Page 5 - GC-July-August-24

The German Citizen • July - August 2024 • 5
German Leckerbissen – Part 16
By Daniel Schwarz heritage with Alexandre Gustave
ne of the closest words to Bönickhausen (1832 - 1923), the fa‐
tidbit in German is Lecker‐ ther of the famous French civil en‐
Obissen. Literally Leckerbis‐ gineer Gustave Eiffel. Can the same
sen means tasty morsels or bits. The be said for the Statue of Liberty
following may include some tidbits standing in the New York City har‐
of German culture, foods/drinks, bor? Yes. Before Gustave was born,
traditions, history, language, and Gustave’s parents emigrated to
current events. France from the Eifel Mountain re‐
� Wackeldackels – There was a gion what is now western Germany.
1970s craze in Germany to put Once in France, they changed their
Dachshund bobblehead dogs on last name to Eiffel to sound more
their car’s dashboard called Wackel‐ French. Gustave was born in Dijon,
dackels. Wackel means shaking, and France, as Alexandre Gustave dit
Dackels is a term of endearment for For more information and services Eiffel, and was called Gustave
the popular “sausage dog” the available from the Honorary Consul Eiffel. Gustave is best known for
Dachshund. Photo shows Wackel‐ of the Federal Republic of Germany having designed the Eiffel Tower in
dackel Bobblehead available from of Buffalo, you may contact Paris, France. Also, he assisted
Amazon.com. Matthew Collard by phone at (716) French sculptor Frederic Auguste
This breed of dog was originally 566-9140 ext.107 or by email at Bartholdi (sounds Italian to me)
bred in Germany during the 17th buffalo@hk-diplo.de. with the monumentally large Statue
century as a specialized dog for � German Primary School of Liberty by designing the elabo‐
hunting badgers, and other animals. System – In September after a child rate metal interior framework for it.
With its short stubby legs, strong has turned 6 years old, compulsory When you see images of The Statue
paws, long sausage shaped body, public education attendance of Liberty and watch the Summer
pointed snout, and sharp teeth this (Schulpflicht) begins in Germany. Olympics on TV this year and see
dog must have been designed by a Home Schooling in Germany is not the Eiffel Tower, you can now think
committee. Okay, sorry for that permitted. Elementary school that there is some Germanic her‐
comment, especially to the Buffalo grades 1-4 is common throughout itage connection to these famous
Dachshund Club, which according Germany and called Grundschule. landmarks.
to their website has over a thousand Then the students, along with their
members. Amazing! Dachshunds in parents and teachers, decide which
Buffalo snow! Really? of three main types of secondary
To further rile up the Dachshund schools, and two subtypes will offer
lovers, the German Ministry of the best fit for their child’s interests,
Food and Agriculture published in abilities, and goals for future suc‐
February a draft bill that could pos‐ cess and vocation. The two sub
sibly end the breeding of certain types of schools are offered only in
dogs including the Dachshund. some states because they are a mix
They consider this necessary to pre‐ of school types. FYI, there are 16
vent “torture breeding” since the states in Germany. Yes, this can be
body shape can cause skeletal sys‐ complicated and stressful for the
tem anomalies, and “cause the ani‐ parents to decide. The choice of
mal anguish or distress”. schooling will either put the student
This breed is and has been so on a path leading to university study
popular that in Germany they even or vocational study.
have a dedicated museum to this � Mariä Himmelfart – August
special breed, the Dachshund Mu‐ 15 is observed as Assumption Day
seum in Regensburg, Bavaria. For of Mary in Catholic regions of Ger‐
more info on this museum, see Info‐ many, Austria, and around the
@dackelmuseum.de. world. The Catholic Church teaches
� Kurzmeldung – (Newsflash) – this doctrine known as The As‐
The Consul General David Gill of sumption, as Pope Pius XII for‐
the Federal Republic of Germany, mally defined for the church in the
has been appointed to a new posi‐ Apostolic Constitution entitled Mu‐
tion as the German Ambassador to nificentissimus Deus, which states
the Republic of Ireland. His succes‐ that when Mary the mother of Jesus
sor completed her earthly life, Mary
� Till Knorn will take up the was assumed body and soul into
post at the end of August. The Con‐ heavenly glory.
sulate General’s area of jurisdiction You may wonder why is Mariä
covers Bermuda, Connecticut (Fair‐ spelled with an umlaut over the “ä”
field County), New Jersey, New in the name, rather than Maria? It is
York, and Pennsylvania, with an due to the Latin genitive case of
office in Manhattan, NY. Maria, which is Mariae/Mariä,
However, for those of us living meaning “of Mary.” This honor for
in Upstate, and specifically Western the Assumption of Mary is only
New York, we have the conve‐ given to the biblical Virgin Mary,
nience, privilege, and services of which in Latin reads as Assumptio
having the Honorary Consul of the Beatae Mariae Virginis, being As‐
Federal Republic of Germany, sumption of the Blessed Virgin
Matthew Collard. He was inaugu‐ Mary, and in German as Mariä Auf‐
rated to this position in 2014 and nahme in den Himmel.
has offices in the City of Buffalo. � Is the Eiffel Tower German?
– Well, it certainly has Germanic