In a place with such a long history as Germany (and so many different histories…), it’s often seems like every year is some anniversary of something in excess of 100 years. Last year was Munich’s 850th anniversary, the 200th Oktoberfest, etc…
This summer is Automobile Summer, commemorating the 125th anniversary of the first auto. Naturally, the festival is centered on Baden-Württemburg,and more specifically, the Stuttgart area.
While BMW, Audi, and VW rank high in the mind in German cars, the auto was born closer to Stuttgart, where Messrs. Daimler, Benz, and Porsche had their workshops.
If you find yourself in Baden-Württemburg this summer, check out some of the festivities. Scattered around the region, the events will showcase both German automotive innovation and the region's highlights (Black Forest, Lake Constance, Schwabian Alps, etc).
A calendar of activities can be found on the website, as well as info on the featured towns. We're curious about the closing event in Mannheim in September, the "autosymphonic." With light shows, video, orchestras, and sounds from 80 cars, it has potential to be really special, or very bizarre. The event site describes the production as:
a piece of art composed of music, singing, the spoken word and automotive sounds brought together with images, videos and lasers to form a huge multimedia symphony for cars and orchestra – making the emotional side of the automobile tangible.
Mannheim was chosen for the closing, as Bertha Benz (wife of inventor Carl) made the world's first road trip (100km) from Mannheim to Pforzheim in 1888. On the closing days of Automobile Summer a variety of "future-oriented" cars (i.e., with alternative powertrains, high fuel efficiency, and low environmental impact) will make the journey along the Bertha Benz Memorial Route in the Bertha Benz Challenge. The goal is to get these cars off the auto show concept stages and onto the road for everyone to see.
And if you miss out on the festivities this summer, there is still plenty to see. Earlier this year, we took a weekend trip to Stuttgart, where we visited the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche Museums. Surprisingly, these two museums take very different approaches and you can safely visit them in the same weekend without too much overlap. Full of beautiful, shiny classics as well as concept cars, race cars, and memories of the 80s, there's something to meet everyone's automotive tastes. Porsche focuses more on technology and on showing the development of their cars over time. As well as a few fun surprises tucked in there - the Italian 911 Police car, the station wagon made for Ferdinand Porsche's family vacations....
Daimler-Benz has a slightly different focus. As they really invented the engines and cars, the museum begins with a focus on the invention of the auto. And then focuses on its cars and company's place throughout history. With panels walking you through history (political, economic, as well as cultural/social), it also serves as a quick remedial history lesson. Particularly interesting was how openly the museum addresses the wars, especially acknowledging the company's participation in German war efforts.
Both are worth a visit, for car lovers and for those interested in modern architecture. In the past decade, it's almost become a contest between the major German automakers as to who can build the coolest, most modern museum facility. You'll see the same here in Munich at the BMW Museum.
Using our investigative powers, we set out to try to understand the rumored German love of David Hasselhoff. Most of our German friends (and the German press) say this is just a crazy American misconception about Germans. Even Der Spiegel writes about how "for years, Germans have been hoping that the world would forgive and forget" Germany's "love affair with David Hasselhoff."
Sure, it makes perfect sense that he has a place in the collective memory thanks to his Looking for Freedom song. It just came at the perfect time.
But it were only that one song, could he still support a tour today? Would the concertgoers all be 40 and 50-year olds reliving the nostalgia? If Germans really do like his music, why is that?
We set out to answer these questions for you. Our first stop was to fuel up with a dinner in his honor - hamburgers. Thank you, Hard Rock for having good American-style burgers and fries!
After our burgers and an Ayinger Helles to help prepare us for whatever was to come, we headed out to the Deutsches Theatre to see what The Hoff had for us. We were shocked to see so many young people standing out front, many with T-shirts (both bought and made), props, and costumes. And all of them were quite young - they definitely were not old enough to remember his 1989 Berlin Wall appearance! They were also overwhelmingly German. We didn't notice any other English-speakers, though I'm sure there were some.
These guys here were in a big group that had shirts made for the event, and the guys below came in Baywatch costumes, complete with scuplted foam pecs and abs. We also had someone wearing the California flag, a guy in a Baywatch shirt and lederhosen, and a group in Afro wigs....which I didn't fully understand, but I'm guessing they had leftover from a 70s party and thought it fit the occasion. No question, it was a very festive atmosphere!
And even KITT came along on the tour!
I guess I've been in Germany too long now, as I was suprised when he still had not come on stage 15 minutes after showtime. The crowd alternated between chanting his name and singing - it was a lot like a football match, strangely.
After a lengthy intro video montage highlighting his career as The Most Watched TV Star in history, The Hoff came out to sing I've Been Looking for Freedom. After a couple of songs we were surprised by the energy level - with lights and costume changes on stage, and a crowd that sang along and danced to all the songs, it just stayed at a very high level.
We have The Hoff in a (vinyl??) tux, in leather fringed jacket, in Baywatch attire, in a turquoise suit, in a sequined jacket, and more!
They made heavy use of the side screens, especially for videos while The Hoff was changing costumes. Of course there was a Knight Rider one, where we watch his heroics as Michael Knight, rescuer of damsels in distress.
Here we have the Baywatch Montage, which includes a parade of Baywatch Babes (and shirtless guys, German is all about equal rights for women...) and ends with his cover of "California Girls."
He did perform his famous German-language song "Wir Zwei," a duet he famously performed with 13 year-old Gwen Obertuck in 1993. It's a very beautiful song about a father and daughter remembering the wife/mother they lost. You can see the original here on an old TV recording. This one brought out the sparklers and lighters:
The sparklers came out again for his cover of "This Time Around." I think this is such a good song for him - his voice is very well suited to the cabaret type songs, and the lyrics of making the most of a second chance are so appropriate for him!
But mostly, the concert was just about having fun. It was in a smaller venue, so felt full and personal, and the crowd just had a great time dancing. The Swiss guys next to us turned their banners and flags into limbo poles for the Limbo Dance Song. Yes, this song is unbelievably cheesy...but the guy taking iPhone video of himself while limboing cracks me up!
More importantly, we did discover the truth about Hasselhoff and the German-speaking world. And I think the man is brilliant. He can sing, though he'd never have a successful career based solely on his voice. But he's an entertainer and gives the crowd what they want. Why does he have a career here? There are several reasons:
2) He covers the songs the crowd wants - In addition to California Girls, This Time Around, and Rhinestone Cowboy, he sang the one song every German can sing at karaoke - Country Roads.
3) His original songs are:
a) very simple lyrics with repetition. They're written so that someone who has never heard the song before can sing along after the first verse.
b) often based on other well-known German songs. This is a major tenet of my Theory of Hasselhoff in German/Austria. I think he works here largely because he uses melodies and rhythms that already were successful and know as fun party songs. We know "I've Been Looking for Freedom" was based on a 70's schlager hit "Auf der Strasse nach Süden," but there are more.
"Time To Rock the World" basically takes the chorus from "Hey, wir woll'n die Eisbärn sehn." It's a song from the 1990's that's become a popular après ski song and has been adopted by many sports teams. Check out the two: Hasselhoff's "Time To Rock the World":
Compared with the Puhdy's 1997 "Hey, wir woll'n die Eisbärn sehn." (translation "we want to see the polar bears").
And the song "You Are a Hero" off his upcoming album sounds suspiciously similar to YMCA....so much, in fact, that the crowd did the YMCA motions!
There were a few others that were strangely familiar to us, but we couldn't place the specific songs. Sure, it's derivative...but this is what makes a Hasselhoff concert fun. You can go in not knowing any of his songs, and you will feel like you did know them after all. It's very accessible.
4) The songs are all upbeat and positive. Germans may have a rep for being less than optimistic, but they like their songs to be positive and happy!
5) And finally, he brings a little of the crazy, carefree good aspects of American culture. Everyone loves a little Vegas in their life, and he brings Vegas to his shows with the dancers, themes, costume changes, and yes, even a pole dancer.
And of course he closes the sets with "I've Been Looking For Freedom," wearing the same piano key scarf he wore in 1989.
Overall, we were really surprised. By the crowd....their unwaning enthusiasm, their costumes, the bras thrown on stage (who knew that was done here???), and their rule breaking (sparklers, and sneaking in beer bottles).....and also by The Hoff himself. We thought it would be a fun cultural experience, but we had a really great time. It was one of most fun concerts I've attended - it was a lot like a frat party, but with a guy on stage and a band and lights and stuff. Very casual and open. If he comes back, we're going again. But this time we'll have costumes.
The verdict: He may not be the best singer or have the most original songs, but Hasselhoff is an entertainer and he puts on a great show. As for the purported German love affair with The Hoff...well, it's complicated...those who were old enough to remember having to listen to his song(s) EVERYWHERE in the late 80s find the memory of being forced to listen to him painful. To the younger ones, his music is more of a kitschy, fun thing. That's enough to pull off a small tour each year, but you won't be seeing him high on the charts. Will be interesting to see how his new album sells.
Sylt is the northernmost island in Germany, lying effectively at the same latitude as the mainland's border with Denmark (and about 10km off the west coast). It is Germany's largest island in the North Sea at 38km north-to-south -- but generally only a few kilometers wide. Here's Sylt on Google Maps. Hamburg is a few hours south, London sits across the North Sea to the southwest, and the Baltic Sea lies across Denmark to the east (Germany call this the East Sea).
Again with Google maps you can see the distinctive shape of Sylt. Westerland the is largest town (9,000 of the 21,000 total inhabitants), with Kampen being the very upper-class village a little to the north -- although nowhere can Sylt be called frugal in any sense. In fact, they have prohibited any new construction to preserve nature... if you want to build, you have to tear down an existing structure and build on the same site. I think that's a good move. It would probably get overdeveloped otherwise, and it's a beautiful place. More info on Sylt from Wikipedia here.
Indeed, the shape of the island is so distinctive that it helps define a culture around it. You'll see a lot of cars with this bumper sticker (below) on it, indicating a fan of Sylt and probably a frequent visitor (or, if lucky, owner of a flat there). Most cars with this sticker will be BMWs, Mercedes, or Audis... and the higher-end models at that. You're announcing that you're a bit of a snob with this on your car, but at least a snob with good taste.
And the "culture" around Sylt? There was a famous pop song from the Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) in the 1980's that immortalizes Westerland, the main town. The NDW includes artiscs like Nena (Luftballons) and Falco (Rock Me Amadeus), by the way. Here is the song and video. It's actually a really catch tune.
You can fly to Sylt (small airport there) but it's better and more fun to "drive". I drove north from Hamburg a couple of hours to the boarding point for the auto-carriers on the Deutsche Bahn. You actually drive up onto the auto-carrier on the train, and it takes the route across the water to the island!
Fortunately, my car was on the top level of the carrier, so I was able to get this photo as the train just reached the first part of Sylt. This is typical for the southern portion -- fields of wheat or cows, totally flat of course.
What Sylt is most famous for is the dunes and beaches, that reminded me a lot of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. It's waaaay up north, and never truly gets hot. Also, there is a constant strong breeze, so there are rather more sturdy grasses than many trees.
What you see on the beach is also a trademark of Sylt: the strandkorb. Literally, the sand basket. These things are quite heavy and stay put, but just light enough so that you can rotate them to face the sun and block the constant wind from your back. It really works to keep you warm. However, there are numbers on them... because each section of beach has a firm that is allowed to rent a certain number of strandkorbs. You have to reserve one for each day that you want to use it -- but you better do this ahead of time. They go fast.
Here you can clearly see the numbers on each strandkorb. The blue and white stripes on the inside are traditional, and there are two baskets underneath the seat to store bags, books, clothes, etc. This is about the maximum density of strandkorbs that are allowed, and you see that they are ALL taken. What I did not post, but is common, is that many people love to hang around and swim in the nude. That's Germany - claim your square meters on the beach and get naked!
As you might expect, there are some nice walking/hiking trails on Sylt. Germans are really outdoorsy and like to get fresh air and exercise. You can walk paths around much of the island, which gets especially nice as you get farther from the crowded beaches. Some parts are farmland, others a bit wooded, and some parts marshy. This was one of my favorites.
When you're done with the beach and trails, the best thing to do is get some seafood at Gosch. Mr. Gosch started out selling seafood from a cart, got more and more carts, expanded into a restaurant, and now sells seafood across all Germany. The two cool locations on Sylt (his home base, and is often at the restaurants) are in the towns Wenningstedt and List. (He even has stands in the Munich airport and main train station - both are always crowded and known for quality).
Gosch restaurant in ListGosch restaurant in Wenningstedt
So many fascinating jobs out there...ones we dream of having, ones we hope to avoid. And others that suprise us by their existence.
Last year Der Spiegel interviewed German toymaker Steiff's director of quality control, a man identified as Mr. Krebs. I have to wonder if this is an alias, as his name means Mr. Cancer. A strangely appropriate name for a man whose job is to mutilate and destroy sweet, soft little teddy bears.
In the land of stuffed animals, there is conflict twice a week. That's when the designers at famed German stuffed toy maker Steiff are required to present their latest creations to the director of quality control, a man named Mr. Krebs. He is completely immune to the heartbreakingly sweet faces of teddy bears, cuddly baby rabbits and cute longhaired guinea pigs. The furry toys' baby-like faces do not trigger any paternal feelings in Krebs.
Instead, his feelings toward the toys are driven by scientific curiosity. When Krebs sees a stuffed animal, his first thought is to burn it, drown it and wring its neck. He chars them, covers them with saliva and tears at their heads. He rubs acid into their fur, roasts them under UV light and tests the way they respond to all sorts of chemicals.
Only when a test bear has survived Krebs' onslaught is it permitted to become a Steiff animal. And when that happens, it gets the company's trademark button in its ear -- a medal for bravery, if you will -- at company headquarters in the town of Giengen in southwestern Germany.
In the land of stuffed animals, there is conflict twice a week. That's when the designers at famed German stuffed toy maker Steiff are required to present their latest creations to the director of quality control, a man named Mr. Krebs. He is completely immune to the heartbreakingly sweet faces of teddy bears, cuddly baby rabbits and cute longhaired guinea pigs. The furry toys' baby-like faces do not trigger any paternal feelings in Krebs.
Instead, his feelings toward the toys are driven by scientific curiosity. When Krebs sees a stuffed animal, his first thought is to burn it, drown it and wring its neck. He chars them, covers them with saliva and tears at their heads. He rubs acid into their fur, roasts them under UV light and tests the way they respond to all sorts of chemicals.
Amusing as the job may be, Steiff is a prime example of German focus on quality - and also the willingness to pay high prices for quality. Selling poor quality goods (except where they're marketed as low cost alternatives) is a guaranteed strategy to lose your customers here. Though departments stores and supermarkets have found a place here, there still are numerous small specialty stores where you go to get advice from the experts. Just in a 2 block radius from my apartment, we have a couple of model train stores, a knife store, a store selling small personal appliances (razors, toothbrushes, etc), a wig store, and a sewing store. Additionally, when you visit a large sports store, the salespeople are experts in their areas - they actually know the products and can advise you on your purchase. If you can get someone's attention....
When looking at sofas in a large furniture store, we were initially frustrated that there was only one salesperson for a small group of sofas and that no other salesperson could help us. Knowing that most service personnel in Germany work on salary, rather than commission, we knew it was not a financial issue. We later learned that each section had a salesperson who was an expert on those products and could answer any questions - therefore, the others could not help outside their areas. Still a bit frustrating to get help, but the system does make sense.
Back to Steiff....We've already learned about the famous Reinheitsgebot, or Beer Purity Law, stating that beer can only contain water, barley, and hops. Steiff has its own Reinheitsgebot, as a 10 point Purity Law governing the production of their plush toys!
And the price/quality tradeoff? Well, these cute little guys are tested and have various quality certifications....and you're going to pay $50-150 or more for a teddy bear ($235 for the 12 inch Pug). They are super soft and the other animals are adorable, but it was a bit of a shock to me to see those prices on a stuffed animal! However, that's where we can see one big general difference between German and American cultures. Whether it's clothing, furniture, electronics, or teddy bears...Germans buy fewer items, but of higher quality. As Americans, we're used to low priced, almost disposable goods. We buy more impulsively, and we don't expect to keep things for years. Germans will plan purchases, investigate quality and options, and most often will save up for a purchase rather than buying it on credit. And they demand quality and longevity out of major purchases. I'm still often shocke by the prices here, but I'm starting to understand the system.
Living in Munich makes me want to get a dog. It's a great city for being outside, and for travelling around with a dog. They're allowed almost everywhere....on the subway, in restaurants, in bars, and in stores. You can spend a lot more time here with your dog while going about daily life.
And, in general, dogs in Germany are EXTREMELY well-behaved - to the point where many people take them out without being on a leash. It always amazes me to see a dog quietly sitting in a restaurant and not trying to get table scraps. And I hear drunk soccer fans much more often than I hear dogs barking. I guess society here has somehow created a perfect set of rules here...dogs are accepted almost everywhere, as long as they are well-trained. Maybe it's that dog owners here take training very seriously (there are endless dog training schools here), or maybe it's that the bad dogs just are kept home?? Whatever is the key, it works.
Except, you can't take your dog into the grocery store or some butchers. Instead, they have a dog parking zone, with water and sometimes kibbles. This guy is patiently waiting for his owner to return, sitting calmly between the chocolates and the steak bar. Amazing.
The cookies and cakes are only a small part of the German Christmas Market traditions. The drinks are also pretty important - all designed to warm your hands and your insides on a cold night out.
Most stands will serve Glühwein (mulled wine), Glühwein mit Schuss (with a shot of rum or liqueur), and Kinderpunsch (non-alcoholic Glühwein). And sometimes we'll find hot cider, mead, and other variations on Glühwein. In Munich, cocktails have become quite trendy in the past couple of years - not surprising that this year hot caipirinhas ("Heiße Caipis") showed up in many Christmas Markets.
My favorite, however, is the Feuerzangenbowle. I think it tastes better (like a less sweet, more alcoholic Glühwein) and since it involves fire, it's also pretty cool.
The word translates as "Flaming Tongs Punch," refering to the tongs that hold a sugar cone over the bowl of mulled wine. The sugar cone is soaked in rum, and flaming rum poured over it, dripping caramelized sugar and hot rum into the mulled wine. Delicious!
Many Christmas markets will have a Feuerzangenbowle stand, or people often make it at home for parties during Christmas and New Years. Here in Munich, the English-speaking community refers to the drinks as "Pots of Evil," a very appropriate name given their taste and potency!
Here in Munich, we have the World's Largest Feuerzangenbowle, which luckily lasts beyond the Christmas Markets until Epiphany (January 6th). The giant bowl holds up to 9,000 liters of punch. It's set up inside the Isartor, one of the gates from the old city walls. As usual, there are also a few stands serving bratwurst, french fries, crepes and other standard festival fare.
They project on the walls the movie "Die Feuerzangenbowle," which is one of THE classic German films. Made in 1943 or 44, it's a sentimental story of school days and what makes life worth living...intended to be a morale booster in the final months of the war.
The film stars one of the most beloved German actors of all time, Heinz Rühmann, who made over 100 films from 1926 to 1993.
Today, it's kind of like the Rocky Horror Picture Show of Germany, where most people can quote some (or all!) of the movie today. Many universities have showings before the Christmas break, with props, drinking games, and other traditions. Definitely worth a watch if you can find it with subtitles. (Even if you watch it in German, use the German subtitles....between the sound quality and the old words and accent, it can be tough to understand).
Feuerzangenbowle at Munich's Tollwood Festival
Many people recreate the experience at home, making Feuerzangenbowle and showing the movie.
You can order the sets and sugar cones in the US from GermanDeli.com, and probably from other German food sites. They have a good recipe and instructional video in the product details.
Either make your own mulled wine from scratch, buy it premade in bottles, or you can also buy the premixed spice packages to just add to a bottle of wine.
RECIPE 2 bottles of Merlot or Burgundy wine (a dry red wine might be too bitter) 4 thin slices of orange with the peel on 4 thin slices of lemon with the peel on Juice of 2 fresh oranges Juice of 2 fresh lemons ½ tsp fresh orange rind ½ tsp fresh lemon rind 4 Cinnamon sticks 1 sugar cone (Zuckerhut) 1 cup (approximately) of Rum (must be 151 proof Rum, or it won't flame)
Equipment: 1 heat and flame-proof Punch Bowl (ideally glass) 1 Stainless Steel Bridge, if not already part of your punch bowl set Long match or lighter
Directions: In a large pot add both bottles of wine and all ingredients except the sugar cone and the rum. Simmer the wine and fruit and spices over low heat for about 15 minutes. Don't boil the wine. The wine should be hot but not scalding. If you are using GermanDeli's flame/heat-proof glass punch bowl, carefully add the hot wine (with fruit, cinnamon, etc.) to the punch bowl. With your guests gathered around, place the punch bowl in a dimly-lit room. Light the candle below the punchbowl to help keep the wine warm. Place the stainless steel bridge across the top of the punch bowl. Unwrap the sugar cone and place it on the bridge. Slowly pour the 151-proof rum onto the cone, rotating the cone until it is soaked with the rum. Light the sugar cone with the match or lighter. The sugar cone will dissolve as the burning rum heats up the cone. The caramelized sugar will drip into the punch to sweeten it and the rum will enhance the flavor.
I arrived for the first time March 8th 2004. Ops, take that back, Jan 6th1966 was the first arrival. And that should explain this short preamble. After an 11 day adventure across the North Atlantic in a major winter storm on a WWII vintage rust bucket troop transport we (860 soldiers and a few families including my 4 month pregnant wife) docked. Bremerhaven was cold and dreary and we boarded a bus to catch a train to Schweinfurt. Bench seats and no heat. 10 hours later a Lieutenant met us at the train station in a jeep and took us to the BOQ. I met my commanding office the next day and was told to report to my unit and the next morning we left for a two week training exercise at Hoenfels. He said the officer wives would take care of her. (My wife). Nevertheless she was hysterical. Bless her heart; the hysteria lasted well into my son’s first year.
Truth be known, I loved Germany, the US Army, the beer, camaraderie, my shiny new Beetle, Tanks, and playing war games, assuming command of a tank company and generally feeling like I was 24 year old hot stuff!
So when the business opportunity arose, I was excited about returning to live and in the intervening years, I had traveled back several times on holidays and Army reunions. I was no stranger! So I have a different perspective about the Fatherland than some of my colleagues. I saw the development miracle over a period of 44 years. Most of my colleagues are not yet 40!
I saw this country for the first time exactly 20 years after the end of WWII. They were climbing back but it was a slow climb. Restoration was complete or in progress for many partially destroyed buildings and there was a housing boom for multifamily houses in the cities that lacked any attempt at architectural creativity. It was simply a provide shelter exercise. There were many, many vacant spaces that were evidence of once rubble piles.
This country went from a scientific and industrial power to a destroyed nation in a few years. There were few young men, many widows and orphans, virtually no infrastructure, services, jobs, an unsympathetic foreign government and military occupation. Add in humiliation, shame, poverty and low morale.
Ok the US and the Allies did provide some leadership and lots of cash--- but what you see today in modern Germany is a testament to the human spirit coupled with an economic miracle! And three generations hence, the guilt is waning. Perhaps the seniors have learned from history, and the young—well they are the young.
We Americans can argue about high taxes, socialism, big brother, rules, holidays, business culture, high costs and more. I will now return to a country that I love above all after God and Family. But I will also be wary of crime, drugs, drunk drivers, the criminal tort system, unusually bad politics, huge disconnect with minorities, a dysfunctional health care system and economic malaise.
Yes, I will miss the calm, safe, ordered society and of course its beauty and its autobahns! I am not embarrassed or sad to return to my beloved America but I wonder sometimes if the answer between our two very diverse systems lies somewhere in the middle.
Friday, July 1, 2011 at 14:00 
Mannheim was chosen for the closing, as Bertha Benz (wife of inventor Carl) made the world's first road trip (100km) from Mannheim to Pforzheim in 1888. On the closing days of Automobile Summer a variety of "future-oriented" cars (i.e., with alternative powertrains, high fuel efficiency, and low environmental impact) will make the journey along the Bertha Benz Memorial Route in the Bertha Benz Challenge. The goal is to get these cars off the auto show concept stages and onto the road for everyone to see.
And if you miss out on the festivities this summer, there is still plenty to see. Earlier this year, we took a weekend trip to Stuttgart, where we visited the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche Museums. Surprisingly, these two museums take very different approaches and you can safely visit them in the same weekend without too much overlap. Full of beautiful, shiny classics as well as concept cars, race cars, and memories of the 80s, there's something to meet everyone's automotive tastes. Porsche focuses more on technology and on showing the development of their cars over time. As well as a few fun surprises tucked in there - the Italian 911 Police car, the station wagon made for Ferdinand Porsche's family vacations....
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