THE HOMELAND / DIE HEIMAT
PAGE 2
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF GERMANY'S HISTORY
Index:
Martin
Luther
Gerhard
Mercator
Johannes
Kepler
The
Thirty Year War
Frederick
2 (The Great)
Otto
von Bismark
Gottfried
Wilhelm Leibnitz
Johann
Sebastian Bach
Immanuel
Kant
Meyer
Amschel Rothschild
Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe
Ludwig
van Beethoven
Carl
Friedrich Gauss
Arthur
Schoppenhauer
Justus
von Liebig
Richard
Wagner
Werner
von Siemens
Karl
Marx
Heinrich
Schliemann
Robert
Koch
Friedrich
Nietzsche
Wilhelm
Conrad Röntgen
Otto
Lilienthal
Max
Planck
Albert
Schweitzer
Otto
Hahn
Albert
Einstein
Werner
von Heisenberg
Wernher
von Braun
Germany
after W.W.II
The son
of a miner, he was born in Eisleben (Harz Mountains, Germany). In 1501 he commenced
his law studies at the University of Erfurt, and joined the Augustinian hermit
monastery in 1505. He was ordained priest in 1507, and began his theological
studies. He received his doctorate in theology in Wittenberg in 1512, and was
appointed professor there. On 31. October 1517, Martin Luther posted his
95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg castle church. The theses spread through
Germany and neighbouring countries like wildfire, and Luther realized that he
had started an avalanche. As a result, he was excommunicated and put under the
ban of the Empire (Reichsacht) by the Imperial Diet (Reichstag) in 1521.
Having taken refuge in the Wartburg castle he began to translate the bible into
German in 1521. He died in Eisleben and was buried in the castle church in Wittenberg.
In his
struggle against the abusive actions of the papacy and the church, Luther ushered
in an intellectual–historical upheaval of unimaginable proportions and in the
end a second confession had been legally recognized by the Empire.
Mercator,
the son of a shoemaker, was born in Flanders. In 1534 he received his doctorate
from the University of Leuven in philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and cosmography.
In 1539/41 he produced the first globes of the earth in 1551. All contemporary
reports judged them superior in every respect. However, it was his subsequent
work in Duisburg (Germany) which made him world–famous. In 1554 he published
an epoch–making map of Europe with a hitherto unknown accuracy. Printers could
hardly keep up with the demand. And in 1569 he published a world map, intended
primarily for seafarers, which incorporated his new (true angle) projection
technique. For centuries the ‘mercator projection’ controlled cartography. It
is still being used in marine and aviation maps.
Born
in Weil der Stadt (Germany), his parents enjoyed public esteem, but were so
poor that his father had to earn a living as a mercenary. Kepler’s life is best
summed up by Goethe:” When we consider his life history, we are convinced that
true genius surmounts all obstacles.” Under these obstacles his work is truly
phenomenal. When he observed the orbits of Mars, Kepler postulated and proved
his three famous planetary laws:
When
Kepler died, nobody, except Galilei, realized that Kepler had completed Copernicus’
work, and that he had set the stage for all future classical physics and astronomy.
1618
– 1648 - The Thirty Years’ War
Over
many years irreconcilable antagonism between Catholics and Protestants intensified
to the point when open war broke out in Bohemia, and quickly spread and turned
all of Germany into a theatre of all-out war between the Catholic Union and
the Protestant League. However, what extended the war for many years were ceaseless
foreign interventions: by France, under Richelieu, to extend her eastern possessions
and to weaken the Habsburgs, and by Sweden, under King Gustavus Adolfus, to
extend her foothold in northern Germany.
When
Wallenstein was murdered in 1634 all idea of German unity died with him, and
for the next 14 years Germany was simply the battleground of French, Spanish,
Austrian, and Swedish armies, which, with impunity and advantages of plunder,
reduced the country to a state of misery that no historian has been able to
describe, save by detailing the horrors of one or other village or town (sack
of Madgeburg) among the thousands that were ruined. –The war, starvation, and
the plague had reduced Germany’s population by almost one third. After the Treaty
of Westphalia (1648) Germany suffered territorial losses to Sweden and France
(65,000 km²), and obtained a frontier against France which was incapable of
defence. German central authority was replaced almost entirely by the sovereignty
of about 300 independent princes. For the next century Germany remained in the
stillness of exhaustion.
What
his great–grandfather, the Grand Elector, and his father, Frederick William
I, had started, Frederick II inherited when he succeeded to the throne in 1740:
Although Prussia had become a power to be reckoned with, she was nevertheless
threatened continuously by her neighbour, like Saxony, France, Sweden, Russia,
but mostly by Austria. Frederick was, therefore, involved in many campaigns
for the first 23 years of his reign. Almost always outnumbered, and often down
on his luck, he managed with ingenuity, cunning, sheer stubbornness, and good
fortune to win the last, decisive battles. And finally, after the Treaty of
Hubertusburg in 1763, the Kingdom of Prussia had become one of Europe’s formidable
powers.
In the
Age of Absolutism, Frederick was ahead of his time when he proclaimed that “I
am the first servant of the state”, and on religious freedom (he was a mason):
“Everyone can seek salvation in his own fashion.” Both promises became law,
and he played the leading role in enforcing them. He abolished serfdom of farmers.
Prestige had no place before the law.
After
the last war he distributed cattle and seed among impoverished farmers, and
Silesia received three million thalers. He sent his best civil servants to the
new districts, built schools, villages, and towns, and populated them with imported
tradesmen and merchants. Experienced colonists from the Netherlands drained
swamps. He established many industries, and connected the Elbe, Oder, and Vistula
rivers with navigable canals. - Frederick was admired by his people, not only
for his successful campaigns, but primarily for his administration’s adherence
to a just law – before which everyone was an equal.
Frederick
left a Prussian State twice as big as the one he had received, and almost three
times as populated. He had altered the constellation of Europe by raising Prussia
to the ranks of powerful equals.
George
Clemenceau (1841 –1929), French statesman, writer, premier (1906–09; 1917–20)
had this to say: “The outstanding man, surpassing everyone by far, is Frederick
… I do not know what compels me to keep his portrait in my bedroom…”
The methods
and cunning employed on the world stage by the master wheeler- dealer of his
time, von Bismarck, to successfully secure a meaningful position for Germany
among the European power houses, is well documented elsewhere. The first chancellor
of the German Empire is also the chief architect for having embedded into law
social security measures for German citizens which were the envy of the working
classes elsewhere. These measures still form the backbone of Germany’s social
security net. ( The fact that these measures contributed in part to Bismarck’s
fall from grace is a mute point.)
The industrialization
of Germany grew by leaps and bounds, and so were the ranks of the industrial
workers. To undermine the political mouthpiece of the labour force, the Social
Democratic Party, von Bismarck introduced into law a completely new and generous
social legislation:
1883: Health Insurance (Krankenversicherung)
1884: Accident Insurance (Unfallversicherung)
1889: Disability and Old Age Insurance (Invaliden- und Altersversicherung)
1891:
Worker Protection (Arbeitsschutz)
Hereafter
the costs of insurance and pensions were covered by contributions from employers
and employees, and subsidized by the government. This social legislation is
pretty much the basis for today’s social safety nets of every industrialized
country.
After
his dismissal by Emperor William II (1888–1918 ) von Bismarck warned in his
memoirs ( Gedanken und Erinnerungen), not to abandon his policy of alliances
and treaties of re–insurance. History proved him right.
Here
is a list of Great Germans (following Johannes Kepler) whose accomplishments
have benefited Germany and the world.
The inventor
of differential calculus; he also built and improved calculation machines, his
last one could multiply and divide.
Composer
of mostly Lutheran church music, and also worldly compositions, like the Brandenburg
Concertos.
Philosopher;
he spent his entire life in Königsberg,
East–Prussia. He is recognized as one of the greatest thinkers of the Occident.
His main philosophical works are: “Kritik der reinen Vernunft” (1781); “Kritik
der praktischen Vernunft” (1788): “Kritik der Urteilskraft” (1790).
Banker,
and founder of the House of Rothschild. He saved and enlarged the fortune of
his employer, Elector William I. He dodged the Continental Blockade with secret
financings, smuggling, and espionage. He subsidized the English auxiliary corps
under Wellington in Spain and Portugal. Between 1806 and 1815 the financial
fortune of the House grew from one million to 250 million gulden. He left his
sons one of the richest banks in Europe.
Poet,
dramatist, novelist, philosopher, statesman, and scientist. Without doubt the
greatest German poet who also influenced the German language. While he worked
on a system of plant development and the theory of chromatics, he is best known
for his literary works, starting with “ Die Leiden des jungen Werthers” and
his culminated work “Faust.”
Ludwig
van Beethoven 1770 – 1827
Composer.
He gave his first public concert at the age of eight. Today his musical genius,
cut short too early by deafness, is regarded as incomparable. The musical theme
during the opening ceremonies at the Nagano Olympic Winter Games 1998 was the
“Ode to Joy”, Beethoven’s last major composition.
Mathematician
and astronomer. His mathematical genius was recognized early, and he solved
many mathematical problems. He and William Weber invented the telegraph.
The misanthrope
of philosophers, whose main literary achievement was “ Die Welt als Wille und
Vorstellung.” He became known late in his life (1848), but he turned out to
be the guiding thought for Friedrich Nietzsche.
Chemist.
He advanced the development of organic chemistry. He developed many everyday
products (baking powder) but is best known for the invention of artificial fertilizer.
Composer.
His operas became world–renowned, beginning with “The Flying Dutchman” (1841),
and culminating with “The Ring of the Nibelungs” (1854–74).
Inventor,
founder of electro–technology. He is the discoverer of the dynamo–electric principle,
and he invented the dynamo. He and his co–worker Johann Halske founded an industrial
manufacturing empire which quickly became international. Today it produces many
electric and electronic products, including diagnostic devises, such as CAT
scans and MRI’s.
Economist,
philosopher, socialist. After his education in Germany he spent five years in
Paris and Brussels (1843/49), then spent the rest of his life in London, England.
His main works include: “German Ideology” (1845), “Manifesto of the Communist
Party” (1848), “Das Kapital “ in three volumes (1867, ’85, and ’94).
Archaeologist.
After accumulation a fortune as a merchant, he decided, at the age of 40, to
prove that the myth of the antique was, after all, correct. And he did, when
he discovered the treasures of Priamos, and later the Mycenaean treasure.
Bacteriologist.
He developed a method to colour bacteria under the microscope, and to grow bacteria
in a sterile environment. He proved the existence of pathogenic organisms as
the cause of infections. His work culminated in the discovery of the tubercle
bacillus.
Philosopher.
He was the most controversial of all thinkers. His message does not please the
reader, as it signals a complete change of the world in which we live. Those
are concerned when they notice that reality has caught up with Nietzsche.
Wilhelm
Conrad Röntgen 1845 – 1923
Physicist.
In 1895 he discovered x-rays. His discovery triggered a number of fundamental
investigations and technical applications. In the fields of material testing
and medicine the use of x-rays became an indispensable aid.
Aeronautical
pioneer. He built the first heavier–than–air glider with which he would successfully
glide more than 300 m. Wilbur Wright said in 1901: “Lilienthal acted on his
observations, and proved by actual flight the feasibility of heavier–than–air
flight.”
Physicist.
He postulated the Law of Thermal Radiation, and with this pioneering feat he
established the Quantum Theory and Planck’s Constant, the basis for Einstein’s
and Heisenberg’s world–famous discoveries.
Physician,
philosopher, musicologist. In 1913 he went to Lambarene, French Equatorial Africa,
as a missionary doctor, where he practised all his life, except, when he and
his wife were interned in France in 1917, because of their German citizenship.
They returned to Lambarene in 1924, and established a missionary hospital which
they operated until he died. He received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1952.
Chemist.
As head of the Kaiser–Wilhelm–Institute for Chemistry in Berlin since 1928 he
worked on trans-uraniums, together with Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann, and
discovered experimentally nuclear fission (1938), for which he received the
Nobel Prize in 1944. After W.W.II he was interned in England, where he learned
that the US had made and dropped the first atomic bomb over Japan.
Physicist.
In Bern (Switzerland) he published in 1905 the Theory of Brownian Motion, the
Light Quantum Theory (for which he received the Nobel Prize), and the Special
Theory of Relativity. Back in Berlin he published the General Theory of Relativity
in 1915. He emigrated to the United States in 1933.
Physicist.
Heisenberg studied nuclear physics, and in 1925 he published Quantum Mechanics,
for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932.
Physicist,
rocket engineer. As technical director of the German Army Research Station in
Peenemünde he developed the first
rocket (V2) with a usable payload. After W.W.II von Braun went to the US, and
as head of the Marshall Space Flight Centre he developed the Saturn V rocket
which took the first humans to the moon in 1969. He saw his dreams realized,
when the first American space laboratory “Skylab” was manned in 1973.
A defeated
Germany was eventually divided into a federal republic (western Germany) and
a democratic republic (communist eastern Germany). The final, physical separation
was brought about by the eastern regime (cum Moscow), when the Berlin Wall was
erected from Czechoslovakia to the Baltic Sea in 1961, with barricades and death
strips. Before that, some three million people had fled eastern Germany (30,000
in July ’61 alone).
It took
some 40 years before that wall came down on 9. November 1989, and it became
abundantly clear that eastern Germany had been teetering on the edge of physical
and economic collapse.
Much
has happened in the former eastern Germany since then in terms of political
freedom, social adjustments (wages, pensions), free market economy, and physical
recovery (some one trillion dollars have been spent so far)–and more is being
done.
Bibliography
1. Neues Realienbuch; Georg Gottschewski; 1954; Pegasus; Wetzlar
2. Encyclopaedia Britannica; 1961; William Benton; Chicago
3. Frederick II; Adel Negro; 1969; Minerva; Geneva
4. Frederick the Great; Nancy Mitford; 1970; Harper & Row
5. Grosser Historischer Atlas; Bayrischer Schulbuchverlag; Vol.I – 1976; Vol.II – 1983; Vol.III – 1984
6. Frederick the Great – The Magnificent Enigma; Robert. B. Asprey; 1986; Ticknor & Fields; New York
7. Facts about Germany; 1996; Societäts-Verlag; Frankfurt/ Main
8. Park Prisoners; Bill Waiser; 1995; Fifth House
9. Grosse Deutsche – von Karl dem Grossen bis Wernher von Braun- Sebastian Haffner; Rathin
Chattopadhyay;1980
(
The text was researched, compiled and donated by Mr. Egon Stanik, P. Eng.)
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