What does the word “traditions” mean to you?

·         Family meetings, things, that was kept for years

·         I think that means something that all generations do

·         Tradition means a typical activity that we repeat every year and we have different ones depending the  area you live

·         For me tradition means culture, history and union

·         Tradition is something what could be good in many ways but there also some bad sides like traditions what we should change. And the good traditions are like our past and they should be kept alive

·         The word means something special for me, especially if the tradition is family´s. Tradition to me is something important in the world, because we can know what my background did in the past

·         For me traditions are those celebrations define our family and country and that you value  because they promotes people gather together

·         Traditions help you realize your national identify. You feel you belong to a certain community and you do not feel lonely

·         Traditions is that what makes our countries special

·         The word traditions means posterity, culture, family and good times

·         I think that is it a thing that can unite you with your country

·         I think traditions are important for us, it can help us to know more about our culture and history but there are a lot of old traditions that I think are useless like bullfighting that the only thing they do is hurting animals

·         It is a culture

·         For me, tradition is something that passes from generation to generation to apply us for ours olds costumes, something that for us symbolizes a history

·         Tradition means to me an important thing for me to passion and share with family

·         For me the word tradition means things from older generations and that are things that we also practice today

·         When I think about tradition, I think about family feast like Christmas or Easter.

·         It means memories. When you preserve a Tradition you preserve the culture of a Country. And most important, you make people feel united together and it is just so beautiful.

·         For me tradition means legacy, like something we should keep for future generations

·         Tradition is the value that we have to carry on. It is the way which can help develop ourselves, our families, country and whole world.

·         For me it is family events like Christmas and Easter. In our family we have a lot of traditions

·         It is something that exist only in one land and is older than 100 years

·         It is the memories from the past we should remember every year. Because they mean joy and promote people gather together

·         Tradition is a celebration, celebrated from children to adults. It is celebration which might have importance for European, country, family level. It is also can be your own tradition, only by own

·         Tradition means values and customs that people keep to the future

Tasmanian devils - in danger of extinction because of cancer?

Tasmanian Devils are today the largest surviving marsupial predators. They are only available on the Australian island of Tasmania. In 1999 about 100,000 of their kind were still alive. Their greatest threat today is transmissible cancer.  As a result the population has collapsed by 85%. It is feared that the species will die out in the near future.

The main problem of the devil

Young Tasmanian Devil,

picture: KeresH, www.wikipedia.org CC BY-SA 4.0

The disease that afflicts pouched devils is known as Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD). The pathogen is an infectious tumor, that is, the cancer cells themselves are the transmitted pathogen. Only one more disease is known worldwide for such an infection path. In regions that were densely populated with devils, all of them died within a period of twelve to eighteen months. So far, the outbreak of the disease has focused on the eastern Tasmania. At the beginning of 2005, however, three cases were reported in the south of the island. If the development continues the same, Tasmanian devils will die out within the next 20 to 30 years. The living Tasmanian devils are all relatively closely related. As a result, their immune systems are very similar - a disadvantage in warding off this disease, as it can spread more easily.

Disease

Swelling and lumps around the mouth are the first symptom. These nodules develop into tumors that spread from the head over the entire body. The tumors disturb the animals when eating and affected animals eventually starve because they are no longer able to absorb food.

Conservation and cure

In March 2013, Cambridge University researchers found a starting point for a vaccine. There is still a need for more testing and research, but the new findings could, for the first time, provide a way to protect the planet's last great predatory planets from final extinction. Action is also taken to introduce an ex-situ survival plan. This means that zoos try to have a healthy population outside the devils natural habitat – for example in zoos outside Australia. Because of that Tasmanian devils are on exhibit in zoos as Copenhagen in Denmark oder Planckendael zoo in Beligium.

A Chihuahua as a personal heritage

My Personal and my family’s personal heritage is a Chihuahua, a small dog, her name is Mia and she was born on the 12th September 2015, she has a black fur, some brown and white spots and the tip of her tail is white; My mother loves Mia, I still remember when I came home after school and when I entered my home Mia ran towards me, she was so happy; Mia has a lot of toys, like six or seven, her favourite one’s are a doll and her recent birthday gift, a squiky fur ball; Mia is a great dog, I hope that she lives a great and happy life.

Persian Fallow Deer - conservation programme close to Babenhausen

Persian or Mesopotamian Fallow Deer were widespread in Northern Africa and near east during the last ice age. Today, the stag is one of the least known animals that almost died out around the 20th century. During an expedition of Georg von Opel to Iran in 1958 he took three animals to Kronberg to the Opel Zoo (60 km away from Babenhausen). In the wild the species was considered extinct. Through targeted breeding, there are currently 300 animals worldwide, including some in semi-wild keeping in their original homeland. Since 2013 the official studbook in run at Kronberg Zoo and so is the management of the breeding programme.

Nico

In summer the deer present a characteristic reddish colour. Picture: Joachim S.Müller, https://www.flickr.com/photos/joachim_s_mueller/3677129221, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Pictures from a visit to Pasiliai European Bison sanctuary

On April 3rd 2019, a group of eight students from the Erasmus+ international project “Carry on the Flame” visited the Pasiliai European Bison Sanctuary in the north of Lithuania. The European was the first animal to be rescued through a breeding programm almost a hundert years ago. They now have been reintroduced into several European countries.

Bison bonasus is the largest mammal in Europe

The enclosures

Student survey on time capsules - Results

In every new building, a foundation stone is laid in which documents from the construction period are bricked in. For our graduation we thought about collecting time documents from our school days for the future - for example for class reunions. We interviewed the students of the ninth grade.

An interview about time capsules

We interviewed our Headmaster Mr. Becker about time capsules in general and the possibilities of time capsules in our school.



We: Was something buried under our school in the foundation stone ceremony 2012?

Mr. Becker: Yes, I know that something was buried but I´m not quite sure what. But we could potentially find that out.

We: Do you already know what should get buried in the foundation stone ceremony for our new canteen?

Mr. Becker: No we actually don’t have any ideas yet.

We: Were you ever there when a time capsule was buried?

Mr. Becker: Yes, but it was on a different school.

We: Could we bury a time capsule on school grounds or would it be better in a school archive?

Mr. Becker: Both could be possible, it depends on when you want to excavate it.

We: What would you put in a time capsule?

Mr. Becker: Depends on who it is meant for - maybe historical or private pictures, basic knowledge about our town Babenhausen.

We: What is your opinion on our idea that our senior classes bury a time capsule before graduating and reopen it on a class reunion?

Mr. Becker: It’s a good idea and it could be possible to do that, if you would get it officially approved.



Now our senior classes can get a time capsule planned, if they get all the official approvements.



Article created and translated by Zoe, Stella and Emely

Time capsules - a way to pass on heritage

1.     What is a time capsule?

A time capsule is a container in which something specific is stored. They are often found in the foundation stones of buildings and contain contemporary documents such as a current daily newspaper. When one remembers you, one thinks of this object or letter and opens it. So choose carefully what you want it to contain. Then you bury or hide the capsule until it is supposed to be found or opened.

2. How to start your own time capsule

                                I.            Find a sturdy container wich you want your things to get buried in

                             II.            Find a place where you can bury or hide your time capsule remember that it could be illegal in some places

                           III.            Think about what you want to put into your time capsule , it could be a letter or a meaningful object

                          IV.            You as well need to thing about when it should get excavated

                             V.            The next step is to actually bury it

                          VI.            Don´t forget it

3. The content

·        Take your time to really think about what object you want to use or what it should say in your letter. For who is it meant for your later self, for a friend or even your children?

·        It´s as well important that your capsule is waterproof so nothing gets destroyed.

·        Maybe you can think of a place where there are not buildings planned so you can still find it in a few years.

·        If you don’t want to excavate the time capsule yourself or in the near future you could as well bury it under a building, make sure that it says somewhere visual when it should get opened.

My jester’s cap

Picture of the object

Explanation of the object (what is it?)

Made of genuine leather in four colours – brown, yellow, white and green. Handmade around 2010 by a local producer of handbags as a limited edition consisting of less than 20.

The craft of bag making itself is characteristic for the Frankfurt / Offenbach region but locally is also in danger of dying out.

Jester’s caps are usually worn during carnival. They are worn only by people who have a representative function during carnival season. Carnival goes back to medieval tradition of celebrating the last days before lent and mocking authorities like kings, nobility and church. Therefore it was forbidden from time to time. Jesters as one of the traditional figures were allowed to critizise without being punished. The jester’s cap is the symbol of the right of free speech. The shape is taken from the Jakobine’s hat. This origin in the times of the French revolution also has an antiauthority idea.

The colours date back to the reformation of carnival in 1823 which started in Cologne. Red (here brown as no red leather was availiable when the cap was created) and white symbolise the flag of Cologne. Yellow is a colour of the papal flag and hints to the christian origin of carnival. The meaning oft he green colour is not known – in the middle rhine area it is often replaced by blue which make the carnival colours mock the French flag.

Personal relevance 


Why is it relevant to me?

I am the founder and head of the carnival club which uses this specific cap. Because of  that it is an important part of my life history. I spend a lot of life time to organize the carnival season and perform in various ways. I feel that this is my way of passing some of our traditions to the future. 


How did I get this object?

We asked a local company that normally produces handbags to make it exclusively for our club. We wanted it to be made of leather instead of cloth as a symbol of our town’s history as a place of leather craft. We used a jester’s cab of one of the founder’s grandfather as a blueprint.


Why do I want it to be passed on?

To celebrate carnival is a tradition worthwhile to be passed on to the next generation. The hat of the founder is part of town history as I hope that the founding will last for a long time.

Who would I pass it on to?

I guess my daughter is going to use (or at least keep it) as a memory of me and because she is also an active member of our club from the very start. The blueprint dates back to the middle of the last century. It isn’t worn anymore but still valued by the grandson of the former owner. Probably both hats will find a place in our town’s museum of town history.

The beer garden – a typical Bavarian tradition

A typical beer garden, picture: Rita E, 
https://pixabay.com/de/photos/biergarten-st%C3%BChle-
tische-sommer-2456011/, Pixaby licence

For a long time, serving beer was only permitted in restaurants with a corresponding permit (Krugrecht). The brewers were not allowed to do this themselves - without a suitable operating permit. From 1799 on it was permitted to serve beer directly at the beer cellar. The then common bottom-fermented beer could only be produced in the cold months and had to be stored in a cool place afterwards. Beer cellars were built for this purpose, the surface of which was planted with trees (often chestnuts) for additional cooling. In addition, ice was stored in the winter. Without these cellars, it would not have been possible to store the beer in summer. Chestnuts were chosen as planting because they did not damage the vaults of the cellars due to their flat roots.

The typical beer garden has shady trees, simple tables and benches and you are allowed to bring your own food (at least in the traditional Bavarian beer gardens). The reason for this is that the increasingly popular beer gardens attracted customers away from the innkeepers of the guesthouses. In 1812, the innkeepers convinced King Maximilian I therefore to ban the serving of food in beer gardens that went beyond a simple piece of bread.

Swabian-Alemannic carnival

Swabian-Alemannic carnival

In southwest Germany and Switzerland a special form of carnival has developed. As an own form it exists only since the first quarter of the 20th century. After the region joined the newly developing Rhenish carnival in the nineteenth century, it returned to the traditions of medieval and early modern carnival about 100 years ago. This form of carnival has been experiencing a boom since the 1990s. The traditional music bands (Guggemusik) of the Swabian-Alemannic carnival are now also very popular in the Rhenish carnival. 

Typical is the masking of the participants with wooden masks, which are called "larvae". The costumers do not change their costumes ("Häs") from year to year, but always keep them. Sometimes they are even passed on to the next generation. Some of these masks are 250 years old.

A Swabian water spirit celebrates the roses Monday with a parade. Picture: Efraimstochter https://pixabay.com/de/photos/gaugama-wassergeist-sage-blau-1187196/, Pixabay licence

Beside the full body disguises and masks the figure of the "fool" stands in the center. The official start is the 6th of January. In Switzerland the carnival ends even after Ash Wednesday with the Morgenstraich at 4:00 o'clock on Monday after carnival. Since 2014, this form of carnival has been part of Germany's official immaterial cultural heritage.

Memorial stone for the murdered Jews of Babenhausen

Picture: A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0

Behind Babenhausen's town mill there is a memorial stone in memory of the Jewish communities of Babenhausen and its districts, which were destroyed during the National Socialist tyranny.

Memorial stone for the fallen of the war in 1870

Picture: A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0

The Franco-German War of 1870 is an important event in German history. After the victory over the French army, the German Empire is proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. The memorial stone was located first in front of the Protestant church, then on the station forecourt and was then moved to the cemetery. 


The inscription reads: 

"To the fallen in memory, to the living 

in recognition, to the future generations in emulation!"

"To the fallen in memory, to the living in recognition, to the future generations in emulation!"

This points out that war at that time still had a different meaning than today.

Tombs of unknown soldiers

Picture: A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0

On the main cemetery of Babenhausen there is a cemetery with war victims. There are also soldiers buried who fell in the last days of the war near Babenhausen. The picture shows one of the graves for unknown soldiers. Both fell on 25 March 1945 - the day on which the region was liberated from Nazi rule by American troops.

War Graves in Babenhausen

The war time cemetery at Babenhausen

On the Babenhausen cemetery there is an area with some graves of war victims. Especially impressive are the graves of the victims of a bomb attack on Babenhausen on Christmas Eve 1944. A direct hit of the bunker in the Burgmannenhaus claimed numerous victims, who are buried today on the cemetery.

The Burgmannenhaus covering the bunker which was hit on Christmas Eve 1944, 
picture: A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0

War damage to house on market square

Picture: A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0

This half-timbered house is located at the Babenhausen market square, directly opposite the town hall. While the town hall was completely destroyed by an air mine in the Second World War, only "little" damage was done to the directly adjacent half-timbered house. At least the wooden frame resisted the destructive effect. Only the compartment marked by the blue arrow was destroyed in its structure. This is still visible today because the wooden beams visible in the other compartments are missing. A small trace of the Second World War that is still visible today.

Plaques commemorating the crimes of the Nazi era in Babenhausen

Picture: A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0

Around the market square of Babenhausen there are two commemorative plaques for the victims of National Socialism. 


On the wall of the town hall there is a plaque commemorating the victims in great detail:

"The secret of reconciliation lies in the memory. We commemorate the victims of the National Socialist tyranny, the six million Jews murdered in German concentration camps, the Sinti and Roma, the homosexual men and women killed, the mentally ill, the people killed, who had to die because of their religious or political convictions, the hostages shot, the dead of the invaded peoples, murdered men and women of the resistance in all occupied states and of the German resistance and of the people who accepted death rather than to bow their consciences. Built by the city of Babenhausen on September 1^st 1988".

Picture: A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0

A little further on is a commemorative plaque at the city church, which fifty years after the end of the war also expresses gratitude for the time of peace:

"In memory of unspeakable suffering, out of gratitude for peace. And for the liberation from National Socialism. 8.5.1945 -8.5.1995" and the Bible verse "Justice exalts a people, but sin is the ruin of people (Prv 14,34)".

Babenhausen as a base of the US Army

The military history of the town began in 1869 with the entry of the Red Dragons (Rote Dragoner) into Babenhausen. After their departure in 1891, the town of Babenhausen endeavoured to revive its homeland by building barracks at its own expense, which was finished in 1901. At the end of the Second World War.

Picture: A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0

Babenhausen was repeatedly bombed as a railway junction and garrison town. After the war, the barracks were taken over by the US military, which remained in Babenhausen until 2007. The strong influence of the American base is already evident in the comparison of the population figures of 1953. At that time Babenhausen had about 4200 inhabitants and about the same number of Americans.

To commemorate the time as an American military base, American veterans have placed a commemorative plaque with the following text at the Stadtmühle of Babenhausen:


“The United States military presence at the Babenhausen Kaserne extended from 1945 to 2007. Initially displaced Europeans were housed in the Kaserne. In 1950, the 36^th Artillery Group was activated with artillery and other units from Southern Germany. Babenhausen citizens then stood side-by-side with, and supported the U.S. military for over the next half century.

The units remained at full readiness during the Cold War, the period of the Iron Curtain, and the era of the Berlin Wall that came down in November 1989 and led to the reunification of Germany. The Kaserne was a staging site during the Middle East military operations in 1991 and was finally closed in 2007.

Thousands of U.S. soldiers, civilians, and Babenhausen residents contributed to the success of the mission to defend the Free World and later expand liberty eastward throughout Europe. Those Americans that served here warmly remember the hospitality and kindness of the German people and especially the citizens of Babenhausen.“

Memorial to the burning of books in the Third Reich

On the Römerberg in Frankfurt, a central square in Frankfurt's Old Town, there is a plaque commemorating the burning of books by the National Socialists. On May 10, 1933, National Socialist students burned books and writings by philosophers, scientists, and writers whose views did not fit into National Socialist ideology and were classified by them as "un-German" or dangerous.

Stumbling blocks

Stumbling blocks


Whoever walks through a city centre in Germany will repeatedly come across brass stones (or brass plates) embedded in the pavement, which remind one of former residents of the buildings in front of them. These stumbling blocks remind of people who had to flee during the Third Reich or were deported and killed. 

Stumbling blocks in the center of Babenhausen, 
picture: A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0

The artist Günter Demnig made a start in 1992 when, on the fiftieth anniversary of the deportation order for the Sinti and Roma, he placed a stone with a brass plate in front of Cologne City Hall. The initial lines of the deportation law could be read on the stone. 


Demnig's aim is to give their names to the Nazi victims, who were only listed as numbers in the concentration camps. Bending down to be able to read the texts on the stones should at the same time be a symbolic bow to the victims. Stones with the names and dates of life as well as the fate of the persons have existed in Germany since 1995 - but now also in many other European countries. In Lithuania the first ones were installed in 2017.


For Demnig it is important to bring remembrance from the central memorial sites into people's everyday lives and thus make the victims more visible. This means that no one can bypass the memorials and ignore them. In any case, the stones bring the names of the victims back to the places of their lives - usually to their last place of residence before escape or deportation.

Impressions from a visit to a military cemetery and a concentration camp

The tenth grades of the Offene Schule Babenhausen have been regularly travelling to the military cemetery of Niederbronn and visiting the Struthof concentration camp for years. As an example for the impressions a report of a participant follows here:


How was Niederbronn for me?


The trip to Niederbronn was an experience for me which I will never forget again in my whole life. One gets a completely new picture of the world. Much is told about the First World War as well as the Nazitime. You can also see how many people were forced by the state against their will to join the Wehrmacht (the German army by that time). It is often told in Niederbronn that all people are equal, no matter what tone of skin, religion or nationality this person has. In addition to exciting stories on what is probably the largest war cemetery in the world, right next to the hostel, one also experiences a very moving experience in the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp. The concentration camp only shows how bad people can deal with others, how you can't even imagine it in your worst nightmares. You only had to do little things to get in. When the Germans marched into Alsace-Lorraine, the French were no longer allowed to speak French, they were suddenly Germans and no matter who spoke a spark of bad about the Germans or even refused an order, they were immediately imprisoned in this concentration camp. In the concentration camp Natzweiler-Struthof most people were political opponents or people who did not want to become Germans. A total of 20,000 people died in the concentration camp with the worst suffering. On the last evening we received a wonderful lecture from Mr. Raymond Levi, who told in great detail about his exciting family history. All in all I can really recommend the three nights in Niederbronn from the bottom of my heart. Anyone who has this chance should not miss this opportunity.

May mankind learn from such a thing and may such a thing never repeat itself again.

SC

Jürgen Schumann

Memorial plate at the grave of Jürgen Schumann

The late 70s were a time in Germany marked by the terrorism of the RAF (Red Army Faction). One of the famous people from this time was Jürgen Schumann from Babenhausen, whose grave is on the cemetery of Babenhausen. A street in the eastern part of the town was also named after him.


Schumann was pilot of the German Lufthansa and flight captain of the Lufthansa aircraft "Landshut", which was hijacked on 13 October 1977. 


During a stopover in Dubai he was able to report the number of hijackers of the "Landshut". Based on an interview with the Minister of Defence of Dubai, the kidnappers were also informed of this, whereupon the leader of the hijackers kneeled down Schumann and threatened to shoot him in another incident. 


After landing at Aden airport in Yemen, he left the plane with the hijackers' permission to check the landing gear. He also took the opportunity to speak in an airport building about the possibility of releasing the hostages. He voluntarily returned to the plane and was shot in the head. 

In Somali Mogadishu, two days later, the hostages were liberated by the GSG9, an elite unit of the German Federal Border Guard.

The grave of flight captain Jürgen Schumann at the cemetery of Babenhausen

Nusquam tuta fides

Picture: A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0

At the market place in Babenhausen there is a remarkable building directly opposite the former catholic church St. Nikolaus - today a town church. House no. 24 on Fahrstraße dates from 1544. When the Reformation arose in Babenhausen, the Catholic Fischbein family, who lived there, defended their faith against the new ideas for a long time. To this day the Latin saying "nusquam tuta fides" ("Nowhere is faith safe") can be read on an oriel. It shows how the family felt under the new conditions. The family was later Protestant, however, and at the beginning of the 17th century was even elevated to the nobility.