Der Aussensicht der Freiberger Dom, ein romantische Dom

Der Innenansicht der Freiberger Dom

Der  Innenansicht der Kloster Einseid

Der Ausseransicht der Kloster Einseid, ein baroken Kloster

Innenansicht der Kloster Einseid

The End of the War and Splitting of a Nation

                The end of World War II brought about not just the end of the Third Reich, the destruction of a nation, and families torn apart, but a nation torn apart as well.  In 1945 the war ended and for many nations the healing could start but in Germany it was a different story.  Not only was the nation split into four but their capital was as well.  Cities laid in ruin, people were jobless, soldiers had not come home, and new politics/governing figures were being forced onto the people.  At this point in their history, “whether Germany even still existed as a nation was an open question, but one to which Germans were heartily indifferent.  Surviving to the next day was what counted” (Schulze 287).  The four victorious powers, America, France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union, assumed control over Germany and as a result things would never be the same.

                People would be alienated in their own country, families would be split apart, and new values would be instilled in the people of Germany.  The German government was taken over and replaced with an “Allied Control Council consisting of the commanders-in-chief of the four powers, with headquarters in Berlin, the capital of the former Reich” (287).  This council discussed matters that pertained to the whole of Germany but each administrator of the sections was free to rule its own zone.  One thing the “big three” (United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union) had agreed on was that “as far as the treatment of Germany itself was concerned, they agreed that “German militarism and Nazism” must be eliminated, so that Germany could never again threaten its neighbors or world peace” so Germany was virtually dismantled (288).  At this point in their history, it would appear that Germany as a nation no longer existed.  It was a fragmented community of Germany speaking cities.  Political leaders were discharged from their positions along with public officers, and any industry that related to creating arms or weapons was dismantled and abandoned. 

                Along with the disembodiment of Germany’s political system and some of their industries their economic system was dismembered.  Initially, “the Potsdam Agreement specifically stated that Germany was to be ‘treated as a single economic unit.’ But as each power was directed to fulfill its own reparations claims from its zone of occupation, this principle was undermined from the start,” meaning that not only did Germany suffer being torn apart physically and politically but economically as well (289).  How can a country function when it has been torn apart? I think the ultimate goal was for it to not function “so that Germany could never again threaten its neighbors or world peace” but that was also destroying a unique culture and altering it so it could never be the same again (288). 

                Beyond this every German citizen was required, under the Potsdam agreement, to undergo a “de-Nazification” process (289).  The way this would be done was left to each zone to determine itself.  Naturally this led to flaws, errors, and “mistaken conclusions” (290).  Many cases dealing with fascism were taken to the docket due to this and so they chose to deal with the minor cases first; as the minor cases were getting worked through “the Cold War intensified” so “interest in pursuing war criminals declined, so that it was often those with the most incriminating past who got off scot free” (290).  Many people are aware of the crimes and terrible things that happened during the war, but who knows about what happened directly after? Especially in Germany and how the people were treated?  I think it is important to point out different punishments, conflicts, and degrees of destruction that were inflicted upon the citizens of Germany at the end of the war. 

The four occupations zones of Germany after the war

A sign informing people that they were leaving a specific zone (American) - notice that German, the language of the citizens, is last on the list.

The Beginnings of a New Germany

In 1806 a new nation was formed and although it was the beginning of a snowball effect that had been building for years that was put in motion on October 14, 1806 when the Prussian army was defeated and reduced at Jena and Auerstedt (Hagen-Schulze 101).  The shell or buffer zone that was Germany was gone in 1806 and with it the idea that Germany could never exists although it was hard to say what Germany actually was.  It may appear that at this point in history Germany could not and would not ever exists, but this was the very beginning of the German nation.  

 

Napoleon Bonaparte

It is hard to imagine how the country of Germany ever came together to be united but even after the years of civil wars and the many different kingdoms scattered throughout the land a nation was formed.  A myriad of things, such as financial burdens, defeat, the devastation caused by the French living off the land and destroying it, and the rise in the cost of living, all contributed to “the administrative reform of the German states along French lines, and the discovery of Germany as a nation” (102).  French ‘satellite governments’ were put into place and all the states joined except for Prussia and Austria, but even they set up governments that followed the model of government set up by France as they remained threatened by Napoleon (103).  Through the years that followed the governments grew, changed and evolved until in 1809 “where the governments appeared immovable” so “bands of patriotic activists mounted small local insurrections” (105).   During the year many different rebellions through Europe took place until Napoleon started taking “heavy losses during his retreat from Russia” which prompted a great amount of patriotic feelings throughout the nation and changed the mood in Germany (105).  

Offenburg Rathaus in 1840

The years that followed were inflicted by wars and changing power and the years that followed “1840 saw a rebirth of German nationalism and strong growth in the organizations promoting it” (119).   A movement that spread throughout the land was the gymnastics movements “with an accompanying ideology that linked the goal of physical fitness with the ideas of patriotism and national defense” (119).  There was also a choral society that sponsored national choral festivals that spread and “promoted patriotic songs” and “also made inflammatory speeches” (120).  During this time it became obvious that both nationhood and the liberal opposition that was involved were both on the same side (121).  All this led to leaders meeting in Offenburg on October 10, 1847 to work towards finishing the movement that was set in place around 1830 to make Germany a “single unified republic” (121).  Other reformist called for more action to be taken and in the years that followed, revolutionaries kept working towards their goal of turning Germany into just that, Germany: a single, free standing, unified republic (121).  

After all the turmoil and warfare that occurred it truly is hard to believe that the states and countries worked and came to agreements and the nation of Germany was formed as a self-sustaining nation that governed its own people. Even though the events in 1806 started the snowball effect that would eventually turn Germany into its own nation, it took 65 years for it to actually happen and achieve its end goal.  In 1806 it would be hard to imagine that they would succeed in their efforts in uniting the states, especially in the years that followed but somehow, between the changing governments and shifts in power, the states of Germany were able to find a way to come together and form a country on January 18, 1871.  

Martin Luther; Reluctant Revolutionary

Although Martin Luther had no intention of creating a revolution, he did; this revolution, not intentionally sought, would change the culture, political ideas, and religious views of generations to come.  These influences he created in his time would last for years and turn Martin Luther into an important figure in German-speaking lands, as well as elsewhere in the world. 

Martin Luther saw the Church and its definition of salvation and was outraged; he criticized the Pope and the Papacy; Luther wanted to know what salvation really meant and set out to figure it out.  He studied the Bible and attacked the very heart of the Papacy: the system of sacraments (it was through this system that a person got to Heaven according to the Church).  The Church believed there were seven sacraments whereas Luther saw only two: The Lords Supper and Baptism.  Luther wrote his ideas in his book and claimed the other five sacraments were created by the Church and needed to be cast aside.  These ideas of Luther’s’ attacked the Church and they set out to first end Luther’s writings and then silence Luther. 

Since Martin Luther’s object was not to create a social, political, and religious revolution with his ideas, it made him that much more successful.  Luther only wanted to purify the Church, not set about the creation of new religions.  In launching the revolution, Luther changed the culture of Europeans that followed the Church as his ideas spread.  They saw the same light that Luther saw and that changed how they viewed religion which changed how the politics were done.  Before the Church had major influences on both politics and culture, but after Luther’s ideas spread, the populations and communities saw how things could be run differently, and set about changing things.  Martin Luther was a great revolutionary in these three aspects, partly because, again, he did not try to be but rather just opened people’s eyes.   It is because of this that he is important to German-speaking lands; he changed how things ran and ‘got the ball rolling’ for countries to step out from being under the Holy Roman Empire. 

A statue of Martin Luther outside in Dresden; one of many memorials to Luther due to his big influence on Germany and German culture.

Martin Luther's response after he was told in Worms he could recant and live freely.  He was told to recant because they wanted everyone to see that he no longer believed in his works and so the public should stop believing in them as well. 

Martin Luther's Bible that was translated while he was in hiding due to his works.

Hagen Schulze's Germany: A New History

Near the end of chapter two, “Transitions,” after Hagen Shulze talks about Luther and the reformation there is a part about the wars that spread after years of peace (peace that was only around due to ruthless leaders waiting around for the right time to strike). The wars that resulted due to ambitious leaders wanting to take control spread way beyond the borders, to all the great nations around as they tried to restore the Catholic unity that used to exists.  Eventually peace was made with the Peace of Westphalia, which had been negotiated at Münster and Osnabrück. 

The peace treaties ended the conflicts and became a European settlement. This was, in effect, a European constitution.  These treaties look like they would be the beginnings of the European Union.  The leaders set out to form a way that each nation could stay true to its roots and remain its own country with its own ideas but also form a way that they could get along and try to avoid conflicts.  Their agreements established the rights of the states and every other state recognized, followed, and respected these rights. 

In their agreements they also dealt with the religion aspects.  It created a weak and fragmented center that was the Hold Roman Empire, partly because the Holy Roman Empire was so weak and tired after the long war it had been fighting.  It was now the soft center of the law that held the empire together.  These agreements show that after years of fighting it is possible to come together to work in unison for the betterment of the states and their people.  The treaties also showed that despite different religious and political beliefs and systems, different states could come together and work well without fighting and being at war for everything they wanted. 

A drawing of the leaders negotiating the Peace of Westphalia. It shows that many leaders with many different ideas can come together to work towards a common goal.

A map of Europe in 1648, with the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire outlined in blue.

Why did I choose Germany?

Why would I choose to go to Germany of all places over my winter break?  Why not go to some place like Australia that would be warm during that season?  I have been to Germany twice and loved it, although, it is hard for me to remember those trips while I was just a little kid.  I now have the opportunity to go to Germany with some friends, gain insight and new experiences, learn things about this country I never knew, and also revisit past places I have been to.  It was just too good an opportunity to pass up in my opinion.  Along with all that, I get college credit for taking a trip to Europe. 

For the past five years now I have been learning to speak the German language and also learn about the culture.  Besides learning things about Germany while I am there that I could not learn in a classroom, I will be able to now experience a little of the culture I have been learning about and try to speak the language with some of the locals.  Out of all the places I could have gone, Germany not only seemed the most practical to me but the most fun, partially because I am biased due to my past five years of German education and hearing about Germany my entire life (my grandparents on my father’s side moved to the United States from Germany) and will now be able to view the amazing sights that only Germany can offer, such as the ones below.

At North Central I am continuing my education of the German language, history, and culture.  I intend to get a German minor and a degree in international business.  Studying abroad will be a useful tool on my resume for future job opportunities.  Studying in Germany is even more useful while German is my minor and Germany is, of course, international so that helps with my major. 

While in Germany I not only hope to enrich my current knowledge of the German culture and language, but perhaps gain a new view point as well.  Although I have been out of the country a few times previously to this trip, none of those trips were anything like this one.  I will be living in Germany for three weeks with the intent to gain new insights.  I keep hearing from people that have been on trips like these before that they experience some kind of change in them after experiencing a new way of living.  I do not believe that one short trip out of the country will change my outlook on life completely but I am expecting some sort of change, even if it is just opening my eyes to new things such as new experiences.