What can we reconstruct about German culture - Essay Example

What can we reconstruct about German culture The Federal Republic of Germany is a Central European country and a member of the European Union. The Federal Republic is one of the world's leading industrialized countries and biggest market economy in Europe with windows to the East and West. Since reunification in 1990 Germany has further extended its responsibilities and central position in European and global affairs. Since 1951, Germany has been at the heart of European Integration and after German reunification in 1990 further promoted peaceful integration with its neighbors. Strong ties with the United States remain central to German foreign policy. This country with a strong economic position in the world today does not have a complete written history in the very early times. Jotting from here and there following are some important historical facts about this strong European country of today. Julius Caesar: Caesar's familiarity of the Germans can never be claimed to be thorough. At no time did he get far into Germany, and the people whose ways of life he had an opportunity to observe were only those who were pressing down upon, and rarely across, the Rhine boundary. We may be sure that many of the more distant German tribes lived with quite a different fashion from which Caesar had an opportunity to observe on the Rhine-Danube frontier. Still, Caesar's description, brief as it may be has an importance in Germany's written history as these early Germans had no written literature (Fredrick, 1908). According to Julius Caesar, the following aspects of German civilization in the medieval era are of wide importance that stated that the Germans differed extensively from those of the Gauls; neither had they Druids to preside over religious services, nor did they give much attention to sacrifices. The number of their gods who could be seen, and by whose favors they were clearly aided were the Sun, Vulcan, and the Moon. Their lives were spent in hunting and in war. From childhood they were trained in labor and hardship. Furthermore, they were not loyal to agriculture, and the greater portion of their food consisted of milk, cheese, and flesh. No one owned a particular piece of land. Each year they would magistrate as per their head's orders who gave many reasons for this practice, that the people may not lose their zeal for war through ways of life established by prolonged attention to the cultivation of the soil; that they may not be eager to obtain large properties, and that the stronger may not drive the weaker from their belongings; that they may not build too carefully, in order to keep away from cold and heat; that the love of money may not spring up, from which arose quarrels and dissensions; and, finally, that the common people may live in contentment, since each person saw that his wealth was kept equal to that of the most powerful (Fredrick, 1908). Many researchers have regarded it as the best proof of their bravery that their neighbors were forced to withdraw from the lands and hardly any one dared set a foot there; at the same time they thought that they would thus be more secure, since the fear of an abrupt attack was removed. When a tribe was either repelling a raid or attacking an outside force, magistrates were chosen to lead the war, and they were given the power of life and death. In times of peace there was no general magistrate, but the chiefs of the districts and cantons provided justice among their own people and settled rifts. On this criterion, robbery, if committed beyond the borders of the tribe, was not regarded as disgraceful, and they said that it was practiced for the sake of training the youth and preventing idleness. When any one of the chiefs declared in an assembly that he was going to be the leader of an expedition, and that those who wished to follow him should give in their names, they who approved of the undertaking, and of the man, would stand up and promise their assistance, and were applauded by the people. The ones who didn't follow him were looked upon as traitors, and from that day no one would have any faith in them. Moreover, to mistreat a guest these Germans considered to be a crime. They protected from injury those who had come among them for any purpose whatever, and regarded them as sacred. To them the houses of all were opened and food was freely supplied (Frassetto, 2003). Tacitus: Germania Tacitus, a significant Roman historian, wrote the most thorough early description of the Germans at then end of the first century. In doing so, please note that he was commenting on the Rome of his own era, as much as on the Germans themselves. In chapter 9 of his book he writes about the deities of the German civilization. Mercury was the deity whom they worshipped mainly, and on certain days they considered it right to sacrifice to him even with human victims. Hercules and Mars they claimed to be with more lawful offerings. Some of the Suevi also sacrificed to Isis (Tacitus, 1999). The Germans, however, did not consider it reliable with the grandeur of celestial beings to confine the gods within walls, or to compare them to the form of any human expression. Woods and groves were holy for them, and they applied the names of deities to the abstraction which they saw only in spiritual worship. About the German Dress Tacitus wrote in another chapter of his book that the former all wrapped themselves in a cloak which was fastened with a grip, or, if this was not helpful, with a thorn, leaving the rest of their parts bare. Many scholars on the subject believe that they passed whole days on the fireside by the fire. The wealthiest were notable by a dress which was not flowing, but was tight, and exhibited each limb. They also wore the skins of wild beasts. The women had the same dress as the men except that they generally wrapped themselves in linen garments, which they embroidered with purple, and did not lengthen out the upper part of their clothing into sleeves. The upper and lower arm was thus bare, and the nearest part of the bosom was also exposed (Tacitus, 1999). Another chapter on Marriage Laws tells us about The marriage code which was strict, and indeed no part of their manners was more admirable. Almost all among barbarians were content with one wife, except a very few among them, and these not from sensuality, but because their noble birth procured for them many offers of unions. The wife did not bring a dower to the husband, but vice varsa. The parents and relatives were present, and passed judgment on the marriage-gifts, gifts not meant to suit a woman's taste, nor such as a bride would decorate herself with, but oxen, a caparisoned steed, a shield, a lance, and a sword. With these presents the wife was espoused, and she herself in her turn brings her husband some gift of arms (Drewn, 1991). This they counted as their strongest bond of union, sacred mysteries and their gods of marriage. The wife was her husband's partner in work load and danger, destined to suffer and to dare with him both in war. The yoked oxen, the harnessed steed, the gift of arms declared this fact. She was to live and die with the feeling that she was receiving what she must hand down to her children neither discolored nor depreciated, what future daughters-in-law may receive, and may be so passed on to her grandchildren (Drewn, 1991). Salic Law is a body of laws codified during the period of King Clovis (476-96). These laws were primarily concerned with financial compensations and civil matters pertaining to landownership by men. A clause which is concerned with the rules of inheritance which specifies that in: "concerning salic lands (terra Salica) no portion or inheritance is for a woman but all the land belongs to members of the male sex who are brothers. (qtd. In Frassetto 2003, pp 56)" A salary was added under King Chilperic in 575 that extended further the rules of legacy: if a man had neighbors but after his death sons and daughters remained alive, as long as there were sons they would have the land just as the Salic Law provided. And if the sons are already dead then a daughter could receive the land just as the sons would have done had they lived. Under Charlemange Salic Law went through further reform. It was still in use throughout the 9th Century before being gradually included into local laws. By the 14th century, the laws were no longer in use (Tacitus, 1999). Germanic society under the Roman Empire went through certain reforms Kinship, custom, and classes had norms such as that the basic Germanic social unit was the tribe, or folk. Law was an unwritten tradition, handed down orally from generation to generation. Tribes were bound by shared peace and led by kings or chieftains. The comitatus, or war band, fought with the chieftain; gradually, a warrior dignity evolved (Tacitus, 1999). Law : 'In the sixth century, during the process of Christianization, Germanic law began to be written down. ' 'Under Salic Law each person had a wergeld, or monetary value, and each offense had a fine. ' 'German law aimed at the reduction of violence; it was not concerned with abstract justice.' (qtd in Frassetto 2003, pp. 89-90) The German government today is a strong supporter of the enlargement of NATO. German troops participate in the multinational efforts to bring peace and stability to the Balkans. The country continues to be active economically in the states of central and eastern Europe, and to actively support the development of democratic institutions. In the 2000s Germany has been arguably the centerpiece of the European Union. Works Cited: Drewm K. F. (1991). Laws of the Salian Franks. University of Pennsylvania Press Fredrick, A. (1908). A Source Book of Mediaeval History. American Book Company Tacitus. (19990. Germania. Oxford University Press. Frassetto, M. (2003). Encyclopedia of Barbarian Europe: Society in Transformation. ABC-CLIO. Read More