Latest news with #German-speaking
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Longanbach Family donates history markers at two rural cemeteries
About 35 members of the Longanbach Family Association held two dedications May 10 at two small township cemeteries in Sandusky County to honor pioneers in Sandusky and Rice townships. The family association completed its recent preservation project while honoring the pioneer families in Rice and Sandusky townships with bronze historical markers at Binkley and Greenwood cemeteries. Association member Julie Otermat, originally of Fremont and now of Texas, said the association raised nearly $11,000 in donations to purchase the plaques installed this month at the two cemeteries. The association has more than 200 members. A bronze historical marker commemorating the Longanbach and Engler families was placed at the Binkley Cemetery. The Greenwood Cemetery project consisted of installing a bronze historical marker to honor early pioneer families who settled in the area in the 1830s and 1840s, along with repairing and restoring 17 gravestones, including three large monuments. To restore headstones and monuments at Greenwood Cemetery, the association members received training from Gravestone Restoration Services by Kate and Jane in Marblehead, Ohio, Otermat said. "In dedication to the Longanbach and Engler families are buried on these grounds," the Binkley plaque read. "These families were among several who in the 1830s bravely immigrated from their homes in the German Confederation and traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to North America for better opportunities. They became some of the early pioneer farmers in Sandusky County." The plaque at Greenwood also acknowledges the family's pioneer history: "Beginning in the 1830s and 1840s, the surrounding area experienced a health influx of hearty German-speaking immigrants, some named Engler, Longanbach, Otermat and Smith, whose daily grueling efforts were instrumental in developing the highly productive farmlands you see today." Both plaques note how the pioneers encountered the swampy region and forests in the 1800s. The Greenwood Cemetery plaque noted how those pioneers cleared the land and dug the deep ditches needed to drain the fields for their homes and farms. Those pioneers also were charter members of Trinity Lutheran Church that stood in the township. Otermat said she has found five generations of her family buried at Greenwood Cemetery at 3077 CR 170, Fremont. For the dedications this month, association members attending were mainly local and regional residents, but others like Otermat traveled to come back for the event. "We're nationwide," she said of the family association. The Longanbach descendants will be back in Sandusky County later this summer. The Longanbach Family Association has been meeting annually in Sandusky County since 1920 and will celebrate their 106th reunion on Aug. 3. By restoring weathered tombstones and erecting markers, the Longanbach Family Association seeks to preserve invaluable cultural and familial history for generations to come. All future projects will continue to be focused on the mission of preservation, research and education. For more information on the association, contact Mike Longanbach at longanbach.m@ rbrooks@ 419-334-1059 This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Family association dedicates plaques to honor pioneers of the 1830s, 1840s
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Longanbach Family donates history markers at two rural cemeteries
About 35 members of the Longanbach Family Association held two dedications May 10 at two small township cemeteries in Sandusky County to honor pioneers in Sandusky and Rice townships. The family association completed its recent preservation project while honoring the pioneer families in Rice and Sandusky townships with bronze historical markers at Binkley and Greenwood cemeteries. Association member Julie Otermat, originally of Fremont and now of Texas, said the association raised nearly $11,000 in donations to purchase the plaques installed this month at the two cemeteries. The association has more than 200 members. A bronze historical marker commemorating the Longanbach and Engler families was placed at the Binkley Cemetery. The Greenwood Cemetery project consisted of installing a bronze historical marker to honor early pioneer families who settled in the area in the 1830s and 1840s, along with repairing and restoring 17 gravestones, including three large monuments. To restore headstones and monuments at Greenwood Cemetery, the association members received training from Gravestone Restoration Services by Kate and Jane in Marblehead, Ohio, Otermat said. "In dedication to the Longanbach and Engler families are buried on these grounds," the Binkley plaque read. "These families were among several who in the 1830s bravely immigrated from their homes in the German Confederation and traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to North America for better opportunities. They became some of the early pioneer farmers in Sandusky County." The plaque at Greenwood also acknowledges the family's pioneer history: "Beginning in the 1830s and 1840s, the surrounding area experienced a health influx of hearty German-speaking immigrants, some named Engler, Longanbach, Otermat and Smith, whose daily grueling efforts were instrumental in developing the highly productive farmlands you see today." Both plaques note how the pioneers encountered the swampy region and forests in the 1800s. The Greenwood Cemetery plaque noted how those pioneers cleared the land and dug the deep ditches needed to drain the fields for their homes and farms. Those pioneers also were charter members of Trinity Lutheran Church that stood in the township. Otermat said she has found five generations of her family buried at Greenwood Cemetery at 3077 CR 170, Fremont. For the dedications this month, association members attending were mainly local and regional residents, but others like Otermat traveled to come back for the event. "We're nationwide," she said of the family association. The Longanbach descendants will be back in Sandusky County later this summer. The Longanbach Family Association has been meeting annually in Sandusky County since 1920 and will celebrate their 106th reunion on Aug. 3. By restoring weathered tombstones and erecting markers, the Longanbach Family Association seeks to preserve invaluable cultural and familial history for generations to come. All future projects will continue to be focused on the mission of preservation, research and education. For more information on the association, contact Mike Longanbach at longanbach.m@ rbrooks@ 419-334-1059 This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Family association dedicates plaques to honor pioneers of the 1830s, 1840s
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Prosieben CEO stands by company strategy amid investor clash
May 28 (Reuters) - Prosiebensat.1 ( opens new tab CEO Bert Habets defended the German media company's renewed focus on its entertainment segment in a speech to the company's investors on Wednesday. "I am confident that we are on the right track to achieving our goal: becoming the number one entertainment player in the German-speaking region," Habets said. He added that after the divestiture of online comparison platform Verivox, the company would continue to focus on the sale of well-performing non-core assets, for instance online perfume retailer Flaconi. The company's annual general meeting comes against the backdrop of a power struggle between the company's two biggest shareholders, Italy's MFE-MediaForEurope ( opens new tab and Czech investment firm PPF. Habets did not address the rival takeover offers in his speech. The boards of ProSieben advised against MFE's bid, calling it "inadequate from a financial perspective". This stance was repeated by Andreas Wiele, outgoing chairman of the supervisory board, during a speech to the company's investors. "The supervisory board is the appropriate body to discuss, together with the executive board, the right strategy and new ideas for our company and where decisions should be made - not the public," Wiele said, addressing MFE directly. The Berlusconi family, which currently holds 30.14% in ProSieben, made a low-ball offer for the company in March, offering 4.48 euros in cash and 0.4 MFE A shares per ProSieben share.
Canada Standard
23-05-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
Most Germans would like to leave country poll
Migration and economic issues were the most commonly cited reasons, according to a YouGov survey More than half of Germans would consider moving abroad, Die Welt has reported, citing a new survey by YouGov. Respondents pointed to migration and economic challenges as the main reasons for wanting to leave the country. According to the poll, 31% of those surveyed said they would "definitely" move abroad if they were entirely free to choose, without constraints related to work, personal life, or finances. Another 27% said they would "probably" leave. In contrast, 22% responded "probably not," and 15% said they would "definitely not" consider relocating. Among those who said they could generally or potentially imagine moving abroad, 36% noted that the thought of leaving Germany had crossed their minds more frequently in recent months. Within this group, 61% identified the country's immigrant situation as a major factor. In addition, 41% cited Germany's ongoing recession as a reason to consider emigration. Political concerns were also reflected in the responses, with 29% pointing to the rise of the right-wing AfD party and 22% mentioning the perceived military threat from Russia. Twelve percent of respondents expressed concern over a possible decline in US protection of Europe due to Donald Trump's presidency, while 36% cited "other reasons" for wanting to leave. According to the survey, respondents who would consider emigration most frequently named other German-speaking countries as preferred destinations. Switzerland topped the list with 30%, followed by Austria at 23%. Spain (22%) and Canada (17%) were also among the most popular choices. Germany remains the only G7 country to record no economic growth over the past two years, making economic recovery a key focus for the new government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The International Monetary Fund projects that Germany will continue to lag behind its G7 peers in 2025, with expected growth of just 0.1%. Despite its economic slowdown, Germany remains the EU's leading destination for asylum seekers. In 2024, the country received over 237,000 applications - more than a quarter of all claims filed across the bloc's 27 member states. Earlier this month, Berlin implemented stricter border controls to curb the number of asylum seekers entering the country, reversing the open-border policy adopted by Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015. (
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
A naked female dwarf Nazi, a lesbian orgy and explicit sex acts: Director whose last show left audience members needing medical attention shocks Germany with new play
The creator of a divisive body horror opera that left audience members needing medical attention has brought out a new production featuring sex acts, blood and an actress with dwarfism playing a naked Nazi doctor. Choreographer Florentina Holzinger, 39, is famous across the German-speaking world for her radical works, which usually feature nudity, dangerous stunts, unsimulated sex and physical violence. She staged Sancta in October last year, describing the show as a 'feminist mass' and angering Christians with its provocative depictions of Jesus and the Pope and naked nuns roller-skating. Now the controversial choreographer has produced her new play, 'A Year Without Summer', which once again, is not for the faint hearted. 'In my new show, I portray monsters from medical history,' Holzinger explained to German news outlet RBB. 'Who are the people who exercise control over the female body? What is happening in the service of scientific and medical progress?' The play tackles issues including cosmetic surgery, anti-ageing and living conditions in nursing homes, and features an all-female cast, many of whom are aged between 65 and 90. It opens with a dance which turns into an orgy between the women, with a giant female torso inflated and performers tumbling out of its vagina in a wild display, according to BILD. Actress Saioa Alvarez - who in Sancta portrayed the Pope on a spinning robotic arm - is said to outrageously portray a naked Josef Mengele, the Nazi regime's 'Angel of Death' who conducted depraved experiments on his victims. A trigger warning for audiences cautions that the play includes explicit sexual acts, blood and bodily fluids, and self-harm. At one point, a dancer is seen having stitches removed with tweezers from a fresh wound on her leg, out of which a miniature baby figurine is pulled out - a metaphor for 'the birth of a musical'. As well as singing and dancing, performers are said to bathe in slime inside a glass box, interact with robot dogs and have their skin pierced. The play ends with a woman receiving what is described in huge letters projected on the stage as 'the ultimate facelift'. Fish hooks are said to be driven through her eyebrows and cheeks, distorting her facial features. The performance was reportedly met with applause from the Berlin audience. The show is meant to be set in 1816 - the year that became known as the Year Without a Summer due to unusually low temperatures in the northern hemisphere following the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia. It was also the year that Mary Shelley wrote the first draft of Frankenstein while holidaying on the banks of Lake Geneva - with the creation of the monster a theme of the play. 'We found it interesting to explore the year 1816 because it shows how environmental events have a profound influence on art and literature,' Holzinger said. 'Especially now, we found it interesting to also address the fear of nature.' The play's description states that Holzinger's 'spectacular and physically intense pieces, she incorporates references from the history of performance and dance and relates them to other disciplines such as kickboxing, artistry, striptease and circus. 'Her works consciously play with the shifting boundaries between high and pop culture and are always feminist manifestos. 'She critically examines the representation of femininity and reflects on body discipline and gender images in dance.' Her previous show Sancta was met with protests when it was staged in Stuttgart, with security personnel needed to guard the performances. A total of 18 audience members at two shows in the city required treatment for nausea and shock, according to German media. Holzinger subsequently suggested that those attending should have known what they were getting themselves in for, telling objectors: 'If you don't want to see it, don't come. 'The performance expressly refers to explicit content,' she went on, seemingly referring to the many trigger warnings on the show's website. She added defiantly: 'Anyone who can't stand depictions of violence shouldn't go to a show that draws inspiration from the Catholic Church.' The show was met with outcry from Church figures in Austria when it was performed at the Vienna Festival last June. Archbishop of Salzburg Franz Lackner said the work went beyond the boundaries of free artistic expression by 'seriously offending believers' religious feelings and convictions.' But as well as sparking outrage, it also received glowing reviews, with one critic writing: 'A scandal? No, joy. Overwhelming joy. 'Holzinger is directing a musical theatre [production] for the first time, and the result is so clever, so funny, so incredibly well put together that you are truly astonished.' A Year Without Summer has also had a positive reception from some, with critics from Germany daily paper Spiegel calling the performance 'fantastic, touching array of images.' A critic from Berliner Morgenpost wrote that Holzinger 'once again demonstrates why she is one of the superstars of the arts.' The upcoming performances of A Year Without Summer are all but sold out, with only a handful of tickets remaining and new dates expected to be announced.
