My German Heritage
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Who are my descendants?
Genealogy tells me to begin with my parents, then my grandparents, and to continue going back in the past until I reach dead-ends. I reached dead-ends quickly, with my paternal and maternal grandparents, and my father all having died before my birth; therefore, I was reared by my mother, and have no knowledge of their lives, or how their influence has made me the person I am today.
My mother did speak of her parents occasionally, but it was not a story. Shortly before my mom died November, 2011, I told her,” I wished I’d have asked you more about you and your parents – my grandparents.” She told that the book she had been writing for years, would explain everything, unfortunately, it’s in a storage unit, and I have no idea of its location; therefore, I will tell you what I know from a single holiday to Germany, and what mom told me.
My maternal grandparents are both from Amberg, Germany. I don’t know where they were born or the dates, but I know they left Germany prior to June 26, 1944, for this is my mother’s birthday, and she was born in Greensburg, IN. Mom never mentioned my grandparents move to the U.S., but it is my belief the relation was WWII, which began September 1, 1939, and ended September 2, 1945; I can’t elaborate on the move to U.S., because I simply don’t know, and never will.
Fun facts of Germany are many, so, I have decided on two, with the tradition of the Christmas tree first. Germany – 718, missionaries worshiped evergreen trees, and the years to follow, people began bringing evergreen branches inside, eventually, the entire tree. The tree worship was eventually replaced with the use of trees and evergreen in celebrating the first day of the winter solstice – the mid-winter fest. When Pope Julius I declared December 25 as Jesus’ birthday, it was done to solicit new Christians at the fest. Eventually Christians began decorating the trees for celebration of Jesus’ birthday. The Christmas tree gained popularity beyond Germany during the second half of the 19th century.
The second fun fact is the U.S. interstate system of divided highways and entrance/exit ramps are a German idea. President Dwight D. Eisenhower visited Bonn, Germany 1959 and was impressed by the highway system. He brought the idea home to the U.S., and that is where our interstate design originated.
Food in Germany is similar to U.S., but when I was there for holiday, what I most remember were large soft pretzels, and any kind of bread you could imagine. Beer, brats and sauerkraut all great foods, that I love, except the beer.