Christmas in Germany - es weihnachtet sehr!

Christmas in Germany is a very traditional, family celebration. Even in today's consumer-oriented and hectic world-or maybe because of it-the Christmas season is still considered a time for togetherness and simple pleasures. Christmas Eve is the day that final decorations are put on the tree and families gather to share presents. Both December 25 and 26 are official holidays. A favorite pastime for Germans and tourists alike is savoring the winter holiday season at a local Christmas market. The colorful fairs spring up in most towns and cities for the four-week Advent season leading up to Christmas Eve. Click here to find out more about Advent, Christmas markets, and the origins of "Silent Night."

It was 20 Years Ago (today) - November 9, 1989

Much has changed in the world in the last twenty years and much of that change started with the Fall of the Wall, effectively ending the Cold War. Click here for a slideshow (from MSNBC) following the birth ... and death of the Wall.

Spring 2010 Schedule for German Classes-Day and Evening

Here are the day and evening schedules for your next German class. Register now for the course that best fits your schedule. If you've had previous experience with the German language, perhaps in high school or a college-level class taken a while back, take the placement test and discuss the results with the designated instructor to determine which class and level would be best for you.

DAY
OCEAN/PHELAN

GERM 1A 30972 TR 09:30-11:00 ART 308 BRUNNER
GERM 2 35255 TR 11:30-02:00 HC 207 BRUNNER
GERM 2A 34080 TR 11:30-02:00 HC 207 BRUNNER (1/20-4/7)
GERM 2B 33888 TR 11:30-02:00 HC 207 BRUNNER (3/1-5/19)

EVENING

CASTRO/VALENCIA (450 Church St.)
GERM 1A 30973 R 6:30-9:50 EVRT 307 HOELSCHER (1/21-5/13)
GERM 1B 30975 R 6:30-9:50 EVRT 115 BENHAM (1/21/-5/13)
GERM 2A 36905 W 6:30-9:50 EVRT 115 BENHAM (1/20-5/12)
GERM 2B 36906 W 6:30-9:50 EVRT 115 BENHAM (1/20-5/12)
GERM 10A 30981 T 6:30-9:50 EVRT 224 BENHAM (1-19-5/11)
DOWNTOWN (800 Mission St.)
GERM 1A 32983 T 6:00-9:30 DTN 623 SCHWARZER (1/19-5/11)
GERM 10B 38795 M 6:00-9:30 DTN 621 SCHWARZER (1/25-5/17)
GERM 10C A0014 M 6:00-9:30 DTN 621 SCHWARZER (1/25-5/17)

Spring Semester 2010 German Classes. Register Soon!

Are you continuing with your German language studies? (take 1B, 2A, or 2B) Did you have a German class or two in the past and would like to refresh your language skills? (look into 1A or 1B). Is finally taking an introductory German class on your "to do" list? (enroll in 1A) Are you traveling to a German-speaking country in the summer? (German 10A will give you some basic conversational skills.) If any of these apply, then check out a German class at CCSF! Take a placement recommendation test if it has been a while since your last class. Bis bald!

The Fall of the Wall - Film Series at the Goethe Institute: September 1 - December 21, 2009

The Fall of the Wall - Film series
Film + Exhibition

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall the Goethe-Institut is presenting a series of films, narrative and documentary features, as well as shorts that portray not only the historical events but also the conditions before and after November 9, 1989.

Films are shown at the Goethe-Institut Auditorium at 530 Bush Street. Upcoming dates are: 9/22, 9.29, 10/6, 10/20, 10/13 and 10/27.

Also check out the following exhibit if you're over in the East Bay:
Icons of a Border Installation
Exhibition November 9 – December 21, Doe Library, UC Berkeley
Opening reception November 9, 5-7pm, Morrison Library

In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall an exhibition of photographs and sounds will take us back to the visible and invisible remnants of the Berlin Wall. Students of the University of Paderborn tracked down with cameras and recording devices deserted watchtowers, barely visible border strips as well as mental traces of “walls in peoples’ minds”. On the other hand, the city has grown more and more together and traces of the wall are ever harder to find. Since 1989 Berlin has changed drastically.

Scandal, Survival in a Brutal Occupied Berlin!

"A Woman in Berlin" is a harrowing story about the will to survive amid the most brutal conditions imaginable.

It's set during a four-month period in 1945 when Russian soldiers finally occupied the German capital and considered the city's women to be spoils of war. From hospital records, it's been estimated that between 95,000 and 130,000 of Berlin's women were raped that year.

This film, directed by Max Färberböck ("Aimée & Jaguar"), is based on the diary kept by one of those women, who not only decided not to be a victim, but wrote about her experiences in a book that initially scandalized at least some of her countrymen. Starring Nina Hoss, Evgeny Sidikhin, Irm Hermann, Rüdiger Vogler. Directed by Max Färberböck. In German with English subtitles. (Not rated. 131 minutes. At the Presidio and Rialto Cinemas Elmwood.)
For more of this review click here, and watch a trailer for the movie:

Radio Goethe ist hier!

Are you interested in the latest from the vibrant music scene in Germany? Then check out Radio Goethe and its local station KUSF for music, blogs, videos and more.

The Berlin Wall - Twenty Years After

The Berlin Wall came down 20 years ago! Beginning June 18, you can see the "Twenty Years Later" exhibit in the CCSF Art Gallery in the Visual Arts building. This photographic exhibit shows the evolution of areas with photos taken in 1989 and then today. The exhibit is presented through the courtesy of the German Consulate in San Francisco. The exhibit can be viewed as follows:

Mondays and Wednesdays from 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm

Wir wollen von Euch hoeren! We'd Like to Hear from You!

Students, how are your German classes going this semester? Do you feel you're able to keep pace with the material, what additions would you like to see to classroom instruction? What could you live without? Please be constructive and respectful, but give us a sense of your experience learning German at CCSF. All comments are moderated.

Willkommen!

This is the first post on the Deutsch? Na Klar! blog at CCSF. Bookmark this blog and check in regularly to keep up with news about German-language and culture related events in the Bay Area, films, Goethe Institute events, und so weiter. Leslie Pahl and Susanne Schwarzer will be co-bloggers in this enterprise. Students are encouraged to post comments to posts, either in German (versuch es mal!) or English. Check out the word of the day to the right of this post, listen to the Deutsche Welle, or see what the Goethe Institute has to offer.