20th and 21st Century Writers and Poets

Wagner

Jan Wagner

He’s a literary critic and a translator.  He studied English and American studies at Hamburg University and at Trinity College Dublin. He has received the Anna Seghers Prize, the Ernst Meister Prize, and the Arno Reinfrank Literature Award.

Durs Grünbein

He received the Georg Büchner Prize in 1995, the 200 Salzburg Easter Festival Literature Prize, and the federal state of Sachsen-Anhalt Literature Prize.

Hugo Dittberner

He went to a private school, after private school he went to Göttingen University and studied German literature and linguistics, history and philosophy. He graduated in 1972 and went to teach at Karlsruhe University before becoming a freelance writer

Bossong

Nora Bossong

She went to school at German Institute for Literature and studied literature. At Humboldt University of Berlin, the University of Potsdam, and the Sapienza University of Rome she studied cultural studies, comparative literature, and philosophy. In 2006 she published her debut novel.



Kafka

Franz Kafka 

Franz Kafka was born July 3, 1883 in Prague, Bohemia. He died June 3 1924. He was fluent in both German and Czech. He is referred to as one of the most influential authors of the 20^th century. Famous works are “Die Verwandlung”, “Der Prozess” as well as “Das Schloss”.  Franz Kafka was a lawyer before he became an author. Although he is now recognized as one of the most important writers of his time, most of his works were not published until after his death.

Musil

Robert Musil

Robert Musicl was born November 6, 1880 and died April 15^th of 1942. His novel “The Man Without Qualities” is thought of to be an important modernist novel; however, it is not a book that has been widely ready for several reasons. When he was a teenager his parents sent him away to a military boarding school and this is exhibited through his writing. He graduated as a Cadet, and then went to mechanical engineering. He also fought in World War I.

Wolfgang Herrndorf

Herrndorf

Wolfgang went to the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg, where he attained a degree in illustrations. His first novel was published in 2002, however he didn’t become really famous until 2010 with his book “Tschick”. Later in 2011 he would accept the “Prize of the Leipzig Book Fair”, as well as the “German Book Prize” in 2012. Wolfgang killed himself August 26^th in 2013, after living with depression from the discovery of a malignant tumor in his brain back in 2010.

Schatzing

Frank Schatzing was born May 28^th, 1957. His best selling novel was released in 2004, “The Swarm”. He started writing in 1990, and his first book was published only shortly after in 1995. His novel “The Swarm” has received many awards such as: the Goldene Feder in 2005, Deutscher Science Fiction Preis in 2005, and the Corine in 2004.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Musil

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sch%C3%A4tzing

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Herrndorf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/durs-grunbein

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/jan-wagner

18th and 19th Century Music, Dance, and Theatre

                                                           

Hayden

Joseph Hayden is the first great composer or the classical repertoire.  Most of his compositions are for musicals, operas, and orchestras.  He not only plays, but sings as well.  During his first employment at age 25, it’s up to him, the court orchestra, and singers to perform every night for the prince.  In the 1780’s he and Mozart become good friends; play in a string quartet together and dedicating works to each other. Hayden lives another 18 years after Mozart’s death.

Mozart

Born in 1756, Mozart starts touring at the age of six in courts and cities of Europe starting in Munich.  Mozart plays the harpsichord and violin. At 8, he publishes violin sonatas and his first two symphonies. Mozart composes a piece directly influenced by Hayden, before he even meets him. In 1780 he begins writing operas. What people are most familiar with is the requiem he is requested to write at the end of his life.  Contrary to popular belief the requiem is not asked to be written by Salieri, who is said to have killed Mozart.  In fact it was an anonymous request by a man who pays for written work and then sells them as his own.  Mozart’s requiem goes on hold as he finishes his last opera. Mozart dies in 1791 and the requiem isn’t actually finished by Mozart but by his pupil. Mozart’s fame came in the 19th century as his insurmountable works are discovered and published.  His reputation at it’s high in the 19th century, doesn’t diminish in time.

Bach

Born in 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach spends his life working in the provincial courts for German princes.  In 1723 he moves to Leipzig for the rest of his life and completes some of his greatest works.  In 1721 he writes the six Brandenburg Concertos. The Brandenburg Gate is well known to Germans. In fact this year was very special as it marked the 25th anniversary of the wall falling. They held a ceremony there with lighted balloons.  They were released to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, also known as Ode to Joy.

Beethoven

Ludwig Van Beethoven performed his Ninth Symphony at his last public concert in 1824, at which he had to be turned around to see the standing ovation of the audience, since he couldn’t hear it. Beethoven has been a large part of Germany’s music since 1783.  Born in 1770, his first performance was in 1778.  Beethoven composed his first piece in 1783. He continued to compose and play music along with teaching piano.  He composed many pieces even after he started to lose his hearing at 26 years of age.  By 1814, he was almost totally deaf. His music didn’t died with him on March 26, 1827. It lives on.


DANCE

The Viennese Waltz is an older and more traditional dance of Germanys. Below is a link where you can go to if you wish to watch this dance. This waltz, like others, is a ballroom style dance. Unlike other waltz's though, the Viennese is danced at 180 beats per minute, where as other ones are taken at about 90 beats per minute. It is a much faster paced waltz and is made up of mostly turns and "change steps" while traveling counter clockwise on the dancefloor. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_IAOkXSNsc&spfreload=10







Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Germany#Classical_music:_16th_century_to_the_present

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteenth-century_theatre#Romanticism_in_Germany_and_France
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viennese_Waltz

Stanislaus Katczinsky Character Analysis From All is Quiet on the Western Front

 Stanislaus Katczinsky, other wise known as 'Kat' is one of the oldest characters in the book. He is forty years old, while the rest of the men that are brought onto the field are about 19. With this difference in age, and maturity, Kat becomes a sort of father figure to the other boys - and takes care of them. Kat is a scavenger, he usually can find food, supplies, clothes, and other necessary items for the soldiers. Watching out for the boys, and taking care of them has a hard effect on Kat because he can see the affect the war has had on the young men that he holds under his wing. Paul is Kat's best-friend in this novel, as Kat is Paul's, and together they make it through most of the war.  Kat while he is known for his skills at always seeming to find whatever is needed, he is also recognized for having a kind of "sixth sense" - in that he has a pretty good tendency to know the outcome of a battle. Kat dies late in the book during an attack. Paul tries to save Kat picking up his wounded friend and carrying him to the triage area. Even with Pauls help, and the hope his courage brings Kat seems to know that his wounds are fatal. Kat dies on the way to the triage, and you can really understand just how much love Kat had for his fellow soldiers, when he calls them his brothers. They are no longer just boys, - but have been transformed into an equal of Kats through the war. They are brothers.   

Berlin Calling

1. What do drugs mean to Ickarus?

At first he uses the drugs for similar reasons most people do, to help them relax and de-stress themselves, as well as to have fun because they are bored. 

2. Why, when, and how are his fans taking drugs, and which drugs do they take?

Taking drugs are part of the social norm in the music/fame industry, especially with his genre of music. His fans also take drugs because they are in the clubs, partying. This is due to the setting as well as being young and adventurous. It shows the drugs being taken in the bathrooms at the clubs, and also apartments. Various drugs are mentioned throughout this film they are: Ketamine, MDMA, MDA, Crystal, THC, Cocaine, amphetamine, and PMA.

3. While we can see that his drug habits get him ill and into a psychosis, and while we witness his relapse and inability to work successfully, why does the subculture Ickarus belongs to focus on drugs?

Drugs are often associated with the fame, club, and partying setting. Ickarus is apart of this setting as he is a musician. 

4. Compare the standards you know from your home society with the people you see depicted in this movie. Which are the stark differences and contrasts?

Sex and nudity in our American culture I would say is not as explicit as it is in German culture, but I would argue that it is glamorized and used a lot in our social media. Also I would say that in German culture it seems that they are a lot more accepting of homosexuals, as there is the scene where the Priest accepts this son when he tells him of his sexuality. This is America is not only different from the norm, but it also is a reality that is shunned, and criticized by many. 

5. Germany is considered a strong industrial nation over the world.  Do you think that the youth culture as depicted here could change that? How about work ethics of Ickarus and of Alice, the label director who fires and then re-signs him?

Germany has a strong sense of work ethic that is embedded into the youth at a young age. You can see this with Ickarus when he still works hard, and keeps working on his projects even when he is battling his drug addictions. His work was important to him, it was his life. I think Alice also has strong work ethics because she knows that Ickarus is talented, but she decides to let him go when he destroys her office while he is high off of drugs. After he cleans himself up Alice re-signs him, and all is forgiven because of his strong work ethic, and passion for his music.

6. Which similar "cult movies" of US origin have you seen, if any?

American History X. This movie is about a neo-nazi American Gangster/skinhead. 

Personal Opinion

To me this movie was very real. It showed a reality that was not sugar coated, or exaggerated, as most hollywood films do. The nudity in this film was not a shock, or something that I did not think I could not handle due to all the media in my culture that shares and glamorizes sex, and especially the female body. Also the drug use in this film did not seem to come as a shock to me either, as there are lots of movies, shows, and other forms of media out there that has made this apart of my life. What did surprise me was how some drugs are legal in Germany as well as other European countries. This is quite shocking when comparing to American culture where all drugs are illegal. America seems to be more strict on such issues, like drinking, consumption of drugs, and nudity, than does Germany. Where its not challenging, and is probably more easy than most of American society would like to admit, drugs, drinking, partying, and sex - are all a large part of our everyday lives, probably just as much as it is in Germany. The attention factor is simply lacking here in America, where for the most part it is not spoken of in society, and is shunned in public, but behind closed doors is very much prevalent.