Young Goethe in Love - Netflix Recommendation

Johann von Goethe, the Shakespeare of the German language, if you will, started out as a youth, of course and Young Goethe in Love engagingly presents the young Goethe, in all his humanity.  Watch it on Netflix! 

The time and place:  Germany 1772 - the young and tumultuous Johann Goethe (Alexander Fehling) aspires to be a poet; but after failing his law exams, he is sent by his father (Henry Huebchen) to a sleepy provincial court to mend his ways. Unsure of his talent and eager to prove himself, Goethe soon wins the praise and friendship of his superior Kestner (Moritz Bleibtreu). But then Lotte (Miriam Stein) enters his life and nothing is the same as before. However, the young lovers are unaware that her father has already promised Lotte's hand to another man.

Starring: Alexander Fehling, Miriam Stein, Moritz Bleibtreu, Volker Bruch,

Director: Philipp Stolzl

Official Site: http://www.younggoetheinlove.com/

Holiday Art Bazaar, FIlm and Party - Save the Date! December 6, 3:00 p.m. at the Goethe Institute

Join the Goethe Institute in celebrating the holiday season with a big party.  Enjoy spiced cider, Lebkuchen und Stollen, dance to the cool German music (seriously!) and meet and mingle with local artists.

The film will be "Planet Goethe", a documentary about 60 years of German language learning around the world.  A must see for all of your German language learners out there!

Here's an excerpt from the film:

And the specifics:

Film/Bazaar/Party
Wann:  Friday, December 06, 2013
3:00 pm bazaar
6:30 pm film
7.30 pm party

Wo: Goethe-Institut San Francisco
ART-Lounge
530 Bush Street
San Francisco

Wie viel: Free Admission
(415) 263-8760
info@sanfrancisco.goethe.org

German Word of the Week - Wissensdurst

Word of the Week: Wissensdurst

Nov 1, 2013

Enlarge image (© dpa) Have you ever had a burning desire to learn something new? Do you have an archive of never-ending questions? Then you’ve most likely experienced Wissensdurst. In German, the word Wissen means knowledge and Durst means thirst.

The only way this fundamental human need can be satisfied is by obtaining the knowledge that you so profoundly crave. Occasionally the word Wissenshunger is used to describe ones hunger for knowledge. Although the two words are often used interchangeably, Wissensdurst describes a more urgent need, since humans can survive longer without food than without water.

Let’s take a look at an example where an unquenchable Wissensdurst recently played a major role in the education of a young British girl.

Heidi Hankins, a five-year-old girl from Hampshire, has an IQ of 159, which is approximately the same as that of Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking (both had IQ scores of 160 and an unquenchable Wissensdurst). In comparison: the average person has an IQ score of about 100.

Enlarge image (© dpa) At 18 months, Hankins taught herself to read using a computer. When she was two years old, she was reading books, painting and performing tasks meant for seven-year-olds. At age three, she was learning math. One year later, Hankins had her IQ tested and was admitted into Mensa, the largest and oldest IQ society in the world.
“I got her the complete set of the Oxford Reading Tree books when she was two and she read through the whole set of 30 in about an hour,” Dr. Matthew Hankins, the girl’s father, told the Daily Mail.
The German media described Hankins as a genius with an insatiable Wissensdurst, constantly seeking new knowledge to keep herself occupied.

Hankins is clearly an extreme case, but anyone can exhibit Wissensdurst by craving an answer to a burning question or displaying curiosity, inquisitiveness or a unique desire to learn. So next time you’re on a quest for knowledge, head to a library and tell your friends and family that you have been overcome by a powerful Wissensdurst that must be satisfied similarly to the feelings of thirst and hunger.

© Germany.info

Word of the Week