Looking back in review I can say I learned much more about Germany than I ever knew before. Coming in with German in my genealogy I thought I would learn about the structure of Germany and a little bit about what Germans are all about. From the first class session I realized I was in for the long ride to learn more than expected. I learned that Germany has not been a unified country for long and even to this day the states are very divided in and of it themselves. I enjoyed learning about all the different states and how the industries and companies all over Germany are known for being power houses in the world in their own industries. I particularly enjoyed how we were all able to learn and teach each other through presentations and keep the class interesting and flowing that way. While researching my topic of industries in Germany I enjoyed learning of how Germany is a worldwide leader in the renewable energy industry! One of the more intriguing things I remember from the semester was how Germans as a whole are not very religious in particular. It was interesting to see how they are becoming less and less too. Learning about the current generations there and how diverse Germany is now is awesome too see and seeing that in presentations and how the demographics are ever changing in the city states especially! I enjoyed reading All Quiet on the Western Front and watching the film and being able to see the view of the War from the less glorified view and showing how it really did affect those who were involved with the war and how it changed young Germans. My favorite film of the semester was Berlin Calling though. Even though it was different and shocking at times it was great to see that certain scene in Germany as I am sure that is very accurate to what actually takes place with that lifestyle and in Berlin and in the younger youth generations. This semester as a whole has been a pleasure being able to prepare before class and research then show up to class and constantly learn about Germany and how it has changed over time and how it is constantly changing.
