absolutely Texas
Gosh – the internet seems to put not just the world, but also our family history, at our finger tips. I noticed this on my last trip to Texas. People from all over the world do research in the Sophienburg Museum and Archives to find their ancestors. A family of three generations in 2008 find their roots in New Braunfels. Volunteer organisations help us to travel the world with a “very restricted budget”.
absolutely unbelievable
Laurent tells us about an unbelievable coincidence he witnessed during his stay in Texas. An American family of three generations makes a trip to an immigration museum in New Braunfels between Austin and St. Antonio to do some research with the help of an old photograph which shows their family house. To everybody’s astonishment this turns out to be the very house the director of the museum lives in. All this unfolds while the microphone is running …
absolutely Texan-German
Linda Dietert, a true “Texan-German” tells us about the history of the Texas settlers in the 1850s. Their descendants, some of whom still speak some German after all these generations, are often happy to talk about their background in the “old world” and keep up some of the old traditions such as sausage-making . But of course a Texan “Bratwurst” does not have the same taste as its German relatives – and why should it?
absolutely hospitable
Agnes tells us about the “Hospitality Club” where you can find places to stay for your next journey if you cannot afford to pay for accommodation on your travels. Adelheid Korpp provides detailed information about “Servas” a non-profit organization which also puts you in contact with hosts around the world and she shares her experiences with us. We hear about hosts who give out their keys to guests whom they have never seen before or offer their own cars instead of telling you where to rent one. This Servas-spirit of sharing is meant to “foster new insight, knowledge and tolerance of others”.
The next show will be coming to you on 8 February from Anne Fox in Denmark.
So long…stay tuned!
The hosts of this show are: Dr. Laurent Borgmann and Agnes Dus
Editor: Mathias Knops
Just love the music.
This podcast is really interesting. I enjoyed it so much and that is for several reasons:
I am a great fan of different accents. I love the British accents, but also like the South American English accents. To be honest I like all accents. They are all absolutely interesting!
I love a good family story. Don’t you just like to go through the family albums and listen to people talk about what those pictures remind them of? It is so absolutely “gemuetlich!” – I couldn’t think of a better word!
I remember when I was a kid and my Grandfather was alive. I loved family visits on those rainy days, when we sat around the fireplace and listened to the adults conversations and their memoirs about the good old days. I have “saudades” (Portuguese word for a feeling similar to “Sehnsucht”) of those times.
There are many friendly people who will be hospitable enough to take you in when traveling. Travel around Europe, in some places they love the Canadian folk and will do anything for them
Dear Mr. Borgmann,
You are the “Head of Languages and International Affairs at the Remagen RheinAhrCampus?” This is the town where my uncle lives.
You know I actually walked from Lorenz Denn’s house on Nibelungenring Straße (I think it was Nibelungenring anyway) to your campus when I was in Remagen. I believe that my uncle’s daughter, Suzanne Denn, attended your campus and studied English or some similar subject.
Let me share our German-American family story with you. In 1852 some of the Denns sailed from Remagen, Germany to the United States and some of our family stayed in Germany. I have a full geneological history and a story of how the journey from Germany to America went. Eventually the Denns that went to America settled in the Minnesota area around New Trier and Hastings and near Mankato in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. There are a million little side stories about the experiences that my forefathers had as loggers, successful farmers, etc. One of them even got robbed by Jesse James’s gang of thugs. Also when the Denns were on the boat ride over the Atlantic they had a fatality on the boat ride over to America in 1852. I have a full geneological record going back at least as far as the middle of the 17th century which I corroborated with Lorenz when I came over to Germany for the first time in the very beginning of 2004.
As for me personally, I am 23 years old. I recently graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science & History and a minor in German Studies. I am currently translating documents on behalf of a company located in Troy, Michigan for several German companies. I will be relocating to Colorado by April of this year, and I hope to join the Air Force National Guard as an officer and work as an assistant manager at a retail clothing store named Abercrombie & Fitch, at least temporarily.
Matthew J. Denn