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Christmas Tree tradition is German

Monday, December 16th, 2013

Did you know that our Christmas tree tradition is German? The pagan custom dates back to the days before Christianity. As early as in the 16th century, people in Germany are said to have brought decorated trees into their homes. The Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, is credited with having added lighted candles. German immigrants eventually brought their tradition to the U.S. where the first recorded Christmas tree was displayed in Pennsylvania in the 1830s. But because of its pagan origin, most Americans did not adopt the tradition until the 20th century.

Beginning of the Tradition in Europe

Long before Christianity, plants and trees that stayed green all year had special meaning Europeans. People believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick. When plants greened again in spring and summer, they thought the sun god had recovered. To keep him healthy though out the year, people hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. Others built pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens.

Puritans rally against the Christmas tree

New England’s Puritans tried hard to eradicate the old pagan tradition of decorating trees. Throughout the 18th century, they forbade any Christmas tradition that wasn’t a church service. But by the 19th century, the influx of German and Irish immigrants had weakened their efforts.

The Christmas Tree during Queen Victoria

In 1846, Queen Victoria of England, her German Prince, Albert, and their family were sketched in a London journal standing around a Christmas tree. Since the queen was immensely popular, Britain’s subjects as well as America’s East Coast Society imitated the custom.

The Christmas Tree Tradition came from Germany

Our Christmas Tree Tradition came from Germany

 

The American Christmas Tree Tradition

In the early 20th century, German-Americans continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies to decorate their trees. Americans used homemade ornaments. Soon popcorn, interlaced with berries and nuts, became fashionable. And after then arrival of electricity, lit Christmas trees appeared in town squares across the country. Today, the German Christmas Tree tradition has become an American tradition as well.

 

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.

 

 

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Whom to tip and how much

Friday, November 29th, 2013

Whom to tip and how much. Who decided the who and the how much? Why are some service providers considered tip-worthy while others in similar industries are not? Gratuities are generally given for services provided in restaurants, golf courses, casinos, hotels, cruise ships, food delivery, taxicabs, and salons. Then why is a taxicab driver deserving of a tip, but a bus driver is not? Both drove us to our destination. Why do we customarily tip the waiter and the parking valet, but rarely the store clerk who helped us find an obscure item? All three provide a service. And why doesn’t anyone slip the helpful income tax volunteer an extra bill? Wouldn’t he appreciate the kindness?

to tip or not to tip

to tip or not to tip

History of tipping

According to Kerry Segrave, author of An American Social History of Gratitudes, tipping originated among the European aristocracy. Giving a tip signified power; accepting one was a sign of servility. Wealthy Americans, who traveled to Europe in the late 19th century, copied the practice. Then middle-class Americans imitated it. When the Great Depression hit in the US, the practice went into decline but soon bounced back.

Suggested tipping practices

  • full-service restaurant – 20% of the bill,
  • hair dresser – 15% of bill,
  • cab driver 15% of fare, help with bag $1 per bag, $2 per heavy bag,
  • flower delivery $4-5,
  • bartender 10-15% of bar bill,
  • valet parking staff $2-5,
  • bellman $1-2 per bag,
  • maid $2-5 daily,
  • doorman $1,
  • good DJ $50-100 – more for taking requests.

Contradictions in current tipping practices

1. Tipping based on price makes little sense. Why should a waiter receive a larger gratuity for serving a filet mignon than for a hamburger? The effort is the same.

2. Some employers pay workers with the expectation that gratuities will supplement their wages. If the customer is paying part of the wages, he no longer rewards exemplary service.

3. The practice of tipping is inconsistent between similar services. Just who decided the who and the how much anyway?

 

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.

 

 

 

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Gender Gap Closure in Germany

Friday, November 15th, 2013

Germany ranks higher than the USA in the gender gap closure, according to an October 2013 report by the World Economic Forum.

History of German gender gap laws

Following World War II, the German Basic Law of 1949 (Grundgesetz) was supposed to include amendments relative to the equality of men and women (Gleichberechtigung). However, the Adenauer government failed to take action. Four years later, the German Federal Parliament (Deutscher Bundestag) took a major step toward implementing gender gap closure by revising the existing laws regarding individual rights. On 1 July 1958, the following changes relative to equality of men and women became effective:

Changes to German gender gap laws

  • The husband’s right of final decision in matrimonial matters was deleted.
  • The husband’s responsibility to provide for his family was retained.
  • Women were now permitted to manage assets they had brought into the marriage. Until then, her husband had the right to manage her assets, including any moneys she may have earned from gainful employment.
  • A husband could no longer terminate his wife’s employment. But it took until 1977 before a wife could work outside the home without her husband’s consent. And it was in 1977 that the partnership principle became effective which removed the division of marital responsibilities from the law and made it a private decision.
  • A wife was given the right to use her maiden name in addition to her family name. But not until 1977 could married couples choose whether they wanted to adopt the husband’s or the wife’s family name as their mutual last name. And not until 1994 was a marriage partner allowed to retain his or her separate family name.
  • The special rights of fathers relative to the education of the couple’s children were reduced and totally eliminated in 1979.

International gender gap closure rankings

In October 2013, the World Economic Forum released a report that benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political, educational and health-based criteria and provides country rankings. Of the 136 countries surveyed, according to the report, Iceland did the best job of closing the gender gap in 2013, followed by Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Germany ranked 14th, Great Britain 18th, the USA 23rd, and France ranked 45th. Worst fared Chad, Pakistan and Yemen. For more detailed information please visit www3.weforum.org/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2013.pdf

 

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.

 

 

 

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Potsdamer Platz – Part 2

Monday, November 4th, 2013

Potsdamer Platz following World War II

Following World War II, Berlin was divided into four sectors. Three of them–the American, British and Soviet occupation sectors–converged at the Potsdamer Platz. That geographic oddity resulted in the Potsdamer Platz becoming a center for black market activities. Since black market trading was illegal, the convergence of three sectors meant that one had to walk only a few feet to cross sector boundaries and could conduct black market activities before drawing much attention.

Potsdamer Platz in October 1945

Potsdamer Platz in October 1945

Potsdamer Platz following construction of the Berlin Wall

In August 1961, the Berlin Wall went up. It divided the bustling Potsdamer Platz into two halves. What had been a busy intersection became a desolate wasteland. Since the S-Bahn (elevated train) traveled briefly through East Berlin on its route from one part of West Berlin to another, the Potsdamer Platz station, located in the eastern sector, was closed off and patrolled by armed guards. Trains ran through the station without shopping. The corresponding U-Bahn (subway) route was closed entirely. After the remaining bomb-damaged buildings on both sides of the Wall were cleared away, only two structures remained standing: Weinhaus Huth and the Hotel Esplanade.

Weinhaus Huth at the Potsdamer Platz

The wine merchant Christian Huth acquired the land in 1877, built his villa and started a wine business. His grandson Willy Huth erected the current building on the same spot thirty-five years later. Weinhaus Huth survived World War II virtually undamaged and became known as “the last house on the Potsdamer Platz.” The reason it survived was its steel construction. The ultra-modern construction method was chosen so that the heavy wine bottles could be stored on the building’s second and third floors.

For forty-five years, Weinhaus Huth stood alone at the Potsdamer Platz, next to the remains of the Hotel Esplanade. Both were in the British sector close to the Berlin Wall. Following the death of Willy Huth in 1967, his widow sold the land and buildings to the City of Berlin.

Hotel Esplanade at the Potsdamer Platz

Hotel Esplanade went from being one of Berlin’s most luxurious hotels to a bombed-out shell that stood alongside the Berlin Wall at the Potsdamer Platz. Built in 1907, it included the famous Kaisersaal (emperor’s hall) where Emperor Wilhelm II hosted exclusive Herrenabende (men’s evenings). In the “Golden Twenties”, the Esplanade held popular afternoon dances. Well-known movie stars like Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo visited here.

In the last years of World War II, bombs destroyed ninety percent of the famous hotel. Only the Kaisersaal, the breakfast hall, the stairwell, and the washrooms survived. After the war they were restored, and the Esplanade became a popular nightclub. During the 1950s, it hosted elaborate balls, and scenes of the movie, Cabaret, were filmed here. My father, a professional photographer, photographed many of the events at the hotel.

Also visit www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/potsdamer-platz-part-1/ to read about the history of the Potsdamer Platz prior to World War II.

 

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.

 

 

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Potsdamer Platz – Part 1

Monday, October 28th, 2013

The Potsdamer Platz (Potsdam Square) is a well-known public square in the heart of Berlin, Germany. It is located about 1 km south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (German Parliament building). The square grew from a five-cornered traffic knot along a 19th century trading route to one of the liveliest traffic intersections and public squares in Europe. World War II bombs laid waste to 80% of its buildings. During the Cold War that followed, the Berlin Wall ran through the middle of the square, turning it into a no man’s land. But since German reunification in 1990, the Potsdamer Platz has been the site of avant-garde redevelopment projects and is busier than ever.

Potsdamer Platz in the Beginning

Starting in the mid-19th century, Berlin was growing at a tremendous rate. After the city constructed the Potsdam rail station in 1838 and became the capital of the new German Empire in 1871, this five-cornered intersection turned into an important plaza. With a population of 4.4 million, Berlin had become the third largest city in the world, right after London and New York.

Potsdamer Platz in the 1920s and 1930s

By the 1920s and 1930s, the Potsdamer Platz was the busiest traffic center in all of Europe. Five of Berlin’s most hectic streets met here in a star-shaped intersection. Huge hotels and department stores, theatres, dance halls and clubs, cafes, restaurants and bars, beer and wine houses, and hundreds of small shops had sprung up all around the square. Some had acquired an international reputation.

Potsdamer Platz in the mid 1920s

Potsdamer Platz in the mid 1920s

Potsdamer Platz during WWII

As was true of most of the buildings located in the center of Berlin, air raids devastated most of the structures that were built around the Potsdamer Platz. The three most destructive raids occurred during the final years of World War II – in November 1943 and in February 1945.

Watch for the second article in this sequence which talks about the Potsdamer Platz following World War II.

Visit http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/potsdamer-platz-part-2/ to read about the Potsdamer Platz following World War II.

 

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.

 

 

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Dresden’s Zwinger

Monday, October 21st, 2013

Dresden’s Zwinger is a palace, located in the historic heart of Dresden in eastern Germany. The Zwinger was built in the early 18th century during the reign of Augustus the Strong. The elector of Saxony had been elected King of Poland in 1697. Having seen Louis XIV’s new court in Versailles on a tour through France and Italy, Augustus ached to have a palace of equal splendor for himself. He commissioned the court architect, Matthaeus Daniel Poeppelmann. Since the fortifications were no longer needed they provided readily available space for the elector’s plans.

History of the construction of the Zwinger, Photo © J. Elke Ertle 2013

History of the construction of the Zwinger – Photo © J. Elke Ertle 2013

The Name

The name goes back to a medieval German term that stands for the part of a fortification between the outer and inner defense walls where the cannons were usually placed. Although the Zwinger no longer had a protective function during the time of August the Strong, the name Zwinger hung on.

Original Use

Poeppelmann designed the Zwinger as an open area surrounded by wooden buildings. The open courtyard was used by the nobility as a venue for tournaments and festivities. The pavilions and galleries were used as an orangery (hothouse). The Zwinger was not enclosed until the Semperbau (Semper Gallery) was built on the northern side during the middle of the 19th century.

Today’s Use

Today, Dresden’s Zwinger serves as a museum complex that contains the Dresden Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection), the Gemaeldegalerie Alte Meister (Paintings of the Old Masters Gallery), and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments – the armory). The porcelain collection is one of the largest collections in the world. The Semper Gallery contains one of the world’s most important collections of paintings, dating from the Baroque to the Renaissance period. It includes the famous Sistine Madonna by Raphael. And the armory contains a collection of weapons, suits of armor, and ceremonial garments.

Dresden's Zwinger Today, Photo © J. Elke Ertle 2013

Dresden’s Zwinger Today – Photo © J. Elke Ertle 2013

Destruction and Reconstruction

Both, the Zwinger and the Semperbau burned out during the bombing of Dresden on 13 February 1945. They were rebuilt during the 1950s and 1960s. Fortunately, the art collection had been previously evacuated. Reconstruction, began in 1945, and restoration continues today.

 

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. 

 

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Dresden’s Frauenkirche

Friday, October 18th, 2013

Dresden’s Frauenkirche is a Lutheran cathedral. It has become a landmark of the old German city not far from the Czech border. The classic baroque church is an absolute must-see on anyone’s German travel list.

The Name

The name Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) refers to a church that has been consecrated in honor of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. You will find many churches by that name throughout Germany and Europe. In France and Belgium they would be called Notre Dame.

Previous churches on this spot

The first Frauenkirche on this very spot was built in the 11th century as a village missionary church. With the emergence of the City of Dresden in the 12th century the missionary church turned into a parish church. Of Gothic design, the original Frauenkirche was modified and rebuilt many times over the centuries.

Today’s Frauenkirche

In 1726, the Council of the City of Dresden commissioned the architect, Georg Baehr, to begin construction of a new church with a central dome on a square base. Construction was completed in 1743. The design became a landmark. There are no internal supports. The form of the cathedral’s bell-shaped dome is unique. Made of sandstone, it weighs upward of 12,000 tons and is referred to as the Steinerne Glocke (Stone Bell).

Dresden's Frauenkirche, Photo © J. Elke Ertle 2013

Dresden’s Frauenkirche, photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2013

Destruction

Dresden’s Frauenkirche fell into ruins on 15 February 1945. Two days after the Allies had dropped 650,000 incendiary bombs on the city of Dresden, the baroque beauty collapsed. It had survived the direct attack, but the extreme heat had caused more and more of the sandstone to explode, and the piers could no longer bear the immense weight of the dome.

Reconstruction of Dresden’s Frauenkirche

The scorched stones lay in a heap for the next 45 years. But after German reunification in 1989, reconstruction began with the help from many groups, including American and British organizations. The foundation was laid in 1994, using Baehr’s original blueprints. About 3,800 original stones were reused. The reconstruction was finished in 2005 at a cost of an estimated $217 million.

 

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.

 

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Dresden’s Semper Opera House

Monday, October 14th, 2013

Dresden’s Semper Opera House is one of Europe’s most important treasures. If you travel in Germany, I suggest you include the historic old city of Dresden in your plans and visit the Semper Opera House. Dominating the Theaterplatz on the river Elbe, this grand old building was beautifully restored in the 1980s.

Semperoper, as reconstructed in 1985, Photo © J. Elke Ertle, www. walled-in-berlin.com

Semperoper, as reconstructed in 1985, Photo © J. Elke Ertle, www. walled-in-berlin.com

The original opera house that stood on this spot was completed in 1841 and called Hoftheater (court theater). Designed by the architect Gottfried Semper in Early Renaissance and Baroque styles with Corinthian-style pillars, the original building burnt down in 1869. When Dresden’s citizens demanded that none other than Semper himself reconstruct their beloved opera house, King John of Saxony agreed to commission the professor of architecture. But Gottfried Semper was already otherwise engaged. He had been hired to construct Vienna’s Museum of Art History and Museum of Natural History. Gottfried Semper’s son, Manfred, stepped in and rebuilt the opera house according to his father’s plans. This second Hoftheater, was constructed in Neo-Renaissance style and renamed Semperoper after its architect. The reconstruction was completed in 1878.

Dresden's Semper Opera House, stucco columns in vestibule, Photo © J. Elke Ertle 2013

Dresden’s Semper Opera House, stucco columns in vestibule, Photo © J. Elke Ertle 2013

In 1945, during the Allied bombing of Dresden in the final months of World War II, the Semper Opera House was largely destroyed again. Only the exterior shell of the building was left standing. The people of Dresden decided to rebuild the exterior as it had looked before the war and to recreate the interior as Semper had originally designed it. The reconstruction was based on over 3,000 letters between Semper and his son concerning the rebuilding of the Hoftheater following the fire of 1869. It took over eight years to rebuild, but in 1985, Dresden’s Semper Opera House finally regained its former glory. As our theater guide pointed out, the wood-clad walls of the opera house are in reality nothing other than stucco. The same is true of the marble columns in the vestibule on the third floor. Six thin coats of plaster and lots of delicate brushing and sponging were required to achieve the marble look. Local craftsmen had to relearn the skill that turned plaster into works of art in the 1800s. They found that each column required over three hundred hours of painstaking work.

Although the interior and exterior of Dresden’s Semper Opera House were reconstructed to look like the original, its stage was upgraded to the state of the art. The Semperoper reopened in 1985 with the same opera that was performed just prior to the building’s destruction in 1945: Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischuetz. During the flood of the river Elbe in 2002 the Semper Opera House suffered heavy water damage. With substantial help from around the world, it reopened in December 2002.

 

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.

 

 

 

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Wittelsbach and Luxembourg Dynasties

Monday, October 7th, 2013

Following the extinction of the House of Ascania in 1320, Brandenburg – and therefore Berlin – came under the control of the Wittelsbach and Luxembourg Dynasties. In 1323, the King of Germany, Louis IV of the House of Wittelsbach, granted the territory to his eldest son, Louis V, “The Brandenburger.” After the King’s death, The Brandenburger gave the margraviate to his two half-brothers, Louis VI, “The Roman” and Otto V, “The Bavarian,” in exchange for the sole rule over Upper Bavaria. The brothers succeeded in establishing Brandenburg as an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire. Thereafter, they ruled as Kurfuersten – Prince-electors – of Brandenburg. Following the death of “The Roman” in 1365, his brother Otto neglected government and pawned part of the margraviate to a crusading military order, the Teutonic Knights.

In 1323, Louis IV grated the Margraviate of Brandenburg to his son Louis V

Tomb of Louis IV of the House of Wittelsbach
Frauenkirche, Munich

Fifty years later, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV, forced Otto V to abdicate and installed his own son, Wenceslaus, from the House of Luxembourg. Subsequently, The Margraviate of Brandenburg became the object of a long and fierce feud between the Wittelsbach and Luxembourg Dynasties. The effects of these disputes devastated the region. Finally, the people of Berlin-Coelln appealed to the Holy Roman Emperor for assistance. He, in turn, appointed Friedrich V von Hohenzollern as their special protector.

When Wenceslaus was elected King of Germany and Bohemia, his brother, Sigismund, took control of Brandenburg. Sigismund eventually gave the territory to his cousin Jobst as security for a substantial loan. But Sigismund later regained control and was elected King of Germany. In 1415 the Electorate of Brandenburg was officially handed to the House of Hohenzollern, which would rule until World Word I – for almost five hundred years.

 

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.

 

 

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The Ascanian Dynasty

Monday, September 30th, 2013

Coelln and Berlin grew rapidly during the Ascanian Dynasty. The House of Ascania reigned from 1157 to 1320. Albert the Bear, the first Margrave of Brandenburg (which includes Berlin) inherited the territory upon the death of the childless Slavic Prince Pribislav. In short order Albert the Bear solidified his rule and led a number of military campaigns against the Slavic population that co-inhabited the area along with Germanic peoples. He encouraged Germanic migration and subjugated the Slaves to Christianity. Upon his death, control over the territory went to his descendants in succession: Otto I (Albert’s son), Otto II (son of Otto I), Albert II (brother of Otto II), and finally John I and Otto III (sons of Albert II and co-rulers).

Albert the Bear, founder of the Ascanian Dynasty

House Order of Albert the Bear
first Margrave of Brandenburg
1157-1170

During the years of John and Otto’s co-rule, the Margraviate saw massive geographic expansion. The brothers were instrumental in the rapid development of Coelln and Berlin by conferring special privileges upon the twin towns, such as staple rights. These were important rights sometimes given to selected ports. Staple rights required passing merchant ships to unload their cargo and display it for sale for a specified period before being allowed to reload any unsold goods and to continue their journey. Possessing staple rights gave Coelln and Berlin important economic advantages over other nearby ports, such as the much older fortification of Spandau.

In 1258 John and Otto divided the territory into Brandenburg Stendal and Brandenburg Salzwedel. From 1266 to 1319 the four sons of John I (John II, Conrad, Otto IV, and Henry) and the four descendants of Otto III (John III, Otto V, Otto VI, and Albert III) shared the title of “Margrave of Brandenburg” and ruled jointly. With the death of John V In 1317, the last grandson of Otto III, the Ottonian line died out. And when Henry II, eleven-year-old grandson of John I, died three years later that line became extinct as well.

 

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.

 

 

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