Thanks, German Animal "Rights" Activists!

27 September 2011

One of the highlights of my trip to Deutschland was definitely the animal "rights" demonstration! Yes, that's Chad, Shane, and me pictured at an animal "rights" display in front of the historic Brandenburg Gate!

The large pig atop the trailer read "Eat Vegetarian: Good for Health, Good for Animals, Good for the Earth" and it had a video screen inside showing the "horrors" of farming. To a farm girl like me, however, it was fairly standard & reasonable images of good management. Yes, there are times when pigs are in stalls: it is for their health & safety, as well as for the farmer's. Yes, chickens do get the beaks clipped: it is no fun to have your fellow chicken peck you to death! Yes, animals are slaughtered: this is a part of the circle of life created by our world that allows herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores to flourish. Outside of the trailer, a human was wearing a colorful chicken suit and sitting in a cage. Much like other chickens I have seen in cages, the human-as-a-chicken seemed quite calm! Alas, it laid no eggs while I was there!

I spoke very briefly with a lady passing out fliers. When I accepted her materials, she complimented my blue coat. With that opening, I engaged her very briefly in conversation -- a mix of German & English. We spoke for just a moment, but she seemed pleased to find an American so interested in her fliers. She probably had no idea she had just provided me with excellent research materials for my Fellowship paper! Thank you, animal "rights" activist lady!

Is That Chancellor Merkel's Seat?!?

27 September 2011

This picture was taken from the top of the glass cupola that graces the Reichstag. The original dome was removed in the 1950s. Following reunification, when the Reichstag was renovated to serve as the seat of the Bundestag (the German Parliament), this cupola was added. It allows natural light all the way through the building, down to the chamber where the parliament meets. The glass is constructed in such a way that the striking color of the purple chairs in the chamber is visible when looking down from the top of the cupola. I was very impressed with the manner in which the new & the old sit comfortably together in the Reichstag. It is a beautiful, historic building!

The Reichstag: History & Modernity

27 September 2011

I am very passionate about history and have always adored anything antique. I wanted to include this picture because it saddened me to see the historic parts of the Reichstag that had been destroyed in the name of modernity. In the 1960s and 1970s, there was an effort to renovate the Reichstag building. Following World War II, the German people were very sensitive to the legacy of the war. This had been a conflict that deeply impacted the country & its people, and caused massive suffering. Renovating the Reichstag was an effort to move beyond the destructive war-time era. It was a movement to restore this emblem of Germany in the face of the communist-controlled German Democratic Republic that surrounded West Berlin. Unfortunately, that sentiment created an attitude that supported destruction of the historic aspects of the building. When the Reichstag was built in the 19th century, it had beautiful stone work throughout the building. During the reovation, these pieces were basically destroyed with hammers and plastered over. Following reunification, when the Bundestag decided to move to the Reichstag building, one hallway was opened to tourists with the plaster removed for viewing. This picture gives some sense of how ornate those stone carvings were, and the force that was used to destroy them. As a history geek, it made me very sad to think of this. I cannot fault those who wanted to take the Reichstag in a new direction after such a difficult era, yet I was quite sorry to see the loss of such brilliant stone work.

Reichstag History

27 September 2011

In an effort to preserve the historic elements of the Reichstag, several items remain from the era prior to renovation. This includes a stretch where Soviet soldiers left graffiti. During the time period after World War II, the Reichstag was in the British sector of influence, except for one corner that stood in the Soviet sector. Part of this corner is preserved to show what the Soviet soldiers wrote on the wall. The tour guide noted that most of the statements expressed relief at surviving the war, and a desire to return home. In addition to the writings, bullet holes can also be seen along this stretch of wall. I was continually impressed and amazed by the impact of division upon Berlin. The Reichstag sits geographically very close to the Brandenburg Gate, but they were once in separate countries. I was able to walk freely from one to the other, yet as recently as my own youth, that would have been impossible.

How Sheep Influence the German Government

27 September 2011

This is a photo of the interior of the Reichstag, where the Bundestag meets. It is a very open and airy space. The architect designed the interior of the building specifically to convey the importance of transparency: visitors can easily see members of Parliament -- and members of Parliament can easily see the citizens to whom they are responsible! The contrast between the modern interior and historic exterior is striking, yet not stark. Like the country itself, the building is a blend of old and new. In fact, the foundations of the Reichstag still rest on the original oak piles that were driven when construction began in the 1890s. Now, 12 massive concrete pillars also serve to support the new glass cupola (which weighs 1200 tons!). This cupola is the crowning modern addition to the Reichstag, that allows light in to shine upon the meeting room of the Bundestag!

The parties are seated from most conservative on the right, to the communists on the far left. The Liberals (conservative) have 93 seats, the Christian Democrats (the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel) have 239 seats, the Greens have 68 seats, the Socialists have 146 seats, and Die Linke (the communists) have 76 seats. Voting is typically done by a show of hands or by standing up. With so many members, however, this can sometimes be difficult to count quickly to reach a conclusion. Thus, a traditional method called "Hammelsprung" is used.

Hammelsprung means "wethers leap" and it appeals to my love of sheep! In the old Reichstag, there was a painting of the Greek mythological being Cyclops counting his sheep as they head to pasture. This painting hung above the doorway, and its name came to refer to the style of voting by which members of Parliament would all exit the chamber and then re-enter to vote. In the Bundestag, there are three doors: one for ayes, one for nos, and one for abstentions. As members re-enter the chamber, secretaries count the exit number that pass through each door. Thus, if it wasn't for sheep, the German parliament wouldn't function! (Maybe a slight exaggeration, but a compliment from this farm girl!)

The Reichstag

27 September 2011

This is a picture of the Reichstag taken during our boat cruise on the River Spree. It was such a sunny day, and I liked the way this phenomenal symbol of German history looked with the sunshine upon it. The Reichstag is home to the German Parliament, the Bundestag. From 1894-1933, this building was the venue for sessions of the actual Reichstag, the Parliament of the German Empire and then the Weimar Republic. It is still commonly referred to as the Reichstag, although the "Reich" has long since ended. Its history, however, helps to make it the most visited parliamentary building in the world.

The Bundestag chose to make the Reichstag its home for a very particular reason: not only is it a historic emblem of Germany, but it was never used by the Third Reich. Hitler never gave a public speech or appearance at the Reichstag, and his minions were behind the burning of the building in the 1930s (an act which was blamed by Hitler on dissidents and used to unjustly arrest them). After World War II, the Reichstag sat on the line between East and West Berlin. While the vast majority of the building was in the British sector, a corner actually sat in what became the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Following the reunification of Germany on 3 October 1990, the newly reunited Bundestag decided to renovate the building to be the seat of the German Parliament. It is a breath-taking modern building inside, cloaked in a majestic historical exterior!

A Visit to the German Ministry for Agriculture

27 September 2011

The German equivalent of the USDA is the BMELV: Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection. While agriculture was obviously the main focus of my study in Germany, it was fascinating to learn how much of a role consumer protection plays in the daily functioning of the BMELV -- particularly in regard to the internet. The BMELV serves as the entity that monitors the impact of the internet and questions on privacy. Despite the technological advancements of Germany and its industries, the German people are rather wary of the impact of the internet. During our time in Germany, we heard over and over that people were suspicious of social media. VERY few businesses and individuals (that we met) were embracing social media. Thus, the BMELV has come to the forefront as a monitoring agency for the security of German citizens in the age of the internet, thanks to its role as the consumer protection entity.

At the BMELV office in Berlin, we met with Birgit Risch, who shared with us the organization structure of the BMELV and its functions. The headquarters for this agency remains in Bonn, the old West German capitol. The Federal Minister who leads the department is Ilse Aigner, who recently was in Washington DC for meetings with the USDA. From Frau Risch, we learned that about 5% of arable land and 5% of German farm products are organic. 2/3 of Germany is considered rural, but 70% of its people live in cities. In 1950, the average German farmer fed 10 people; today that number is 150 people! Half of all German land is managed or controlled by farmers, and 94% of German farms are family owned. (Despite the fact that some Europeans view American agriculture as "industrial & corporate", 98% of American farms are family-owned . . . a higher number than in Germany!) Unfortunately, German farmland continues to decrease, an issue that America shares.

The Food Policy for the BMELV focuses on such themes as awareness, quality, research, and prevention. The Agriculture Policy deals with farming, markets & trade, forestry/hunting, fishing, and rural development. Consumer Policy handles food safety and consumer protection, including social security for German farmers (which is 67% of the total budget for BMELV!) Imagine if the USDA handled social security for American farmers! This was a very educational meeting for all of us, and served to provide us important background for our visits to the countryside!