Kein Foto

Entrance

I spent the day (seriously, something like six hours) in the Haus der Geschichte, a museum that covers the history of Germany as a land and as a divided land. I decided that I would attempt to go completely into German mode, trying to keep from thinking in English and, if someone spoke to me, responding in German. This resulted in a few random English words being thrown into German sentences, when I didn't know the actual word. It was pretty amusing, denke ich.

The museum was quite interesting, full of information (of which I got the gist, if not necessarily the details) and artifacts. The old video reels, popular films, and documentaries were useful for my listening skills, as were the occasional snippets of conversation I heard while walking by.

"Wir Gegen Uns"

The current special exhibit is on the inter-Germany sports rivalry from the days of division. Though I'm not generally into sport, I found it interesting to read about the lengths to which both sides went in their attempt to better the other. It is titled "Wir Gegen Uns" (We Against Us), which is interesting from an anthropological standpoint. Not only is it referencing the current (and past) unity of Germany, it's emphasizing that. The presumption here -- and a smart one to include, from the standpoint of the reunified state -- is that, despite fifty years of separation, the Germans always remained, at heart, one people. (This is, of course, not to say that they didn't. I'm more interested in the way it is being portrayed by a [national] museum in a reunified state.)

This is, however, a rare day of no photos. No one was taking photos inside the museum, not even the other Americans I heard, so I'm assuming that it wasn't cool to do so. (Not that there were signs either way...perhaps it was printed on the maps?) You'll just have to use your imaginations, I'm afraid. (A., imagine many Polizei helmets from the beginning of the century. M., I now understand your fondness for propaganda posters.) In other news, something about the Trabi on exhibit in the museum smelled very strongly. Huh.

I went to dinner with U. and finally learned how to ask for the check. Yes! I do okay when ordering, but get anxious when it comes time to pay at a sit-down place and invariably screw up. So...one must simply wave at the waitperson and then say that. No more sitting for half an hour waiting for someone to come back! Hooray!

Finally, today I decided that my contribution to the Anthropology Seminar Room will be a "Wir Sind Ein Volk" poster/button/somesuch, from the days leading up to Reunification (z.B. this). It seems appropriate.