Berlin: A Deeper Look

Berlin: the vision many imagination when the
topic of Germany comes up.

Berlin may seem all glitz and glamour on the outside, but just like everyone, one must take a deeper look to really get to know how something or who someone really is. As I grew up throughout my childhood and continue to now, yes I am still growing up (we all are), I have never experienced restriction on my freedom. I guess that is one of the perks of living in the United States of America. 

People climbing the Berlin Wall in protest
with guards on the lookout.

In Germany, the Berlin Wall was constructed to create a division between West Berlin and East Berlin. It prevented the emigration to West Berlin and anyone with a job in West Berlin was cut off and left unemployed. West Berlin was closed off to everyone of the East and the Berlin Wall made Berlin the most difficult city to navigate from East to West and vice versa. I find the Berlin Wall very interesting because we hear about different barriers and boundaries that unintentionally, or maybe intentionally, separate us from each other. Race, ethnicity, religion, etc are some examples of issues that create invisible boundaries throughout different areas of the world just like the completely visible Berlin Wall that physically separated the well-known city of Berlin. After years of the Berlin Wall dividing the city, the citizens of Germany started to get used to the wall that they thought was permanent, but still put up a fight. The East would never see the West and the West would never see the East. Jobs and opportunities were limited because of the restriction of the Berlin Wall. 

Demolition of the Berlin Wall

On November 9, 1989 the world of the people of Germany had changed. The Berlin Wall was coming down and their freedom was finally here. I think that with the experience of the falling of the Berlin Wall, the people of German have learned to appreciate the true meaning of freedom and to never take anything for granted. This event almost makes me wonder if it is what caused Germans to be so bitter. From an American point of view, I see Germans as being very sour with life and very serious. Now that is just an overall conclusion based on the interaction I have had with my grandparents. Both my grandparents, ironically, remarried 100 percent Germans and they match the description I mentioned above. Did the people of German just decide to give up and forget about all the experiences life has to offer? Did they feel helpless and powerless, so when they gained their freedom they take it out on anyone who ticks them off? These questions always run through my mind and maybe the answer has something to do with the Berlin Wall.

Boroughs of East Berlin (as of 1987)

With the falling of the Berlin Wall came the reunification of West and East Berlin. This goes into my next topic. These two areas were officially reunited on October 3, 1990, but there was never a smooth seam between the two. Until this day, East Berlin shows significant differences from West Berlin. I mean how can something ever really be put back together once it has been broken. I find it interesting how two sections of Berlin can become one again after they were separated for some time. If you were to compare the separation and the reunification of West and East Berlin to a relationship between two people, some may ask how something could go back together after it has already been broken with, what seemed like, a permanent wall. With some research, I do agree with the fact that there could still be a noticeable difference between the West Berliners and the East Berliners. The two different sets of people essentially lived completely different lives and then thrown back together, so of course there will be a noticeable difference between the two life styles and attitudes of the Berliners. Adjustments will have to be made, but everything gets better with time.

I am excited to see the sites of Berlin knowing its rich history it holds under its belt.

Word Count: 704

Martin Luther: Reluctant Revolutionary Blog Post #3

Martin Luther, shown in 

portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder,

 initiated the Protestant Reformation 

in 1517.

Martin Luther was a headstrong believer. He believed in the truth and would fight to make sure the truth was expressed across the nation. He defended the truth with his blood and death. I think that the reactions Luther received from the Catholic Church about his 95 Theses may have seemed as a bit of an overreaction, but the Catholics do have the right to be offended by Luther because he basically targeted the Catholic religion by wanting to create a division between the religions and singling out Catholicism. The Catholics’ reaction can be seen as valid because Luther did single out their religion by trying to separate their religion from the rest. Although Luther is willing to put his life in danger for what he believes in, which he claims is the truth, he was in the wrong with how he attacked the Catholic religion. Even though Luther did initiate the Reformation and the Catholics’ reactions, I don’t believe his life should be in danger. Everyone’s life has value and everyone makes mistakes, but Luther ended up becoming a very important role model of the German-speaking lands.

Luther’s 95 Theses being hung on the door 

of the castle church in Wittenberg. As all good 

Lutherans “know,” the Reformation began 

when the 95 Theses was posted on 

that door.

Because a unifying cultural, economic, and political center does not exist in every language territory, especially in German-speaking lands of central Europe, developing a unifying dialect was a little more complicated.

Central Europe, where unifying a common 

dialect was a little more complicated.

Besides the Dutch and the Swiss, the rest of the German-speaking lands adopted a common language and because of this, the role of Luther, especially through his Bible, was crucial. Luther lucked out on his own geographical location as well because by being located in the middle of the German-speaking lands the dialect that exists in the area could more easily function as a bridge to other regions. For instance, if Luther was located completely north or completely south of the German-speaking lands, he would have a much more difficult time developing a dialect that could be understood throughout the entire German-speaking lands. Luther was most important for the German-speaking lands in the way that he employed the language in a creative and effective way in works that were printed and distributed in mass quantities throughout the German-speaking lands. The Reformation was the first movement to take advantage of the printing press, and Luther’s use of the printing press created remarkable results. With the use of the printing press, Luther printed works of every sorts, like pamphlets, the catechism, and the Bible, which communicated directly with the ordinary people who embraced his faith and held similar beliefs of his. They were also able to use Luther’s vision of the German language and gradually make it their own. Luther was able to bring everyone together from the German-speaking lands by developing a common dialect and utilizing the printing press to distribute documents like the Bible to a wide variety of people across the German territories. His beliefs were expressed and received by the German people, which in turn they formed their own beliefs with the use of Luther’s visions.

Word count: 556