Frank Nechvatal
We held an abbreviated meeting due to the HOA Board scheduling a Town Hall meeting on the same night. At our meeting, we announced the passing of Donald McMullen. Donald, along with Frank Nechvatal, co-founded the German Club. Don passed away on Dec. 4, 2019. Mary, his wife, is planning a memorial on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, at 1 p.m. in the ballroom. Our meeting keyed on the upcoming Fasching party for the February meeting. The plan is to have a potluck, and members may come in costumes, as we will have a presentation of our Fasching Court. More information will follow when members are called to remind them of the meeting.
We will continue our review of German States this month with a look at Bremen. Bremen is a two-city state consisting of Bremen and Bremerhafen. Today, Bremen is the largest city on the Weser River, which is also the longest River in Germany that is entirely in Germany. Together with the port of Bremerhafen and Bremen’s port, they rank second after the Port of Hamburg. Bremen is a major cultural and economic hub in Northern Germany. It has numerous historic galleries and museums. Oddly enough, it is also considered a working-class city, home to numerous multinational companies. Bremen lies on both sides of the Weser about 37 miles upstream from its estuary on the North Sea and its transition to the outer Weser by Bremerhafen. This city is the 13th largest city in Germany, and in terms of population, it is second after Hamburg, and it is the 10th largest in all of Germany. The climate is moderate due to its closeness to the North Sea. Extreme temperatures are rare, with winter temperatures no lower than 50 degrees F and summer temperatures no warmer than 95 degrees F. The warmest months are June, July, and August, while the coldest months are December, January, and February. Bremen is the second development center of the region. It forms part of the production network of Airbus SAS and is responsible for the manufacturing of the wing units and the landing flaps. Also in Bremen is a plant of EADS Astrium and the headquarters of OHB-System, respectively, the first and third space companies of the European Union. Mercedes-Benz has a factory here. Beck & Co.’s brewing of Beck’s and St. Pauli Girl beer takes place in Bremen. Lastly, a large number of food-producing or trading companies are located here, along with Bremer Woll-Kaemmerei, a worldwide manufacturer of wool products.
Auf wiedersehen