German I, Semester I; Der Kalender

Sections:

Introduction  |   Section 1  |  Section 2  |   Section 3   |  Dictionaries

Section Three:

Part A |   Part B  |  Part C  |   Part D

Section Three: Part B More about Oktoberfest Go to this website to learn more and see pictures of the Oktoberfest in Munich. Oktoberfest is the festival that happens every year from the last two weeks in September through the first weekend of October in Munich. It is the largest festival in the world, with nearly six million visitors annually. The festival began in 1810 and was a celebration for the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria to Princess Therese of Saxony. The Oktoberfest is called Wies' n by the locals, which is a shortened version of Theresienwiese. The Theresienwiese, or Theresa's Fields, is the original location of the festival and it is still held there today. Although you might think the Oktoberfest is just about beer drinking, it is not, as there are parades, traditional dances and volksongs, costumes, food, carousels, fair rides, agricultural shows, and much more! You will also see many traditional costumes, namely the Dirndlkleid on women and girls or the Lederhosen on the men and boys. Some of the important things to know are that you can get a Mass (a liter) of beer with or without alcohol, and that pork sausages and barbecued ox are the most popular dishes to try. Oberammergau Song Oberammergau is the name of a town near Munich which lends its name to this traditional Zungenbrecher (tongue twister) melody: Heut' kommt der Hans zurück, freut sich die Lies. Ob er aber über Oberammergau, oder ob er über Unterammergau, oder ob er überhaupt nicht kommt, ist nicht gewiß. Today Hans is coming home, Liesel is happy. But whether he's coming by way of upper Ammergau, or whether he's coming by way of lower Ammergau, or whether he's even coming at all, is not known.           Once you feel completely confident with the song chorus, record yourself either singing or saying this, and send it to your teacher. This assignment is worth 16 points.   Das deutsche Essen Just as the languages of Germany vary from one region to the next, so does the food of Germany. There are some things that are pretty common in all of Germany, however. The German people eat a variety of dishes and meats, but pork - especially sausage - is by far the most popular meat. In fact, there are about 1500 different varieties of German sausage, including Bratwurst, Currywurst, Weisswurst, Blutwurst, Gelbwurst, Schinkenwurst. . .well, you get the idea! A popular German dish at Oktoberfest is Schweineshaxe (pork hocks). Here is a recipe if you would like to try it. It is really very tasty! Schweineshaxe 1 small leek 1 celery stalk 1 carrot 1 onion 2 meaty pork knuckles Salt Black pepper corns 2 tablespoons cooking fat or vegetable shortening a pinch of cumin Beer or water Wash and dice the leek, celery, carrot and onion. Cook pork knuckles, diced vegetables, salt and peppercorns in water to cover 2 to 3 hours or until tender. Avoid overcooking. Remove from water; drain well reserving vegetables and cooking liquid. Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Melt fat or shortening in an enamel-lined, cast iron pan. Add drained pork knuckles, cooked vegetables and a small amount of cooking liquid. Bake 30 minutes. Moisten meat frequently with more cooking liquid. Before meat is fully cooked, sprinkle with beer or water in which a good amount of salt has been dissolved. Add cumin to increase flavor. Serve with potato or white bread dumplings or sauerkraut salad. Note: In Bavaria, the juices and cooking liquid are strained and served as an accompanying sauce. Go on to Part C.

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