By Jillian Randall
Beer, pretzels, and lederhosen are some of the many stereotypes people relate with Germany. However most tourists have a difficult time finding a German dressed in traditional clothing with a Warsteiner in one hand and a Laugenbrezel in the other, unless they are in Munich for Oktoberfest. This year I had the opportunity to spend one semester studying in Marburg an der Lahn, a small university town in central Hessen. I did not want to learn more of the same; my goal for this trip was to learn something new. I wanted to look past the stereotypes and prejudices to find what present-day Germany really is. I had no idea how much this would affect my life. This opportunity to study abroad has helped me see the people behind the labels through the friendships I have formed, the classes I am studying and the struggles of everyday life in a foreign country.
I have had many opportunities to meet people from countries all around the world as a University of Alberta exchange student. In October 2005, during Orientation Week, there were students from France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Finland, Israel, Taiwan, USA and Russia. During the next five days we were able to develop friendships with one another as we struggled to fill out the seemingly unending pile of German documents. Registering with the police, applying for study visas, and enrolling in classes in a foreign language were overwhelming tasks. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who helped us survive the bureaucracy we had to face. Four months later, I still have strong friendships with many of the people from my first week in Marburg. These friendships helped me gain greater insight to the people around me, breaking down many of the stereotypes I had accepted without question. Not all Russians drink vodka, not all Italians are flirtatious and many Germans really do have a sense of humour! We learned to rely on each other as we struggled to find our place in a foreign county we had to call home.
On October 29th, 2005, a few friends and I took a train to Kassel, a city 77 kilometres northeast of Marburg. It was a gorgeous day. We spent the entire afternoon wandering around the castle grounds. We had a wonderful time seeing Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, Lowenburg and Herkules. Every weekend, my friends and I tried to visit some place new. We were able to explore various cities near Marburg. During these trips we discovered more about each other and our countries. For example, tuition fees are always a popular topic among students. Students in Germany pay relatively low fees, around $CDN 300 per semester. However it is quite common to see posters saying “Für keine Studiengebühren”—Say no to tuition fees. Another friend who comes from the Czech Republic pays nothing to study at her university. They were horrified to find out that $ 300 would not even cover the costs of textbooks in one semester.
The classes I have taken in Marburg have shaped my experience as an exchange student just as much as the friendships I have formed. Luckily Marburg has well developed Language Studies and Linguistic programmes. I have been able to take courses similar to the ones that I would be taking at the University of Alberta. One of my favourite classes, {Deutsche Landes- und Kulturkunde}—German Cultural Studies— meets once a week. The first thing my professor said to our class was that we would not be covering German stereotypes. We have done that enough in our other German classes. Instead, we will be exploring what is affecting Germany right now, the circumstances that are currently shaping the country. He challenged us to start listening to people. What do people talk about when riding the bus? What are the variables that affect peoples’ everyday, present lives?
This opened my eyes. A country is not made up of stereotypes and generalizations. Countries are made up of people and people are dynamic. They are constantly being affected by various occurrences and are always changing. For example, more than 60 years ago, Dresden’s Frauenkirche was destroyed in World War Two and lay in ruins for decades. In 1992 the church started collecting donations in hopes of rebuilding. More than eleven years later this church has finally been rebuilt. On October 30th, 2005 the Frauenkirche was able to open its doors to the public. 60 000 people from all around Germany and the world came together in Dresden to witness the reopening. For many Germans, especially people from former East Germany, this is a sign of hope and renewal. As I was watching this on the news I realized that in order to look past the cultural stereotypes I needed to start paying attention to people as individuals and their diversity, not just their linguistic and cultural similarities. It is more important to get to know one another and learn about each other as people. I accepted my professor’s challenge to look past the stereotypes and prejudices that so easily develop so I could find what being human is truly about.
My experience as an exchange student does not solely involve the other exchange students and my studies. Everyday life in a foreign country and coping with new language has also helped to break down the stereotypes around me. Daily activities such as grocery shopping, paying bills, and going to the bank can be daunting tasks for foreigners learning a new language. I learned that one needs to be flexible, open, and patient. During my time in Marburg, several people have shown me kindness at the most unexpected times. Tourists often say that Germans are cold and unfriendly. However this is not always true! Marburg’s Altstadt— the old section of the city— is filled with many small shops, bakeries and cobblestone streets. One day, after classes, I decided to do a bit of Christmas shopping before going home. I stopped in a bookstore, looking for a present for my sister. I stumbled across Struwwelpeter, a children’s book written by Heinrich Hoffman. My sister had asked me for this book so I decided to buy a copy. The woman working noticed my accent so I told her that I was an exchange student from Canada. She gave me a discount on the book and asked me about my studies. Quite the opposite from a “typical” German.
Students can learn several things while participating in an exchange. They can spend months in a country and never venture past the stereotypes of the land in which they are living. I wanted to make my experience in Germany something special. I wanted to step away from the labels that are often false. I wanted to learn more, not just about Germany, but about people everywhere. As my exchange comes to an end, I hope that my instructor keeps challenging his future students to start opening their eyes and to begin listening to the people around them. Only then can we discover the wonder of the individual in the land we are visiting.
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