History - Germany Video Transcripts
Video 1 Transcript
German history. This is a huge subject that goes back millennia, and so there's a lot to be talked about there. One of the things you really, really should read up on and try to get as much information on as possible is German reunification, and this is a holiday in Germany that you'll experience. It is October 3rd. It celebrates the day Germany was reunified as a nation from East and West. It also, the fact that the latter half of the 20th century, Germany was divided into two separate nations, has huge ramifications even today, 30 years later. So these are, this is a topic you probably should go read up on and just learn as much of it as possible because it will be really helpful for you when you get over there.
Video 2 Transcript
In Vorms, that's where Martin Luther posted his thesis. And also in Mainz is where Gutenberg and his printing press, that's where all that history is.
Video 3 Transcript
There is so much history. There's tons of these old cathedrals, the Kölner Dome, which is huge and incredibly impressive. And then there's also a lot of cities that have a lot of, that were historical sites. So there's a city that's called Bonn, and that was where Beethoven was born. And then in Nuremberg, that was a huge site for World War II and some events that happened with that. And they have this place called the Dachshusentrum, and that has a lot of facts about World War II and the Nazis and the Holocaust, and it's really cool. There's also Zeppelinfels there. Yeah, there is a lot of history.
Video 4 Transcript
Historically speaking, something that you need to keep in mind as you go over there is Germany's Nazi past. Now, being an American, you're probably very aware of it to a degree, the Holocaust, the Nazis, the Hitler. You should be very much aware of them. Going over there, I would actually invite you to have open ears to the first-hand stories of people who lived this experience and live through its aftermath, mainly because you're going to hear narratives that are much more authentic than what you've seen in television, media, and history books. Be prepared to learn things that maybe go against what your expectations of this time period are.
Video 5 Transcript
I would highly encourage getting familiar with Germany's cultural history that really goes back to before the time of Christ. They're a very deep old culture that has a lot of really cool information and tidbits to pick up when you're over there. One source, actually, that I would highly recommend you go grab before you go over there if you have time to read is a book called The German Genius by Peter Watson. It's an academic text, but it's also written for the public, so you should be fine with it. But essentially what he does is he's trying to make the argument of presenting a history of Germany that isn't necessarily focused on Nazis and really asking about who are these people, where have they been for the last 2,000 years. And I would highly recommend going and grabbing that text for a greater look.
