Posts filed in ‘Common’
Exhibitions: Varus Battle 9 A.D.
Anno Domini 9 the the Varus Battle tor Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place somewhere in the forest of the old Germans. The old Germans were a group of tribes living in an area namend Germania by the old Romans. At the climax of its power and culture the Roman empire tried to turn Germania into a new province. The Romans set up a fort in what is nowadys the town’ Haltern am See’ and so on. But suddenly the old German tribes show resistance. They ambushed the Romans and killed three of their legions.
“Varus, give me my legions back!” Emperor Augustus is said to have cried out, when the news reached him that more than 15.000 Roman soldiers had been lured into an ambush by Germanic tribesmen and had suffered a crushing defeat.
The Emperor and the whole of Rome were shocked. The superpower Rome had lost three of its best legions and had suffered one of the greatest defeats of its history. The plans to set up a province east of the Rhine had been foiled.
(from: Imperium Myth Conflict, webpage of the exhibitions)
Why should people who want to learn about (nowadays) German culture visit the exhibition? Expecially Lemgo is important for understandig German history of the last two hundred years or more. The story of Hermann was used for nation buildung – and misued. Political usage of the story starts after the middle ages. The “general” how defeated the Romans was an old German. Only his latin name is know – Arminus. The German name Hermann was given to him by protestant reformer Martin Luther.
The Roman Museum in Haltern, the Museum in Detmold where the Herman Monument resides and in Kalkries where the battlefield might have been cooperated in a series of three exhibitions titeld Imperium – Myth – Conflict.
Recently, I went to Lemgo an saw ‘Myth’. It was very impressive and interesting. Well, I am political scientist and therefore it was interesting to see how the Hermann-story was used through the centuries by political acteurs. I noticed that the exhibition has English language audio guides.
Today, we went to Haltern am See to see the part of the exhibition “Imperium” in the Roman Museum. This is a permanent institution. Additionally, there is an exhibition set up in the town hall (lake hall) that treats the Roman Empire. The Roman Museum focusses transport and logistics of the Roman legions and the remains found by archaeologists.
Anyway, you can visit the exhibitions as an English language activity. Just ask for the English language audio guide. In Haltern am See they offere machines from Tonwelt.com where you enter number which are close to the objects of the exhibition. Calculate two hours for the museum in Lemgo, an hour for the part of the exhibition in the Roman Museum.
Haltern am See is situated in the north of the Metropolis Ruhr, Lemgo is two hours drive – train or car – to the East and Kalkriese is north of Metropolis Ruhr in Lower Saxony.
Dissappointed at German Mining Museum
Today we went to the German Mining Museum (english page of Deutsche Bergbaumuseum) in Bochum with my parents-in law – finally. I was told that they offer an English tour. Well, it’s not an audio guide. At several place in the replica mine, they installed recordings in German and English language that explain the exhibition. Here is a picture one of the machines:
information box - German and English
Well, the whole thing wasn’t very satisfying. There are two problems: The information boxes seems to be the only English language offer. There are only a few boxes and the texts are two long. It would be nicer to offer shorter – more condensed – text at more places. The exhibition halls outside the replica mine lack English language at all. When I think of the developing metropolis and being European Capital of Culture, I expect an English audio tour for the museum.
During the week, the museum offers a lot of guided tour – not on the week-end. Therefore, I think the information boxes are not really necessary for German visitors and the museum doesn’t need a German audio guide. But they should add something in English.
For now, if you want to visit the mining museum with an English language group you have to book an English tour guide. Else you’ll should go there with someone who knows about mining or did the German tour. This person can add and explain additional things to the English vistors – as well as translating German explainations. Helpful might be to go through the English website of the Bergbaumiseum. In Museum->Replica Mine you’ll find pictures of several items and English descriptions.
Anyway, I learnd and refreshed English vocabulary on mining terms.
Upcoming: A new Englishman in …
But for now we have to live with his “The Genglish Diary“. It is also written by his German sweetheart. The author is going to move to .. (the Ruhr area?) in September. The project of the diary – a blog – is about intercultural experiences. Yes, I know what they are talking of. Pam and I have the same experiences. Especially interesting are those little things which are considered to be same but just aren’t.
Some examples:
- How to put the silverware? (The toilet paper discussion seems to be more a male-female topic.)
- How to dress? Why is waving to American relatives more appropriate than shaking hands?
- False friends: “corn” is not “wheat”, “sensible” is not “sensitive”
- Most Germans like (unisex) sauna (do they) or at least, they are not completely terrified by it.
- Some really don’t like David Hasselhoff.
- No, he will wear a suit for the wedding. (Not Lederhosen.)
- Baking powder is easy to get. For baking soda you’d better go to the pharmacy and ask for “Natron”.
- Bratkartoffeln are not limited to breakfast.
- In Germany, it is legally allowed to not finish a beer.
- The locks close and open the other way around.
I will try to follow the diary of Anja and Ali.
The Social Club, Mülheim
Pam – my wife – said “Jackpot?!?“ to me, when I found that page. I first found a list of English groups, theaters, institutions and doctors on www.foodfromhome.de, second I found the page of ‘The Social Club’ in Mülheim an der Ruhr which offers more interesting links. The rest of this article will cover ‘The Social Club‘.
- The Social Club has a hidden website. It is on that still existing (really!) Geocities site. You better google for it.
- The Social Club’s website is uptodate. They have a schedule for 2009.
- The Social Club meet either at a club name Feldmann-Villa or at a pub named Hopfensack.
- The Social Club meets on the Second Friday of each month.
- The Social Club is open to native speakers and people who have fun to speak English (see website).
The British Bed And Breakfast in Dortmund
Due to its website, it’s a ‘British run Bed & Breakfast. Unique in Germany! World-Famous’ in Dortmund.‘ Its only a few kilometers away from Dortmund Airport and the owners offer a shuttle service “for guest arriving”.
I had a look at the pictures on the website. It looks very typical for ‘bed & breakfast’. Even if I live, I might consider it when I’ll have to take an early flight out from Dortmund.
Duisburg University English Thespians
Via the website of the British German Club in Duisburg, I found a hint to an English theater group at the university of Duisburg. The university is now the university of Duisburg and Essen after they joined. The group is already nearly 30 years old and consists of students and aluminis. It calls itstelf the “Duisburg University Englsih Thespians”
British-American Supermarket On Wheels
On Februar 12th i wrote about a supermarket on wheels called ‘food from home‘. On Saturday, 13th of June 2009 my wife and me finally visited its stop at the theater of the musical Starlight Express in Bochum. Well, it’s more a van than a lorry. We only bought Kraft’s Maccaroni with cheese (without any cheese in it) and a packet of baking soda. Later we found out that we could have used ‘Kaiser Natron’ which is available at pharmacies. Anyway, I produced a small video of one minute length about the supermarket on wheels with British-American food.
Right now I am working on several videos to be released soon but this is the first one ever published on youtube.
English Readings for Children
The public library of Bochum is going to offer English Readings for Childeren. Due to an article in today’s edition of the local newspaper WAZ Wattenscheid, Dana Sczendzina will read for children every 3rd Thursday at 16.30 at the banch of the libary in Getrudiscenter, Wattenscheid. The reading called “It’s story time” will last an hour.
At the first session Eric Carle’s “From Head to Toe” and Peter Nickl’s “The Story of the Kind Wolf”
The public library of the city of Bochum already offers readings for Children in Russian and Turkish language. The projects shall ease to learn the languages early in lifetime.
Project of Bilingual Kindergarten in Bochum
By accident I ran into information about the project of a bilingual Kindergarten in Bochum named BiKiBo e.V. It’s not connected to any of those schools project. All of these school projects seems to think about founding own Kindergartens, pre-schools or nurseries.
First, there should be clear what the term Kindergarten means. The word “Kindergarten” is a loan-word to English. The semantics of Kindergarten [engl.] and Kindergarten [germ.] are different. Kindergarten [engl.] is only the last year before schools start. Kindergartens [engl.] are connected to the schools. At least, this is the concept my native speaker here at home explained to me. The Kindergarten [engl.] prepares for school. Sometimes the children already start learning how to read and write. IMHO a good translation for Kindergarten [engl.] would be ‘Vorschule’. The Kindergarten [germ.] ist better translated with pre-school or nursery.
The project of the ‘Verein zur Gründung und Förderung einer Bilingualen Kindertagesstätte in Bochum e.V.’ has a website named BiKiBo.de with a profile of the Kindergarten [germ.]. They want to start an institution for children between 6 months and 6 years. Therefore, I would call it a nursery and pre-school.
Like in the Carolinen-Schule, the pupils shall learn German and English via immersion
Interesting.
Toastmasters Club Bochum
I’m still on holiday in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, but I found an interesting note in today’s edition of WAZ Bochum – the local paper of the regional newspaper: Someone called Eva Masuch is going to found a Toastmaster Club in Bochum. The first meeting shall take place in the “Haus der Freunde” (house of the friends… of the Ruhr-University Bochum) next Monday, April 20th at (the articel doesn’t say).
A toastmaster is the person (man or woman) offering toast at the a dinner or some other formal meals, e.g. a wedding. There is an international organization that tries to teach people how to give public speeches. I think, it’s mainly an anglo-saxon thing. Nevertheless, the German toastmaster movement – with clubs in Berlin, Munich – focusses on giving speaches not in German but in plain English. The groups seems to aim at teaching people to speek freely – in English, with not more than school English. That sound interesting to me. I will try to have a look at the group and the way they work. Due to the newspaper article, everybody gets a manual.
The weekly appointment is the same time/day of the week the English natives speaker meetings take place in Game and Grunewald in Bochum. Well, “native speaker” are a minority there but working language is English.
According to the WAZ you shall contact the organizer:
“Infos gibt’s per Email (toastmasters-bochum@email.de) oder unter Tel. 0234/32-29368 (tagsüber).” (WaZ, 16.04.2009)
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