I really enjoyed learning about main events in contemporary German history. I feel like this video did a great job of covering a diverse range of topics. My favorite section was "Ich bin ein Berliner" because it showed many actual people living. One of my favorite events that this section covered was the history of the Berliner Schloss or the Berlin Palace.

The Berlin Palace was completed in 1461 and became the winter palace for the Kings of Prussia and the German emperors. The style of the building was Baroque and it was designed by the architect Andreas Schluter. It was said to be the heart of the city of Berlin, and one of the most historical buildings. Unfortunately, during World War II, bombings caused massive damage to the palace. The German Democratic Republic decided that they would demolish the building in the 1950's instead of spending the money to repair it. Many people in West Berlin protested, however they were not able to save the building. For a long time, the spot where the Palace of Berlin had been was just a vast space in the heart of the city. Then, in 1973 construction began on a replacement building. The new building was called the Palace of the Republic. 

   

The Palace of the Republic housed the East German Parliament for many years. Eventually when the East Berlin and West Berlin were reunited as one, the people agreed that the building should not exist anymore. It was torn down in 2006, once again the heart of Berlin stood empty. Finally, it was decided that construction would begin on reconstructing the old Berlin Palace. It was interesting to see the peoples mixed reviews in the video. Some believed that it was a waste of money while others thought that it was exactly what Berlin needed. I think that reconstructing the old building makes everything come full circle. It is also a good way for the people of Berlin to recognize what they have been through as a city-state. In the heart of city lies one of the greatest symbols of the history of Berlin.

Another event that I really found interesting was the Battle of Berlin. It was fascinating to hear about the tactics that the Russian soldiers (also known as the Red Army) used in order to take the city. The battle started on January 12th, 1945. During this time, Russia slowly began to infiltrate Germany. Efforts to breach the city of Berlin started on March 20th of that same year. Finally, the Red Army had the city of Berlin completely surrounded.  The German defenses held for awhile but ended up surrendering on May 2nd. Some of the defenses continued to hold their position and fought until the war against Europe ended on May 9th. Before the battle was over Adolf Hitler and some of his most prestigious followers decided to commit suicide. They were found in a bunker by Russian soldiers. It has always baffled me why Hitler choose to do this and I am sure it will never be able to be explained. It was a great lesson to learn about the events that lead up to Hitlers suicide and to see how they all are interconnected. 

Lastly, I believe it is important to talk about the advancement of equality that has been seen in Berlin over the past decades. Equal rights has always been a passion of mine, so I loved that the topic was included in the video. I am a strong supporter of gay rights and I was happy to see a segment about how Berlin has become more accepting of it. When learning about German history, some people fail to realize that not only Jews were persecuted, but also groups such as homosexuals. The video gave a brief look into the studies of Magnus Hirschfeld, which was very enlightening. I had no idea that someone would be so bold as to campaign for gay rights in Nazi Germany. Hirschfeld ran a research institute called the Institute of Sex Research. It was established in 1919 and remained strong until 1933. The Nazi's were strongly opposed to the institute and so the archives were burned as part of the government censorship program. Hirschfeld's research was revolutionary for the time period, he was truly a man ahead of his time. 

Martin Luther is well known throughout many different cultures today. I believe that he is so well known in culture because initially, he was going against the culture of his time period in order to create a new one. Culture is defined in the Webster dictionary as the act of developing intellectual and moral faculties especially by education.  In the 1500's, it was believed that if you gave enough money to the church, God would not punish you for your sins. This dealt with the moral faculties of the time period. Martin Luther sought to progress culture through education, showing people that God could not be bought off with money. He translated the the Bible into a language that a wider majority of people could understand, therefore spreading his knowledge and letting people educate themselves on religion. He is a cultural revolutionary because essentially, Martin Luther created a new culture.

It is also important to note that Martin Luther is a political revolutionary. During the 1520's, when Martin Luther began to oppose Pope Leo X, it was the same as if he was going against a popular political leader of our time period. The church held power over not only the people, but the nobles as well. Basically, the church held power over the government and many government decisions were influenced by the church. When Luther went against the Pope, he was going against the politics of the society, he was opposing one of societies strongest leaders. In my opinion, Martin Luther should be viewed as a political revolutionary, not just a religious revolutionary, because he was so willing to go against those who had much more power than him. He truly was a brave and incredible man.

Martin Luther is very important to German speaking lands for a number of reasons. First of all, he helped to shape the German language through his translation of the Bible from Latin. Secondly, he changed German culture completely by providing them with new information and helping them become more educated about the Bible, and most importantly, he is the essence of what Germany is all about. Germany, like every other country in the world, has become corrupt at certain points throughout history because of political leaders. However, Germany always manages to find its way back through the voices of the people and the help of other leaders emerging. Martin Luther represents that voice in the crowd, the one willing to be strong and stand up to the giant political leaders of the time. He is progress and change, a concept we have seen many times throughout German history. He is the essence of what Germany is all about.