The Reformation

Personally, one of the most interesting (and one of my favorite) points in German history is Martin Luther and his role in the Reformation. I love this time period because Martin Luther was an incredibly interesting man and his ability to make such an impact in German history fascinates me. Luther was a man with amazing integrity and talent. A witty and intelligent man, Luther started his journey when he decided to change his profession from becoming a Juror to a Monk. There in the monastery, Luther found aspects of himself that he never thought would ever exist. For example, he found himself through the eyes of God and the Devil. His religious understandings led him to be able to learn information about the corruption of the Church and State through their use of 'der Ablass'. Wealthy and powerful individuals throughout the Holy Roman Empire were selling the 'Ablass' by convincing the common people that it was their ticket into heaven and ticket to avoid purgatory. The money collected was used to fund the building of various churches and other establishments around the country. Luther found no reason against their use of the funds to erect these buildings, but for the church's way of getting their money. Luther, who found his love for being a Monk tarnished, went on to become a professor. This, in turn, led Luther to eventually create his 95 Thesis, then eventually led the church to attempt to excommunicate him. What I love is that Luther stood up for his beliefs and burned his official excommunication letter in front of his students. Later, he traveled to meet with all the officials of the Holy Roman Empire. They attempted to have him retract his books and statements, which, once again Luther refused to do.
For some reason, something led the leader of the Holy Roman Empire to allow Luther to live. His decision amazes me because I initially assumed that he would condemn Luther to die. But, this led Luther to his kidnapping and eventual transition to life at the Wartburg Castle. There Luther worked on his greatest achievement: rewriting the Bible into German, thus establishing a single language for communication among the entire country. His actions, though started the 30 years war, allowed Germany to find a commonplace amongst a language, eventually leading to their eventual coming-together as its own country.
The story of Luther fascinates me because the ideas, abilities and confidence led one man to, all at once, tear apart and rebuild Germany into a country that is proud to call itself a single name. The citizens of the Holy Roman Empire were able to come together with a language written in their main belief - the Bible. Luther was an incredibly accomplished man, who rewrote a whole new history and stamped himself into the faith and love of countless people around Europe. He stood up for his beliefs, never backed down, and won his right to not only live, but bring together a country that never started as one culture.
Germany, however, was unfinished with their consistency in division amongst the country. The tensions left over from the war spread into divisions among various religions, cultures, and kingdoms that refused to give up their wealth and power. Although Luther did manage to unite the country through a single language, his actions still led to more and more fighting and division. What interests me is how many times Germany fought and struggled from within to come out standing the proud people they are today. Various leaders have come and gone throughout the country's history and have led the Germans to lead lives that reflect what they have been through to get where they are today.

Deutschland

Germany spent many long years working towards becoming its own country and governing under its own rule. Throughout the time period before it became an official country, Germany had been under the rule and influence of the Holy Roman Empire. Over 300 kingdoms, territories and prince of palladies excited throughout the area, each having their own linguistic and cultural identity.
Martin Luther, the man behind a branch of Christianity called Lutherism, started the Reformation from 1517-1648. In Wittenberg Luther allegedly nailed his 95 Thesis to the church doors. He promoted independence, justice and freedom of speech, church, state and choice.
Lukas Cranach, one of the most important and famous painters during the Reformation, painted many figureheads throughout the church and state. He was supported by princes in Dresden and Saxony. Many painters depicted Martin Luther with woodwind instruments to give a negative outlook of him in terms of oral sex. This showed many hierarchical Democratic beliefs throughout the religion. Luther didn't want the democratic society and sought to change it. After traveling to speak with the entire Holy Roman Empire (currently been excommunicated - which he burned in front of his students) they allowed him to live and travel back home. Friedrich the Wise had been in full support of Luther and his ideas/ideals, therefore kidnapping him and taking him to Wartburg Castle. Luther spent his time in the abandoned castle rewriting the Bible into German. By doing this he allowed the people of the Empire to become united under one language and therefore culture.
Before Luther could unite the Empire, though, he lived in the castle while the peasants and farmers rose up against the church and state, creating the Peasants War. After the slaughter, death and destruction, 30 years had finally passed and Germany, who maintained their history of being a divided country, broke apart once again. The north became Protestant, the south/west Catholic. Prussia became the most powerful kingdom in the 18th Century, creating Brandenburg after the war. The german states broke into 40 separate territories and created a completely Protestant country as well as challenges with unification.
In 1871 Kaiser Wilhelm I and soon after the II ruled Germany. And in the 20's World War II started, resulting in the monarchy collapsing and another revolution. Berlin becomes an industrial city and creates a military government. Germany couldn't decide if it was communist or democratic, resulting in yet another divide - this time between West/East Berlin. Various zones were broken and split between Russia, France, USA and the GDR. From '45-'49 Germany technically did not exist.
Over time Germany has come together, breaking down the Berlin Wall and creating an entire country once again. The country has gone through hardships even before it was an official country, repeating its history of division until it had finally had enough. Many rulers have come and gone throughout the area, destroying aspects and rebuilding others. As a whole Germany, I think, has found its place amongst the rest of the world and can finally stand proudly as a country.

A History of Berlin

Before "Red Germany" and Nazism came the radical ideas stemmed from artists and propagandists bringing to light the lives of those in power. World War One had just ended and those in poverty could be seen across the country shivering in the cold waiting for their daily soup and bread. Karl Marx soon after became an icon for Germany, bringing his ideas of communism and ways to help improve the lives of those everywhere and anywhere. Alongside him was Rosa Luxemburg who, with her ideas strewn across the people became a reason to rebel. Commoners in Berlin soon started to rise up and destroy what they could to prove that they would not stand for what the new Kaiser was trying to enforce as law. They created propaganda to put up around the city with a famous poem stating: "Berlin, you dance with Death". Their actions left the Kaiser with no choice but to take up ideas from Frederick the Great, allowing volunteer citizens to act as police officers. He ordered them to flood the streets and take back the city under his command. This led the city to follow its history and divide among itself.
As with the history, Germany had once been led by a king named Frederick the Great; a two-sided man who ruled both with his flute music as well as an iron fist. His military styles were taken on very appreciatively by many leaders throughout history; one of which included Hitler who carried around a painting of Frederick with him everywhere he went. What's more is that on Hitler's last day he had his special pilot take the painting with him before Hitler and his wife force fed their children capsules of cyanide while asleep, then proceeded to take their own lives. But, as such, Frederick ruled in a beautiful palace built with lavish furniture and decadent artwork. He was a man who lived as he pleased and enjoyed being who he was. He was also a man who was not to be taken lightly by any means. As an example, his son and son's best friend were about to run away to Britain but were ratted out. As punishment Frederick the Great threw his own son in jail and forced him to watch the beheading of his best friend through the bars of his cell. Soon afterwards Frederick craved for more land and war. He fought against Saxon, Austria, France and various other rulers for more and more land. Frederick was a tyrant on the battlefield but every night could be heard playing beautiful pieces on his flute.
Berlin really started with Frederick the Great and his two-sided personality, and continued with its history of being a divided city. After Hitler and his family had been pronounced dead, soon afterwards Berlin became a real divided city into East and West Berlin. West Berlin moved towards Capitalism and East Berlin towards Communism. With Russia and other powers ruling over East Berlin, the Berlin Wall slowly started to be built. And with the Brandenburg Gate as the actual entrance into East Berlin, the communists who shunned Hitler's Nazism tore down Frederick the Great's statue off the top. Citizens who once could walk through the whole city now literally had to choose which side they supported and move to live in. West Berlin who continued their relatively normal way of life, and East Berlin who slowly gave up more and more of their freedom and, many times, their lives due to the harsh restrictions and communistic way of life.

"Berlin, you dance with Death"

Frederick the Great's statue

Brandenburg Tor

Frederick the Great's gravestone

Martin Luther

Germany and really Europe as a whole was overrun by Priests, Popes, Monks and authority figures of the Holy Roman Empire and the Church. Those in power commanded with their money and especially through fear. Martin Luther was a single-minded man; quite simple in his undertakings. He was someone who lived through writing, reading, learning and teaching. Throughout his years he sought to find the most efficient ways to bring light to the people and show them how to live with their own personal clear consciouses. With the help of the printing press he wrote books upon books that cut straight to the heart of the wrongdoings of the Church and State in the wittiest, most profound and funny ways. He created a clear pathway through his writings to help the common people find an understanding of religious and personal freedoms, as well as revealing to the Church that he was not a man to be swayed by their power. Instead he spent his time refusing to bow to the Church, stating through his words and actions that he would not live in fear but rather by personal choice of a freedom that he created and withheld. Over time his writings and actions proved him a man of great publicity, one whom, not just Germany but the world would find him to be of great skill, integrity and true power; a power that found him a celebrity. He had a mind filled with an innate sense of belonging and understanding who he was as a person and what he could and would do with his talents, ideas and ideals. He was not a man of corruption but rather one who utilized and stretched his understandings of religion, people, the Church and State, as well as those highest in authority to the fullest extent. Martin Luther was a man seen as above all men and yet desired most to be a light for those to find their own selves.

After appearing before the whole of power throughout all of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, Luther continued to refuse his commands to both be excommunicated as well as to repeal his name from his books. He was granted the permission to live and able to travel home. On his way he was taken to safety at an abandoned castle. In his absence the people and authority figures rose up against the Church and State, becoming violent and destructive. Upon his return Luther realized just how much his writings had affected the people; also realizing that what he never wanted was a revolt. But, as a revolutionist Martin Luther became an icon, a symbol of hope, freedom and essentially a beacon of light. His teachings and writings affected the entire world, evolving the Church and what it meant to have not only religious freedom, but freedom of the conscious and the soul.

The Bubonic Plague

During the 14th century the Bubonic Plague swept through Europe killing about a third of the population. This event was a turning point in German history because it created the biggest social horror phenomenon. The Plague caused famine, death, destruction and rebellion. Its role became that of overthrowing existing ways of life that had been roughly held intact for hundreds of years; especially through government struggles and power plays. War became a constant and the systems that held the people together vanished. As a contrast, the biggest event to Americans that could portray a good portion of the Plague would be the crash of the Stock Exchange; thus leading to the Great Depression. Similarities between the two include all that the Black Plague caused without the Black Plague - death, destruction, famine, rebellion. Both events created almost entirely new workings and systems of life among the living, including ushering in new eras.
This interests me because of how both events shaped existing and current ways of life - including social, cultural and political standings. The Bubonic Plague created such chaos and life-threatening anxiety among the people that any social order that once withheld no longer played a role. Through this plague the Church and the State lost all peace amongst each other and resolved to furthering the division of rule. Because of this the wealthy utilized their resources and created taxes to bring in income to further their lavish lifestyles. In the same context, the Great Depression caused such political upheaval that soon after the age of Monopolies surfaced. Those in power stayed in power, and money became what saved, and at once, destroyed the lives of countless. Both the Great Depression and the Bubonic Plague carved such history into the lives of these two nations that without them the world would not be where it is now.

Crisis among the Church and State during the Bubonic Plague (14th Century)

Work of art depicting the Plague and the people

Information about the Bubonic Plague

Germany!

So I've never been outside of the country before and I'm beyond excited to say that Germany will be the first country I visit. I live in Downers Grove and I've travelled to many different states. I'm a Psychology and Anthropology double major and a German minor. I plan to spend my entire life travelling everywhere, calling no place home everywhere would be home. In about a year or so my best friend and I might possibly take a 3+ starter backpacking trip around Europe so being able to go to Germany and get to know the place is just the beginning to my traveling lifestyle.

All my life I've hated learning about history but the one exception has always been WWII. I've never really known what it was about Germany and the war but it's always fascinated me. I love learning, reading and watching about it. Berlin has especially fascinated me and so getting to see the city would be an opportunity beyond belief for me.

This entire trip will be the opportunity of a lifetime. Anywhere I can speak german freely I'm so incredibly happy to do so, and just getting to be able to wander around Germany and experience the people, culture and life will be beyond words. And the best part is, when I go to Europe next I'll be the one touring my best friend and I around Germany :D