NHGA German School

Herzlichen Glückwunsch übrigens noch zum 275. Geburtstag 🎉

Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm, Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund - do you know these sayings in German?

The early bird gets the worm or in this case, the discount. Fall registration is open for enrollment.

Fall Classes open for registration - https://mailchi.mp/1a02e38572f4/nh-german-school-fall-classes-open-for-registration
nhgermanschool.com

Game night in Manchester! We will have fun German games and snacks, bring you friends!

🎉 Happy Swiss National Day! 🇨🇭
To celebrate, the world's largest Swiss flag has been unfurled on Säntis Mountain!
This massive flag, measuring 80 meters by 80 meters, covers the north face of Säntis and can be seen from across much of Eastern Switzerland.

Throughout his lifetime, 💦swimming was one of Franz Kafka’s greatest passions. In contrast to his tedious desk routine at an insurance company, diving into water literally set him free from an environment that he perceived as burdensome and oppressive. Benedikt Maria Arnold on Franz Kafka, the exercise enthusiast. NOW in magazine. 🏊‍♀️ https://www.goethe.de/prj/geg/en/thm/kfk/the-great-swimmer.html
!! All articles in German, English, Spanish and French !!

Can't make it to Paris for the 2024 Olympics? Allow your kids to experience the spirit of the Olympics this summer with the French and German Language Immersion Camp: Olympic Edition! 🇫🇷💬🇩🇪

Alliance Française in Manchester and FACNH has partnered with the NH German Language School, NHGA German School, to present this exciting French and German language camp.

During camp, kids will participate in a week of fun, games, and cultural discovery, inspired by the upcoming Olympics in Paris! Activities will include interactive language lessons, sports, music, games, and hands-on projects.

No prior language experience is required, making it the perfect opportunity for kids to learn basic French and German vocabulary and phrases in a fun learning environment.

The French and German Language Immersion Camp: Olympic Edition runs from July 29 to August 2 at 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. for kids aged 7–14. Registration cost is $285.

Register: https://nhgermanschool.com/product/french-german-language-immersion-camp-olympic-edition/

🇩🇪🌭🍅 in 1913, Herta Heuwer was born. The name might not be internationally famous, but she’s a legend in Berlin, as the creator of the currywurst! In 1949, she was feeling bored in her snack bar in West Berlin. She started experimenting with some curry powder she had acquired from British soldiers – mixing it with tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, a little salt, and sugar – and served the sauce up with a bratwurst. Customers were thrilled with the new dish – and the currywurst was born.

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camp

Cologne has a stunning and famous cathedral, but also a lesser icon...

An 18th century medicinal formula, and fashionable cure-all, which was turned into a fragrance.

Aqua Mirabilis, miracle water, became Echt Kölnisch Wasser, 4711 Eau de Cologne.

A Carthusian monk gave the secret recipe as a wedding gift in 1792, and the result was a scented water marketed as ‘Aqua Mirabilis’. Initially as a drink.

Served pure or mixed with wine, the ingredients of this ‘miracle water’ were said to have healing powers.

Then Napoleon ordered the disclosure of all formulas designed for internal use, medicinal recipes, in 1810, so the water was re-labelled to protect its secret formula.

Echt Kölnisch Wasser was now a perfume... "With a revitalising and refreshing effect."

And 1820 brought about a new bottle to replace the medicine bottle. The Molanus bottle, a newly developed bottle shape, and six-sided design that made the bottle easier to handle, transport, and stand.

In 1822 a curved collar piece was added between the bottle's shoulder and cap, allowing its alcohol-rich contents to expand when they warm up, and a label runs all the way around as protection against the light.

Fans of Aqua Mirabilis' scent, said to be harmonising and stimulating, ranged from personalities like Goethe and Wagner, to emperors, kings and tsars.

As for its number... that's the house number of the building in Cologne's Glockengasse, Bell Alley/Lane, where the distillery and fragrance factory was located at the time.

Occupied by the French from 1794, a French general, frustrated with the city's disorganised layout, had all the houses numbered consecutively. And that house was given the number 4711.

Photo credit: Hemswell Antiques, Lincolnshire, UK

Its aroma is hard to miss... Germany's woodland floors are covered with "Blühender Bärlauch". Wild garlic - a delicious early bloomer.

Literally der Bär-lauch, because it was a favourite snack for the bears who used to roam the countryside.

Now foraging enthusiasts are out combing forests, hills and embankments, while others head for stores or markets to pick up some of the springtime treat.

Known as "ramps" or "wild leek" in the English speaking world, Bär-lauch leaves are pungent and full of flavour, the white flower buds and stems less so but also delicious.

Bulbs too, but in Germany there is an emphasis on careful foraging, so these are rarely used.

Raw, blanched or wilted wild garlic is a seasoning for everything from butters, pesto and Quark to bread and muffins, and as the season is short, mainly April and May, it's preserved for use throughout the year. Steeped in olive oil, made into Bärlauch salt, or frozen.

And a favourite for cows, with a tangy garlic flavoured specialty cheese made from their milk.

Also known as Hexenzwiebel -Witches Onion, it is a mineral rich ingredient in herbal medicines, as well as moth repellents and general household disinfectants.

Photo credit: Ministerium für Ernährung, Ländlichen Raum und Verbraucherschutz Baden-Württemberg

It's Gründonnerstag, Green Thursday, and from supermarkets to farmers' markets bundles of the nine, or seven, herbs necessary for seven or nine herb sauces and soups are on offer, pre-packaged and ready to use,

Greens are on the menu for Gründonnerstag. As it is still Lent, Fastenzeit, that means no fish or meat only vegetables, and the rules of fasting are often strictly observed.

While, according to an old superstition, eating green foods will give us spring's energy and a year of good fortune.

"Green" ingredients will appear in many homes and restaurants: green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, beans, leeks, kale... herbs such as chives, parsley, chervil, even dandelions and daisies.

Whether for 9-Kräuter-Suppe, "9-herb soup", or the Grüne Sosse, green sauce, often served with eggs and Pellkartoffeln, peeled boiled potatoes, the number used in the recipes is always the same, seven or nine.

The number 7 for the seven last phrases attributed to Jesus as he hung on the cross.

And die magische Neun, nine, is considered sacred in many cultures, in soups and sauces "three times three create magical herbs” ensuring the spring herbs are exceptionally powerful.

Guaranteed to chase away any sign of Frühjahrsmüdigkeit, spring fatigue.

Maundy Thursday, Gründonnerstag, the Thursday before Easter, has been celebrated since the 13th century, although there was no connection to the colour 'green' at the time. Instead to an old German word, "greinen" - to groan, mourn or weep, commemorating the Last Supper and betrayal of Jesus by Judas.

And this green soup is on the menu all day today in Meraner Land, South Tyrol, which lies at the feet of the Dolomites and was once part of the wider Austro-Hungarian empire.

A region of Italy where more than two-thirds of the population speak German as their mother tongue.

Photo credit: Tourist Office merano-suedtirol.it

We hope to see you there! It should be a fun evening of German games.

We can't wait to see you in the classroom! Can't come to Manchester? - No problem, all of our classes are also over Zoom.

We will post some links at the end of the day to let you know!

Classes are starting soon - the week of 5/7 February. Register at:
nhgermanschool.com

Classes held in-person and over Zoom.

One New Year's Eve isn't enough in this part of Switzerland it celebrates two. So these Silvesterchläuse from Urnäsch, a village in the Swiss canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, are ringing out the old year and welcoming in the new for the second time.

First a celebration on the Gregorian date of December 31, (New Sylvester), and now today.

The 13th of January and Old Sylvester, in tune with the Julian calendar used by the villagers until the 19th century.

A tradition dating back to 1663, in the early hours of this morning crowds filled Urnäsch village square, the clock struck 5 am, lights went out and the Silvesterchläuse arrived. In robes and masks, the bells on their costumes ringing out.

Going in groups from farm to farm and house to house, wishing "es guets Neus", a Happy New Year, ringing their bells to chase away any evil spirits, performing a traditional dance and a Zäuerli. The time-honoured Ausserrhoden, wordless yodel.

Chläuse are offered mulled wine or tea, drinking with a straw through their masks, and a small sum of money used buy new materials for costumes and headpieces. Then continue on their way, vom Morgengrauen bis in die Nacht hinein. From dawn into the night.

What all Silvesterkläusen have in common are the bells, which they wear in various shapes and sizes on their bodies, but they come in three forms.

These are Schöne Silvesterkläusen, the pretty ones.

"Schöne" are, as their name suggests, beautiful and richly decorated, wearing velvety trousers or skirts similar to traditional costume, and a simple mask with red cheeks. Their large flat hat has carved figures depicting scenes from everyday life in the Alps, and everything is decorated with thousands of glass beads.

There are Wüeschte, or ugly ones, with costumes made of hay, straw, nuts, pine brushwood and other natural material from the forest. Their masks with animal teeth and horns.

Then a mixture of both, the Schö-wüeschte. Also made with twigs and leaves etc., but arranged in elaborate patterns, and, like the Schöne, with carved figures on their heads.

And it isn't only in Urnäsch. Silvesterchläuse mummers also roam the streets in Schwellbrunn, Herisau, Hundwil, Waldstatt, Stein and Teufen.

By the way, all the Chläuse, male or female, (Rollewiib or Rolli), are men.😊

Photo credit: Silvesterchlausen, fotowerkstatt St.Gallen

Happy Three Kings Day/ Epiphany! 👑January 6 is known in Switzerland as Dreikönigstag. It’s an opportunity to try the so-called Dreikönigskuchen, or Three Kings Cake. Who is the king or queen in your family this year around?

Geboren am 5. Januar 1921 in der Schweiz, war Friedrich Dürrenmatt einer der bedeutendsten deutschsprachigen Schriftsteller und Dramatiker der Postmoderne.

Zum Theater fand Dürrenmatt allerdings erst nach seiner Ausbildung: Er studierte zunächst Philosophie und Germanistik, dann Malerei und Grafik. Erste Stücke wie „Die Ehe des Herrn Mississippi“ kamen bei seinem Publikum gut an. Besonders Nietzsche und Kafka beeinflussten den jungen Dürrenmatt und finden Einzug in sein literarisches Schaffen. Typischerweise zeichnen sich seine Werke durch Satire, schwarzen Humor und eine tiefgreifende Auseinandersetzung mit moralischen Themen aus. Sein Welterfolg, die Tragikomödie „Der Besuch der alten Dame“ aus dem Jahr 1956, ist wahrscheinlich vielen noch aus der Schulzeit bekannt.

Friedrich Dürrenmatt hinterlässt ein umfangreiches literarisches Erbe mit 23 Dramen und zahlreichen Erzählungen, Romanen sowie Hörspielen. Heute wäre er 103 Jahre alt geworden. Was ist euer Lieblingswerk von Friedrich Dürrenmatt?

As we usher in 2024, we at the NH German School are thrilled to invite you to embark on a journey of language discovery and personal growth by enrolling in our German classes.

Why German, you ask? Well, the benefits are numerous!

Global Opportunities: German is one of the most widely spoken languages globally and is the most spoken native language in the European Union. Learning German can open doors to a plethora of international opportunities, whether you're considering travel, business, or academia.

Career Advancement: In today's interconnected world, businesses value employees with multilingual skills. German proficiency can significantly enhance your professional profile, providing a competitive edge in various industries.

Cultural Enrichment: Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of German culture, from literature and music to art and cinema. Our classes not only teach the language but also offer insights into the cultural nuances that make German-speaking countries unique.

Brain Boost: Studies have shown that learning a new language stimulates cognitive functions, enhancing memory, problem-solving skills, and multitasking abilities. Invest in your mental fitness while mastering a valuable skill.

What Sets Us Apart:

Experienced Instructors: Our classes are led by highly qualified and experienced instructors who are passionate about teaching German and dedicated to your success.

Interactive Learning: We believe in a dynamic and interactive learning environment. Our classes incorporate engaging activities, group discussions, and real-life scenarios to make your learning experience enjoyable and effective.

Hybrid Classes Life can be hectic, and we understand that. That's why we offer hybrid class schedules to accommodate your busy lifestyle.

Special Offer for New Year Enrollments:

To kick off the new year we are offering an early bird discount. Sign up before 15 January 2024.

Ready to embrace new opportunities in 2024? Don't miss out on the chance to enhance your skills, broaden your horizons, and connect with a vibrant community of language learners.

Enroll now by visiting https://nhgermanschool.com/

Here's to a year filled with linguistic achievements, cultural exploration, and personal growth!

Die Kirche St. Nikolai zu Leipzig ist die größte und älteste Kirche der Stadt. Zwischen 1723 und 1750 komponierte Johann Sebastian Bach dort einige seiner wichtigsten Werke, viele davon erlebten ebenda ihre Uraufführung. Sein sechsteiliges Weihnachtsoratorium wurde zwischen dem Weihnachtsfeiertag 1734 und dem Dreikönigstag 1735 zweimal pro Tag abwechselnd in der Thomas- und der Nikolaikirche unter der Leitung des Thomaskantors aufgeführt.
Zweifelsohne gehören die sechs Kantaten heute zu den beliebtesten und bekanntesten Kompositionen aller Zeiten, vor allem zu Weihnachten.

Eine Aufnahme mit dem Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks gibt es bei ARD Klassik: http://x.swr.de/s/acheihnachtsoratorium