961. There was no other way to stop the emerging East Germans or West Germans other than to build the wall. A major reason for the build was because of two different currencies in Germany. For every 1 DM West Germany equalled 4 DM East Germany. People in the West could get very cheap goods in the East
1989 The fall of the Berlin Wall. November 9, 1989 is known as the date the Wall fell. In actuality the Wall was not torn down completely on that day. Beginning that night, and continuing for weeks to come many people came to the Wall with chisels and hammers to create their own souvenirs. This created many unofficial border crossings and greatly contributed to the deconstruction of the Wall. The following weekend the creation of ten new border crossings was announced
1918-1933 Weimar Republic. The Weimar Republic was when Germany was known as a Democratic Republic and governed by a constitution that was created in the city of Weimar. The Weimar Republic collapsed when Hitler was elected Chancellor and started the third Reich. The Weimar republic lasted until 1933, during the huge recession that Germany was facing at the time. The recession made the German people very angry and restless, and also making them doubt their government.
1925- League of Nations. In 1925 Germany joins the League of Nations. The League of Nations was formed as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919-1920. This was the precursor to the United Nations. At the time period of Sept. 1934 to Feb. 1935 it had the highest of 58 members. The main goals as stated by the covenant was to prevent war, settle disputes through negotiation, labor conditions, arms control, arms trade, prisoners of war and the protection of minorities in Europe.
1933-1945 Third Reich. The Third Reich started with the rise in power of the Nazis. Hitler became the president of the Third reich after the death of the original president, Paul von hindenberg. Propaganda was highly used and was encouraged. Law, education, culture and economy all went under Hitler's power. The military even swore to an oath personally honoring him. Nazi foreign policy was centered around the belief that Germans were racially superior compared to all other peoples. The third reich ended in 1945 at the end of World War Two.
1939-1945 WW2. European war between the Allies (UK, France, Russia, U.S.) and the Axis (Germany, Italy, Japan) powers. Many other countries were brought into the war on both sides. WWII started in 1939, when Hitler, after resurrecting Germany from the ashes of the first world war, sought to gain greater control over Europe and extend its empire. Threatening war, Hitler was basically given several demands from the UK and France which included large sums of land that were lost in WWI by Germany. Hitler’s aggressive policies led to the German invasion of Poland and the declaration of war on Germany by the UK and France. WWII became a war not only against military power but also against civilians, such as the London Bombings by German aircrafts, the holocaust, and the nuclear weapons dropped in Japan. The war ended in 1945 when Russian troops captured Berlin, and Russian and the U.S. basically took control over Japan.
1950's Wirtschaftswunder. In the 1950's Wirtschaftswunder that is german for "economic miracle" was described as the rapid reconstruction of economies of West Germany and Austria after ww2. What they did in the beginning was the replacement of the Reichmark with the Deutsche Mark as currency. This was provided by the help of the United states and the Marshal Plan which is the European Recovery Program (ERP); which in turn helped the rehibilitation of the currency in Germany because of the high inflation of the Reichmark. The Volkswagen Beetle was the icon of West German reconstruction as well.
1961 Berlin Wall construction. Construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961 by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). .The wall was built as a way to seperate West Berlin from East Germany. There were also guard towers along the wall. Along with the wall was a large area known as the death strip that included anti-vehicle trenches. According to the GDR the wall was built to protect its citizens against outside elements working against the socialist state in East Germany. The wall was actually built to prevent people from fleeing from East Germany into West Germany. 2.6 million East Germans escaped to West Germany from 1949-1961. There was no other way to stop the emerging East Germans or West Germans other than to build the wall. A major reason for the build was because of two different currencies in Germany. For every 1 DM West Germany equalled 4 DM East Germany. People in the West could get very cheap goods in the East
1989 The fall of the Berlin Wall. November 9, 1989 is known as the date the Wall fell. In actuality the Wall was not torn down completely on that day. Beginning that night, and continuing for weeks to come many people came to the Wall with chisels and hammers to create their own souvenirs. This created many unofficial border crossings and greatly contributed to the deconstruction of the Wall. The following weekend the creation of ten new border crossings was announced
Sunday, August 29, 2010
World Heritage List
1. Cologne Cathedral
2. Maulbronn Monastery Complex
3. Pilgrimage Church of Wies
4. The Wadden Sea
5. Wartburg Castle
2. Maulbronn Monastery Complex
3. Pilgrimage Church of Wies
4. The Wadden Sea
5. Wartburg Castle
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)