GermanyRevisited

Some of Germany's 3050 registered bread specialties.

Germany's Bread Culture and the huge selection of bread is partly down to country's varied climate, which allows all types of crops to thrive, together with its history. Baking different bread was one of the ways the small princedoms that formerly made up Germany could carve out an own identity.

In Germany one of the most popular dishes to brighten up dark winter days is Rinderrouladen, "Beef Rollups", slices of beef rolled up around a seasoned onion and bacon filling, served in a wine sauce.

Once considered so special they were served only for celebrations or on Sundays, now they are a very traditional "cold weather" dinner choice.

"A person is first forgotten when his name is forgotten" - Talmud.

Stolpersteine, Stumbling stones, are a memorial built one stone at a time. Small 'memory' blocks embedded in sidewalks in front of homes where the victims of Nazis last lived freely, simple memorials so their names will not be forgotten,  documenting their lives with the barest of details. The photo is of Stolpersteine in front of Hauptstrasse 121, Altstadt, Heidelberg. It was the home of the Durlacher family, Hermann, Marta and their sons Walter and Ludwig. Hermann and Marta were murdered in Auschwitz, their sons survived. They had been sent to England in 1939 by Kindertransport, a rescue mission for unaccompanied children under 17 which took place during the nine months prior to the outbreak of WWII.

Gold painted nuts are often seen decorating German Christmas trees, because traditionally they are bound together with thoughts of nature and fertility, carrying 'the germ of life' so symbolic of the continuation of life.

They were used for die Wintersonnenwende, the winter solstice celebrations in pre-Christian Europe, and were absorbed into Christmas traditions when Christianity arrived But nuts also make great cookies, and there will be few plates of Christmas Cookies in German homes that will not include at least two different varieties of nut cookie.

GERMANY  1946/47,  THE  HUNGER  WINTER

Europe lay in rubble, and the winter of 1946/1947 was the coldest in living memory. In Germany it was known as the time of "Weisser Tod", white death, and "Schwarzer Hunger", black hunger, and hundreds of thousands died.

These two little girls had their Christmas tree, but "Weihnachten" was different that year.

THE  CHRISTMAS  TREE  APPLE,  THE  PARADIESAPFEL

The Christmas tree being "ever green" was a symbol of hope during a dark winter for the pre-Christians, and even now they brighten up the year's darkest days, at least until their needles begin to fall.

In Germany many Tannenbaeume will have a red apple, the Paradise Apple, sitting amongst their branches.

It's a German Weihnachten custom with a religious background.   For the whole of Heiligeabend, Christmas Eve, the tradition is that the red apple will bring those who see it nearer to "paradise", offering the promise to help find what might have been lost, a person, love, faith, whatever it is, or to find the way onto a new path. Opening a door to paradise, to hope.

HOHENSCHWANGAU  CASTLE, SCHLOSS  HOHENSCHWANGAU

"Hohenschwangau Castle", in Bavaria southern Germany, had its beginnings in the 12th century as the Fortress Schwanstein.   It was the childhood home of King Ludwig II, who later built "Neuschwanstein"  the fantasy "Disney" castle, just across the valley, and although Schloss Hohenschwangau is filled with history, treasures and art it still has the atmosphere of a family home.

"YOLO," - "You Only Live Once" - has been voted most popular new German youth expression of the year, in the "Youth Word of the Year" competition run by dictionary-maker "Langenscheidt", who produce those little yellow books which are indispensable for anyone learning German.

It defines youth, adventure, fun, craziness and an aim to test the limits of acceptable behavior because.........YOLO.

VOLKSTRAUERTAG, REMEMBRANCE DAY IN GERMANY Sunday 18th November was VOLKSTRAUERTAG, a German National Day of Mourning, held each November on the second Sunday before Advent.

In today's Germany it doesn't only represent those from Germany but from every country, members of the military or civilians, who have died or were left to mourn as victims of violence brought about by combat or oppression.

From Europe's old battlefields, on which Germany played their part, to the armed conflicts and struggles continuing to take place in our present-day world. Monument in honor of victims of war in Staufener Cemetery, Breisgau, Baden-Wuerttemberg. The photographer is M. Donner.