Monthly Archives: August 2014

56th Miesau Horse Races (Pferderennen)

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Clare Dunkle

This weekend, Joe and I took a drive out to Miesau to see the 56th running of the horse races there. We weren’t entirely sure where the event would be held, but it proved easy to find. It’s just off … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Festivals, Recreation, Sports, Tourist destinations | 1 Comment

Today’s word sends us back to the days when the great German universities were the pride of the civilized world. (Even Prince Hamlet went to a German university, you know.) The word is der Luftikus. No, it isn’t some specialized … Continue reading →

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Clare Dunkle | Comments Off

Museumsdorf Bayerischer Wald, pt. III: Faith of Our Fathers

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Clare Dunkle

Bavaria has been overwhelmingly Roman Catholic for centuries. Even today, Bavaria contains the highest percentage of Catholics of any state in Germany, as the following map from the German Bishops’ Conference (Deutsche Bischofskonferenz) shows. This faith helped define the identities … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches and religion, Europe, Folk traditions, German art, German history, German house decoration, Public art, Tourist destinations, Village life | 1 Comment

The English word, “plastic,” has its roots in the Greek word for “to mold” because plastic is formed, not carved like wood or beaten into shape like iron. But the German word for plastic, der Kunststoff, expresses a different concept. … Continue reading →

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Clare Dunkle | Comments Off

Museumsdorf Bayerischer Wald, pt II: Life before Plastic

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Clare Dunkle

The word plastic means, more or less, “pliable” or “moldable.” Plastics are so pervasive in our lives that it’s hard to remember how recent they are. The first modern plastic was only invented in the 1850’s, and it wasn’t until … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Folk traditions, German history, German house decoration, Recreation, Tourist destinations, Village life | 2 Comments