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What do you know about rivers in
German-speaking countries? Here is a little quiz to test your
knowledge:
1) Which river has fantastic castle ruins and many legends
associated with it, like the story of die Lorelei or the
castles Katz und Maus?
2) Which river flows past the capital city of Austria?
3) Which river starts in the Czech Republic, flows through
Germany and ends in the North Sea?
4) Which river flows through France and Luxembourg, flows
into the Rhine river near the German city of Koblenz, and is
known for its wine grapes?
The Waldsee Family Weekend program, Familienfest,
will give villagers of all ages the chance to learn German and
investigate rivers. We will hear river legends, experience
river ecosystems and learn about the geography and history of
German rivers. Reserve a place for you and your family now.
All ages and family configurations are herzlich willkommen!!
Parents, kids, aunts, uncles, baby cousins and grandparents, we
will see you February 15 – 18, 2008, at Waldsee on the
shores of Turtle River Lake! Bis dann!!
Answers: 1) Rhine 2) Danube 3)
Elbe 4)Moselle |
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This past month has seen some
exciting news of German accomplishments. In September the German
Frauen-Nationalmannschaft beat Brazil in the women's World
Cup in China. This month, the Swedish Nobel Institute
named named two German scientists as recipients of the Nobel
Prizes in Chemistry and Physics.
In Washington, DC, Team Deutschland, represented by
the Technische Universität Darmstadt won top honors at this year's
Solar Decathlon on the National Mall.
Waldsee staff were on-hand to meet with visitors and
interact with the students who helped build the energy efficient
building. You can read more about the Solar Decathlon
here.
These are just three examples of how Germany is a world leader
today and why it is important to learn German.
It's never too late to start learning German, we have programs
for all ages at Waldsee. There are adult weeks, family
weekends, youth weekends, youth abroad trips, and of course our
various summer programs. |
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German rock is back! New bands have
come on the scene in Germany over the past several years that
are rising to an international level of stardom. Bands like
Wir
Sind Helden,
Sportfreunde
Stiller,
Fettes Brot
and others have recently seen a surge in popularity in
Germany.
One of the most popular German bands today is
Tokio Hotel,
which has been on the top of the charts for over a year--not
just in Germany, but also in Austria, France, Denmark, Italy and
the Netherlands. On a recent tour through France, young girls
tracked down the band's hotel and swooned at the band in a
manner reminiscent of the Beatles.
The International Herald Tribune reported this month that
the popularity of Tokio Hotel has sparked an upsurge of French
school children signing up for German as their second foreign
language (English is still first).
The increased popularity of German rock was also present at
Waldsee this summer. One of the two-week activity clubs (AGs)
was the Waldsee Rock AG, which worked up several popular
songs and presented them in a nighttime concert to the rest of
the Village (pictured above). |
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Each summer, Waldsee
villagers and staff celebrate many different German,
Austrian, and Swiss festivals. This summer, we
celebrated Oktoberfest with Bratwurst,
Bretzeln, and Sauerkraut!
In Germany, Oktoberfest dates back to the 1810 celebration of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig (later
King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
The celebration is
held each year in late September and early October,
running 16 days in all. This year, an estimated 6.2
million people traveled to Munich to take part in the
festival.
Oktoberfest has become one of Germany's most
famous tourist attractions–it’s a big party with
parades, dancing, concerts, and lots of great food.
There is great party music, too–Waldsee villagers
know many of the fun songs sung at Oktoberfest.
Other holidays and festivals that we typically celebrate
at Waldsee include: Basler Faßnacht, Karneval,
Fasching, Kirtag, Weihnachten, and
many more. If you want to learn more about German,
Swiss, and Austrian festivals come join us for one of
our summer or school-year programs.
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