History

(This map shows the expansion and change in German lands from 800-1400AD.  I found this interesting because of how small Poland is today compared to this picture.  I find it extremely interesting that a nation with, form my understanding little sense of nationality as Germans at this time expanded to the point where they are today. Found from: http://maps.nationmaster.com/country/gm)

In reading the first two chapters of our book, I found a string that followed as history was being made.  There seemed to be nothing excursively German for most of the German history.  There was not a sense of unity amongst the various people that we know today as Germans. Their sense of belonging was restricted to small towns and cities, but there was no sense of them being part of the larger nation or country.  The "Holy Roman Empire of the German nation" was a mix of different people, whom the rest of the world refereed to as Germans.  However, they were a vast mix of various people groups.  I find this difficult to picture and understand.  I found it interesting that all of these people were doing well until the church began to split and caused problems with the understanding of who was right.  Therefore, it seemed to me that the "German nation" was doing well until the church decided that it needed to split.


The split of the church lead to confusion and disorder amongst the German nation.  This split seemed to be the start of a spiral into how the German people understand the world.  Their uncertainty to follow the authority of a man spread throughout the nation and inspired those who would stand against the church and judge the Bible, and its teachings for themselves instead of how they were told by the church.  From my understanding of this chapter,  during these 200 or so years, the church was divided many times and much of it within the "German nation."  They were at the heart of rebellions and change within the church, therefore, it was difficult for them to trust authority figures. 

(This image was called Bale's dance of death. I found it interesting becuase that is how the German people seemed to feel about the Pope's and the Empire since there was so much death during the time of their reign in the 1400s.  Such as the Black Death, starvation, and rebellions. Found from: http://www.dodedans.com/Exhibit/Image.php?lang=e&navn=basel-03)
From the confusion of authority, I think that this culture is a mix of different people groups trying to be united with nothing to be united on.  However, though different from America, it is similar in the fact that there different people groups living in the same area.  Throughout reading the chapter it seemed that these different people wanted to be their own, but either liked the Roman ideas too much or just did not care to try to make a difference in creating their own nation.  However, becuase of how the German nation started as a variety of different people this may lead them to have a better understanding of how to live with a variety of people within one location with different ideals and  world views.  Many times as Americans, I do not think we understand how to do this, but their history is built on living amongst others with different laws and views. 

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