100th Anniversary - marked in Germany

[MichaelBully]

Greetings, just come back from a holiday in Berlin. Not surprisingly the historical landscape is dominated by references to World War II and the Cold War, also Frederick the Great. But have been wondering how - if at all- the 100th anniversary of the Great War is going to be marked in Germany. Any ideas?

Regards

Michael Bully

[JimSmithson]

Hi Michael

the one large project is the one instigated by the university in Berlin:

"1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War

Over the course of three years, the international joint research project "1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War” is developing an English-language virtual reference work on the First World War. Planned to be released in 2014, the centenary of the outbreak of World War I, the online encyclopedia will be the result of an international collaborative project to make available a multi-perspective, public-access knowledge base on the First World War."

There is a lot of European collaboration for this project and it will all be in English but it is centred in Berlin. There will be isolated interest in the general public but I do not think it will be anything like what occurs in the UK of in France. I will start to ask around some of my German friends and see if schools or the like are planning anything.

Jim

[MichaelBully]

That's great Jim, thanks for the information and would welcome any other references that you can supply re Germany marking the anniversary.

I understand that there are a couple of Great War re-encactment groups in Germany but not the Western Front Association, or their equivalent.

Regards

Michael Bully

Hi Michael

the one large project is the one instigated by the university in Berlin:

"1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War

Over the course of three years, the international joint research project "1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War” is developing an English-language virtual reference work on the First World War. Planned to be released in 2014, the centenary of the outbreak of World War I, the online encyclopedia will be the result of an international collaborative project to make available a multi-perspective, public-access knowledge base on the First World War."

There is a lot of European collaboration for this project and it will all be in English but it is centred in Berlin. There will be isolated interest in the general public but I do not think it will be anything like what occurs in the UK of in France. I will start to ask around some of my German friends and see if schools or the like are planning anything.

Jim

[Erine]

Hi,

I don't know of many centenary projects in Germany but I have started one for our town of Ettlingen in Baden, at the foot of the Black Forest. I am writing the site in cooperation with the Town Archive. I only started last week but it's ongoing and I hope it will grow:

www.ettlingenww1.blogspot.de

Please let me know what you think.

Erine

[Anneca]

In one of the papers today - "Germany all quiet on world war front" (by James Gillespie, Bojan Pancevski and Richard Brooks):

The German government has been accused of being "fundamentally uninterested" in commemorating the centenary of the First World War as Britain prepares to launch four years of events to mark the conflict. The British government and its German counterpart have held a series of meetings, but the view in Berlin is said to remain 'rather different' from that of the allied countries. Some academics have suggested their government's approach is 'inappropriate' and a 'bit stupid'.

Britain has pledged £50m in public money for events ranging from memorial services to battlefield visits for school children and the placing of commemorative paving stones in the home towns of men who won the Victoria Cross. The BBC has set up a special unit to co-ordinate 2,500 hours of programming across four years.

In France the government is planning about 1,500 events in what is expected to be the greatest national commemoration since the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution in 1989.

Yet, according to reports in Germany, Andreas Meitzner, the senior diplomat in charge of the country's plans to mark the beginning of the war, has done little more than meet a group of experts as part of a discussion session. President Joachim Gauck, a former East German human rights activist, is now expected to take the lead.

Holger Afflerbach, a German who is Professor of Central European History at Leeds University said "Both the UK and France have set aside vast funds for the commemoration and in good time, while Germany decided that their efforts would be reactive - so no wonder many feel that attitude is a bit stupid. It is now clear that there will be last minute arrangements, which seems a bit inappropriate." Professior Gerd Krumeich, a German Historian who is part of a team advising the French government about the preparations, accused the German government of being "fundamentally uninterested". He said the French were irritated with the "we want nothing to do with it" attitude of the Germans, who were unable to answer the question: what does the First World War mean to us? The BBC, at least, cannot be accused of ducking the challenge. Its drama, The Ark, set in a field hospital just behind the front line, will open a set of more than 130 programmes over the next four years.

[SiegeGunner]

I am dismayed, but frankly not surprised, to hear that the Berlin project is in English. Unless there is a massive translation effort that has somehow escaped my attention (as a translator specialising in the Great War), I suspect this will mean that most of the wealth of material available in German will not reach a wider audience during the Centennial.

[Anneca]

I am dismayed, but frankly not surprised, to hear that the Berlin project is in English. Unless there is a massive translation effort that has somehow escaped my attention (as a translator specialising in the Great War), I suspect this will mean that most of the wealth of material available in German will not reach a wider audience during the Centennial.

I have to remind myself at times that some articles in newspapers are not necessarily correct. It would be interesting however to have the statement that the Berlin project is in English confirmed by any member who is knowledgeable on the subject.

Anne

[SiegeGunner]

It may, of course, be the case that the working language of the project is English, but that documents on particular topics are cited in their original language, with or without a translation. The Centennial would be a prime opportunity for the Germans to coordinate efforts between their various military archives (and collections in other countries) to see how much of the Prussian archive material lost at Potsdam in WW2 can be reconstituted from copies/duplicates held elsewhere, but I rather doubt that it will happen.

[ARMAGH]

Hi Michael

the one large project is the one instigated by the university in Berlin:

"1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War

Over the course of three years, the international joint research project "1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War” is developing an English-language virtual reference work on the First World War. Planned to be released in 2014, the centenary of the outbreak of World War I, the online encyclopedia will be the result of an international collaborative project to make available a multi-perspective, public-access knowledge base on the First World War."

There is a lot of European collaboration for this project and it will all be in English but it is centred in Berlin. There will be isolated interest in the general public but I do not think it will be anything like what occurs in the UK of in France. I will start to ask around some of my German friends and see if schools or the like are planning anything.

Jim

Jim is the museum in Minden doing anything on the start of WW1,I would be interested to know as I hope to be in Minden in early May 2014

Joe

[flers1916]

Hi,

I don't know of many centenary projects in Germany but I have started one for our town of Ettlingen in Baden, at the foot of the Black Forest. I am writing the site in cooperation with the Town Archive. I only started last week but it's ongoing and I hope it will grow:

www.ettlingenww1.blogspot.de

Please let me know what you think.

Erine

A brilliant site. Excellent stories by people actually in the war. I do wonder if 'we' would be so keen to commemorate the Great War if 'we' had been defeated. I hope 'we' would commemorate all who were damaged by the war at the front and at home.

[healdav]

That's great Jim, thanks for the information and would welcome any other references that you can supply re Germany marking the anniversary.

I understand that there are a couple of Great War re-encactment groups in Germany but not the Western Front Association, or their equivalent.

Regards

Michael Bully

There are some WFA members in Germany, I think. At least there used to be. You would need to ask the WFA for details (they are very bad i.e. don't, at telling a local branch if someone signs up as a full member. They leave it to the branch or the member to use a crystal ball).

[Erine]

A brilliant site. Excellent stories by people actually in the war. I do wonder if 'we' would be so keen to commemorate the Great War if 'we' had been defeated. I hope 'we' would commemorate all who were damaged by the war at the front and at home.

Thank you very much for your comment Graham. Such comments motivate me to continue. The beginning was slow, as I tried to explain to my fellow townspeople what I am doing and why, but there is more and more response now with people phoning up to say they have collected photos and have a story about a relative. It isn't about who lost or won, it's about giving recognition and respect to those who fought, as we all know, and the people who call know that too.

Please recommend our site further if you can!

Thanks, Erin

[David Ridgus]

A brilliant site. Excellent stories by people actually in the war. I do wonder if 'we' would be so keen to commemorate the Great War if 'we' had been defeated. I hope 'we' would commemorate all who were damaged by the war at the front and at home.

I think we probably would. As we know it is the 'defeats' perceived or otherwise that are foremost in the public consciousness of the Great War.

David

[hazelclark]

I can't really say that I blame the Germans not wanting to draw more attention than necessary to either war, since by and large they were blamed for starting both, and thus responsible for the carnage. Don't think I would be too keen.

Hazel C

[Anneca]

Thank you very much for your comment Graham. Such comments motivate me to continue. The beginning was slow, as I tried to explain to my fellow townspeople what I am doing and why, but there is more and more response now with people phoning up to say they have collected photos and have a story about a relative. It isn't about who lost or won, it's about giving recognition and respect to those who fought, as we all know, and the people who call know that too.

Please recommend our site further if you can!

Thanks, Erin

Erine, it is good to know there is more response to your project and it is an achievement to get together a collection of stories and photographs. I absolutely agree that it isn't about who lost or won but about recognition and respect for those who fought, died or were injured 100 years ago. Good luck with your project.

Anne

[depaor01]

I can't really say that I blame the Germans not wanting to draw more attention than necessary to either war, since by and large they were blamed for starting both, and thus responsible for the carnage. Don't think I would be too keen.

Hazel C

I was trying to find the words to say exactly this Hazel. Totally agree.

It doesn't help that Hitler used the memory of the German dead of the First World War to further his aims, therefore tainting the commemoration of Germany's war dead to this day.

Every one, whether Central Powers or Allied, was some mother's son and deserves remembrance.

Dave.

[JimSmithson]

Jim is the museum in Minden doing anything on the start of WW1,I would be interested to know as I hope to be in Minden in early May 2014

Joe

I'll ask Joe. I know one of the management there so I should be able to find out.

Jim

Every one, whether Central Powers or Allied, was some mother's son and deserves remembrance.

Dave.

Exactly - well said!

[ARMAGH]

Hello Jim

I am a volunteer researcher in the Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum in Armagh N.Ireland. I will still go into the museum in Minden for a look as there is always something of interest to see, it is a good museum. Does the Minden Museum have a facebook page? we have a student from Hannover coming across to us for 6 weeks in the summer.

Many thanks

Joe

[Erine]

We had some very interesting papers brought to us for the site by the soldier in question's granddaughter. There are typewritten references and a handwritten recommendation for promotion. I put the first few up in a new post, but further down on the first page there are more, with a handwritten certificate of promotion and a typed certificate from the Prussian army awarding him a medal (together with a photo of the medal).

I found these very interesting and think they are probably quite rare. In the meantime, the lady has given them to a museum, which accepted them with delight.

http://www.ettlingenww1.blogspot.de/

[Bart150]

It’s a beautiful site, Erine. Perfect English too. As far as I can see there is no German-language version of the site. But if you have any documents in German that are too large or awkward to translate please don’t be deterred from putting them on the site.

I have the impression that you are publishing a new soldier’s story once a week. That certainly gives a reason for people to bookmark the site and return to it. I’m curious how that works. For example, do you have enough material for many weeks ahead? How do you decide which men get their stories presented first? etc.

One suggestion. What about an ‘On this day’ feature? For example, ‘On this day, exactly 100 years ago, the Battle of Tannenberg began. The following men from Ettlingen were involved: ...’ I’ve no idea how feasible that would be. In any case the site is excellent as it is.

Bart

[Anneca]

Erine, what a fantastic site and as Bart has said, with perfect English. Reading the soldiers' stories and seeing their photographs brings the whole thing to life. Very interesting indeed and congratulations.

Anne

[Erine]

Thanks guys! I am English but it's good to hear my English is perfect . Thanks for the suggestion about the "On this day" feature. That would be a really good idea (maybe "In this week") but would involve a lot of research for me. I'll have to look into it.

To answer the question about the weekly stories: our town archive put an ad in the local paper a couple of months ago that I was looking for people to interview. Several people have called me with their stories, luckily not all the same time - enabling me to collect a few and put them up gradually at the rate of one a week. Another ad will be appearing this week, so I really hope to get more response. Also, the archive has put a link to the site this time (the site didn't exist at the time of the first ad).

I wrote the site in English so it could be read all over the world. Unfortunately the blog format doesn't allow for easy multi-language maintenance, and also I don't have the time to do 2 languages.

But in the "Feldpost" (letters from the battlefields) section, I am leaving the letters in German, with a small summary of each letter in English. The letters from the battlefields are the (perfectly preserved) handwritten letters that our town archive has, written by soldiers from the Front. I am slowly transcribing these letters into Word format. This is the main part of the work.

Even if I don't get any response to our second ad (which I don't think will happen), I will use some of the "Feldpost" and the accompanying photos as "Stories of the Week". There are several photos from the Front which I haven't put up yet. In fact, there is still so much material to work through that I could be busy for months yet! I also made a Facebook Group for the site.

[ARMAGH]

Erine Very interesting keep it going

Joe

[washingline]

Hi,

I don't know of many centenary projects in Germany but I have started one for our town of Ettlingen in Baden, at the foot of the Black Forest. I am writing the site in cooperation with the Town Archive. I only started last week but it's ongoing and I hope it will grow:

www.ettlingenww1.blogspot.de

Please let me know what you think.

Erine

Great blog site Erine. I wonder, as the site is the site available in German? Or can it be clicked between English and German? How much interest has it had in Ettlingen and the country as a whole and are there similar sites in other towns in Deutschland

[Erine]

Great blog site Erine. I wonder, as the site is the site available in German? Or can it be clicked between English and German? How much interest has it had in Ettlingen and the country as a whole and are there similar sites in other towns in Deutschland

Thank you washingline

No, I don't have the resources or the time to maintain in two languages unfortunately. There has been a lot of response and interest in Ettlingen itself. There are not many such sites being created in Germany as a whole, I think, at least I am not aware of them, nor is anyone else that I know. I have applied to Berlin and I hope they will include it in their list.