SunBird American/German Club plans End of Season Patio Party April 28

Frank Nechvatal

Our March meeting was geared to games, a video, and a presentation by Martin about Bremen/Bremerhafen. We also elected new club officers for the next two years: President Frank Nechvatal, Vice President Treva Christenson, Secretary Carol Dawley, and Treasurer Barb Valentine. Snacks and drinks were provided by the club.

We planned for our end of season Patio Party on Tuesday, April 28, at 5 p.m. on our patio. The club will have fried and baked chicken, potato salad, and baked beans. Members are asked to bring salads and desserts. Members may also bring beverages of their choice. See you all then.

With this article, we will look at the German State of Schleswig-Holstein. This state is the northernmost one comprising the historical duchy of Holstein and the duchy of Schleswig. The capital city is Kiel, with other notable cities of Luebeck and Flensburg. This region has bounced back and forth as being a part of Denmark or Germany until the 19th century. The culture is a combination of Danish and German aspects. The castles and manors in the countryside are the best examples of this tradition. The most important festivals are the Kiel Week, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (an annual classic music fest held over the entire region), the Luebeck Nordic Film Days which features movies from Scandinavian countries. The annual Wacken Open Air festival is considered the largest heavy metal rock festival in the world.

Danish, German, Low German, and North Frisian are the official languages of the state. Low German is still used in many parts of the state. Missingsch, a low German dialect with heavy High German influence, is commonly spoken informally throughout the state. There are also examples of a mixture of High German and Danish. North Frisian is spoken by the Frisians of the North Sea Coast and the Northern Frisian Islands. High German (Hoch Deutsch), introduced in the 16th century, has steadily come to replace local dialects throughout Germany and, as such, is the predominant language of media, law, and legislature. It is also what is spoken in the schools in Germany.

Auf wiedersehen