Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony/ Niedersachsen

Lower Saxony

Where is Lower Saxony located?

Located in the northwestern part of Germany

Lower Saxony borders many other German states:

• Southeast: Thuringia
• East: Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt
• North: Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein
• South: Hesse
• Southwest: North Rhine- Westphalia
• Northeast: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Also bordered by the Netherlands and the North Sea

How many live here?

• 7,977,000 people
• 4th largest state in population

How does its size relate to Minnesota, or any other US state?

• In population:
• Lower Saxony is equivalent to the population of Minnesota and Iowa together
• It is about half the size of Indiana

What is special about Lower Saxony?

• Second largest state in size
• 20% of the state is designated to nature conservation
• Agriculture and farming make up a big part of the economy
• Automobile manufacturing and automobile parts manufacturing are also important economic part of Lower Saxony
• Volkwagon has 5 production plants here along with its headquarters, which is located in Wolfsburg
• The capital of Lower Saxony is Hannover.
• Hannover is also the largest city in Lower Saxony
• Mining has been an important source of income in Lower Saxony for centuries. Lower Saxony is also an important supplier of crude oil in the European Union. Mineral products still mined today include iron and lignite.
• The coat of arms shows a white horse (Niedersachsenross) on red ground, which is an old symbol of the Saxon people

What was the Lower Saxony historically? A kingdom, a duchy, a free city?

• Was originally a duchy
• It is named after the Saxons
• Originally the region was simply called "Saxony", but as the center of gravity of the Duchy of Saxony gradually moved up the Elbe, towards the present-day states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, the region was given the name of Lower Saxony
• The state was founded in 1946 by the British military administration, who merged the former states of Brunswick,  Oldenburg, and Schaumburg-Lippe with the former Prussian province of Hanover

German Trivia

24 Questions and Answers

German Trivia

Answers

Number 9

Number 7

Number 6

German Trivia

Questions

German Print Media Reviewed

After reviewing newspapers from Germany, I came to the conclusion that their printed media is eerily similar to the news prints here in the states. Their layouts are indistinguishable to me. Their pages are filled with relevant news, both local and global. The newspapers in Germany also contain large amounts of advertisement, similar to the papers here. Although, German print contains a greater use of English words than American papers display of German words. Comparatively though, the two different types of prints contain minimal variations.

My Observations About the Top 20 Radio Stations in Germany

Music is universally relevant, each sound is unique and culturally significant. Germany is not excluded from this, their music is  interesting and reflects their world known status.
    I listened to the top 20 radio stations from Germany, to get an idea of the music preferred by it’s citizens. Some of the highlights were stations such as, the number one station, Black.Beats FM; which played the genre of hip hop music. I listened to the station, but was not especially excited by their music. The songs played were okay, though the genre didn’t appeal to me. On RMNschlagerhoelle, I found the music to be fun to listen to. The Einslive station was one I liked, they were a high energy station. Einslive played modern music and did interesting interviews with celebrities. JUMP was another station which appealed to me. The music played was modern and from various countries. Some of their songs were from English speaking artists, making the music understandable and more relevant to me. Although, I did enjoy the stations played completely in German, even through the language barrier. 
    Germany’s radio stations have variations in many different forms. They are similar to the stations in the states, simply played in a different language. I enjoyed listening to them, and I hope you check them out.

The Bastei Rocks in the Elbe Valley

Located in the Saxon Switzerland National Park are the Bastei Rocks. They are steep fissured sandstone rocks, canyon-like ravines, caves and rock needles constitute, possibly, the most spectacular national park in all of Germany. Formed over hundreds of years by the Elbe washing away the rock face. The cliffs face directly over across the river. The cliffs rise 194 meters above the waterfront.

The landmarks have been a tourist attraction for over 200 years. In 1824 a wooden bridge was built which spanned the rocks, later to be replaced by the current sandstone bridge in 1851. Other attractions in the area include; hiking and rock climbing are two of the biggerst activities associated with the Bastei Rocks.

Boat tours are also popular with tourists visiting the area. You can ride the Elbe river on one of the world's oldest paddle-streamers. The tour takes you from the rocks of Elbesandsteingebrige through the Elbe valley to the historic city of Dresden, which is about 40 km away.

There popular stones within the Bastei Rocks. Such as, the ascent through the 'needle eye' to the stone Pfaffenstein. Fortress Koenigstein could never be conquered by enemies, as it sits within the Bastei Rocks. It is one of the largest castle plants of Europe.

Holstentor Gateway

Popular sights and activities in Luebeck, Germany

Hansestadt Luebeck
Different sights to see, historical buildings:

    Hansestadt Luebeck is most recognized for its 15th century Holstentor gateway. Which presents a fairy tale appearance with its twin spires and lining forests. The gate was constructed during the years of 1464-1478, by Hinrich Helmstede and served as both Luebeck’s defense and a sign of the cities prestige. Inside of this historical monument is the Holstentor Museum, which contains the history of Luebeck’s hanseatic trade links as well as exhibits displaying ship models, suits of armor, weapons, legal instruments, and other articles from Luebeck’s past.
    Encircled by the Trave River, Altstadt (Old town), in Luebeck, stands as a significant symbol of brick stone architecture from the Gothic period. It is a picturesque medieval town characterized by cultural sights, symbolizing the great past of Luebeck as free Hanseatic City. Luebeck contains more than 1000 historical buildings, though, the more familiar buildings within Altstadt include; the 13th century Rathaus (Town Hall), the convent “Burgkolster”,  a particularly well preserved quarter of the late 13th century, Koberg, with St. Johns church and the Hospital of the Heiligen Geist (Holy Spirit).
    Heiligen Geist is Germany’s oldest hospital, built in 1227. The building is known for its four striking octagonal spires and beautiful exterior. Today the building contains eateries and many unusual chambers, which were built to provide the sick with a level of privacy.  During the Christmas holidays, Heiligen Geist Hospital hosts the popular Christmas Market. Heiligen Geist Hospital and other historic buildings of Luebeck’s Altstadt were added to the list of World Heritage in December of 1987.
    Historical buildings and monuments can be found throughout Luebeck, Germany.  The Drehbruecke Bridge is contained within Altstadt, but contrary to the surrounding buildings, it was built at the end of the 19th Century. The bridge links the main harbor areas and features a swing mechanism, allowing large ships access through the waterway. Another significant building in Luebeck is the Stadtbibliothek (city library), dating back to the mid-1920’s. Rich history can be found on nearly every corner of Luebeck’s streets.


Activities and Types of Recreation in Luebeck

Luebeck is dotted with many parks and bike paths giving locals and visitors numerous locations to bicycle, walk, hike, horseback ride, or just enjoy the scenery. These parks often will have football fields, tennis courts and basketball courts.Luebeck is also on the Trave River which offers many water sports and activities. In the summer months locals can go swimming, sailing, kayaking, and fishing in the many bays and ponds around Luebeck.
Luebeck is also near the Baltic Sea and its only a short drive where you can stroll along the beach, surf, or make a sand castle in the white baltic sand.

Aachen Cathedral

Aachen Cathedral

    King Charlemagne (Karl der Grosse in German),  was the first Holy Roman Emperor. In 786 AD he began the construction of his Palatine Chapel (palace chapel). The Palatine Chapel was designed by Odo of Metz, he based his work on the Byzantine church of San Vitale (completed 547 AD) in Ravenna, Italy. This basis gives the Chapel a very eastern feel, with its octagonal shape, striped arches, marble floor, golden mosaics, and ambulatory. After 19 years the Palatine Chapel was consecrated in 805 to serve as the imperial church.
    Charlemagne collected relics throughout his life, which he kept in Aachen Cathedral. Today items he collected still remain in the cathedral, such as; the cloak of the Blessed Virgin, the swaddling-clothes of the infant Jesus, the loin-cloth worn by Christ on the Cross, and the cloth on which lay the head of St. John the Baptist after his beheading.
    During the Middle Ages, the relics attracted swarms of pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Hungary, England, Sweden, and other countries. This onslaught of people created the tradition of showing the four “Great Relics” only every seven years in the 14th century.  This tradition is still practiced, the next viewing will be in 2014.
    Charlemagne died in 814 and was buried in the chapel’s choir. Though, in 1000 AD, Emperor Otto III reopened Charlemagne’s vault. They say his body was remarkable preserved, “seated on a marble throne, dressed in imperial robes, with his crown on his head, the Gospels lying open in his lap, and his scepter in his hand,” (google). 
    In 1168, Emperor Fredrick Barbarossa provided a bronze chandelier to hang over the shrine, it still hangs today. A golden shrine was placed beneath the chandelier in the middle of the octagon and Charlemagne’s bones placed within it.
    Several smaller chapels and vestibule were added to the Palatine Chapel, to manage the increasing pilgrims, in the 15th century. The enlarged Chapel was now known as Aachen Cathedral , also known as Kaiserdom “Imperial Cathedral” of Aachen.
    Aachen Cathedral suffered minor damage through the two World Wars and in 1978 it was the first German site to be added into the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Recently, two decades of restoration work was completed in 2006.