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A few times before on ET, I scoffed at the particularly extreme level of English language fetishizm in Germany ("Neudeutsch" = Neo-German). Once Martin gave me this gem, quoting then Baden-Württenberg state PM, now EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger:

Oettinger kann alles außer Deutsch

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"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

Trouble is: Oettinger's own proficiency in English... SPIEGEL calls attention to a video on YouTube exposing his transgressions:

(first there is the original of Martin's quote, so fast forward to 0:26 if you don't speak German)

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 07:22:06 AM EST
What do you expect from Baden-Württemberg, given their difficulties with German?

You link makes an obvious reference to this notorious marketing campaign.

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 07:34:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Auf YouTube werden Oettingers Gehversuche im Englischen bissig kommentiert. "Das soll gar kein Englisch sein, sondern Hochdeutsch", witzelt ein Nutzer in Anspielung auf den Werbeslogan Baden-Württembergs ("Wir können alles. Außer hochdeutsch").

I couldn't find that comment, though (maybe the author removed it?...)

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 08:47:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]
To include those not speaking German in the fun: in Oettinger's home state Baden-Württenberg, the Swabian dialect is predominant, and there is a stereotype that Swabians can't drop their strong accent when attempting to speak in High German (the literary and media form) even if they try. Playing on this, the state got itself the slogan "We can do everything. Except speaking High German!"... According to SPIEGEL, a YouTube commenter of the video played on this, saying Oettinger's murder of the language was not an attempt in English but in High German...

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Tue Jan 26th, 2010 at 08:54:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
oetinger is one creepy seeming person. I saw his posters all over during a trip to germany a couple of years back and, without any idea who he was, got a distinct impression.
by rootless2 on Wed Jan 27th, 2010 at 09:05:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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