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Experiencing Bayern




We moved to the state of Bayern on our fourth month in Germany.  Having spent the first month in Saarbruken in the Saarland, we then moved to the State of Bayern (Bavaria).  When we were still in Saabruken a man was assigned to us.  He was meant to teach us all we needed to know about Germany and help us deal with some administrative issues.  He held seminars with us for two weeks.  In one of the Seminars  he was talking about the history of Germany and the discussion touched on the two World wars and the Hollocaust.  One of the questions that we ended up discussing was whether there was anything genetical that made Jews hated in a number of countries. We actually argued strongly that genes do not come into it. That opened up an opportunity to raise a question about Germans.  One of these was whether there is anything genetical about Germans that has led them to be central in both World Wars.  The group figured that if we could discuss the possibility of genetics playing a role with Jews we can do the same with Germans.  Our tutor's response was to effectively point a finger to the Bavarians.  The very next month I found myself living amongst them and I have not yet had the courage to ask them whether they really have a streak that pushes them and others to war easily. 

History does show that the Party that Adolf Hittler eventually led, the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) had its strong hold in Bayern (Bavaria).  The town of München is believed to have been used by Hittler  as a base to launch his political 'capturing' of Germany.   Also the Government of Bayern owns the rights to Adolf Hittler's book Mein Kampf and there has been reports that it plans to release an annotated version of the book by 2015.

I,however,  like it here, the people are fine and I have not seen any out of place agression. Bayern is the second most populated State in Germany with about 12.5 million inhabitants although it is the largest state by area .  As a State it seems to have considerable influence in the politics of Germany.   About 16% of Chancellor Merkel's Cabinet members are from Bayern.  The governing Party of Bayern, the Christlich-Soziale  Union in Bayern (CSU), is viewed as a sister Party of Merkel's  Christlisch Demokratische Union Deutchland  (CDU).  Their relationship goes to as far as having the CDU not contesting elections in Bayern which is the only state in which the CSU contest elections.   The CSU is one of the two smaller Parties that are in coalition with Merkel's CDU and thus co- govern Germany. 
 Bayern is also well known for  its cars like the Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW).  BMW's headquarters are in München.  We will be having an excursion to the firm soon.

I am  in the town of Feldafing, aplace that I never heard of before until I was to stay in it.  Its famous neigbour is the beutiful town of München (Munnick).  It is a quick fourty five minutes travel by train from Feldafing to München.  München is an old city that got its name because of the monks that are said to have founded it.  The name means the place of the Monks.  It is also the Capital City of the Bayern state.  I get to attend church and shop in München.  It is a  town well known to footbal fans because of the team Bayern Munnick. They are the giants of German football and have acquited themselves well in European football competitions. 

In München we were also able to be part of the popular Oktobafest, an annual 16 days festival that celebrates beer.  Organisers say more than 6 million people from all over the world attend.  There were indeed many people and  I got to hear many people speaking english around that period  than in any other in my time here.


The weather is getting colder and we already had snow.  Playing in the snow is not an everyday occurence for a native of Mbekweni.  I listen to South African Radio stations and read newspapers on the internet.  That helps me to keep tabs on Mzansi.

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