A very German day

November 9, 1848

Robert Blum is executed in Vienna. One of the more prominent members of the Frankfurt National Assembly, he was in Vienna to observe how the Austrians dealt with the revolutionary forces. Not objective at all, he spoke to the revolutionaries and even took part in street fights. His diplomatic immunity was ignored. His death ultimately marks the end of the 1848 revolution.

November 9, 1918

The first day of the German republic. The Kaiser abdicates (not quite voluntarily) and flees the country, Friedrich Ebert becomes Reichkanzler. It’s the culmination of the German revolution.

November 9, 1923

Hitler’s march to the Feldherrnhalle. His coup fails, Hitler is sentenced to five years imprisonment.

November 9, 1938

Kristallnacht.

November 9, 1989

The Wall falls.

Tragedy, terror, and glory. It’s not just any day for Germans.
(Via Die Zeit)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 9th, 2004 at 11:41 am and is filed under A Fistful Of Euros, Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

1. Scott Martens Says:
   November 9th, 2004 at 12:30 pm

   Unification Day doesn’t seem to be taking off. Perhaps it should be Deutsche Nationale Regierungsumstürzenstag. German national overthrow-your-government day?

2. Doug Says:
   November 9th, 2004 at 3:41 pm

   More syllables, pleas. Extra credit for additional umlauts.

3. Korrektor Says:
   November 9th, 2004 at 3:42 pm

   9 November 1938: This term “Kristallnacht” is the Nazi term which became widespread. More correct would be “Reichspogromnacht” which is quite commonly used today.

4. claudia Says:
   November 9th, 2004 at 6:46 pm

   This term “Kristallnacht” is the Nazi term which became widespread.

   See, I knew when I wrote this post, that I’d slip somewhere and do something stupid.

   What I always think of when I write “Kristallnacht” is the BAP song — German band that still exists, I think, and that I had a thing for back in the early 1980s. Their song is deeply creepy and upsetting, echoing the horror of 1938. Small excuse, but there you have it.

5. Mrs Tilton Says:
   November 9th, 2004 at 7:21 pm

   BAP still exist, in the sense that Wolfgang Niedecken still exists. The rest of the original lineup is gone.

   Anyway, perhaps it’s the just the K?lschophobe in me, but I was never a fan. (And aren’t Bl?ck F??s the band for real K?lner anyway?)

6. claudia Says:
   November 9th, 2004 at 8:03 pm

   (And aren?t Bl?ck F??s the band for real K?lner anyway?)

   [snort]

   I’m Franconian. Which is, like, the people from Northern Bavaria. Not to be confused with Bavarians.

   I think BAP was Bl?ck F??s light for non-K?lner. Or something like that.

7. Mrs Tilton Says:
   November 9th, 2004 at 8:47 pm

   Ach so — ‘die Elite Bayerns’.

   Dann kennst Du bestimmt TBC (’Total Bamberger Cabaret’, oder sollte ich eher sagen, Dodal Bamberger Gabaredd). In one of their sketches, various sorts of German are saying their bedtime prayers:

   ‘O Herr, ich bin Preusse — Scheisse!’
   ‘O Herr, ich bin Schwabe; rette meine Seele, falls ich eine habe.’
   ‘O Herr, ich bin Franke. Danke!’

   I cannot claim the joy of being Franconian, but I lived in W?rzburg for a number of years, and have eaten Meefischli.

8. Doug Says:
   November 9th, 2004 at 11:31 pm

   It’s the secret Frankenverschw?rung at the heart of afoe … my first time living in Germany was in Bamberg.

   Does this make us a Frankenblog?

9. claudia Says:
   November 10th, 2004 at 2:17 pm

   Does this make us a Frankenblog?

   Yes, yes, yes!
   Oh, TBC. Of course I know them. It’s been ages since I’ve been to one of their shows, though. That was, cough, you know, in the last century. In the 80s. When they were still small and more of an inside tip.

   BTW, the Lower Franconian version goes like this:

   It’s nice to be a Preiss,
   It’s higher to be a Bayer,
   But the nicest I can denk,
   is to be an Underfr?nk.

   Claudia - feeling all fuzzy and warm