Final Report

There are several things that I have learned throughout this semester about German culture and history. I have learned about the different political parties, the 18^th century industry and business, the effects of WWI trench war fare, the RAF, the role of women, holidays, and foods. German culture differs from what people may think or believe.

I learned a lot about the Green Party. The German Green Party is a political party in Germany. The party was established in Germany on January 13, 1980.  The party is opposition to pollution, use of nuclear power, NATO military action, and certain aspects of industrialized society were principle campaign issues. The Green party originated from conservatives and from civil initiatives.  Some of the important individuals that helped launch the Greens were Petra Kelly, Lukas Beckmann, Rudolf Bahro, Joseph Beuys, Antje Vollmer and several others.  This congress laid their ideological foundations proclaiming the famous Four Pillars of the Green Party.

We read the book “All Quite on the Western Front”. It was a book about the affects of trench war fare and the lost generation. The main character in the book was Paul Baumer and his best friend Kat. It talks about how the war has changed Paul’s personality. Before Paul joined the war effort for Germany he was an emotional caring person that liked to write poetry. Throughout the war Paul has seen and faced several tragedies that have changed his emotional state. He becomes a strong person that does not show is emotions anymore. At the end of the war Paul is struggling with the thoughts of living with out war because that is all that he knows. Paul was killed on a quite day on the front lines and as he laid there dead he had a peaceful look on his face.

I also learned about 18^th century industry and business. In Germany textiles was a very important aspect too its economy. Textiles were the first thing to be mechanized in Germany. In 1782 the first German spinning machines were built. It was built in Chemnitz and the town became a pioneer in engineering. The first German textile factory was built in 1784 and they produced thread and silk.

Another important aspect of German culture and history was the RAF (Red Army Faction). The RAF was a post WWII left-wing military group. It was founded in 1970 by Andreas Baader, Gudren Ensslin, Horst Mahler, and Ulrike Meinhof. The RAF was also known as Baader-Meinhof Group during its beginning stages. The RAF was responsible for bombings and killings of people to get the attention of the government. The RAF was a communist or a group of guerillas fighting against what they deemed to be a fascist state. The RAF had three different generations and ended on the 20^th of April, 1998.

This class has showed and taught me about several different aspects of German culture and history. It taught me about political parties like the Green Party and its several others. It helped me related to aspects of why my family does some of the things that we do because our ancestors came from Germany. It taught us about German youth and the different types of food that German’s eat. This class was very beneficial to learning about German culture and history.  

Fine Arts

Germany is a country that has been producing fine paintings and photography. Since the 1990’s German paintings have become known a revelation known as “Young German Artists”. The Leipzig School has a very popular and famous representative known as Neo Rauch. The majority of the “Young German Artists” come from Leipzig, Berlin, and Dresden.

Traditional German Foods during the Holidays

Traditional German Foods during the Holidays

            When people think about different types of German foods they tend to think of the different types of potatoes and sausages. The average German foods are Bratwurst, Knackwurst, and Frankfurters paired with potatoes. During the holidays Germans fare far beyond this with foods like goose, sauerkraut, and cake.

Roast Goose is a very popular item on Germans dinner plates during Christmas. It is roasted with vegetables and is a very popular meal during this time of the year. Another very popular meal in areas of Germany that are mostly Catholic is fish, particularly carp, salmon, and trout. It is traditionally served on Christmas day because it is considered a day of fasting. Fish is also served on Ash Wednesday and throughout lent. The fish is usually served with horseradish and apples.

http://www.ehow.com/list_7347870_traditional-german-holiday-foods.html

Answers to Questions

Answers to Questions

1.)    Andreas Baader organized the first generations of protesters. The protesters were mild at first and then became more dangerous with time. They did not harm as many innocent civilians as they did later on. They were a small group that carefully planed the time and place of the bombings. Protests were held at the newspaper publishing building where they threw rocks into the building and cars were burned.

2.)    At the beginning I felt that the RAF was doing what was necessary. They had better planning with the bombing and killings of government officials. At the end they were a lot of useless killings and innocent people were getting killed that did not need to die.

3.)    Yes I believe Andreas played a key role in the group’s dynamics. The leader of a group like this need to be determined to drive their followers. Andreas was good at motivating the followers in this cause. Rudeness helps define a guerilla group and that is what Andreas is.

RAF

The RAF

            The Red Army Faction or RAF was a post WWII left-wing military group. The RAF was founded in 1970 by Andreas Baader, Gudren Ensslin, Horst Mahler, and Ulrike Meinhof. The RAF was also known as Baader-Meinhof Group in the beginning stages of its development. The RAF was a communist or a group of guerillas fighting against what they deemed to be a fascist state. It existed from 1970 to 1998 and was responsible for the national crisis that became known as German Autumn. There were three generations of the RAF. The first generation of the RAF was consisted of Baader and his associates. The second generation of the RAF operated in the mid to late 1970’s when several members of the Socialist Patients Collective joined. The third generation of the RAF existed from the 1980’s to the 1990’s. The end of the RAF was announced from an eight-page typed letter in German on the 20 of April 1998. It was faxed to the Reuters news agency and it was signed “RAF” with the submachine-gun red star. It was declaring that the group had dissolved.  Some people can compare the RAF with today’s terrorists groups because of the extreme measures taken to get attention. They are usually trying to get the attention of a government that doesn’t or will not listen to there views.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Army_Faction

Baader-Meinhof Complex

Personal Response to Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex

            The RAF had to fight war with war and violence with violence to stand up against the state government. I am not a strong believer with fighting back against the government with violence but in some situations it is needed to get things accomplished. I was truly intrigued with the movie because it is a true story and it helps show us how past situations affects us in the future. The RAF made the German government stand up and take notice to them, but there were times they did not take the RAF seriously. The government did not give enough respect to the RAF and at certain times thought they had subsided.  The movie shows how government needs to have opposing representation because not all people think alike. The movie also shows people that they need to stand up for things that they believe in and can not let the government push them around. I do not believe in the tactical standpoint of the RAF with all the violence but sometimes that is the only way. The RAF was trying to do good, but it is unfortunate that innocent people had to die.

Berlin Calling: Reaction and Answers

Bobby Backes

Berlin Calling Reaction Paper

           

            The movie Berlin Calling is a very interesting film.  It showed how drugs can affect people and how music is a big part of German youth. Ickarus was the main character in the film. He was a DJ that struggled with drug abuse. He was a very talented person when it came to music but his drug addiction began to affect his ability to create quality music.  One night when he was at the club Ickuras took a hardcore drug and that night changed his life forever. He was brought to a rehab center where he struggled with authority. After being detained in the rehab center he final became independent from drug abuse. While being drug free his music becomes incredible better. The only problem now is that he has a hard time existing in a world without drugs. His ability to function in the world is tough but his love for music keeps him going.

            The cultural differences that jumped out at me that I would not have to seen in the U.S. is the type of music, drug abuse, ability to get jobs, and sex. The music that people listen to in German is different then what we listen to in the United States. The Music they listen to is Techno and that is not popular here. Even though there is drug abuse and addiction in the U.S. it is not seen like it was in the film. The ability to find work in Germany is another aspect that is different from the United States. In my life it has been easy to find work even though the economy is struggling. People that want to work in the United States can find a job, it might not be the job they want but they can find a job unlike people in Germany. Another major cultural difference is the sex. In Germany people are having sex in the bathrooms of clubs which I have never seen in the U.S. This was a very interesting film that showed a certain aspect of Germany that I have never seen before.

Answers to the Questions

1. Ickarus is addicted to drugs. He thinks he needs them to relax do to his struggles in life.
2. His fans take drugs so they can escape reality. They take drugs when they are at the club and it is in pill for or cocaine.
3. They focus on drugs because that is all they have. Their voice is unheard and they take drugs to escape reality.
4. People in my home town work hard and tend to stay away from drugs. They like to drink beer and have a good time but do not take drugs in the public seen.
5. This film may have some people concerned about Germany’s future but it is only one aspect of this great industrial nation that is depicted. The work ethic is not very strong in Ickarus while he is on drugs but it tends to get a lot better when he cleaned up.
6. The movie 54   

The Role of Women in Germany

Bobby Backes

The role of women in Germany

            For centuries women had three “K” words that described their role in Germany. They are Kinder (children), Kirche (church), and Kuche (kitchen). Throughout the last hundred years women in Germany have won important victories for their rights. In 1919 they became eligible to vote. During World War II women had to assume positions generally held by men. After the war, women had to help rebuild the war torn Germany by simply clearing away rubble.

            In 1949 women had been declared equal to men in West Germany, but it was not until 1957 that the civil code was amended to conform to the 1949 act. In the 1950’s women code be dismissed from civil service when they married. With the lack of men after the war women had to do things that typically was done by the male once they were married.

            In the mid 1960’s women demanded the ability to be educated. By the 1970’s 53% of women were graduating from the secondary schools. Educations was not enough for these women. They demanded to work and were able to. Even though they came a long way in the last 100 years they are still not getting the credit they deserve. They are being underpaid compared to their male counter parts. They women of Germany have come a long way but they still have a long journey ahead of them.

Source

http://womenshistory.about.com/library/ency/blwh_germany_women.htm

Expansion of German Textiles in the 18th Century

German Textile Factories in the 18th Century

Bobby Backes

The very first textile factory built in Germany was in 1784.  It was built in Ratingen which is located near Dusseldorf. The first German textile factory was model after an English factory but it was its own factory in Germany. They also named it Cromford after the English factory that they modeled. Textile Manufacturing was the first industry to be mechanized. This was primarily established due to several trading centers in Germany. Some of the trading centers in Germany in the 18th century are Aachen, Krefeld, and Saxony.  The trading center of Aachen traded several types of threads needed for the textile factories. In Krefeld they also treaded thread along with silk which was highly sot after in the 18th Century. They also treaded the highly want silk in Saxony.  

The textile factories need spinning machines so the first German made spinning machine was built in 1782. It was developed in the town of Chemnitz. The development of this German made spinning machine helped the town of Chemnitz become a pioneer in engineering. The more people wanted textiles the more factories and workers were needed. With the unstoppable spread of these spinning machines workers were need and forced to work. In Upper Silesia hungry weavers began to rebel and the uprisings became a symbol of the epoch in contemporary literature.

The building of textile factories was just the beginning to the industrial revolution in Germany.  The factories brought work but at what cost. In the 18th century the workers at these factories did not have a very good life. They work hard and worked very long hours with no food to eat. The growth of these factories helped build the future of Germany.

http://www.erih.net/industrial-history/germany.html

18th Century Industry and Business

Robert Backes
Jacob Mackedanz
Tom Louiselle

Atached is a link that will bring you to the presentation we created for class.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzsUxLZTdzX1eUtPUnp0MVk5NjQ/edit

This is the hand out for the class

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzsUxLZTdzX1TXBDYThsWUlTQXc/edit

5 Posts about "All Quite on the Western Front"

-         How the teacher persuaded the men to join the war.

-         How Paul’s generation is a lost generation because of the war.

-         The horrors that the men had to face on both sides of the front.

-         The struggles the men had to face when they were not fighting like, finding food, keeping their sanity in the trenches, and so on.

-         How the movies scenery was so close to the time period because it was filmed only a few years after the war.  

Chapter Five – All Quiet on the Western Front

Robert Backes

Jessica Hall

Jacob Mackedanz

Haitam Aldaij

 

Chapter Five – All Quiet on the Western Front

 

The chapter begins with Paul and his friends killing lice by using their fingernails.  One of Paul’s friends, Tjaden, makes a contraption out of the top of a boot-polish lid and a candle to burn the lice. Haie’s makes a joke about his lice because they have red crosses on their head so he says he must have got them at hospital where his lice attendee surgeon general.  Haie’s then also makes a joke saying he’s going to use the fat from the lice to polish his own boots.  This is the most funny to Haie, but not so much everyone else.  The arrival of Himmelstoss has dampened everyone’s mood. 

 

As everyone is spending hours talking and meditating, Albert shows up with a mess-tin of beans he’s scored for himself.  This prompts Muller to ask Albert what he’d do if we were suddenly in peace-time.  This brings Kat, Baumer and the rest into the topic.  Albert even awakes Haie to ask him what he’d do if it was peace time.  Haie eventually admits that he’d stay with the Prussians and serve out his time as a non-com.  During their conversation, Himmelstoss appears, but they act as though they really hadn’t noticed him standing there.  Himmelstoss engages them and is expecting respect as a superior officer, but instead, he and Tjaden get into a discourteous dialogue that ends when Tjaden moons Himmelstoss.  Himmelstoss disappears in the direction of the Orderly Room and all bust out in laughter.  Tjaden then makes himself scarce for when they come looking for him. 

 

Muller brings the conversation back to Albert and asks again what he’d do if it were peace time.  The discussion turns to their classmates and their teacher Kantorek.  Some poking fun of their teacher is in order and brings on more laughter.  Schooling and what to do after the war is talked about.  They conclude that nothing will be the same after war and that the war has ruined them. 

 

Soon the sergeant-major and Himmelstoss appear looking for Tjaden.  Noticing he’s not there and no one telling where he is, it is ordered that Tjaden should return to the Orderly Room in 10 minutes.   Tjaden is made aware of the order and disappears.  The rest gather to play cards.  That evening they each are called to the Orderly Room.  Paul explains the bed-wetting incident involving Tjaden.  In the end, Himmelstoss gets a lecture and Tjaden gets three days open arrest. 

 

After an hour, Paul and Kat sneak to Tjaden and Kropp and play cards.  When the card game has ended, Kat and Paul go off to get themselves a goose for roasting.  For two cigarettes they get a ride to their destination and Paul agrees to get the goose.  The getting of the goose didn’t go as smoothly as planned.  After quite a ruckus and the meeting of a bull dog, a goose is thrown over the wall.  The goose is roasted at once in a small deserted lean-to; this takes a long time and they take turns while the other sleeps.  Paul feels very close to Kat and feels peace with his presence.  Finally, the goose is done and they eat.  The remainder of the goose is wrapped up and brought to Tjaden and Kropp.  The feathers from the goose are kept too, and will be used to make pillows.  Dawn is approaching and Kat and Paul return to their huts.

The character ofPaul Baumer

Robert Backes

All Quiet on the Western Front

Role of the character Paul Baumer

 

                In the book All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul Baumer is the main character and narrator of this novel.  Paul had enlisted in the German army at the young age of 19. Paul states that if he lives through the war he will not know what to do with himself.  His entire manhood has been war and he does not know how he will be able to exist in a world without war.  Before the war Paul was a very sensitive, creative, and loving person who wrote poetry. He loved his family and was able to express himself by being able to share his true emotions.

                During the war his ability to be the man that he once was is lost.  With all the killing and death his ability to express his emotions is lost. He starts to separate himself from emotion and the hardships that he has faced.  One of the most powerful quotes that I felt was in this novel helps prove this. Paul stated “Parting from my friend Albert Kropp was very hard. But a man gets used to that sort of thing in the army.”  The war had changed Paul’s attitude and personality along with other aspects of his past life.

                By the end of the novel Paul is struggling with himself. He realizes that the war has destroyed his hopes and dreams. Paul feels like he will never be able to regain any of them.  Paul’s inner person was killed long before his true death.  He has no more emotion for anything. Paul comes to a conclusion that he will no longer know what to do with himself and decides that there is nothing else to loose.

                After years of fighting and the loss of his soul Paul is finally killed. He was killed in October 1918 on a very peaceful and alarmingly quiet day. Paul is finally free from the hardship of the war. The army report that day contains only one phrase: “All quiet on the Western Front.” As Paul dies, his face is calm, “as though almost glad the end had come.”

Power Point of the Green Party

The Green Party

The German Green Party

History

                The German Green Party is a political party in Germany. The party was established in Germany on January 13, 1980.  The party is opposition to pollution, use of nuclear power, NATO military action, and certain aspects of industrialized society were principle campaign issues. The Green party originated from conservatives and from civil initiatives.  Some of the important individuals that helped launch the Greens were Petra Kelly, Lukas Beckmann, Rudolf Bahro, Joseph Beuys, Antje Vollmer and several others.  This congress laid their ideological foundations proclaiming the famous Four Pillars of the Green Party.

Four Pillars

The Four Pillars of the Green Party are social justice, ecological wisdom, grassroots democracy, and Nonviolence.   Social justice is justice exercised within a society, particularly as it is exercised by and among the various social classes of that society. Definition from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice). Grassroots democracy is a tendency towards designing political processes where as much decision-making authority as practical is shifted to the organization's lowest geographic level of organization: principle of subsidiarity. Definition from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassroots_democracy). Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings: (1) It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle (e.g. "She believes in nonviolence."), or (2) it can refer to the behavior of people using nonviolent action. Definition from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonviolence). These four aspects create a political party that some individuals can relate to.

Group Interaction

                Our group interacted well with each other. Our group had one meeting to discuss the topic but not all of our members made it. We discussed what needed to be accomplished and did it in a timely manner. I feel everyone in the group did their part of the project well with no conflict.

My opinion about the Green Party.

                I think that the Green party has its place in government. The party is a conservative based political group that is for green power. They are for wind and solar power and that is one of the reasons I believe in this party. They are for peace and are against nuclear weapons. They are for social just no matter what type of social class the individual is in. This party is conservative which as we all know can be good and bad.

URLs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_party

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/931089/Green-Party-of-Germany

 

A German Culture Blogging Adventure…In Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony is located in the Northwestern part of Germany.

By: Bobby, Mike, and Amanda 

Its landscape mainly consists of the North German Plain. There’s also a small amount of highland in the south and heath, bog land with some forest thrown in there in the north and a small 12 island, island chain called the East Frisian Islands to the northwest floating in the North Sea. 325 miles of coastline are below sea level protected by dikes similar to ones in the neighboring Netherlands.

                Lower Saxony’s biggest river is the Weser who runs through most of the lower half of the state and whose tributaries (the Fulda and the Werra) all flow into the North Sea. The fertile marshes that come at the mouth of these rivers creates a wonderful pasture land that supports the flourishing farming economy in the region. The northeastern area of the state is less fertile as it is mainly the Lüneburg Heath. The south central part contains two large lakes; Steinhuder and Dümmer, as well as the Weser, Deister, and Herz mountains.

                The climate in this area is mild winters, moderately warm summers, and steady year round rainfall.

 

Population

The population of Lower Saxony is a little under 8 million people and it has an area of 47,609 square km. The south central belt holds the highest amount of the population while the northlands population is much sparser in comparison. The people Lower Saxony generally  consider themselves as Low German, an ancient Saxon line of origin and the use of Plattdeutsch (a mix of Dutch, Frisian, and English, very distinct from the more common High German. Some literature in the area is still printed in Plattdeutsch). Four-fifths of the state is Protestant with a Roman Catholic minority.

Age structure

• 0–14 years: 13.9% (male 5,894,724/female 5,590,373)
• 15–64 years: 66.3% (male 27,811,357/female 26,790,222)
• 65 years and over: 19.8% (male 6,771,972/female 9,542,348) (2007 est.)
• 0–14 years: 13.7% (male 5,768,366/female 5,470,516)
• 15–64 years: 66.1% (male 27,707,761/female 26,676,759)
• 65 years and over: 20.3% (male 7,004,805/female 9,701,551) (2010 est.)

Sex ratio

• At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
• Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
• 15–64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
• 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
• Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

 

Economy

 Agriculture is a big part of the economy in Lower Saxony. They grow wheat, potatoes, rye, and oats, the also raise beef, pork and poultry in this region. Mining has also been an important source of income for Lower Saxony. The most things mined now is iron and lignite but silver ore was a big part in the past. Lower Saxony is also an important supplier of crude oil in Europe. 

Manufacturing is also a large part to the economy with Hannover and Braunschweig being the main base of diversified industries. The biggest Lower Saxony manufacturer is Volkswagen having five production plants throughout the state. Chemicals, rubber goods, dyes and inks, radios, and other electronic equipment are also produced in this area.

 Lower Saxony exports mainly with the United States. In 2008 they exported 5,297,000,000 Euros worth of products to the United States.  Mainly do to the fact of the five Volkswagen plants.

A helpful thing to any good economy is having good transportation. Hannover is the most important road and railway junction in Northwestern Germany and also has the main airport for the state.. There is also a line of waterways that have greatly increased movement in the area helped along by the rivers in the area.

Cities

• Hanover (German: Hannover) — state capital
• Brunswick — the Lion City and centre of scientific research
• Cuxhaven — a popular seaside resort
• Goslar — beautiful mediaeval town and base for the Harz mountains
• Göttingen — ancient university town
• Hildesheim — wonderfully reconstructed old town around the market square
• Lüneburg — charming historic town and gateway to the Lüneburg Heath
• Oldenburg — cultural hub of the Oldenburg region with a beautiful castle park
• Schoeningen (German: "Schöningen") - mankind's oldest weapons ever found on earth over 320,000 years old

A Brief History

Lower Saxony was created by the British military government merger with the Prussian state of Hanover and the State joined the Federal Republic with a new constitution on June 1^st 1993.      Before 1871 Lower Saxony was comprised of people from the Saxony tribe mainland in the early 1500’s Saxony was known as the “lower Saxony circle” which survived for several centuries as a “sub-principality” of the “Brunswick and Luneburg”.  It was mainly a medieval town. Before 1918 Lower Saxony was still a part of this until 1919 when Brunswick became a free state. From this time till 1948 parts Lower Saxony belonged to the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau. Up to this point most of Lower Saxony had been put together with the “Constituency Association of Lower Saxony" done in 1920. So with the addition of a few more cities in 1947 Lower Saxony as it is known today was formed. 

Culture

Theater
                There are three state theaters, one in Hannover, one in Brunswick, and one in Oldenburg. There are also two state playhouses as well as numerous independent theaters all over the place. Many of the smaller theaters really like their Low German.

The programs of these theatres and playhouses are enriched by a number of outstanding seasonal events - Lower Saxony's dance and theatre festivals. Among the most important of these are the Oldenburg Ballet Festival (annual), the Gandersheim Cathedral Festival (annual), the Tanztheater International (International Dance Theatre) (held annually), Arena (held biennially, 2011), the festival Theaterformen (Forms of Theatre) which takes place in alternate years in Hannover und Brunswick, the Hildesheim Transeuropa Festival (held triennially,2012) and the Oldenburg Prisma Festival (biennially, 2011).

Heritage

                A variety of churches, manors, gardens, and castles testify to the rich cultural history and how the people of the past lived. There are 44,000 historical monuments that comprise of 82,000 structures. Including Cathedral and St Michaelis in Hildesheim, the castles of the Weser Renaissance (such as Hämelschenburg, Bevern and Schwöbber), the Fagus factory in Alfeld, the Rammelsberg mining museum, the Old Towns of Lüneburg and Goslar, the Town Halls in Osnabrück and Lüneburg, the Castle of Celle and two splendid hunting lodges: the Jagdschloss Clemenswerth in Sögel and Jagdschloss Gödens.

                Lower Saxony also has a large thing for archaeology after the finding of the oldest recorded spears (400,000 years old). Another find was the battle site between German tribes and Roman legions in 9 AD.

Linguistic Diversity
 
Lower Saxony has one of the smallest linguistic areas in Europe called Saterland, they still speak Sater Frisian there which is the third variety of Frisian spoken to be granted official language recognition. Then there is the aforementioned Plattdeutsch, there are 8 million speakers in 8 German states and the highest quantity of them are from Lower Saxony the number coming in around 2 million. There are three varieties of Plattdeutsch present in Lower Saxony; Northern Low German, Easfalian, and Westfalian.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/349980/Lower-Saxony 9/4/2012

 

http://www.international.niedersachsen.de/portal/live.php?navigation_id=28585&article_id=99328&_psmand=1016 9/4/2012

http://www.international.niedersachsen.de/portal/live.php?navigation_id=28586&article_id=99329&_psmand=1016 9/4/2012

http://www.international.niedersachsen.de/portal/live.php?navigation_id=28583&article_id=99326&_psmand=1016 9/4/2012

http://www.international.niedersachsen.de/portal/live.php?navigation_id=28582&article_id=99325&_psmand=1016, 9/4/2012

http://www.international.niedersachsen.de/portal/live.php?navigation_id=28584&article_id=99327&_psmand=1016, 9/4/2012

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Saxony 9-3-12

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/hamburg/554091/pdf/German-American-Partnership-LowerSaxony.pdf 8/30/2012

http://wikitravel.org/en/Lower_Saxony 8/30/2012