Operation Walküre (Satis Shroff)

Operation Walküre (Satis Shroff)

Ceude de Gurs (c) Aquarelle by Max Linger ‘Operation Walküre’ was Hitler’s own Emergency Plan which was used by Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg to put an end to the Fuehrer, take over his Nazi regime and remove the Third Reich’s military and political administrators and replace them with his own men. Stauffenberg and his men risked their own lives, and those of their own families, for the fate of millions of people. The old war heroes are slowing disappearing with Alzheimer, Parkinson’s and other diseases in gerontological homes, and many in their own four walls. I’m awfully glad and proud that our children are taught about the holocaust in their schools (Abitur classes), that there are memorials, museums and that school-kids have to write essays about Anne Frank, Schindler’s List, the Third Reich and that school classes and students go to see where, and how it happened in the concentration camps in Germany, Poland, France and elsewhere: lest we forget. Germany does have quite a few resistance heroes, and if more people had the desire to show civil courage like Stauffenberg, Sophie Scholl and a host of others, then such atrocities like World War II, Auschwitz and other concentration- camp genocides would not have happened. I think that the Germans, as a folk, have learned their lessons well. The Education Departments in the 16 Federal States of Germany are doing a good job by keeping the young people informed about the hoary past, in addition to Germany’s great history by organising memorials, seminars, exhibitions and multimedia events. Actually, the idea to undermine the Hitler regime with the help of Hitler’s own Walküre plans through the implementation of the Auxillary Army to mow down revolts, was General Olbricht’s brain-child. In ‘Operation Walküre,’ however, it is shown as Stauffenberg’s geistesblitz to assassinate Hitler and to put the blame on the SS and Nazi big shots, and to use the ‘Walküre’ plans to make the Nazis surrender their weapons. According to Norse mythology, Walküren were those who decided who ought to die in the battlefield. In Germanic mythology, the messengers of the highest God Wodan (Odin), ride over the killing-fields and give the slain eternal life by means of a kiss and take them to Asgard, whereby Asen is the mightiest dynasty of Gods with Odin (Wodan) at the top, seconded by Thor (Donar), Baldr, Zyr (Zin) and Frigg (also known as Frija , Frea). Odin was the sovereign God, whom the Germanic dynasties of England and Scandinavia, originally regarded as their divine founder. These Gods are perhaps a reflection of the tripartite division of the Indo-European society into: priest, warrior and cultivator. Some years back on Thomas Gottschalk’s ‘Wetten, dass’ TV show, Mittermeier, a popular tongue-in-cheek cabaretist said as a joke that instead of Hitler, Tom Cruise would have done well to have laid the leader of the Scientology church cold, which caused a big laugh. Mittermeier’s parody of Obama and Merkel brought the house down with more laughter. In Germany’s first channel ARD Oliver Pocher, a comedian moderated a show (Schmidt & Pcher) dressed as Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, complete with an eye-patch, and the blurb: “You can see better with the First (Channel). The chairman of the ARD Herr Volker Stich wasn’t amused and said, ‘Herr Pocher didn’t do the ARD any good.’ If this fun-making goes on in in good olde Germany, then a lot of Stauffenbergs-in-uniform will be appearing during the Carnival (Fasnet) next month. Who was Claus Stauffenberg really? He was a noble German, a count, who lived in the Castle of Jettingen, which lies in the vicinity of Günzburg. He was born in November 15, 1907 and shot by the Nazi execution squad in Berlin on July 20, 1944. Stauffenberg was an officer and resistance fighter. He did his military duty in Poland and France. Between 1940-43 he worked in the organisation department of the General Staff of the Army. He belonged to the German elite, was conservative, but was also open to new social changes, and was initially impressed by Hitler’s success. He developed a growing skepsis regarding the national socialist politics of conquest, critic on the military, Hitler’s mistakes and his disgust regarding the terror meted out to the people of the conquered countries culminated in his decision to be ready for the revolt in 1942. Claus Stauffenberg was severely wounded in April 1943 in North Africa. He was promoted to the rank of Stabschef in the Reich’s army department and became the force behind the diverging resistance groups. Since July 1, 1944 he had access to Hitler’s HQ as an Oberst. He personally carried out the plan to blow up the Führer on July 20, 1944 and flew to Berlin because he was a key figure in carrying out and coordinating the technical plans of the operation to take over the state. Even though there are still old and neo-nazis who raise their voices now and then in Germany even today, we believe in the norms and values of democracy: freedom of opinion, cultures, togetherness (Miteinander) and vive la difference. Yes we can, as you can see. Come to Germany and see it for yourself. Stauffenberg’s last words in the film are: ‘Long live holy Germany! Es lebe das heilige Deutschland!’ before he is riddled by a firing squad on the night of July 20, 1944. The attempt to assassinate the Führer backfired, but for many Germans it was a sign, a symbol for another Germany which has lasted even to this day. The men and women of July 20, 1944 were instrumental in shaping the goals (Leitbild) of the present-day Bundeswehr, which is battling against the Talibans in Afghanistan, keeping-off pirates in Somalia and elsewhere, and will be seeing action in Mali soon, is a Nato member and works closely with the USA and has a brigade together with the French army, not to speak of its many development projects in many poor countries. If you’d like to visit the Military Archive located at the Wiesentalstrasse 10 in Freiburg, just give them a call: 0761-47817-801 and ask for Herr Michael Steidel. Tom Cruise’s ‘Valkyrie’ crew were at the Archive two weeks long to do their research on German SS and Gestapo uniforms, documents and other historical paraphernalia. At the Military Archiv you’ll find five halls and 55km of files dating back from 1867 till today. On January 27, 2009 like in many other European cities, we Freiburger remember the ‘Persecution Children and Youth from 1933 till 1945’ as the day of liberation of the prisoners from the concentration camp in Ausschwitz in 1945, and we discuss about the families that were separated from the German mainstream in those days, persecuted and exterminated by the National Socialists (Nazis). Their only crime was that they were: Jews, Sintis, Romas, Jehova’s witnesses or disabled human beings, who were regarded as lesser beings in comparison to the so-called master Germanic race. The youth will have a chance to speak to witnesses and survivors of the holocaust who still live in Freiburg or have been invited to speak about their sad, moving, traumatic experiences. In the German language we call them Zeitzeugen, time-witnesses.

Commentary: NSA Issue, A Storm in a Tea Cup? (Satis Shroff)

Commentary: NSA Issue: Storm in a Tea Cup? (Satis Shroff) After the speech of the US President and the interview with Klaus Kleber (ZDF), two positions were defined but no change of course, and the work of the NSA was defended by President Obama. The latter emphasized that small correction will be undertaken and friendly states will be further tapped if the national security demands it. Even Chancellor Merkel is expected to take the matter lightly. The reason is that Germany doesn’t belong to the same category of friends, and doesn’t enjoy the same status, as Britain, New Zealand and Australia. It’s an open secret that Britain tends to fraternise more with the USA than with Europe due to historical reasons. After all Britain is the mother country of the thirteen original colonies of the USA, and the English language is common; although the founding fathers believed in a shared philosophy rather than linguistic unity as illustrated by foreign accents which are typical features of American speech. More and more US states have declared English as the official language to ward off the Hispanic, migratory expansion within its population. Britain and the USA have shown mutual support in military matters: the USA came to the rescue of Britain in the World War I and II. Britain supported the USA in Korea and Vietnam. The USA helped Britain win the Falklands in 1982 (Thatcher era) and later both countries fought in the Gulf War in 1991, and also during the Hindukush war. Given all these mutual military operations, it’s only normal for the USA to regard Britain as its most reliable and staunchest ally and friend across the Atlantic. On the other hand, Britain tries to reconcile the US and EU interests, even though PM Cameron has remained reluctant towards an European Union membership, much like his predecessors. London doesn’t want to lose its competence to Brussels. During the German Unity celebration in Stuttgart where I was invited, the Federal President Dr. Gauck stated that Germany ought to take an active part in the diverse military operations of the Nato and the US and not remain a passive logistic supplier. Germany’s next move in this direction is to send the German-French brigade to Africa to support France. It might be mentioned that Germany has been training the Afghan policemen since a number of years, even though there are doubts whether they will be able to withstand the Taliban attacks in the future. With the collapse of the Iron Curtain around 1990 the USA gained supremacy as a superpower and world police. The EU is strong as an economic power but rather weak as a political unity. When strategic decisions have to be made, the US President is way ahead in comparison to the leaders in Brussels. On the other hand Brussels has gained strength as a competitor on the world markets, in addition to Russia, China, India and other Asian Tiger states. Industrial espionage isn’t new, and the USA isn’t the only nation that taps the world, despite the warnings of Snowden. It is only normal that the US takes the defence of its own national security and its national interests seriously. Finding and maintaining an equilibrium between citizen’s rights and national security is a delicate balance, and what President Obama has promised was not a sweeping change in the activities of the NSA; which is furthermore obliged to collect communication data world wide in the form of e-mails and calls. The NSA collects 200 million sms-messages each day. The USA isn’t interested in curbing its own activities through a no-spying-agreement with Berlin. President Omaba does want to regain and restore the confidence of his foreign colleagues. But national security has top priority as usual. The European and South American leaders and citizens will have to comply and follow a policy of appeasement towards the USA. That’s all. According to a German political barometer, the average German citizen is more concerned about the new waves of immigration than about the NSA-issue. Other relevant themes are the employment-markets and jobs, old age pension and gerontological security, the development of consumer prices and wages. Date protection and data collection by secret services interests only 3% and has a rating of place 15. Believe it or not, not a single German citizen sought help from the fundamental Law Court in Karlsruhe regarding the NSA-issue, which normally receives 6000 constitutional complaints annually. Is this is sign of tiredness with the espionage them or resignation? As far as the future is concerned, the USA and its Nato allies will have to move towards a common understanding on how the secret services can get along and coordinate with each other at a high level, even though the interests of the USA and UK and the Nato vary in such matters. In Europe the secret services become active only when an individual is suspected, whereas the British and US secret services collect all available information data first, then evaluate it and seek out suspected persons and terrorist-cells in their own and foreign countries. Be that as it may, the Nato secret services need the USA and vice versa: the free trade agreement between Europe and the US is a poor card in this game, for both parties have a lot to lose. The message is clear: united we stand, divided we fall.

Choir: Singing in Joy and Suffering (Satis Shroff,Freiburg)

Germany: Singing in Joy and Suffering (Satis Shroff, Schriftführer, MGV-Kappel) Tags: foret noire, lovely kappel, vorsitzender, klaus suetterle, black forest, MGV-Kappel, schwarzwald, satisshroff, schriftführer, Singing in Joy and Suffering (Satis Shroff) The Männergesangverein is a typical men’s choir from the Black Forest town of Kappel, which belongs to Freiburg. It’s motto is: In Freud und Leid, zum singen bereit, that is, ‘Ready with a Song, in Joy and Suffering.’ Singing is the most beautiful articulation of humans in the musical domain. When we sing in a choir, we come together. You can hear yourself, others and then hear all together in chorus. You seek the harmony, and you find this when you sing together. This feeling of togetherness binds us in a choir. In Germany the men’s choir dates back to the times of Karl Friedrich Zelters (1758-1832) who founded the Liedertafel in Berlin in the year 1809, which was an association (verein) with 24 men. The aim was to promote singing and this verein served as a model for all choirs later. In Kappel it was Karl Freßle who took the initiative and founded the Musikverein-Kappel in the year 1904. He was the chairman from 1912 till 1928, and he was the one who suggested at the general meeting on May 30,1920 that a men’s choir be initiated. The MGV-Kappel exists since 1920 and is ninety-two years old. The MGV-Kappel is of cultural importance in Kappel, just as the Musikverein. Between the Musikverein and the MGV-Kappel there’s a co-operation since the founding days and the two associations organise their concerts together, especially the Weihnachts (Christmas) Concert, which has become a tradition. The concerts are hosted by the two vereins alternatively each year. ‘When does the MGV-Kappel sing in public?’ you are inclined to ask. It sings on White Sunday, at the Christmas Bazaar, during Weihnachten in the Kirche, as the church is called in German, and a lot of other occasions throughout the year. The MGV-Kappel ‘Liederkranz’ has often given evidence to the fact that it’s an active verein through its excursions with its members, ständerlesingen (singing on round birthdays and at funerals when a dear citizen or singer has passed away, after which the MGV renders the deceased the last accompaniment to the local graveyard in Kappel. Although the MGV-Kappel is a very tradition-conscious verein in Kappel and the Dreisam Valley, it has shown that it is open new impulses. The conductor Johannes Söllner has at last returned to Freiburg from Leipzig where he’d gone for his further studies, and as a result had to shuttle between Freiburg and Leipzig. It might be mentioned that he’s the conductor of both choirs: MGV-Kappel and Intermezzo Ihringen. The latter is a mixed choir, since the elderly generation is dying out, and it is getting increasingly difficult to acquire new, young male members. There is a clash of interest and taste as far as the choice of songs are concerned. Whereas the elderly members want to stick to their olde German songs, the younger generation want rap, hip-hop and pop-songs and music from the UK and the US-charts. The MGV-Kappel has been increasing its international repertoire of songs with lyrics in Latin, Spanish, English, African, Hebrew and Russian languages. According to Arthur Schopenhauer: music is the melody to which the world is the text. And it’s amazing how music and songs connect people. The MGV-Kappel has early this year staged a Brauchtumsabend (February 17, 2012) in which old and new traditional stories were told to the accompaniment of music and songs, because a society changes and goes with the influences of the times. This would have been different in the former conserved German societies of Schlesian and the Siebenburgen (Seven Hills) in Romania, where the ethnic Germans living in these countries wanted to preserve their culture from the Czechkoslovakian and Romanian mainstream. Elderly Germans who were repatriated to Germany later found that the German language and the country and its people had other norms and values. They’d just gone with the times, and as a result were suddenly strangers to their ethnic brethens from ‘conserved’ cultural backgrounds. It’s a pity that Kappel doesn’t have a Trachtenverein.Oberried and St. Peter and many parts of the Schwarzwald have maintained their old traditional garb, pretty hats and other costumes and parade in such clothes on special days, which is not only a delight for the tourists but also for the cultural heritage of a country. In the Freiburger area alone there are 3500 vereins. The general meeting took place as usual at the Gasthaus Kreuz (Kappel) on March 2, 2012. The MGV-Kappel was invited by the choir Intermezzo Ihringen on April 14,2012. We sang the following songs: Evening Rise (a Native American song), s’Herz, Heil Dir Heilige Himmelskönigin, Good News, Durchs Wieseltal gang i. Intermezzo Ihringen sang no wine songs, even though Ihringen lies in the sunniest area of Germany. Intermezzo shone with world hits in English, and borrowed a great deal from the Swedish group Abba to the delight of the audience. The songs Sana Sana and Evening Rise were sung together by the two choirs. It was a very pleasant evening. (Article by: satis shroff,1. Vorstand,www.mgv-kappel.de) http://schwarzwaldchroniclessatisshroff.blogspot.de/

Green City Freiburg: European Convention of Environmental Laureates (Satis Shroff)

European Environmental Laureates Convention in Freiburg (Satis Shroff)

Freiburg is set to play host to environmental laureates from across the globe: under the patronage of Klaus Töpfer, the European Environment Foundation is organising the first “European Convention of Environmental Laureates”, to be held in Freiburg from 08-11 March 2012.

The convention is to serve as a platform for international and interdisciplinary exchange between figures who actively shape environmental policy.  There is to be a joint declaration from environmental laureates on UN Conference Rio+20. As part of the convention there will be meetings with young academics, students and school pupils, which is to this scribe reminiscent to the pow-pow of Nobel Prize laureates in the flowery isle of Mainau, which I attend sometime back as an invitee of the committee.

From 8-11 March 2012, the European Environment Foundation will hold the 1st European Convention of  Environmental Laureates in the fair Schwarzwald city of Freiburg. The remit of organising such a convention in the city is a key aspect of the European Environment Foundation’s charitable work.

Forty scientists and environmentalists from around the world, all winners of prestigious European and selected non-European environmental prizes, have announced their intention to participate at the first convention being organised in Freiburg.

The Convention has three key aspects: It is planned that environmental laureates will adopt a “Declaration of European Environmental Laureates on Rio+20” at the convention during the run-up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

Time for exchange between prize winners and young academics, students and school pupils, which is being coordinated together with the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg. Other programme features include a panel discussion with selected laureates and young environmental campaigners, as well as round table talks where laureates will discuss issues in detail with school pupils, students and young academics.

The convention aims to provide a platform for international, interdisciplinary, open-ended exchange between laureates from a broad spectrum of countries and from diverse research and working fields within the wide environmental world. In particular, it is intended to facilitate exchange at a personal level between environmental policy visionaries and pioneers, which is why the convention programme also includes a number of cultural events and opportunities to socialise. Furthermore, all laureates have been invited to attend together with their partners.

The patron of the 1st European Convention of Environmental Laureates will be Prof. Klaus Töpfer, former German Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Prof. Töpfer is also a former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi. Furthermore, acclaimed climate researcher Prof. Hans Joachim Schnellhuber will speak about “The Great Transformation” at a public event on the evening of 9th March 2012 in Freiburg’s Historic Merchants’ Hall (Historischen Kaufhaus), which is located near the cathedral.

The convention will be financed by the European Environment Foundation and through contributions from Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik & Messe (FWTM). The Mayor of Freiburg, Dieter Salomon, is a member of the Board of Trustees and has supported the project from its initial stages.

Freiburg is considered to be one of the birthplaces of the environmental movement, and has made a name for itself in the fields of solar research and solar technology, traffic policy, environmental and climate protection, and urban development. By launching the convention, the founding members and trustees of the foundation wish to strengthen Freiburg’s role as a “Green City” and a pioneer of sustainability. They also aim to provide fresh impetus to sustainability policy in Freiburg and the discussions that surround this. Bringing together international visionaries and pioneers in Freiburg in this way also serves to publicise and develop ecological endeavours across the globe. The international focus of the convention stems from the conviction that all environmental policy must be implemented on an international scale in order to be effective.

The European Environment Foundation was founded in autumn 2011. The aim of the foundation, which is registered under Swiss law, is to promote dialogue in all environmental policy disciplines within the European states, to provide them with stimuli and to spur on exchange within Europe that is constructive, builds trust, fosters communication and inspires research. The foundation is proud to name 12 distinguished figures from the international environmental movement as its trustees. Prof. Eicke R. Weber, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, holds the position of Chairman. Founding members of the foundation are Bernd Dallmann and Rolf Hiller.

WELCOME TO KAPPEL! Freiburg-Kappel's MGV 'Liederkranz' invites the delegation (laureates) of the European Environmental Convention to the Brauchtumsabend, an evening of traditional Allemanic customs and beliefs at the Festhalle Kappel.
The Schauinsländer Berggeister (Mountain Spirits of Schauinsland) are at it again in Kappel: the season of merry-making has started.Will be attending Kappel's traditional Brauchtumsabend, an entertaining evening of traditional customs from the Black Forest.

Ebnet in the Black Forest (Satis Shroff)

                                              Fataou, Herbert Tombreul, Andreas

                                                  Roswitha (journalist) & Sandra (conductor)

                                                            Ebnet Choir

                                          The choirs from the Dreisam Valley singing together

                                                Dreisamtal Choirs 2010 in Ebnet's Dreisam Hall

Schwarzwald Chronicle: 

         A Hundred Years of Songs in Ebnet (Satis Shroff)

We’re 100 years old,

You can believe us,

A toast with a glass of wine:

Life is lovely

The text is actually a parody on the song sung by Germany’s oldest singer and actor Johannes Heesters. This song was sung during a traditional evening to celebrate Ebnet’s 100^th anneversary. Ebnet is a small town in the outskirts of the historical town of Freiburg. From Freiburg-Kappel you can not only see Ebnet but also the peak Rosskopf and the snuggy towns of Stegen, Buchenbach, Kirchzarten, Oberried and St. Peter in the blue Black Forest Mountains. Ebnet was formerly a bottleneck, as far as commuting by car to and fro from the Black Forest highway was concerned, but a good solution was the B31 tunnel which now speedily brings thousands of commuters from the area.

The festival began on Saturday with a big concert in which Ebnet’s choir sang folk-songs from different countries in the local Allemanic tongue, as well as old German hits, gospels and melodies from operas and operettes. ‘The Dreisam Sparrows’ from Ebnet contributed to the lyrical evening and the blonde opera singer Silke Gäng was a highlight.

The Sunday began with a mass at the local church performed by J.Kienzle and Ruth-Klumbies. The spiritual prayers were concluded with gunfire in the air as a form of salutation, followed by a procession to the Dreisam Hall to the accompaniment of all the associations of Ebnet led by its music-verein with a lot of oomph. After that it was ‘Frühschoppen’ time in the Dreisam Hall, a term used to denote eating and drinking with one’s friends and relatives after church. Such a tradition binds the community and you can talk about your maladies and also business, in case you have new proposals or things need fixing in your household, office or homestead. The personal contact is preferred to the mobile and sms mails among the older generation. The younger generation have their mobiles, I-phones and what-have-yous and talk about going shopping in downtown Freiburg’s Kaiser Joseph Strasse or in Karlsruhe or the nearest town where they have a Burbury’s or a Mango Outlet: Basle, Zürich or Paris. Commuting by car or the sleep, white ICE (inter-city-express) trains.

The Ebnet’s Landfrauen had organised lunch. Landfrauen is a term used for the provincial woman but today there are modern mothers and wives who work in offices and shops and join the women’s association as an important, traditional recreation.

The afternoon was devoted to the different choirs, mixed and predominantly men’s choirs from the Dreisam Valley. The concert commenced with a song ‘Wir laden uns ein’ a song from the operette ‘Die Fledermaus’ by Johann Strauss and sung by the mixed choir of Gesangverein Ebnet, followed by ‘So schön wie heut’ and the Irish Journey Blessing. The conductor was Sabine Pander, a tall young brunette on the piano.

We from the Männergesangsvewrein Kappel ‘Liederkranz’ sang: ‘Durch’s Wiesental gang I jetzt na,’ a sad song about someone who collects flowers from the meadows, goes to the grave of her beloved but he isn’t in the grave and has taken another woman. I love the refrain ‘I han kai Schätzle meh!’ I don’t have a beloved anymore. An expression of the loss of love. The other song we sang was: a farewell heimat song entitled ‘Nun ade du mein lieb Heimatland,’ a song which emphasises that the singer has to leave his home country and go a-wandering and bids adieu. The third song was ‘Sonnenaufgang’ composed by Peter Cornelius in 1843. A song about the longing evoked by the purple glow of the mountains; the sun which is called ‘O heavenly light’ as in many cultures like the ‘Surya namaskar’ (worship of the sun at the beginning of the day among the Hindus). The singer pleads for a storm of the night after which the sun should shine in its old glory.

The choir Edelweiss from Buchenbach in light grey blazers sang ‘Freunde, lass uns singen, Sing mit mir and Reinhard May’s popular song from the late 70’s ‘Über den Wolken,’ a Luftwaffe or Lufthansa pilot’s delight. The conductor was Dieter Agricola, a burly, bespectacled guy with powerful fingers. It made me think of Horowitz.

The singers from ‘Schwarzwald’ Oberried sang Luigi Denza’s popular ‘Funiculi, Funicula’ followed by a Dalmatian folk-song ‘Kadsi bila mala mare’ with Michael Weh as its conductor. Liederkranz Zarten sang Otto Groll’s ‘Das Aue Maria der Berge’, Ulrich Furrer’s ‚Nach Süden sich nun lenken’ and Walter Hart’s Ein frohes Lied, to cheer us up.

The men’s choir Kirchzarten came up with Toni Ortelli’s well-known ‚La Montanara, Franz Philipp’s ‘In einem Wiesental’ and an Allemanic Volksweise Z’Mülle an die Post.

The long, delightful afternoon was brought to a good end with all the men’s choirs of the Dreisam valley singing the following songs: H. Casimir’s ‘Breisgauer Sängergruss, P. Pracht’s Morgenrot, conducted by Sabine Pander.

Great folksongs on an otherwise drizzling afternoon at the Dreisamhalle in Ebnet. This small town on the right bank of the river Dreisam, which flows through Freiburg, maintains contact with Innsbruck, Tirol. It is a pity that young people don’t want to sing and uphold this wonderful tradition of the Gesangsverein. Ebnet is a typical example of this tendency among the youth of Germany. In 1993 a group called ‘Young Singers’ and  a Children’s Choir were founded and the singers in Ebnet were elated and hoped more young blood would join the singer association. By 2001 there was there was no one who was interested in singing the old traditional German songs (Deutsche Liedergut) and the ‘Young Singers’ became a thing of the past. The youth prefer listening to their downloads in their MP3s and mobiles and it’s English songs from the USA or UK they prefer or German rap and Heavy Metal and not songs about the holy mountains and heimat.

In 1939 when there was World War II in Europe, the choir-activities came to an abrupt end. There was no time for singing except for old Soldier’s songs and Lale Anderson’s version of ‘Lili Marleen.’ Actually this song with text by Hans Leib and music by Norbert Schultz becume an international solder’s song which was very popular and has been parodied a lot. I remember travelling to the Isle of Langeoog (North Sea) where this song and Lale Anderson’s memories still lingered there. (Do read my article on Langeoog). Like the Männergesangsverein Kappel, a lot of singers died during the krieg or were reported missing. It was in 1947 that a new start was made through the permission of the Occupation Powers. The country was divided into the Canadian, US, British, Soviet, French sectors. In Ebnet and Kappel’s case it was the French authorities. In 1950 there was a big concern and festival to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the Gesangsverein Ebnet. But when the men, who’d experienced hardships in the krieg, started dying out, the men’s choir like everywhere in the country changed their names to ‘Gesangsverein’ or ‘Chorvereinigung’ like in Hochdorf whereby the ladies became the new members.