I have learned a lot this semester and not just about the
German culture. I learned that while we
may be thousands of miles away, they are not that much different than we
are. They have differences in
generations, some not so great aspects of their past, and an unknown future
where anything can happen. I am glad
that we researched the different states in Germany because most of my previous
classes focused on Germany as a whole and not on the contributions of the specific
states. I really enjoyed learning about
Bremen, especially about the Bremen Town Musicians. I wish we would have learned a little bit
more about the fairytales recorded by the Grimm Brothers because it does add to
the history and appeal of Germany to younger generations. While researching Turnvater Jahn, I learned a
lot about how gymnastics became popular.
I didn’t know that it was first used to help boost the moral after
Napoleon defeated Prussia. I also didn’t
realize that there are so many different political parties in Germany. In the U.S., we normally only hear about
Democrats and Republicans and occasionally an Independent party. Knowing that there are six parties that are
popular in Germany in outstanding and to me, it would seem a lot harder to
identify with a particular party. I
think making us read All Quiet on the Western Front was a good
idea. It gives us an idea of what it was
like to be a soldier in WWI. Our
generation has a hard time realizing how far we have come in such a short time. Previous wars would be a lot different if we
still fought using trench warfare. The
only thing that I would change about the class would be to have more of an idea
of what we will be doing and when. I
would have more of an outline of the class instead of updating the syllabus
every week. The students would have more
of an idea of what to expect in the class and when everything will be due. Overall,
I really enjoyed class this semester. I
am glad I decided to take Intro to German Culture because it not only increased
my knowledge of Germany and its people, but I also met people who enjoy German
as much as I do.
