Wednesday marked what would have been the 60th anniversary of East Germany, had it survived its 1989 downfall, historians said.
The communist German Democratic Republic was founded on Oct. 7, 1949 by delegates of a people's council gathered in the grand hall of the former aviation ministry in Berlin, while Germans across the Soviet-occupied zone listened on their radios.
Wilhelm Pieck, who became East Germany's first president, on that day declared the birth of the first "workers and peasants state on German soil," saying, "Based on the new constitution, the German Democratic Republic has been founded unanimously by all parties and organizations present in the German people's council."
Soviet Union dictator Josef Stalin said the GDR marked "the creation of a peace loving, democratic Germany alongside the peaceful Soviet Union," declaring it would help prevent new wars as well as the "enslavement of European countries by the western Imperialists," .
The 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall, marking the border between the East and West Germany, signaled the end of the communist German state and the eventual reunification of Germany.
Showing posts with label german culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label german culture. Show all posts
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Dogs recruited to protect German sheep from wolves
German officials wanting to protect their sheep from wolves are calling in the experts, two Pyrenean mountain dogs named Ben and
Carlos.
Saxony state environment minister Frank Kupfer said Tuesday the services of the specially trained dogs are now available to worried shepherds. The dogs, a breed that has guarded German livestock for centuries, will protect sheep if Saxony's wolves ignore obstacles such as electric fences.
Wolves are protected and have established themselves in parts of Germany over the past decade. Official figures show Saxony, on Germany's borders with Poland and the Czech Republic, has 45 wild wolves living in five packs, the biggest population in the country.
Wolves have killed some 200 sheep in the German region over recent years.
Carlos.
Saxony state environment minister Frank Kupfer said Tuesday the services of the specially trained dogs are now available to worried shepherds. The dogs, a breed that has guarded German livestock for centuries, will protect sheep if Saxony's wolves ignore obstacles such as electric fences.
Wolves are protected and have established themselves in parts of Germany over the past decade. Official figures show Saxony, on Germany's borders with Poland and the Czech Republic, has 45 wild wolves living in five packs, the biggest population in the country.
Wolves have killed some 200 sheep in the German region over recent years.
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Ferrari turn to Badeor
Ferrari have turned to test driver Luca Badoer to fill the void left by Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa.
Ferrari have been rocked by news that seven-time world champion Schumacher will now not be able to race for them because of a long-standing neck injury.
The legendary German driver had been set to replace Massa, who has been sidelined after suffering serious head injuries at the Hungarian GP.
However he announced on Tuesday that he would now not be able to return to action after failing to overcome his own injury.
Ferrari have now asked the 38-year-old Badoer to fill in for the rest of the season.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said: "In agreement with Stefano Domenicali, we have therefore decided to give Luca Badoer the chance to race for the Scuderia after he has put in so many years of hard work as a test driver."
Badoer made 51 starts for Ferrari between 1993-98 having previous raced in the Italian F3 Championship and won the Formula 3000 intercontinental title.
Ferrari have been rocked by news that seven-time world champion Schumacher will now not be able to race for them because of a long-standing neck injury.
The legendary German driver had been set to replace Massa, who has been sidelined after suffering serious head injuries at the Hungarian GP.
However he announced on Tuesday that he would now not be able to return to action after failing to overcome his own injury.
Ferrari have now asked the 38-year-old Badoer to fill in for the rest of the season.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said: "In agreement with Stefano Domenicali, we have therefore decided to give Luca Badoer the chance to race for the Scuderia after he has put in so many years of hard work as a test driver."
Badoer made 51 starts for Ferrari between 1993-98 having previous raced in the Italian F3 Championship and won the Formula 3000 intercontinental title.
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Great-granddaughter of last German emperor dies
Princess Felicitas von Preussen, the great-granddaughter of the last German emperor, has died, her family said Tuesday. She was 75.
Von Preussen died Saturday in Wohltorf, near Hamburg.
Von Preussen was born in 1934 in Bonn to Prince Wilhelm von Preussen and his wife, Dorothea von Salviati.
Wilhelm was the son of Crown Prince Wilhelm, the heir of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last German emperor. Wilhelm II went into exile in the Netherlands after the fall of the monarchy in 1918 following World War I.
Von Preussen was married twice and had five children. She was to be buried in Aumuehle, near Hamburg.
Von Preussen died Saturday in Wohltorf, near Hamburg.
Von Preussen was born in 1934 in Bonn to Prince Wilhelm von Preussen and his wife, Dorothea von Salviati.
Wilhelm was the son of Crown Prince Wilhelm, the heir of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last German emperor. Wilhelm II went into exile in the Netherlands after the fall of the monarchy in 1918 following World War I.
Von Preussen was married twice and had five children. She was to be buried in Aumuehle, near Hamburg.
Friday, 15 May 2009
German Motorsport - The Nürburgring
The Nürburgring, simply known as “The Ring” by enthusiasts, is a motorsport race track in Nürburg, Germany. It was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel, which is about 70 kilometres (43 mi) south of Cologne, and 120 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Frankfurt. Nicknamed The Green Hell by Jackie Stewart, it is widely considered the toughest, most dangerous and most demanding purpose-built race track in the world.
Originally, the track featured four track configurations: the 28.265 kilometres (17.563 miles) long Gesamtstrecke (”Whole Course”), which in turn consisted of the 22.810 km (14.173 mi) Nordschleife (”Northern Loop”), and the 7.747 km (4.814 mi) Südschleife (”Southern Loop”). There also was a 2.281 km (1.417 mi) warm-up loop called Zielschleife (”Finish Loop”) or better known as Betonschleife, around the pit area.
Between 1982 and 1983 the start-finish area was demolished to create a new GP-Strecke, and this is currently used for all major and international racing events. However, the Nordschleife is still in use.
In the early 1920s, races called ADAC Eifelrennen were held on public roads in the Eifel mountains. This soon was considered impractical and dangerous. In order to provide work and lure tourists into the area, the construction of a dedicated race track was proposed, following the examples of Italy’s Monza and Berlin’s AVUS, yet with a completely different character. The layout of the circuit in the mountains was similar to the Targa Florio, one of the most important motor races at that time. The original Nürburgring was meant to be a showcase for German automotive engineering and racing talent, and was built with both purposes in mind. Construction of the track, designed by the Eichler Architekturbüro from Ravensburg (led by Architect Gustav Eichler), began in September 1925.
The track was completed in spring of 1927, and the ADAC Eifelrennen races were continued there. The first World Cycling Championship race took place on 1927-06-19, and the first German Grand Prix a month later. In addition, the track was opened to the public in the evenings and at weekends, as a one-way toll road. The Gesamtstrecke consisted of 174 bends (prior to 1971 changes), and was 8 to 9 metres (26 to 30 ft) in width on average.
In 1939 the full Ring was used for the last time in major racing events, as future Grands Prix would be held only on the Nordschleife. Motorcycles and minor races mainly used the shorter and safer Südschleife. Many memorable pre-war races took place at the circuit, featuring the talents of early Ringmeister (Ringmasters) such as Rudolf Caracciola, Tazio Nuvolari and Bernd Rosemeyer.
Originally, the track featured four track configurations: the 28.265 kilometres (17.563 miles) long Gesamtstrecke (”Whole Course”), which in turn consisted of the 22.810 km (14.173 mi) Nordschleife (”Northern Loop”), and the 7.747 km (4.814 mi) Südschleife (”Southern Loop”). There also was a 2.281 km (1.417 mi) warm-up loop called Zielschleife (”Finish Loop”) or better known as Betonschleife, around the pit area.
Between 1982 and 1983 the start-finish area was demolished to create a new GP-Strecke, and this is currently used for all major and international racing events. However, the Nordschleife is still in use.
In the early 1920s, races called ADAC Eifelrennen were held on public roads in the Eifel mountains. This soon was considered impractical and dangerous. In order to provide work and lure tourists into the area, the construction of a dedicated race track was proposed, following the examples of Italy’s Monza and Berlin’s AVUS, yet with a completely different character. The layout of the circuit in the mountains was similar to the Targa Florio, one of the most important motor races at that time. The original Nürburgring was meant to be a showcase for German automotive engineering and racing talent, and was built with both purposes in mind. Construction of the track, designed by the Eichler Architekturbüro from Ravensburg (led by Architect Gustav Eichler), began in September 1925.
The track was completed in spring of 1927, and the ADAC Eifelrennen races were continued there. The first World Cycling Championship race took place on 1927-06-19, and the first German Grand Prix a month later. In addition, the track was opened to the public in the evenings and at weekends, as a one-way toll road. The Gesamtstrecke consisted of 174 bends (prior to 1971 changes), and was 8 to 9 metres (26 to 30 ft) in width on average.
In 1939 the full Ring was used for the last time in major racing events, as future Grands Prix would be held only on the Nordschleife. Motorcycles and minor races mainly used the shorter and safer Südschleife. Many memorable pre-war races took place at the circuit, featuring the talents of early Ringmeister (Ringmasters) such as Rudolf Caracciola, Tazio Nuvolari and Bernd Rosemeyer.
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