Roger Cohen of The New York Times made the following comment about Germany's soccer team:

"When I lived in Germany, a Social Democrat once told me that the country’s ultimate victory over Hitler would lie in the reconstitution of the Jewish community, then being pursued by luring Jews of the former Soviet Union. I always thought that was a vain, slightly kitschy idea. But the Germany of Özil and Aogo is such a victory over the Big Man who destroyed Europe." Germany is now the main choice of African and Asian migrants seeking asylum from torture or economic immobility.

Germany's Bullet Train

It was so hot in July --38 degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Fahrenheit-- that the air conditioning died on
ICE 3 German bullet trains.

Any way, Germany's rail system began testing them in 1998. The trains were delivered and started service in 2000. Frankfurt's Main train station sends out several ICE 3 bullet trains per hour.

There is a practical need for these trains. As cities increase in population and the price of gasoline sky rockets, fast fuel efficient trains offer an alternative to cars. When stations such as Frankfurt move large numbers of people with multiple ICE trains that consume electricity rather than diesel like Germany's older trains, the benefits to relieving congestion and the environment quickly become apparent.

Germany's Restaurants

Oh, I didn't tell you. I became a vegetarian in June. A few years ago that would have been problematic when you at a German restaurants. Pork and potatoes are the main parts of their cuisine. Now, however, German restaurants always have a vegetarian dish, as some German have also become non-meat eaters. I just don't want to eat another sentient being right now. Oh, I might change my mind later. . . not right now though. Here are some photos of German dishes.

German Soccer Association

On July 16th, I really began to appreciate the game of soccer in the course of my Goethe Institute trip to Germany, particularly as we visited the Deutscher-Fussball-Bund/German Soccer Association in Frankfurt. Thomas Schnelker, the Association's representative, had prepared a speech for us. However, when we began asking our questions, he skipped his speech and took our questions of which there were many. One questions was on why soccer is so popular in Germany. Schnelker explained that every German is introduced to soccer with state funding beginning at four years of age. Every one is encouraged to play, without regard to gender, height, weight or athletic ability. It is all inclusive. While truly gifted athletes are especially nurtured, the inclusion of the bulk of the population continues. So there are teams of people in their 30, 50s and even 70s. Great, huh?

On July 15th, we left from the Munich Train Station and traveled to Frankfurt, Germany. Believe it or not, 300,000 people pass through this station every day, from the cities suburbs and other German cities and Western Europe. It is filled with tourist shops, food stands, drug stores, a McDonald's and Burger King, of course.

Just north of the Main Train Station is the Turkish German district. It might surprise you to know that beginning it the 1950s, Italians immigrated to Germany to filled the labor shortage that followed millions of deaths in World War II. When the flow of Italians ebbed, in the 1960s, Germany turned to Turkey for guest workers. They came by and large with the expectation of working in Germany for a few years and returning home with savings in order to open business. However, many did not return and soon invited their families. Now Germans of Turkish descent have lived in Germany for three generations. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russians who claimed a German ancestor came. Riding a train in Germany reminded me of a New York City train on which I hear Russian and other languages. Germany is indeed a multi-ethnic society.

While in Bavaria, we visited castle after castle. Here are some photos of one I saw on July 15th.

the Reichtag or Parliment Building

When the German Empire replaced the German Confederation in 1871, the Reichstag or German Parliament was established in Berlin. A few years later the Parliament building itself was built. One can say this was the birth of German democracy. Women were even given the vote and serve in the German Parliament in 1919. Furthermore, The Parliament could force the chancellor to resign by a no-confidence vote, resulting in new elections.

Many people believe Adolf Hitler circumvented this process with a destructive fire in the Reichtag building that was blamed on communists. Within a month after the Reichtag fire, the German Parliment gave all of its powers to the then Federal Government Chancellor Adolf Hitler passing a new law, the Enabling Act of 1933.

Germany's Parliament

Election of Members of the German Bundestag

As a rule, the people decide the composition of the Bundestag every four years. The Basic Law stipulates that its Members be elected in "general, direct, free, equal and secret elections".

"General" means that all German citizens are able to vote once they have reached the age of 18. The elections are "direct" because citizens vote for their representatives directly without the mediation of delegates to an electoral college. "Free" means that no pressure of any kind may be exerted on voters.

"Equal" means that each vote cast carries the same weight with respect to the composition of the Bundestag. "Secret" means that each individual must be able to exercise his or her right to vote in such a way that others cannot ascertain which party he or she has chosen to support.

The German Bundestag is elected by the German people and is the forum where differing opinions about the policies the country should be pursuing are formulated and discussed.

The most important tasks performed by the Bundestag are the legislative process and the parliamentary scrutiny of the government and its work.

The Members of the German Bundestag also decide on the federal budget and deployments of the Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces) outside Germany.

Another important function performed by the Bundestag is the election of the German Federal Chancellor.

The legislative process

In Germany, the legislative process is a task for the country’s parliaments. The Bundestag is therefore the most important organ of the legislative branch in the German Federation. Since, under Germany’s federal system, the Länder hold a considerable share of the powers of the state, the Bundesrat, the organ through which the Länder participate in the legislation and administration of the Federation, is also involved in the legislative process.

Source http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/bundestag/elections/electionresults/election_mp.html