Germany 2006 ?

Jeremy Chan · Post by **Jeremy Chan** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 7:37 pm

This is a nice topic Michael. While I haven't been to Germany (I plan to after this year) I do notice that it is very much Americanised; certainly very modern-looking. And that the English language reigns supreme -- partly as the "chic" language (eg popularly uttered in the schoolyard).
A friend of mine remarked how 'everyone' in Germany spoke at least some English. IIRC he'd been there but I wasn't sure if he was exaggerating. He also commented on the pollution.
And speaking of the military -- no Michael, I get the impression that Germany of 2006 is far from the military topics; certainly less militarised as before and I think it's reflected in the education system. Is a Deutschland über alles concept still stressed there?
But as I pointed out, I may not be the most accurate reference. Cheers.

Hans · Post by **Hans** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:35 pm

My impression from visits and relatives is that Germany tries to please everybody, and thereby pleases nobody. It seems to have become the nonentity of Europe, with a lack of its own personality, culture and sense of worth. The language itself has been murdered and transformed into some type of juvenile English.

As for the military, a person dressed in uniform driving a truck with learner plates, does not a soldier make. A lot of the men, generally speaking seem to be very soft and unsure of themselves. Sorry, but I think real Germans seem only to live in pockets outside it's borders.

Now I'm off to the NT to live like a real man for a few weeks.

- Hans

Commissar D, the Evil · Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:57 pm

Say Hans, be proud of the fact that modern Germany abhors war. I wish the U.S. would lean that lesson, so our "Imperial Legions" wouldn't be dealing with suicide bombers in Iraq.

Best,
David

Rosselsprung · Post by **Rosselsprung** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 5:11 pm

The language itself has been murdered and transformed into some type of juvenile English.

It may be consolation that English in the US is also dying, quickly being discarded in favor of netspeak or ebonics.

Commissar D, the Evil · Fri Jun 30, 2006 5:34 pm

It may be consolation that English in the US is also dying, quickly being discarded in favor of netspeak or ebonics

Ebonics????!!!

Hell Roselsprung, ebonics has always existed in America! Blacks have always spoken a language different than that of White America. But the threat to Engish, in demographical terms is not ebonics, it is Spanish of Spanglish!

Best,
David

Dirlewanger · Post by **Dirlewanger** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 2:46 am

Yo bro Davo, pop a cap inna dat fat cats ass!

Marc Binazzi · Post by **Marc Binazzi** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 3:20 am

I heard that the best German, immune from Americanization and Anglicization, was spoken in the ex-DDR.......

Also once while visiting Australia I found that the local German and Dutch communities published newspapers in their native language and I would tend to believe that in such a situation they would try to keep that language as pure as possible.

phylo_roadking · Post by **phylo_roadking** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 7:30 am

THis would explain a lot - ive seen "german" on websites and such, and its more like Dutch with its high percentage of English or anglicised words. Hmm

As a postscript - the change of language ISNT due to outside influences, its more usually due to something making the speakers keep it pure. So indeed I can understand why purer German in the DDR, as an unconscious fight-back against "occupation". Here in Northern Irleand we speak an English that is both phonetically locked in the 17th century, but our syntax etc dates from then too, as a conscious attempt by the english-speakers in the island to withstand any Celtic or Gaelic influence beginning then. It just HAPPENED to keep out a lot of tother influences too!

phylo

Beppo Schmidt · Post by **Beppo Schmidt** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 12:28 pm

Germans have been told to hang their heads in shame for decades, so don't be surprised when they lose their culture and language.

phylo_roadking · Post by **phylo_roadking** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 12:39 pm

Really??? Maybe in respect of the USA.....but why then are they so bloody bolshy in the EEC/EU???

phylo

Rolf Steiner · Post by **Rolf Steiner** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:03 pm

there seems to have been some editing in here so I'm not getting the strands. but anyhow, I love the place, have been there in last year more often than my hometown, even tho they speak significantly less english than the dutch!

Cott Tiger · Post by **Cott Tiger** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:58 am

I think the Worlds Cup has done wonders for Germany. Unlike me, very few of my friends or family have spent any real time in Germany, not even on holiday.

The World Cup though has opened a lot of minds to what a wonderful place Germany is. The friendly people, the culture, the history, and of course its real beauty.

I have had many friends who went over for 2 or 3 weeks to follow the football, none of them had previously been before.. They stayed in numerous cities and got see quite a bit of the country. They haven’t stopped raving about the place, how marvellous the people were, how interesting the cities were and how beautiful some of the countryside is.

With all the positive attention Germany has had over the last few weeks, I have even managed to persuade the wife to take a City break to Berlin next year with me. When the kids are a bit older I am desperate to take them touring and exploring around the Black Forest, and my wife is even warming to that idea (she is a beach holiday fanatic unfortunately, so she will take a lot of convincing).

M.H. · Post by **M.H.** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:09 am

Beppo Schmidt wrote:Germans have been told to hang their heads in shame for decades, so don't be surprised when they lose their culture and language.

It seems we took it back in the last month!

M.H. · Post by **M.H.** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:11 am

Cott Tiger wrote:I think the Worlds Cup has done wonders for Germany.

Did you read that?:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldcup/200 ... n_the.html

Most of the comments read like a new love affair with
Germany in the making...

In this case the WC really was a god send!

Cott Tiger · Post by **Cott Tiger** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:53 am

M.H. wrote:
Cott Tiger wrote:I think the Worlds Cup has done wonders for Germany.
Did you read that?:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldcup/200 ... n_the.html

Most of the comments read like a new love affair with
Germany in the making...
In this case the WC really was a god send!

Hi M.H.,

I didn’t read that, it is just my own personal experience. Germany has had a wealth of positive coverage from the World Cup and hundreds of thousands of people from England who wouldn’t normally visit Germany did so and came back and raved to their friends and families about how brilliant Germany is.

As I stated on the World Cup thread, for the first time in my lifetime, English fans are actually cheering the German national football team onto victory. That would have been unthinkable 8 or even 4 years ago.

regards,

Andre