Mercedes war eine Dame

March 19, 2019
Posted by Don Bender

Autos mit dem dreispitzigen Stern – eines der bekanntesten Markensymbole der Welt – sind heute auf der ganzen Welt zu finden. Daimler-Benz mit Sitz in Stuttgart-Unterturkheim baut seit 1926 Automobile mit dem Namen Mercedes-Benz. Das Motto des Unternehmens lautet “Das Beste oder nichts”.

Wie hat das Mercedes-Automobile seinen Namen bekommen? Wer, eigentlich, war Mercedes?

Der österreichische Diplomat, Geschäftsmann und Autorennfahrer Emil Jellinek kaufte und modifizierte Autos die von Daimler (Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft) gebaut wurden um den Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts. Jellinek arbeitete mit Wilhelm Maybach, dem Chefingenieur von Daimler zusammen um überlegene Automobile herzustellen (zu bauen).

Der Name Mercedes wurde erstmals im Jahr 1900 verwendet, als Jelenick einen modifizierten Daimler-Wagen nach seiner Tochter Mercedes benannte. Die Daimler- und Benz-Gesellschaften wurden 1926 zur Daimler-Benz zusammengelegt. Das erste Serienauto mit dem Namen „Mercedes-Benz“ wurde 1926 von der neuen Firma Daimler-Benz hergestellt.

So wurde eine der großen Automarken der Welt nach einer Frau benannt.

▸ Photo: Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Germany’s Energiewende

November 28, 2018
Posted by Don Bender

If you have been watching, listening to or reading German media over the past several years, you have almost certainly seen the term Energiewende. What exactly does Energiewende mean? Why is it significant?

The term Energiewende is composed of two words: Energie (energy) and Wende (turn). Energiewende – usually expressed as Energy Transition in English – refers to Germany’s long-term, nationwide initiative to transition from fossil fuel and nuclear power to renewable energy resources.

Germany is already a world leader in the renewable energy field. During 2017, some 36.1% of Germany’s total power needs were provided by renewable energy sources, according to government figures. By 2030, it is projected that no less than 65 percent of Germany’s total electrical energy will be derived from renewable sources: a truly impressive achievement for a major industrial nation.

More information about the Energiewende can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

▸ Photo: Biedesheim, Germany by Karsten Würth on Unsplash

 

The Typeface that Traveled to the Moon

August 11, 2018
Posted by Don Bender

How did a typeface designed in Germany during the 1920’s end up on the moon nearly a quarter of a century later?

The story begins in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 1924. At that time, just five years after the end of the First World War, the city was funding an affordable housing initiative. Some of Germany’s most prominent, modernist architects were involved in the project which produced a number of innovative buildings.

Paul Renner, a Frankfurt-based typographer, also played a role in this project. He developed a completely new, modern typeface that could be used in directional signage and on signs and informational graphics on and within the new buildings.

Renner began work on the new typeface in 1924. It was released three years later, in 1927, by Frankfurt’s Bauer Type Foundry. The modernistic, geometric, sans-serif typeface was appropriately named Futura. Futura was promoted as “die Schrift Unserer Zeit” (the typeface of our time) and, in English, as “the typeface of today and tomorrow”.

Simple, clear and legible, the Futura typeface was used extensively throughout the 20th century appearing in logos, advertisements and signage worldwide. Futura continues to be widely used today. Organizations that have used the Futura typeface include Volkswagen, Nike, Shell, IKEA, Swissair, AIG, Vogue, Vanity Fair and even the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration – NASA.

NASA gave the Futura typeface still greater prominence through its Apollo space program. When the astronauts of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon, the descent stage of their Lunar Module displayed a stainless steel plaque with the following message:

Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.

The typeface chosen by NASA for its moon plaque was none other than Futura.

The descent stage of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module was left on the moon. It remains there to this day, displaying its message in a typeface created over 90 years ago in Frankfurt, Germany.

▸ Images by NASA

Learning German with the Duolingo App

August 2, 2018
Posted by Don Bender

Duolingo’s language instruction app provides an entertaining way for you to enhance your German language skills anytime and anywhere. The company’s bright, engaging, and gamified PC interface is well replicated in its free app that is available for both Android and iOS.

If you already use Duolingo with a PC, you can simply log in to the app. If not, all that is needed to sign up is a valid email address and a password. Duolingo is free to use and the company’s tagline states: “Learn a language for free. Forever”.

The app helps you learn German through a series of sequential modules. Users must correctly complete a series of exercises in order to advance to a higher level. Duolingo is also highly “gamified” providing users with a game-like experience that can help to make learning more enjoyable. In addition to German, Duolingo offers language instruction in nearly thirty other languages.

To get the Duolingo app, visit the Google Play Store  or iTunes.

▸ Image by Don Bender
 

The Goethe Institut eLibrary

August 1, 2018
Posted by Don Bender

Would you like to have online access to roughly 20,000 German language eBooks, audiobooks, videos, newspapers and magazines? Try the Goethe Institut’s eLibrary!

Signing up for the Goethe Institut’s eLibrary is easy. Simply visit their eLibrary page and follow the directions. Once you are signed up, you can borrow eBooks, digital videos and more – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – regardless of your location. Access to the Goethe Institut’s eLibrary is free.

To learn more, or to sign up and begin searching the catalog, visit the Goethe Institut’s eLibrary page.

The Goethe Institut is a worldwide cultural organization funded primarily by the German government. It offers German language classes, language testing and certification, and facilitates cultural exchanges. Presently, there are 159 Goethe Institutes located in 98 countries worldwide.

▸ Photo by Aliis Sinisalu on Unsplash

Stammtisch? What’s a Stammtisch?

July 27, 2018
Posted by Don Bender

What exactly does the name of our website – German Stammtisch – mean?

The German word Stammtisch is composed of two individual words: Stamm and Tisch. Tisch refers to a table. The word Stamm, related to the English word Stem, can refer either to a tree trunk or to a group of people, for example, a group of regular customers.

Stammtisch, then, refers to a “regular’s table”. This could refer to a table, for example, in a restaurant where a group of people meet on a regular basis. Somewhat less literally, the word Stammtisch refers simply to an informal meeting. A good example of this concept can be seen in the vintage American television series Cheers.

The name of our website combines the notion of the Stammtisch or informal meeting with the word German. It suggests a group that meets regularly to converse in German. Unlike Cheers, however, the only drinks we occasionally serve are limited to Sprudelwasser – sparkling spring water!

▸ Photo by Mitchell Hollander on Unsplash
 

Bauhaus 2019: Renowned Art, Design & Architecture School Turning 100

July 23, 2018
Posted by Don Bender

During 2019, destinations all across Germany will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus – Germany’s highly influential art, design and architecture school. The Staatliches Bauhaus (more commonly known simply as the Bauhaus) was founded in Weimar by architect Walter Gropius during 1919. The Bauhaus was later moved to Dessau, and subsequently, to Berlin.

Although the Bauhaus remained open for less than two decades, its influence on the art, design and architecture of the 20th century, and beyond, has been profound. Essential elements of the Bauhaus style include simple, functional design and a minimalistic approach. Architect Mies van der Rohe, one of the school’s founders, summed up this approach as, “Less is more”.

Some of the better-known artists and designers associated with the Bauhaus include: Anni Albers, Josef Albers, Herbert Bayer, Peter Behrens, Max Bill, Marianne Brandt, Marcel Breuer, Andreas Feininger, Lyonel Feininger, Walter Gropius, Johannes Itten, Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Lilly Reich and Gunta Stölzl.

Today, the innovative steel-and-glass Bauhaus building in Dessau, and some associated buildings, are open to the public. The Bauhaus campus is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Bauhaus-inspired buildings can be found in many locations across the globe. In New York City, some of the most famous buildings influenced by the Bauhaus include: the Seagram Building by Mies van der Rohe; the Met Life (formerly Pan Am) building by Walter Gropius; and, the Whitney Museum (now known as the Met Breuer) by Marcel Breuer.

For more information about the Bauhaus and related 100th anniversary events, visit their official site at: https://www.bauhaus-dessau.de/en/index.html

▸ Photo by Michael “Tegula” on Pixabay.com
 

Wer? Was? Wo? Germany’s Online Telephone Book

July 21, 2018
Posted by Don Bender

Looking for a telephone number in Germany? Try the German national telephone directory on the Web! This highly useful resource covers the entire nation making it easy to locate individuals and businesses from Bavaria to the Baltic Sea.

The standard search (Standard-Suche) allows you to configure searches using two fields: who/what (Wer/Was) and where (Wo). The interface provides search hints for both names and locations. For example, entering “Berlin” in the where field displays a list of choices including Berlin, Bernau bei Berlin, Neuenhagen bei Berlin, Schöneiche bei Berlin and several other options.

The online telephone directory is particularly useful if you want to get back in touch with a friend or relative overseas. From a genealogical perspective it is a useful resource for locating potential relatives in Germany.

Try it for yourself! Germany’s national online telephone directory is located at https://www.dastelefonbuch.de/ .

▸ Image by Don Bender
 

Word of the Week

July 16, 2018
Posted by Don Bender

The German language possesses many colorful words and expressions. You can learn more about them by visiting the fun and informative Word of the Week feature published by the German Embassy in Washington, DC.

Recent words and expressions featured here include: Sauwetter (literally “pig weather”) meaning lousy or unpleasant weather; Katzenwäsche (“cat washes”) signifying a quick wash in the sink as an alternative taking a shower, and, Tante-Emma-Laden (“Aunt Emma Store”) referring to a “Mom and Pop” grocery store.

Want to learn what Schneidersitz, Dreikäsehoch and Erbsenzähler mean? Visit the German Embassy’s Word of the Week for yourself!

▸ Photo by Wokandapix on Pixabay