Miami University German Club

Santa arrives by helicopter on the roof of a multi-coloured apartment block, and a Christmas miracle ... the helicopter didn't blow any snow off the roof as it landed. 😊

A 1982 East German Advent calendar, and quite a contrast to the grey reality of the GDR at the time.

A trendy white Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit out on the street, together with a more credible Wartburg and Trabant. A Herrnhuter Stern, Moravian star, representing the Bethlehem Star in a country where faith was fragile, on the third floor left hand side apartment, a Schwibbogen - Candle Arch on the right hand side. The arch was meant to look like the night sky and the candles to signify the Erzgebirge miners working in Germany's Ore Mountains, and longing for daylight in the wintertime.

On the top floor left a feeding station for the wild birds flying high to avoid those smoky Trabant exhaust fumes on the streets below.

The story behind Advent Calendars, a countdown to Christmas: http://bit.ly/2gVPs5R

Credit: Planet-Verlag Berlin, 1982 Foto: Ute Franz-Scarciglia © Thomas Schallnau

The Devil's Bridge of Germany: Rakotzbrücke This jaw-dropping 19th-century bridge uses its reflection to form what appears to be a perfect circle.

Hallo! The Miami German Club is pleased to announce it has a new Exec board! New German Club president is Alice Holtzclaw, VP is Elsbeth Cunningham (who has promised to do a live zoom session from Luxembourg where she is going to be this Fall fingers crossed!) and new treasurer is Gracie Finnegan, who has done the paper work to get the German Club ready to participate in the fundraiser! YaaaaY!
Frau Grimm is excited!!

Woohoo!! Mark your calenders: next Thursday, August 13 is "moveinMiami" day an annual fundraiser for many organisations at Miami! Please consider even a modest donation to the German club, I know they are planning some awesome events both the virtual and social distant kind.

Miami University German Club Funds raised will support the Miami University German Club in its mission to bring Miami students together and share their passion of the German language and culture.

Denkt dran, Maske nicht vergessen!!

Travel quiz: The church in the picture is one of the most famous sights in Germany. Do you know which one? Tip: It is located in a city on the Rhine River. ;)

Unser Wort zum Wochenende lautet: sich einigeln.
Wir hoffen, auch du hast es dir Zuhause so gemütlich wie möglich gemacht. Bleib gesund!

Our Word for the Weekend is: to hide out at home.
We hope you are as comfortable as possible at home. Stay healthy!


@gi_newyork

Hallo! If you see this could leave me a note so I know whether anyone is coming here? (this message from Frau Grimm).

maybe the most beautiful half-timbered house of the Black Forest, so called "Altdeutsches Haus" in Calw

Intense days at the moment...but "Bald ist Frühling", and here is a journey back in time to help lighten the hours. A flashback to the Middle Ages, with beautiful MONREAL as it will look in just a few weeks.

A historic gem in a narrow Eifel valley, its half-timbered houses and quaint streets overlooked by the ruins of 13th century Philippsburg Castle – das Rech, seen here, and those of Löwenburg Castle – Burg Monreal. Also from the 13th century, the castle's ruins are surrounded by its own centuries old vineyard.

Already settled in the stone age the village was first mentioned in 1229, and the Eifel's large flocks of sheep ensured a successful woolen cloth industry.

But international competition brought financial collapse. With no money to develop the village Monreal remained as it was, a medieval time capsule in Rheinland-Pfalz, western Germany.

Known as the "Pearl of the Elz Valley", the river Elz runs through it, and here is a four minute impression: http://bit.ly/2QjW6D9. The commentary is in German, but you can simply turn down the sound and enjoy your own journey back in time.

Photo credit: Monreal im Tal der Elz, EIFELsüchtig

Seid gesund und munter trotz der schwierigen Zeiten! There'll be no more German Club events this semester--hope everyone is hanging in there!
Danke!

Schön!

Something for that bucket list.🙂 The Bavarian Alps, beautiful Lake Chiemsee and its three islands – Herreninsel, Fraueninsel and uninhabited Krautinsel.

And here we see the island of "Artists, Fishermen and Nuns". Fraueninsel, literally Women's Island.

It has one of the oldest artist's colonies in Europe, six of the 16 families on the island still live from fishing, and for over 1200 years women have lived here in 8th century Frauenwörth Benedictine abbey.

Following the Rule of Saint Benedict, “ora et labora”, pray and work, and producing everything from gingerbread and marzipan to herbal liqueurs.

Bavaria's largest lake, Chiemsee, also known as the "Bavarian Sea", has tides like the sea and originated from the primeval Thetis Sea once covering almost half of Europe.

Photo credit: Visit Germany

First Kaffee im King of 2020--Vielen Dank an alle!

Don't be one of these! ;-)

😤

🍀🍄

Yesterday was the beginning of WEIHNACHTSSCHIESSEN, Christmas Shooting, in Berchtesgaden, southern Bavaria, and the ringing of church bells and gun salutes welcomed the coming of the CHRISTKIND, Christ Child.

Now there will be Weihnachtsschießen und Christkindl-Anschießen every afternoon, from 3pm to 3.15pm, until Heiligabend, Christmas Eve. Then, between 11:30 and midnight, the shooting will increase in volume...a reminder for everyone out there that it's time to leave for midnight mass.

And silence returns to the mountains.

In many parts of Germany the Christ Child, Christkindl, is the bringer of gifts.

Although first mentioned in 1666 the 'noise' part of the shooting tradition goes back further. In Berchtesgaden it was a part of pagan rites for chasing away winter's cold and darkness, as well as stirring nature from its winter sleep.

These days HANDBÖLLER, hand cannon, hand-held, short-barreled black powder saluting guns are used, but in the 14th century fi****ms had not yet arrived on the scene so cowbells, and chains, produced the noise necessary to begin frightening away the 'Kalte Jahreszeit'.

The marksmen are members of Schützenverein, special groups, and here is a 1.50 min video to give you a taste of Weihnachtsschiessen, as well as some great views of the area: https://youtu.be/9r2AJ2OYpDw

The commentary is in Bairisch, Bavarian dialect, but it doesn't really need words.

Photo credit: Christkindl-Schiessen der Weihnachtsschuetzen, Berchtesgadener Land Tourismus, berchtesgadener-land.com.

The "Discover Study Abroad" event: students told about the wonderful and varied experiences studying abroad on the Miami Summer program, the Miami Luxembourg program, Wayne State Munich program and the USAC program in Lüneburg. All unique and wonderful in their own ways.

German Club exec team meeting: from left to right: Meriwether Harmon, Treasurer; Ellie Timmons, Vice-President and Janie Moore, President. 🤩🇩🇪🤩🇩🇪🤩

First German Club of the Semester: Soccer Scrimmage!! 😍⚽️🇩🇪😍⚽️🇩🇪

Weekly German Conversation hour will start tomorrow.

Thanks to all who are helping to make the German Club even more "ausgezeichnet" than it already is!!! :-) 😍🇩🇪😍🇩🇪😍