German Culture and Cultural Learning

- A Short Study -

Presentation held by Dr. Ileana Hamburg

Institute for Work and Technology (IAT)Research Department

Innovation, Space and Culture

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Agenda

1. German Culture1. Literature2. Philosophy3. Science4. Music5. Fine arts & architecture6. Religion7. Cuisine8. Sports

2. Cultural learning1. What is cultural learning?2. Examples

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• „Land der Dichter und Denker“ (Land of the Poets and Thinkers)• Starting in the Middle Ages with Walther von der Vogelweide• Most famous German work of the time: Nibelungenlied• Grimm-Tales lateron• „Classic“ poets like Goethe, Schiller, Lessing• Modern poets like Thomas Mann, Bert Brecht, Hermann Hesse• Recent Nobel Prize for literature: Herta Müller• All in all nine German Nobel Prizes• (Nobel himself was German.)

German Culture

I. Literature

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German Culture

II. Philosophy• Again, starting in the Middle Ages with Albertus Magnus• Most famous philosopher: Immanuel Kant• Early German philosophers: Leibnitz, Hegel, Nietzsche• Heidegger and Gadamer in 19th century• Modern German philosophers: Adorno, Habermas, Horkheimer,

Max Weber, Simmel, Luhmann• Culture of cafés and salons, mostly imported from France and

Austria in the early 19th century, led to philosophy becoming „national“

• Flood of philosophic books even today, many of them #1 bestsellers:

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German Culture

III. Science

• Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing machine• Konrad Zuse built the first computer• Count Zeppelin built the first Zeppelin• Daimler, Diesel and Otto created the first automobile• Planck, Schrödinger, Fahrenheit, Röntgen > famous physicists• Fraunhofer-institutes and Max-Planck institutes continue research

in the tradition of their role models• And of course: Albert Einstein was German.

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German Culture

IV. Music

• Most famous composers: Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert, Händel, Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Richard Strauss, Orff, Stockhausen, Brahms, Wagner, Haydn, Schönberg

• Always austro-german co-operations > access to a wide range of influences

• Modern artists: Herbert Grönemeyer, Nena, Rammstein, Tokio Hotel, Kraftwerk

• Wide gap between classical and modern music• Children learn at least one instrument in special music schools.

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German Culture

V. Fine arts & architecture

• Middle Ages painters Lucas Cranach, Hans Holbein, Albrecht Dürer• Long break in baroque and renaissance• Modern painters are Jopseh Beuys and Georg Baselitz

• „Bauhaus“ style in architecture, led by Walter Gropius• Cathedrals of Cologne and Ulm• Many Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque churches („most beautiful

baroque village church in the world“ in Steinhausen).

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German Culture

VI. Religion

• Many of the greatest believers and critics were German• Land of Martin Luther and the Pope• Christianized by Charlemagne (around 800)• Feuerbach (critic of religion, saw god as a projection of man‘s flaws)• Karl Marx: „religion as opium of the people“• Today, „ökumene“ (greek: one-house) tries to reconcile protestants

and catholics• New lines of conflict have developed between muslims and christians

due to the high amount of turkish immigrants.

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German Culture

VI. Cuisine

• Many different cuisines: bavarian, palatine, svabian, etc.• Mostly famous for Kraut and „Würstchen“ (sausages) pretzels and beer

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German Culture

VI. Sports

• Football is the most common German sport• Teams can be more important than religion in chosing your partner!• Other relevant sports: marksmanship, tennis, dance• Nordic Walking is practiced by many – individually or in groups• Every year, journalists vote for the „German sportsman of the year“• Racing was famous with M. Schumacher but is currently losing fans.

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Cultural Learning

I. What is cultural learning?

• Cultural learning can foster so-called „soft skills“

• Social competences• Intercultural competences• Creativity• Teamwork• Open-mindedness• Empathy

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Cultural Learning - I. Example

The Steiner Waldorf ApproachThe Steiner Waldorf approach to education emphasizes on the use of practical, artistic and conceptual elements into education. This method of education was established by Rudolf Steiner, the founder of a philosophy called anthrophosophy. The Steiner Waldorf approach is based on the fact that the role of imagination in learning is integral for the development of creative and analytical thinking. This educational approach is aimed at providing an environment where young people can develop free thinking, which can be a basis for developing their own personalities as responsible individuals by fulfilling their destiny.The Steiner Waldorf approach to education is based on scientific study of the development of children's learning capabilities. Early childhood learning is the stage for children below 7 years of age, elementary learning is for children between 7 and 14 years, and high school level education is for adolescents.

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Creativity in SW schools plays a major roleDance, arts, music and physical expression are each subjects of their ownEC study shows that Steiner Waldorf students are highly creativeThe approach is „seen to exert a favouralble influence on the development of the personality (e.g. personal sense of worth, self-assurance, creativity, flexibility) and of social competency (e.g. empathic faculties, consideration, ability to cooperate) as well as the development of the ability to form one‘s own opinion and become self reliant.“

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Cultural Learning - II. Example

Drama pedagogy•Drama pedagogy is a holistic teaching and learning approach closely connected with dramatic art forms (Conf. in Leipzig, Oct. 2009). •Publishing of SCENARIO is part of this development.•Drama techniques guide students to experience the foreign language in hands-on situations that simulate reality and, at the same time, inspire imagination and creativity. •In accordance with established principles of foreign language teaching such as student-activating, action-oriented approaches, task-based learning, cooperative methods and, above all, inter-/transcultural learning, drama pedagogy embraces a holistic understanding of the individual as well as the personality development of foreign language learners (as intercultural speakers). •It includes the performative dimension of learning a (foreign) language, such as movement, physical aspects and interaction, which add to the special potential drama pedagogy represents for the development of intercultural competences.

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• Importance of „Darstellendes Spiel“ as German school subject is emphasized by studies

• Drama pedagogy can support the learning of foreign languages

• Helps children to develop empathy and imagination• Drama pedagogy classes are held in Berlin schools