Literary find
Someone found this book in the library at work and they let me keep it because I found it so amusing. It is a children's book from 1959 titled "The First Book Of West Germany."
The author, Norman Lobsenz, thanks "those members of the New York consulate of the German Federal Republic who so kindly read the manuscript for this book and offered suggestions concerning it."
If my fingers hold out, I'll try to post the whole thing. It's a very short book--58 pages. It has simple words and phrases in the back, too. I'm sure the German members of the community will find this particularly amusing. I know I did.
THE LAND AND ITS HISTORY
If you look at a map of Europe before 1945, you will see that in the heart of Western Europe there is a country called Germany. But look at a recent map. Now there are two countries--West Germany and East Germany. This book is chiefly about West Germany.
West Germany has the shape of a long, thick sausage, curved ever so little. It stretches from the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the border of Denmark, in the north, to Switzerland and Austria, in the south. In the north the land is flat, with many swamps, forests, and sandy plains. Some of the shore at the edge of the North Sea is actually lower than the level of the sea water. High dikes have been built to keep out the ocean. Off the northern-most coast are the Frisian Islands--what is left above water of land that sank, mostly under the sea, two thousand years ago.
Central West Germany is hilly but fertile farmland. Here farmers grow rye, potatoes, grain, and fruit in peaceful valleys, while above them wooded mountains rise. The Germans call the hills Wälder. Mountain brooks rush rapidly down the Wälder, through forests of pine and oak, beech and fir, into gentle streams in the valleys. Many of these streams find their way into the great rivers of Germany: the Main, the Rhine, the Elbe, the Weser, and the Danube.
Southern West Germany has even higher mountains, the Alps. They are beautiful. Tiny villages cling to their sides, and lakes like jewels lie snugly among their snowy peaks. At the very southern tip of Germany is its highest mountain, the Zugspitze, almost 10,000 feet high. Specially build railways chug to its top. From the summit a person can see across the Alps into Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.
But West Germany is not all farms and forests. The country is very rich in minerals, particularly coal, iron, potash, and salt. Its people are inventive and hard-working, and are skilled in crafts and science. For these reasons West Germany is an important industrial country, too.
West Germany is a northern country, but a warm ocean current off its shores heats the surrounding air and give the land a mild climate. It has pleasant summers, and rainy winters, with snow in the mountains.
In large part the history of Germany is the result of its geography. The rivers and mountains separate different regions within Germany, but there are no natural boundaries that separate this from neighboring lands to the north, east, and west. Germany sits in the center of Europe. Through the ages its river valleys and mountain passes have formed natural highways for travelers--merchants, monks, story-tellers, armies, barbarians, emperors. The Germans call their country a Durchgangsland, a place that is used for going through.
The Romans were among the early people to "go through" the land that is now Germany. They found a country of swamp and forest, where rough tribes wandered. The Roman soldiers conquered these barbarians as far north as the borders of the Rhine River. They made cities and roads and buildings in the land they took. Some of the ruins of these works still stand today.
But the mighty Rhine River protected the tribes on its northern side. These Germanic tribes, as they were called, came from all parts of Europe and Asia. Soon they moved against the Romans and crushed the empire.*
*I have always wondered why Klaus failed to point this out while Dorian was extolling the virtues of Rome.
For a time a famous emperor named Charlemagne ruled the Germanic tribes of all Western Europe. He lived in the city now called Aache. In its cathedral a marble throne still stands, said to have been Charlemagne's. When he died, no one man was strong enough to take his place. For nearly one thousand years, the knights and rulers of dozens of tiny kingdoms fought with one another for power. There was no one country called Germany during that time. Foreign rulers tried to grab some of the land for themselves, and entered the territory again and again. During the latter part of that time thousands of the natives left their homeland to go to America.
Finally, in 1871, a great leader named Otto von Bismarck united the German states into a single country, which was headed by an emperor. It became wealthy and powerful. But Bismarck and other German leaders were men who believed that "might makes right." They wanted even more power for Germany on land and sea. The country had great strength in its army, and more and more it found itself in quarrels with other countries. In 1914 these quarrels led to World War I.
That war went on for four years. Then Germany was beaten. The rule of the emperors was over, and a democratic German government with elected leaders was formed. But times were not always good, and the German people were often poor, hungry, and despairing. Men walked the streets, looking for jobs and food. In the 1930's a man named Adolf Hitler won power over the Germans by promising them prosperity, and revenge on the countries that had defeated them in 1918.
Hitler and his party, called the Nazis, stopped all free elections and government by the people. Hitler became the dictator of Germany. His word was law. Anyone who disagreed with him wa killed or put into a prison camp to be tortured. Hitler prepared to conquer the world.
In 1938 he invaded Austria, while other countries of the world did nothing to stop him. But in 1939, when he took over Poland, France and England declared war. So World War II began.
At first the German armies in World War II could not be beaten. Almost all of Europe came under the rule of Hitler. But at last Great Britain, the United States, Russia, and their allies proved too strong for Germany. In April, 1945. on the day that the Allies marched into Germany's capital, Berlin, Hitler killed himself.
Germany was completely defeated. Her cities were flattened by bombings. Her roads, railways, factories, and mines were ruined. There was no government. To bring order and peace, the country was divided into four zones, and the armies of France, Britain, Russia, and the United States each occupied one of these zones.
The German people worked long and hard to rebuild their ruined nation. At the same time they were learning how to govern themselves as free people. Unfortunately, the Russians wanted to set up their form of government, Communism, in Germany. Although the Germans did not wish it, the Russians did force Communism onto the people in the area they occupied.
In time, the Germans took over more power in their country, but even now Germany is still divided. One part os it is called East Germany and is controlled by Russia. Thre is little prosperity and no freedom there, and not many of the cities, houses, or factories destroyed by war have been rebuilt. Russia does not allow people to pass freely from the outside into the territory she controls. It is as if an unseen wall separated East Germany from the rest of the country, keeping the German people apart. This imaginary wall is spoken of as the Iron Curtain. The German people feel great sorrow that their beloved country and its people are now divided ans that today there are two Germanys: East Germany and West Germany.
West Germany is the part of the country which was occupied by the armies of France, Britain, and the United States. In 1949 the German Federal Republic was formed here as a free, democratic government. Theodor Heuss was elected its President for a five-year term, and was re-elected in 1954. Konrad Adenauer was chosen to be Chancellor, the man most responsible for running the country. He was re-elected later. The capital is Bonn, a small city on the banks of the Rhine River.
The Federal Republic is made up of ten states, called Länder in German. (Each single state is called a Land.) Each Land elects men to represent it in the Bundestag and Bundestrat in Bonn. These gatherings carry out government by the people, just as similar gatherings in other democratic countries do.
As a result of their hard work, and with the help of the United States and other countries, the people of West Germany have recovered from the ruin of war. Cities, farms, and factories have been rebuilt. There are thousands of new schools and homes. Ancient landmarks and famous buildings have been repaired. In some places the people used the bricks and broken bits og smashed buildings to put together new ones.
American soldiers are still in West Germany today. But they are there as allies and friends rather than as occupation troops.
-----
It was all I could do to resist putting aside comments throughout this excerpt. Russians! Boo hiss! France Britain, and the United States. Yea! The Good Guys! *pulls out flag and waves furiously*
The author, Norman Lobsenz, thanks "those members of the New York consulate of the German Federal Republic who so kindly read the manuscript for this book and offered suggestions concerning it."
If my fingers hold out, I'll try to post the whole thing. It's a very short book--58 pages. It has simple words and phrases in the back, too. I'm sure the German members of the community will find this particularly amusing. I know I did.
THE LAND AND ITS HISTORY
If you look at a map of Europe before 1945, you will see that in the heart of Western Europe there is a country called Germany. But look at a recent map. Now there are two countries--West Germany and East Germany. This book is chiefly about West Germany.
West Germany has the shape of a long, thick sausage, curved ever so little. It stretches from the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the border of Denmark, in the north, to Switzerland and Austria, in the south. In the north the land is flat, with many swamps, forests, and sandy plains. Some of the shore at the edge of the North Sea is actually lower than the level of the sea water. High dikes have been built to keep out the ocean. Off the northern-most coast are the Frisian Islands--what is left above water of land that sank, mostly under the sea, two thousand years ago.
Central West Germany is hilly but fertile farmland. Here farmers grow rye, potatoes, grain, and fruit in peaceful valleys, while above them wooded mountains rise. The Germans call the hills Wälder. Mountain brooks rush rapidly down the Wälder, through forests of pine and oak, beech and fir, into gentle streams in the valleys. Many of these streams find their way into the great rivers of Germany: the Main, the Rhine, the Elbe, the Weser, and the Danube.
Southern West Germany has even higher mountains, the Alps. They are beautiful. Tiny villages cling to their sides, and lakes like jewels lie snugly among their snowy peaks. At the very southern tip of Germany is its highest mountain, the Zugspitze, almost 10,000 feet high. Specially build railways chug to its top. From the summit a person can see across the Alps into Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.
But West Germany is not all farms and forests. The country is very rich in minerals, particularly coal, iron, potash, and salt. Its people are inventive and hard-working, and are skilled in crafts and science. For these reasons West Germany is an important industrial country, too.
West Germany is a northern country, but a warm ocean current off its shores heats the surrounding air and give the land a mild climate. It has pleasant summers, and rainy winters, with snow in the mountains.
In large part the history of Germany is the result of its geography. The rivers and mountains separate different regions within Germany, but there are no natural boundaries that separate this from neighboring lands to the north, east, and west. Germany sits in the center of Europe. Through the ages its river valleys and mountain passes have formed natural highways for travelers--merchants, monks, story-tellers, armies, barbarians, emperors. The Germans call their country a Durchgangsland, a place that is used for going through.
The Romans were among the early people to "go through" the land that is now Germany. They found a country of swamp and forest, where rough tribes wandered. The Roman soldiers conquered these barbarians as far north as the borders of the Rhine River. They made cities and roads and buildings in the land they took. Some of the ruins of these works still stand today.
But the mighty Rhine River protected the tribes on its northern side. These Germanic tribes, as they were called, came from all parts of Europe and Asia. Soon they moved against the Romans and crushed the empire.*
*I have always wondered why Klaus failed to point this out while Dorian was extolling the virtues of Rome.
For a time a famous emperor named Charlemagne ruled the Germanic tribes of all Western Europe. He lived in the city now called Aache. In its cathedral a marble throne still stands, said to have been Charlemagne's. When he died, no one man was strong enough to take his place. For nearly one thousand years, the knights and rulers of dozens of tiny kingdoms fought with one another for power. There was no one country called Germany during that time. Foreign rulers tried to grab some of the land for themselves, and entered the territory again and again. During the latter part of that time thousands of the natives left their homeland to go to America.
Finally, in 1871, a great leader named Otto von Bismarck united the German states into a single country, which was headed by an emperor. It became wealthy and powerful. But Bismarck and other German leaders were men who believed that "might makes right." They wanted even more power for Germany on land and sea. The country had great strength in its army, and more and more it found itself in quarrels with other countries. In 1914 these quarrels led to World War I.
That war went on for four years. Then Germany was beaten. The rule of the emperors was over, and a democratic German government with elected leaders was formed. But times were not always good, and the German people were often poor, hungry, and despairing. Men walked the streets, looking for jobs and food. In the 1930's a man named Adolf Hitler won power over the Germans by promising them prosperity, and revenge on the countries that had defeated them in 1918.
Hitler and his party, called the Nazis, stopped all free elections and government by the people. Hitler became the dictator of Germany. His word was law. Anyone who disagreed with him wa killed or put into a prison camp to be tortured. Hitler prepared to conquer the world.
In 1938 he invaded Austria, while other countries of the world did nothing to stop him. But in 1939, when he took over Poland, France and England declared war. So World War II began.
At first the German armies in World War II could not be beaten. Almost all of Europe came under the rule of Hitler. But at last Great Britain, the United States, Russia, and their allies proved too strong for Germany. In April, 1945. on the day that the Allies marched into Germany's capital, Berlin, Hitler killed himself.
Germany was completely defeated. Her cities were flattened by bombings. Her roads, railways, factories, and mines were ruined. There was no government. To bring order and peace, the country was divided into four zones, and the armies of France, Britain, Russia, and the United States each occupied one of these zones.
The German people worked long and hard to rebuild their ruined nation. At the same time they were learning how to govern themselves as free people. Unfortunately, the Russians wanted to set up their form of government, Communism, in Germany. Although the Germans did not wish it, the Russians did force Communism onto the people in the area they occupied.
In time, the Germans took over more power in their country, but even now Germany is still divided. One part os it is called East Germany and is controlled by Russia. Thre is little prosperity and no freedom there, and not many of the cities, houses, or factories destroyed by war have been rebuilt. Russia does not allow people to pass freely from the outside into the territory she controls. It is as if an unseen wall separated East Germany from the rest of the country, keeping the German people apart. This imaginary wall is spoken of as the Iron Curtain. The German people feel great sorrow that their beloved country and its people are now divided ans that today there are two Germanys: East Germany and West Germany.
West Germany is the part of the country which was occupied by the armies of France, Britain, and the United States. In 1949 the German Federal Republic was formed here as a free, democratic government. Theodor Heuss was elected its President for a five-year term, and was re-elected in 1954. Konrad Adenauer was chosen to be Chancellor, the man most responsible for running the country. He was re-elected later. The capital is Bonn, a small city on the banks of the Rhine River.
The Federal Republic is made up of ten states, called Länder in German. (Each single state is called a Land.) Each Land elects men to represent it in the Bundestag and Bundestrat in Bonn. These gatherings carry out government by the people, just as similar gatherings in other democratic countries do.
As a result of their hard work, and with the help of the United States and other countries, the people of West Germany have recovered from the ruin of war. Cities, farms, and factories have been rebuilt. There are thousands of new schools and homes. Ancient landmarks and famous buildings have been repaired. In some places the people used the bricks and broken bits og smashed buildings to put together new ones.
American soldiers are still in West Germany today. But they are there as allies and friends rather than as occupation troops.
-----
It was all I could do to resist putting aside comments throughout this excerpt. Russians! Boo hiss! France Britain, and the United States. Yea! The Good Guys! *pulls out flag and waves furiously*