I'm not really sure what I think about Martin Luther. To be honest, I am amazed, impressed, and extremely respectful of anyone who stands up against overbearing powers for what they believe in. However, Martin Luther's ideals, movement, and teachings brought about controversy, unrest, and a division of the German country.
     Like most revolutionaries, Martin Luther had many people who did not only disagree with his ideals, but they adamantly opposed and refused them. However, the man had strong believes and stuck strong to these feelings and ideals. He translated the Bible to German so that others around him could learn, understand, and appreciate the beliefs that he himself found to be true. Luther held strong to what he wanted and did all he could to spread his word throughout the German culture. Martin Luther did not see what the Roman Empire and Catholic Church were preaching and enforcing as right, just, or understandable. He interpreted and saw the Bible and the teachings of Christ in a different light and wanted to at least give people around him an opportunity to follow in his footsteps and see his point of view. He did not believe in many of the ways of the Church, including Indulgences where people could pay for the sins that they committed and many other injustices he saw in the ways of the Church. I am grateful and honored by the word and honesty that Martin Luther laid down to stand against the Church he disagreed with and the beliefs he did not feel.
    On the other hand, Martin Luther paved the path for some controversy and an eventual division of the German people and way of life. His ideals and teachings were the first real questioning of the Catholic Church and the processes that the Roman Empire built itself upon. For the first time, people of Luther's day had another outlet and another realm of religion and belief that they could learn from and search for than what they had been used to. This caused much unrest, hostility, and general questioning from the people. This is where I question and lower my brow to Martin Luther questioning his reasoning to cause an uprising and revolution of sorts at the time.
     Overall, Martin Luther stood up for what he believed in a fought a powerful Empire and Church that had never before been questioned. However, his teachings and beliefs caused and uprise and an unrest that I do not see as just or fit at the time of his delinquency.

My photos are a statue of Martin Luther and the admiration of the historic figure in German culture, the Bible, as translated by Luther, and of what his ideals and the Protestant Reformation did to Europe of the day.

Word count: 432 plus captions

2nd Germany Blo

Germany A New History looks to be a really good reading to prepare our group for the Germany trip. My interest in the first couple of chapters came from the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther as these are two things that I have studied and know a little bit about previously. Martin Luther is a fascinating person to me, as is any historic figure that has stood up to power and authority. People who disagree with something and want to fight for what they believe, no matter who the fight is against, are real heroes in my eyes and definitely peak my interest.

That being said, the Protestant Reformation has always interested me because I believe it was an historical event that probably inspired America’s stand against Great Britain from the beginning, when the Pilgrims arrived. Quaker Pilgrims did not agree with the King’s rule or the English religion, and instead of reforming in the way Martin Luther did, they moved and started an entire new country in the 13 colonies. The American to German comparisons are a big interest of mine in going abroad.

Furthermore, I mentioned in my first blog that Italy was an eye-opening experience for me when I was fortunate enough to go in June. A big regret of mine is that I did not know enough about Italian history or culture before I went. I believe this text and all the readings and meetings we will have before our journey overseas will much better prepare me for the German experience. For my own interest and research knowledge, I am going to try and push myself this fall to learn some Italian history and culture beyond what I learned so that I can have the 3^rd country of interest to include in my studies along with Germany and the United States.

            Overall, I was thrilled to be able to go over to Italy this summer and had an amazing experience while there. However, I did not feel I was rightfully prepared or learned in the history and culture of the Italians and I do not want to make that same mistake with our experience in Germany. I believe our readings will help to keep me from that mistake and I’m excited to learn.

                                                                                   

                                    

                      Martin Luther

Martin Luther Preaching Ideals to the Emperor

Pilgrims Arrival in America

First Assignment

The question isn't why I want to go to Germany, it's why wouldn't anyone want to go to Germany. The past 7 months of my life have been handled with an entirely different view on everything since the passing of a close friend of mine at a young age. A lot of you know the story of Shaun Wild, and a few were even lucky enough to know him. Shaun's mottos were to Be EPIC! and to ALWAYS Accentuate the Positive. I took those two mottos into my own perspective and told myself to never pass up an opportunity and that everything will always be okay. Germany is an opportunity I could not pass up. My roommate TJ (who is going with us) went to Australia last D-Term and I'm still kicking myself for not going. As far as choosing Germany specifically, both the program and Professor Wolf really jumped out at me as soon as I attended the first trip meeting. As an economic and business major, I find Germany's rise and stronghold of the Euro fascinating. The economy of the EU and of it's strongest nation, Germany, is something that will definitely be relevant in the American Business world upon my graduation. Where better to learn and understand German policies than in Germany.

It is because of the economics and strength of German policies that my first photo is of Angela Merkel, Germany's current Chancellor. She is considered by many in the business and economic realm as the most powerful woman in the world, and I definitely want to learn enough about her and her work with policies before we go to be able to strike up a conversation with a local about their leader.

My second photo is a daunting reminder of Germany's horribly haunted past. I had a friend's parents that recently traveled to Berlin and were amazed at how hushed the Germans were about Hitler, the Holocaust and the camps, but it is clearly something that I realize and recognize as we make our trip.

My final photo is of the German vs. the Italian flag. I got lucky and got a cheap trip to Italy this June and was absolutely amazed. I had never before left American soil and the culture, the architecture, the food, EVERYTHING about Italy was so cool to me and I can't wait to see the same in Germany.

I can't wait to go to Germany with this group and I'm positive that it will be an chance of a lifetime trip that I was not about to pass up!!!

Word count: 430

Hey, if anyone going to Germany has any idea how to follow each other, can you let me know?