Germany Traditions

Great Essays
Germany: A Land of Tradition and Contrasts
Organization and discipline are evident in everyday life for Germans. Public transportation operates like clockwork; traffic lights are synchronized, even retail stores are subject to Ladenschlussgesetz (store-closing law) (Somers 20). Everything done in German lives is done with order and efficiency. While we consider the German people in this light, they give us the impression of drones, adamant about following rules and regulations, and striving for flawlessness in everything. Yet they go to the extreme for the last two weeks of September at Oktoberfest. Once an outsider is “adopted” Germans humor and hospitality erases any sense of rigidity.
How could the nation that gave us BMW, hefewisen, and
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Germany suffered complete humiliation at the hands of the Allied Nations. Desperate and humiliated, the public felt betrayed. Blame was everywhere for Germany’s failure to win the war. The Kaiser was forced to abdicate his office. A power vacuum was created that was filled by the Weimar Republic. However, the republic would only last for fourteen years, as it was unable to gain traction to repair the country’s scars (Schoolshistory.org.uk). The Weimar Republic constitution proved weak, and easy to amend (Kissinger). Adolf Hitler gave the starving masses someone for them to blame and manipulated the weak constitution to achieve his goals. He promised to revitalize the German pride. World War II changed Germany and her people forever. When it was over, Germany was divided between east and west. The shame of the Holocaust was felt by every German. Not all Germans fell into the lie for the Third Rich. The anti-Nazi movement White Rose movement in Munich fought a failed political battle against the Nazis. Knowing the potential evils of the party, they worked to disrupt public opinion of the Nazi Party and show them for what they truly were. …show more content…
While the majority of the people living here are Christian, Hessen is diverse in its ethnic makeup. Sitting on the Rhine and Main Rivers in the south, and the Elb and Wiser rivers to the north, Hessen has been a hub for travel. Prior to the construction of the Autobahn, Hessen has been at a cross roads for travel and trade. Resulting from its prime location on the Main river, Frankfurt is a modern cosmopolitan that has flourished both economically and in culturally. The open and hospitable atmosphere of Frankfurt comes from its centuries-old role as a trading centre (City of Frankfurt am Main). So many different nationalities live here that nearly one in three of the population don’t hold German passports (City of Frankfurt am Main). To the south and connected by the A5, Germany’s first autobahn, sits the city of Darmstadt. Known as the city of science, Darmstadt is the home to the European Space Operation Center and the Heavy Ion research center that created Darmstadtium; element 110 on the periodic table. It is no surprise that the people here place a high value on education. Yet, the city is also home to an amazing assortment of music and art. East of Frankfurt lays the city of Hanau. Home of the Brothers Grimm, Hanau is a city built onto of its self. Originally a Roman garrison, it has been witness to a multitude of changes through the centuries. Yet, one thing has been constant about Hanau

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