[Magdalen] Slaw.

[James Oppenheimer-Crawford]

I was reading a text many years ago which used excerpts for German language
newspapers to give a taste of contemporary usage and current events at the
same time.

One was about a survey done to the Mann-auf-die-Strabe (man in the
street).  The questions asked were, "Can you tell me where the Maas is?"
 "Can you point out to me where the Memel is?"  As it turned out, hardly
anybody could offhand show where they were/are.

I input the phrase and "some beach!" The very article I read so many years
ago popped up. I remember dragging myself through it, trying to figure it
out, but pressing on out of interest in the subject.  Such very very smart
pedagogues!!!
http://www.zeit.de/1961/37/von-der-maas-bis-an-die-memel

The poem describes a Germany "von der Maas bis on den Memel" (from the Maas
to the Memel), and the idea was that the patriot wanted the multitude of
tiny states to unite. Read as a whole, the poem is basically a call for
Germans to come together, but for peaceful purposes.

After all, the second verse goes on about German women, German Faith,
German wine and German song.  Hey, I could get into that! Those are all
quite fine indeed.

The third verse has been taken to be the new anthem of Germany, "Unity and
Justice and freedom..." (Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit). It still uses
the music of Haydn's "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, Unsern guten Kaiser
Franz."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06643umEJZg
Aside from Holland's *Het Wilhelmus*, theirs may be the best national
anthem going.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvgT_-pgvhA

Perhaps "God Save the King/Queen" gets preference since it is used by all
the nations in Her Majesty's Commonwealth, and it's also thought good
enough by Beethoven to merit some variations. But Haydn did get there
first, and wrote some marvelous variations of his own. Not to mention that
we somehow managed to swipe it for one of our most beloved national songs
in the USA. Much as I love our version, I don't really think it can compare
with the original version. Some of the greatest composers have written
settings for it, and we hear these settings whenever the UK has a big do.


James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy

On Wed, Mar 16, 2016 at 2:12 AM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

>
>
> In a message dated 3/16/2016 1:55:19 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> mjl at ix.netcom.com writes:
>
>
> You  have, indeed, lived a sheltered life, Doc Strang.  I believe there's
> therapy available for those thusly afflicted with a quick change of slaw
> weltanschauung.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
> "Weltanschauung."  That's a word that speaks to the Germanic  soul!
> (means "World View").
>
>
> And on the subject of "welt" there is that line from the German  National
> Anthem, "Deutchland, Deutchland uber Alles, uber Alles in die  Welt."
>
> The Haydn string quartet version of the tune always rounded out  the
> days broadcast on Hessicher Rundfunk (Hessian Broadcasting).  It  still
> plays through my head at bedtime sometimes.
>
>
>
>
> David Strang.
>