On culture and tradition

I have always heard people say that a city that does not esteem its culture and tradition is like a person that does not know who she/he is, or somebody without identity.

The first day that we arrived at Tübingen it was obvious that the city still holds on to its rich culture and traditions. The old buildings and exquisite architecture was enough to tell the story of Germany' s romantic past.

People here in Tübingen had a way of expressing their rich culture through their artwork, the painting on the walls (City hall) and the literature, as we know that most famous authors are from Germany. We also had an opportunity of visiting the famous museum in Stuttgart, the Staatsgalerie, whereby we saw beautiful artwork and were introduced to the modern art.

The language is one of the things that they esteem more and of course the favourite traditional beer.

On the first week we were taught the German traditional folk dance, like the Polka "1,2,3" and the Gypsy polka. Elizabeth also showed us the typical traditional costumes, how they are worn, and their symbolic meaning.

The strong religious background forms part of their tradition. The strong religious movements are the protestants and the catholics which date back to the eighth-century. We had the opportunity of visiting one of the famous protestant churches in Tübingen.

To prove that they value their traditions, on the third week we attended the TRADITIONAL CARNIVAL which takes place every year. We were also given a brief historical background of this particular tradition. It involves wearing wooden masks and the occasion is mainly done for fun.

What I can say is that there is so much that I have learned here in Tübingen, that I wish I could take home.

(Report by Nomalizo Ngewu, Port Elizabeth Technikon)