Two Common Autobahn Fallacies

August 28th, 2014

I just have to mention the word “Autobahn,” and the eyes of my male friends light up instantly. “Still no speed limit, right?” Their question sounds like a curious mix of awe and envy because Germany’s Autobahnen (motorways) are famous for their absence of speed limits.

Autobahn Fallacy # 1

“True,” I want to tell my friends, “but also a bit misleading. There is hardly a significant stretch of Autobahn that allows you to press the pedal to the metal.” But I usually just let it go. Why not let them feel the excitement of the wind in their hair. If only for a brief moment. In reality, German motorways have no posted speed limit, UNLESS…. and that one little word changes everything. There is no speed limit for cars and motorbikes UNLESS the motorway traverses an urbanized area or unless the stretch is accident-prone or under construction. And since German summers are short, construction zones are ubiquitous. There are few stretches that allow a motorist to test the car’s muscle.

Autobahn by Langsdorf Credit: Wikipedia

Autobahn by Langsdorf
Credit: Wikipedia

Autobahn Fallacy # 2

Generally, Adolf Hitler is credited with the planning, design and construction of the German Autobahn. Another half-truth. The Nazis initially rejected the Autobahn as a “luxury road.” But after coming to power in 1933, Hitler embraced the Autobahn project as his idea. His propaganda machines called it Strassen des Fuehrers – roads of the Leader. Although about a quarter of Germany’s current motorway network was originally constructed during the Third Reich, the initial planning and design work had been done much earlier. Stufa (Studiengesellschaft fuer den Automobilstrassenbau – study group for road construction) began planning a German highway network as early as 1924, long before Hitler. Next, a private initiative (HaFraBa) designed and partially built a “car only road” from Hamburg via Frankfurt am Main to Basel in Switzerland. HaFraBa completed parts of that road in the late 1930s and early 1940’s prior to the start of World War II. And the very first stretch of today’s Autobahn was completed in 1932, also prior to Hitler’s ascent to power. It stretched between Cologne and Bonn and was inaugurated on 6 August 1932 by Konrad Adenauer, then Mayor of Cologne and later Chancellor of West Germany. http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth08.htm The stretch of Autobahn was initially known as Kraftfahrstrasse (motor vehicle road). Today, that same stretch is called Bundesautobahn (Federal motorway) 555.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

Guide to being happy

August 25th, 2014

Just think how happy you would be if you lost everything you now have, and then suddenly got it back.

–Anonymous

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on the home page of http://www.walled-in-berlin.com. Walled-In is a story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War.

 

The Strandkorb – Distinctly German

August 21st, 2014

August is beach season, and a “sun-sand-sea-and-wind holiday”on Germany’s North Sea and Baltic beaches almost always involves renting a Strandkorb. These distinctly German beach baskets allow their occupants to soak up the sun while avoiding the scouring sand that frequently travels the windswept beaches. Besides, a Strandkorb quickly becomes “home away from home” when beachgoers build a low wall of sand–called a castle–around their basket and decorate it with seashells. For generations, Germany’s beaches have been dotted with legions of these beach baskets each summer.

What is a Strandkorb?

A Strandkorb is a sturdy, adjustable armchair for two, made from wicker, cane and/or wood and allows its occupants to curl up in the basket’s interior or to soak up the sun’s last rays while all stretched out. A small built-in table makes it possible to lunch or dine at water’s edge. But the Strandkorb is much more than a utilitarian piece of furniture. It is a uniquely constructed piece of art that comes with many options, such as drawers at the base that serve as foot rests and storage, backward-tilting roofs, armrests with foldaway trays, heated seats and rainproof covers. There are even special models for children and pets.

Strandkorb around 1950 , Photo © J. Elke Ertle 2014, www.walled-in-berlin.com

Strandkorb around 1950 Photo © J. Elke Ertle 2014, www.walled-in-berlin.com

Strandkorb History

In 1882, the noble woman Elfriede von Maltzahn asked Wilhelm Bartelmann, chief basket maker to the Imperial Court of Emperor Wilhelm I, to built her a beach chair.  She asked for protection from excessive sun and wind while accommodating her rheumatism. Mr. Bartelmann designed a large, canopied, single-seated armchair. Considering that beach furniture was unheard of prior to 1882, Mrs. von Maltzahn’s Strandkorb became the envy of beachgoers in Warnemuende that year, the sea resort on the Baltic Sea she frequented. Encouraged by the enthusiastic reception of his armchair, Bartelmann designed a two-seater the following year, and his wife opened a beach basket rental service. Since then, the Strandkorb hasn’t left the German beach scene.

The Strandkorb Today

Todays Baltic and North Sea beaches are dotted with more than 70,000 of these covered wicker beach baskets. Two distinct variations have evolved: The straight angular North Sea Strandkorb and the rounded Baltic Sea model. But these beach baskets are no longer relegated exclusively to the beach. You also see them on balconies and patios. A friend of mine received a Strandkorb as a retirement present and uses it to relax in her garden. Despite their weight (up to 200 lbs), the baskets are shipped all over the world. It takes around $700-$3,000 plus shipping costs to become the proud owner of a Strandkorb.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

On taking responsibility

August 18th, 2014

As a rule, you will find that those who complain about the way the ball bounces are usually the ones who dropped it.

–Anonymous

The Skinny on Nude Bathers in Germany

August 14th, 2014

For decades, summers in Germany have attracted scores of nude bathers to beaches, parks and lakes. Between eight and twelve million Germans enjoy clothes-free sunbathing, says French geographer Emmanuel Jaurand, author of “A comparative study on the naked cult in Germany.” One reason for the desire to go naked is that German summers tend to be short, and sun worshippers want to assure an all-over bronze tan. Another is the longing to reconnect with nature. Foreign tourists are often caught by surprise when they take a stroll through a park and suddenly bump into a man or a woman in the buff.

FKK- Freikoerperkultur

The first Freikoerperkultur club, FKK for short and literally translated “free body culture,” was established in Essen, Germany, as far back as 1898. Two years later, a number of Swedish bathhouses sprung up in Berlin and at the North and Baltic seas. The first nude beach in Germany was established in 1920 on the island of Sylt. Freikoerperkultur still endorses a naturalistic approach to sports and community living. Nude bathers enjoy the experience of reconnecting with nature without sexual connotation.

Declining FKK membership

Despite the German love for clothes-free sunbathing, membership in FKK clubs has decreased by about 2% per year since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The clubs’ largest contingent is currently 50 to 60 years old. Members under 25 have become rare. However, the decline in membership does not seem to connote a decrease in the German affinity for nude bathing in public. It only seems to indicate that nude bathers prefer to do so without the constraints of club membership. In fact, nude hiking is the newest wave. The first German “nude hiking trail” was established in 2010.

Expedia Study on Nude Bathers

The 2014 Expedia Flip Flop Report examines the most prevalent joys and anxieties among beachgoers worldwide. The study was conducted among 11,165 adults 18 years of age and older, across 24 countries on five continents. For the third year running, Germans were the likeliest to be nude bathers. However, this year – for the first time – Austrians tied their German peers.

Nude Bathers – Another Perspective

On a carriage ride through the Wadden Sea http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/wattwagenfahrt-endless-discovery/ our couch woman cautioned, “… at a FKK Beach, you’ll see the human body the way God created it and McDonald’s shaped it.” Keep that in mind!

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

 

 

 

Character versus Reputation

August 11th, 2014

Character is like a tree and reputation is like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of; the tree is the real thing.

–Anonymous

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

  

Not So German Chocolate Cake

August 7th, 2014

When I first came to San Diego, fresh from the old country, my new friends would try to help with the transition. “Come on over for dinner tomorrow,” they’d say, “We’ll have German Chocolate Cake for dessert. That will make you feel right at home.” Their eyes would twinkle, suggesting we understood each other. I’d smile back and say, “I’d love to. Thanks for inviting me.” Then I’d ponder the rest of the day what they might have meant by “GERMAN” Chocolate Cake. After all, what makes a chocolate cake German? When I learned that the key ingredients were sweet baking chocolate, coconut, and pecans, I was even more baffled. Delicious as the cake was, I had never tasted anything even similar in all of my years in Germany. So what made my friends think this was a German cake?

German Chocolate Cake

German Chocolate Cake

Chicken a la Germany

Sometimes I wondered whether the cake got its name the way my recipe for “Chicken a  la Germany” had come about. The latter owed its title to a minor mishap in my kitchen. Not being an experienced cook, I once had burned the chicken only minutes before the arrival of the guests. To cover up my blunder, I peeled off the skin, rubbed the chicken meat with lemon juice and drizzled spicy yoghurt sauce over the pieces. My guests loved it, but my lips remained sealed when I shared the recipe. As it turns out, the German Chocolate Cake story is quite different.

History of German Chocolate Cake

In 1852, an American named Sam German, created a bar of sweet baking chocolate while working for the Baker’s Chocolate Company. The company named the bar in his honor: Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate. http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/GermanChocolateCake.htm. In 1957, more than 100 years later, Mrs. George Clay of 3831 Academy Drive in Dallas, Texas, submitted her cake recipe to the Dallas Morning Star. The newspaper printed it in the “Recipe of the Day” section. The cake, made with Baker’s Sweet Chocolate, gained in popularity. Sales of Baker’s chocolate increased dramatically. Over time, the name of Mrs. Clay’s award-winning cake was simplified and the all-American cake became known as German Chocolate Cake.  

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

The stonecutters tenacity

August 4th, 2014

When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.

–Jacob A. Riis

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

See the “Lichtgrenze” in Berlin in Fall

July 31st, 2014

If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind experience, take a trip to Berlin, Germany, later this year to see the Lichtgrenze (border of lights). Lichtgrenze is an artistic light project that will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism. At a cost of just under 2 million, the State of Berlin, in collaboration with Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH will place 8,000 illuminated balloons along the route of the former wall. The installation will be funded with lottery money.

2014 Fall of the Wall Celebrations

The Berlin Wall divided the city for nearly thirty years. It tumbled on 9 November 1989. Twenty-five years later, Berlin has transformed into a vibrant metropolis. Throughout 2014, locals and visitors can enjoy special lectures, movies, concerts, exhibitions and readings. But the high point of the celebrations will be the Lichtgrenze during the weekend of November 8 and 9. The installation will trace the path of the Wall over a stretch of approximately 8 miles in the city center. It will run from the Bornholmer Strasse to the Oberbaumbruecke, past the Mauerpark, along the Berlin Wall Memorial on the Bernauer Strasse up to the Brandenburg Gate, across the Potsdamer Platz to Checkpoint Charlie, and finally to the East Side Gallery. An accompanying open-air exhibition will take a closer look at the division, the peaceful revolution, and the ultimate fall of the Wall.

Release of Balloons

On the night of November 9, the helium-filled balloons will be released into the sky at five spots in the city center to commemorate the opening of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago. The release will represent “a symbol of hope for a world without walls” and will follow a countdown, played by the Staatskapelle Berlin and conducted by Daniel Barenboim. A public party at the Brandenburg Gate will then round off the celebrations.

Lichtgrenze’s installation inspired by two brothers

Lichtgrenze is the brain child of two brothers: Christopher and Marc Bauder. Christopher, born in 1973, is an interaction designer and media artist. He focuses on the translation of digital information into objects and environments and vice versa. Marc, born in 1974, has produced and directed many award-winning documentaries for television and cinema. Both live and work in Berlin. For additional information, visit http://www.mauer.visitberlin.de.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

The Importance of Smiles

July 28th, 2014

Smiles are sunshine for the human psyche.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on the home page of http://www.walled-in-berlin.com. Walled-In is a story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War.