AMD1

For the first ADM assignment I listened to some various types of germanic music. I have always been a fan of classical music i.e Bach and Mozart I tend to listen to it when I'm on those never ending plane rides or what not or when I'm studying. However I also listened to some Rammstein to get the "total Germanic experience" Since many germans enjoy listening to death metal i decided to listen to Du Hast and Feuer Frei! To be brutally honest I'm not a big fan of metal so the classical music was much better my favorite being Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nacht Musik" I also enjoy the song "Morgenstimmug aus" by Peer Gynt. It does make sense however why the Germans get the stereotype of being so angry! All in all I think ill just stick to the classical music for relaxation.

ADM1

For my first ADM assignment I listened to German music! (musik) I listened to Bakkushan - Baby, Du Siehst Gut Aus. which I know from previous knowledge might mean something like you look good? The band was founded by songwriter Daniel Schmidt, and some of his classmates from Germany's biggest University of musik, "Popakademie BadenWütternberg."

I also listened to Die Prinzen- Millionär
 Which is one of Deutchlands top selling pop bands I thought the video was really entertaining and funny. I learn the word "Geld" which they kept repeating and that means money. I also heard the accusative keine.

Struwwelpeter

     Arguably one of the greatest Dwight moments in the history of The Office is the Struwwelpeter moment. For the longest time Struwwelpeter was my favorite word and I had no clue what it meant. Let's see if you love it as much as I did (if this video works, I'm so sorry if it doesn't!)

Klicken Sie hier and go to 0:53

     Or maybe you have seen a modified version of Struwwelpeter on Family Guy?

     Anyhow, Struwwelpeter, he's hilarious, richtig?

     FALSCH.

     I wasn't suprised to discover that Struwwelpeter was a horrifying character popularized by cautionary tales but still, it's rather shocking that parents actually used to tell their kids about him. 

     During my research of Struwwelpeter I was reminded of what I already knew about punishment in Germany.
     When I went to Rothenburg ob der Tauber last summer I paid a visit to the Rothenburg Crime Museum. Most of what I saw was amusing because it reinforced stereotypes I held about German people and their obscene punishments for trivial things. Here were some of my favorites:

• A device which locked a victims feet in place, permitting passerbys to tickle them.
• Silly, and rather scary, shame masks

           and perhaps best of all...

• Detailed dioramas of how punishment was to be executed at school:

I'm not joking, the dolls are actually set up like this.

This one's my favorite. Let's zoom in for a closer look, ja?

Zeigen Sie das Kind im Knast!!

     So anyways, going into my research I had this conception that Germans were hilariously cruel. I suppose it's a matter of perception but I proved myself right. Unfortunately it's also a bit heartbreaking.

     Struwwelpeter is a book of cautionary tales written for children in 1845 by Heinrech Hoffmann. The tale popularized by The Office and Family Guy was the story of Little Suck-a-Thumb. Basically it's the story of a boy, let's call him Little Suck-a-Thumb, who likes to suck his thumb. His mother must go out on errands but first she says "Don't suck your thumbs when I'm gone or else someone will cut them off and that'd be horrible." But Little Suck-a-Thumb sucks his thumb anyways and a man comes in his house and cuts off his thumbs. Then Little Suck-a-Thumb's mother comes home and says "Too bad so sad, I knew you couldn't do it."

     Obviously this is meant to discourage thumb sucking. The whole book is meant to discourage bad behavior. And what a great idea, right? To learn what is wrong and right through a book entitled "Lustige Geschichten und drollige Bilder mit 15 schön kolorierten Tafeln für Kinder von 3–6 Jahren" (or "Funny Stories and Whimsical Pictures with 15 Beautifully Coloured Panels for Children Aged 3 to 6"). I suppose that some people react like me and think it's just hilarious but I'm sure a child in 19th century Germany wouldn't be too ecstatic about some of the stories I just read (in the English translation. You can too here.):

• Der Struwwelpeter: The boy that never washed his hair or cut his nails...he had no friends
• Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem Feuerzeug: The story of a girl who thought matches were beautiful. Even though her mother told her not to touch them, else she'd be burned, she did anyways...and then burned to death.
• Die Geschichte vom Suppen-Kaspar: The story of a mollig boy who is spoiled and won't eat his soup. For four days he continues his hunger strike getting thinner and thinner...eventually starving to death on the fifth day.
• Die Geschichte von Hans Guck-in-die-Luft: The story of a boy that likes to look in the sky when he walks around.Eventually he falls into a pond...and gets teased by fish because he ruined his notebook
• Die Geschichte vom fliegenden Robert: The story of a boy who is warned not to go out when the weather is bad but he does anyway and flies away...never to be seen again

     Okay, some of these are a little silly, right? It's just hard to imagine a parent saying to a child "Don't do this. You'll die a painful death". Maybe some German families handled punishment in different ways but those with a copy of Struwwelpeter better beware. 

  

     Want to see a really creepy adaptation of Little Sucks-a-Thumb? Klicken Sie hier! 

      Warning: This is a little bit unsettling. I don't wish to be responsible for einen Albtraum!