European Tribune - Comments - A different rebellion against centrism

A different rebellion against centrism | 14 comments (14 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: A different rebellion against centrism (4.00 / 2)

religion latin religio is a compound of 're' something like 'back' or 'self' and 'ligio' something like bound. So in the strict sense of the word religion is, what binds those of the specific religion together.

In this sense, language is indeed one of the most 'religious' things.

Here some bilangual column (to please dodo):

Der dritte Grund meines Bleibens war - die deutsche Sprache. Meine Muttersprache, das wunderbare Instrument meines Berufes, das Elixier meines Daseins - wollte ich doch immer schreiben (wenn auch mit der kurzlebigen Einschränkung, zunächst einmal Lokomotivführer, Cowboy oder Jockey zu werden). Aber das Sonderverhältnis zum Wort zeigte sich sehr früh. Auch in der finstersten Heimatlosigkeit der Nazizeit ist die deutsche Sprache immer meine Heimat geblieben, hatte es zwischen ihr und mir niemals Dissonanzen, nie Mißtöne gegeben. Ich habe viele Sprachen gelernt, und hoffe, nicht in den Verdacht der Unbescheidenheit zu kommen, wenn ich sage, daß mein Intelligenzquotient ja nicht gerade unterentwickelt ist - aber in einer anderen als der deutschen Sprache zu schreiben, das habe ich nie auch nur angedacht. Wenn ich über Jahre hin als Fernsehmann in der weiten Welt war, sei es in der Pampa, in der Wüste oder bei den Antipoden, immer wieder habe ich mich dort mit Entsetzen gefragt: ,,Was, wenn du nicht mehr zurückkehren, nicht mehr in deiner Sprache schreiben könntest? Was, wenn das Schicksal dich irgendwohin verschlagen hätte, wo sie nichts taugte und niemand etwas von ihr wissen wollte?" Und habe natürlich dabei gedacht an die vielen deutschsprachigen Schriftstellerinnen und Schriftsteller, Vertriebene der ersten Stunde, denen 1933 nichts blieb, als aus Furcht um Leib und Leben in die Fremde zu flüchten und dort, soweit sie überhaupt entkamen, zu verkümmern - war Deutsch doch, bis auf wenige Ausnahmen im Exil, verpönt und seine Bühne schmal.[...]

The third reason I was staying [in Germany] - the German language. My mother tongue, the wonderful tool of my profession, the elixir of my life - I always wanted to write (albeit with the short-lived restrictions before to become locomotiv leader, cowboy or jockey). But the special relationship to the word showed up very early. Even in the darkest homelessness of the Nazi era the German language always remained my home, it had never been between her and me dissonances.
I have learned many languages, and hope, not in the suspicion of immodesty [...; silence due to politeness] but in a language other than German to write I never even considered . When I was about for years as a television man in the world, whether in the Pampa, in the desert or with the antipodes, I always asked with dismay:"What if you no longer can go back, if you no longer could write in your language? What if the fate would put me somewhere away, where my language was good for nothing and nobody wanted to know about her[$$]? And did of course thought about the many German-speaking writers, displaced the first hour, who had no option any more in 1933, than to flee for fear to life and limb into foreign countries, where they, in case they escaped at all, were crippled - as German was, with few exceptions in exile, frowned upon and her stage narrow.[...]

$$ probably in English 'it', but I liked the idea that the entity Giordano praises is female instead of neutral

Doch schon damals, in der Lichtlosigkeit tiefster Verfolgung und noch völlig besetzt von der Selbstverständlichkeit des Emigrationsschwurs danach, war ich sicher: Wo immer ich auch sein würde, das Buch könnte nur in der deutschen, und keiner anderen Sprache geschrieben werden.

But even then, in the deepest darkness of persecution and still totally occupied by the implicitness of the oath of emigration thereafter, I was sure: Wherever I also would be, the book could only be written in German, and no other language.

Wie herrlich vokalreich, wie melodiös das Italienische; von welch klingender Grazie das Französische; wie kristallen das harte Stakkato des Spanischen... Aber vergehen, vergehen über eine Wendung, ein Wort, einen Satz, darüber hinschmelzen mit dem ganzen Herzen und der ganzen Seele - das kann ich nur, wenn mir solch verbales Wunder auf Deutsch begegnet. Deshalb bin ich in Situationen von Sprach- und Verständigungsschwierigkeiten auch immer nur noch der halbe Giordano.

How wonderfully rich in vocals, how melodic is Italian! of what sounding grace the French! like crystals of the harsh staccato Spanish! But pass, pass away for a collocation, a word, a phrase melting with the whole heart and soul of the whole - that I can only if such verbal wonders encounters me in German.

So far the by far most elaborated reason for not leaving Germany in 1945. Before that part Giordano talks about the reasons, why leaving was on the agenda at all.

Vor der Befreiung am 4. Mai 1945 durch die 8. Britische Armee in Hamburg gerade rechtzeitig noch, um Eltern, Brueder und mich in unserem illegalen Versteck vor dem Hungertod zu bewahren - war klar: Wenn wir befreit werden wuerden, dann wuerden wir Deutschland verlassen, wuerden seinen blutigen Staub von unseren Füßen schuetteln und möglichst weite Distanzen zwischen ihm und uns legen. Spätestens seit 1938 sprachen wir nur noch von den Deutschen -wir gehörten nicht mehr dazu. [...] Und als sie schließlich zu Ende gingen, diese zwölf Jahre, die wie hundert zählten - was alles hatte sich da aufgestaut, im Übermaß komprimiert, sich geradezu explosiv angesammelt an Motiven, Deutschland den Rücken zu kehren! Hier zum Verständnis nur ein Ausschnitt davon: Die Isolation hatte sogleich begonnen, schon im April 1933 -durch die Einteilung in arische und nichtarische Schüler gleich bei der Einschulung auf dem Hamburger Johanneum. - Der erste ,,Besuch" der Gestapo fand schon einen Monat später statt, wegen angeblich staatsfeindlicher Zusammenkünfte bei uns, denunziert von Nachbarn, mit denen wir uns bis dahin bestens verstanden hatten: die Mutter, für mich unvergeßlich, mit blutleerem Gesicht an der Tür - es war sechs Uhr früh.		Before the liberation, 4 May 1945 by the 8th British army in Hamburg -just in time to parents, brothers and me in our illegal hiding from starvation - was clear: If we would be liberated, then we would leave Germany, would shake its [Germany is neutral in German] bloody dust from our feet and bring the longest distances possible between it and us. Since 1938, we talked only of the Germans, we were not part any more. [...] And when they finally came to an end, these 12 years, long as one hundred, everything had since accumulated, exorbitantly compressed, accumulated to explosive motives, to leave Germany! Here to understanding -Only a snipplet of them: The isolation had immediately started already in April 1933-by division into Aryan and other pupils at the same enrollment at the Hamburg Johanneum [a school]. - The first visit of the Gestapo took part about a month later, allegedly because of subversive activities meetings of us, denounced by neighbors, with whom we have hitherto had perfectly understood: the mother, for me unforgettable, with exsanguinous face at the door; it was six clock am.
-Im Sommer 1934 dann aus dem Munde von Spielgefährten seit Kindheit an dieser Satz: ,,Ralle, mit dir spielen wir nicht mehr, du bist Jude!" -eine Erfahrung für den Elfjährigen, von der es keine Erholung geben kann, so alt man auch werden mag. [...] In welche Verzweiflung muß sich ein Fünfzehnjähriger, so alt war ich 1938, gestürzt sehen, um seinem Leben von eigener Hand ein Ende machen zu wollen, weil er gegen die Übermacht eines antisemitischen Lehrers nicht länger anzukommen glaubte? - Dann der 9. auf den 10. November 1938... Es ist unhistorisch, Auschwitz zu antizipieren, aber auch wahr, daß ich, als ich am Tage nach dem Scherbengewitter der Reichspogromnacht über die Glassplitter in der Hamburger Innenstadt watete, dachte: 'Wer das tat, der ist zu allem fähig, zu allem!' [...] Im Zentrum dieses apokalyptischen Grauens die Meinen und ich, mitten drin und tödlich bedroht. Nicht, weil wir uns auf die Straße stellten und brüllten: ,,Nieder mit Hitler!", sondern weil wir da waren auf der Welt - unser Verbrechen war unsere biologische, unsere physische Existenz, das bloße Sein. [...] Am Ende von Verhören der Topos einer übermächtigen, schmerzverwirrten, von gnädigen Ohnmachten unterbrochenen Sehnsucht, die dem Delirierenden, sobald er wieder zu Bewußtsein kam, in einem Dämmerzustand zwischen Leben und Tod, als höchstes Glück vorgaukelte: ,,Ungeboren bleiben, nie, nie geboren werden" - ein Entkleidungzustand von allem menschlich Vorstellbaren. [...] Dann Zwangsarbeit, Flucht in die Illegalität, in dieses feuchte, rattenverseuchte, stockdunkle Kellerloch da im Norden Hamburgs, wohin wir vor der Deportation der Mutter geflohen waren - ständig bedroht von Entdeckung, von Bomben und, länger abgeschnitten von jeder Außenverbindung, vom Hungertod. [...] Ich sehe noch meine Mutter - in das Versteck mit schwarzen Haaren gegangen, nun aber vollkommen ergraut, war sie nicht fähig, unseren Befreiern entgegenzugehen. Vielmehr rutschte sie, wie wir, Vater und Brüder auch, auf Knien nach vorn, den Panzern entgegen.		In the summer of 1934, then from the mouths of playmate since childhood this sentence: "Ralle [nickname for Ralph], we play with you no more, you're Jew!' -an experience available to the eleven year old from which it can give no recovery as old as you will become. [...] In what despair must be a 15 year old, I was in 1938, to want to see his life end by his own hand, because he believes not bear any more the uberpower of an anti-semitic teacher? - Then the 9th on the 10th November 1938 ... It is unhistorical, Auschwitz to anticipate, but also true that, when I, on the day after, went over the glass splinters in downtown Hamburg, thought: 'Who did that is capable to do everything!' [...] In the center of this apocalyptic horror my people and I, in the middle and deadly threatened. Not because we were on the street and shouted: 'Away with Hitler!', but because we were at the World, our crime was our biological, our physical existence, the bare being. [...] [Difficult to translate, but some more bad news] [...] Then, forced labor, fleeing into the Illegality, in this damp, rat-contaminated, pitch dark cellar hole there in the north of Hamburg, where we fled from the deportation of the mother - steadily threatened by discovery, of bombs and, longer cut off from everyone, from starvation. [...] I still see my mother gone into the hideout with black hair gone, but now completely gray, now was not capable to walk to our liberators. Rather, she slipped, as we, father and brothers also on knees forward, to the tanks.

There are very few countries with multiple dominant languages in different parts of the country and those that are, like Spain have problems to create an unproblematic national identity. I think - even as Giordano is a writer and therefore has a stronger affinity than others, these excerpts of a speech help to understand the importance to keep German as the language of this country.

While the decision is indeed an overloading of the constitution, the necessity to value the German language higher is utterly important. Especially as a message of the base to the top of the party. And yes, as well towards the immigrants, who are crippling most of all their own chances when not accepting German as the prime language in Germany, but with that as well the rest of us.

Oettinger kann alles außer Deutsch

"Ich glaub', dass jeder, egal ob er Facharbeiter einer Werkzeugmaschine ist, ob er Geschäftsführer ist, ob er Zahlen oder Anleitungen lesen muss, daß jeder Englisch verstehen und Englisch sprechen können muss; [...] Deutsch bleibt die Sprache der Familie, der Freizeit, die Sprache, in der man Privates liest, aber - Englisch wird die Arbeitssprache."

"I believe that everyone, regardless of whether he is a skilled machine tool[$] whether he is a managing director whether he figures must be read or instructions, everybody must understand English and speak English [...] German remains the language of family, leisure, the language in which one reads, but - English is the working language."

$skilled worker, I didn't change the cute google translation here

If ever the working language in politics becomes English in Germany, we do have serious trouble, a serious exclusion of many people from democratic processes, and a strong loss in the cohesion of this society. And if a language isn't used to do speak about all the aspects of live, and not just some leisure time stuff, the language will cease to be a full language at all. The possibilities for expression will shrink, and with that the capability to think in certain ways will shrink, just like in the book 1984 the language was simplified to keep people under control. And Oettinger is not the only dangerous person, but only the most blunt one.

If you want to abandon everything, which forms a base of social cohesion, on which ground do you argue to have any measures, that can be described as welfare state. On which ground is the poverty of somebody in my country (and obviously not the poverty in some other country, because this would require totally different measures) something that needs my effort to abolish, when there really is not something you can call a society?

Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den Menschen
Volker Pispers

by Martin (weiser.mensch(at)googlemail.com) on Thu Dec 4th, 2008 at 11:13:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

The link (none / 1)

to Giordano's speech.

Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den Menschen
Volker Pispers

by Martin (weiser.mensch(at)googlemail.com) on Thu Dec 4th, 2008 at 11:14:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A different rebellion against centrism (none / 0)

Und habe natürlich dabei gedacht an die vielen deutschsprachigen Schriftstellerinnen und Schriftsteller, Vertriebene der ersten Stunde, denen 1933 nichts blieb, als aus Furcht um Leib und Leben in die Fremde zu flüchten und dort, soweit sie überhaupt entkamen, zu verkümmern

And did of course thought about the many German-speaking writers, displaced the first hour, who had no option any more in 1933, than to flee for fear to life and limb into foreign countries, where they, in case they escaped at all, were crippled

The fate of many in those years. Also in the movie business. Some of those managed to find a new English-language identity in Hollywood, with more (Marlene Dietrich, Zoltán Korda) or less (Fritz Lang) success, others not. A non-German example often quited here in this context is Gyula Kabos: a comedian who was also the was the uncontested number one star in the comedy-centred Hungarian movie industry. However, he was Jewish, and he fled to New York on the eve of WWII. Not only did he fail to make any career there, but committed suicide two years later.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Dec 5th, 2008 at 03:43:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A different rebellion against centrism (none / 0)

Martin:

the necessity to value the German language higher is utterly important. Especially as a message of the base to the top of the party. And yes, as well towards the immigrants, who are crippling most of all their own chances when not accepting German as the prime language in Germany, but with that as well the rest of us.

I don't disagree on the surface. But, the way this is usually related to immigrants in conservative discourse is not of something to be offered to them (which would be sensible for something that, as you say, cripples their own chances; and indeed most immigrants do aspire to learn German all on their own), but something required from them, even as condition to get certain things. (I should also point out that concern for language protection can devolve much beyond simple language tests -- see my recent Slovakian-Hungarian frontpage story.)

I found it very interesting that you connected the base's vote to just what Sick criticised, the undermining of German by Germans themselves. Has such criticism of the party leaders been explicitely formulated at the party conference or before it?

At any rate, the Oettinger quote is a gem. Though, one that surprises me less --

If ever the working language in politics becomes English in Germany, we do have serious trouble

I think Oettinger didn't mean his own profession -- in fact, given the predilection of German politicians to dig up rare/old words and expressions and create new ones to pepper up their rhetoric, I am pretty sure he simply to forgot about his own profession. Rather, I think he was communicating views he got from his friends in big business. You know I am a leftie, but this time I'm bringing up "big business" not out of some anti-capitalist association, but purely out of personal observation: I'm all too aware of these views. (This is to be part of that Neudeutsch diary.)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Dec 5th, 2008 at 04:14:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A different rebellion against centrism (none / 1)

Some public institutions are very well disciples of Neudeutsch, e.g. universities. And when they haven't bought fully into it, they are critisised as not sufficiently international.
And there are daily issues; is it necessary to give a talk in English, when there is only one person, that doesn't speak German, despite living for 5 years already in Germany? Have post docs that can't speak German the same teaching duties as those, who can? And if they have not, why aren't they required to learn German in the time the others do their teaching duties?
And names of Institutions; why is the new facility of the Rechenzentrum called 'Steinbuch Centre for Computing' and not 'Steinbuch Zentrum für maschinelles Rechnen'?

I know of somebody who studied one year in Spain. They didn't even have web pages in English. Of course a German student, who wants to study in Spain, learns Spanish, a student who wants to study in France, learns French, a student who wants to study in Sweden, learns Swedish, and a student who wants to study in China, learns Chinese. Only the German universities 'lack internationality', when you can't get your diploma or master in English.
</whining>

Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den Menschen
Volker Pispers

by Martin (weiser.mensch(at)googlemail.com) on Fri Dec 5th, 2008 at 11:08:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A different rebellion against centrism (none / 0)

Some public institutions are very well disciples of Neudeutsch, e.g. universities.

Well, I have to rely on my ideology there: I think that is a consequence of market philosophy at universities.

...lots of things more or less agreed on...

Only the German universities 'lack internationality', when you can't get your diploma or master in English.

On that one, I have to disillusion you -- from what I know, this trend is pretty widespread. In Budapest, the technical university and the medical university have English courses, too. Well -- in fact, both have German courses, too -- I brought these up because once I travelled to Vienna with three girls from Bavaria who studied here -- and, at the same time, were hopeless Anglo-American fans.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Dec 5th, 2008 at 02:06:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A different rebellion against centrism (none / 1)

In Italy, the University of Bolzano does a lot of its teaching in English. Of course, this is a special case, with English being sort of politically neutral, though students are expected to take courses in both German and Italian as well (they also have some limited support for Ladin).

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Fri Dec 5th, 2008 at 06:22:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A different rebellion against centrism (none / 0)

If you want to abandon everything, which forms a base of social cohesion

I obviously don't :-) But I am content with society founded on multiple parallel bases of social cohesion in multiple partially overlapping groups. (I would also like to internationalise the welfare state and see the enclosing nation state focus resulting from welfare state construction and protection as a problem even on the left, but that would lead the discussion too far.)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Dec 5th, 2008 at 04:19:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

A different rebellion against centrism | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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