T h e f r e e N e w s p a p e r a r o u n d G r a f e n w o e h r T r a i n i ng A r e a Deutscher teil
No. 3 Issue 12/2011
Training Area
bitte wenden
grafenwoehr-news.com Newspaper
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
Grafenwoehr is Bethlehem: A Christmas Story
Christmas Tree Lightning Tree lighting ceremony below the large Christmas tree on main post Page 2
Christmas 2011
Christmas Bakery How ready-made dough lets us forget tradition, origin and taste Page 14
Christmas 2011
American fir trees Typical American fir trees are also available in the Oberpfalz region Page 16 + 17
Camp Grafenwoehr with the Water Tower covered in white frost shown on an old post card. Story by
Gerald Morgenstern Christmas 1986, the president of the Kolping family New York, Monsignor James J. Murray wrote the following article for the Kolping bulletin about Christmas 1945 which he spent as a soldier in Grafenwoehr.
Christmas 1945 in Grafenwoehr
My most beautiful Christmas experience was the Christmas mass
41 years ago in 1945. The location was Grafenwoehr in Germany, a small rural town in Eastern Bavaria, approximately 30 miles from the Czech border where Russian troops had assembled. We were a small group of American soldiers. We lived in former German soldiers‘ barracks, three miles outside of town. It was a desperate Christmas scenery. The desolation of war could be seen everywhere. It was a rural area but when we arrived there in June 1945, there were very few farmers. Boys and old men had been drafted
Photo: Gerald Morgenstern
during the last year of the war and if they did not die in action, they had not yet been released from American imprisonment or the field hospitals.
The his
chaplain’s message to
parishioners
following:
was
the
“Grafenwoehr is Bethlehem. Forget the past and bury it! You were saved and through the birth of Jesus tonight you are given a future. May it be a good one. May you have belief, hope and love.
training area
Treelighting: A sign of confidence and friendship Tree lighting ceremony under the large Christmas tree in the training area - GACC gives presents to kids Story by
Renate Gradl Grafenwoehr. The weather does not matter, the eyes sparkle whether there is snow or a cold drizzle when hundreds of girls and boys gather around St. Nicholas and Santa Claus on the training area. The ceremonial Christmas tree lighting is an impressive event for them and a sign of friendship between the American and the Germans for the adults. “Today, Christmas can be a bridge between people. Where there once was distrust, animosity and hatred, should be hope and confidence,” says Mayor Helmuth Wächter, the German President of the GermanAmerican Community Council (GACC). The Christmas tree lighting where the kids receive little packages with sweets has been around for almost 30 years. “From 1962 to 1982. the kids, whose fathers worked on post, already received presents from the Americans during a St. Nicholas Day event. In those days, the event took place in the theater,” remembers Anton Dürr, the German vice-president of the GACC. Since 1983, the GACC has hosted the gift presentation, which will take place this year on December 6 in Grafenwoehr and on December 8 in Vilseck. GACC will provide visitors with Glühwein and hot chocolate, hot sausages and gingerbread. At first, however, the Christmas tree will be lit with thousands of lights.
Shortly before Christmas, the GACC St. Nicholas is on its way to bring joy to the needy with a food package. Photos: Renate Gradl (2)
the German-American Volksfest made it possible to distribute 800 packages to the needy. Every package includes groceries such as flour, sugar and noodles, but also cookies and chocolate. Things, that those who do not live on the sunny side of life, can often not afford. At the end of every year, there is also a meeting between club representatives and members of the German-American Community Council where checks are being presented. “A thank you for the great work that they do all year
round,“ says Wächter. Donations go to the owners of the city’s playgrounds, choirs, schools and many other organizations. The money donations and the donations in kind are financed by the proceeds from the German-American Volksfest which is held every year in August. The German-American Volksfest in Grafenwoehr is a popular meeting place for young and old. Nearly 80,000 people celebrated the „American Way of Life“ in 2011 which is another sign of the friendship between the Germans and Americans.
The kids‘ eyes sparkle during the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
What we offer four you:
Breaktfast all day, fresh food made every day – like spare rips, Steaks, Burgers, wraps, pancaces and more!
Biergarten 90 seats, indoor 110 seats
Additionally, many needy families in the Oberpfalz region are also looking forward to the GACC’s St. Nicholas, waiting for his arrival. “For those people, Christmas Eve is not on December 24 but a few days earlier when they receive a food package,“ explains GACC-President Helmuth Wächter. This package is a real help for them. Last year, 2
Foto: Renate Gradl (3)
American diner style Special kids menu Close to gate 6 Open daily from 7 am to 11 pm!
1 k r r a h ep nwö41 b er afe 3675 w Ge Gr641/9 Im 655e: 09 n 92 Pho
November/December 2011
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
Feeling tired today? There’s no need to get up! Just pay online!
N E P O
7 / 4 2
a Setup your free myTKS account today at www.tkscable.com online payment f monthly invoices f billing history f itemized billing f
training area
Grafenwoehr is Bethlehem: A Christmas Story
A soldier’s Christmas in Grafenwoehr in 1945 Story by
Gerald Morgenstern Christmas 1986, the president of the Kolping family New York, Monsignor James J. Murray wrote the following article for the Kolping bulletin about Christmas 1945 which he spent as a soldier in Grafenwoehr. Christmas 1945 in Grafenwoehr My most beautiful Christmas experience was the Christmas mass 41 years ago in 1945. The location was Grafenwoehr in Germany, a small rural town in Eastern Bavaria, approximately 30 miles from the Czech border where Russian troops had assembled. We were a small group of American soldiers. We lived in former German soldiers‘ barracks, three miles outside of town. It was a desperate Christmas scenery. The desolation of war could be seen everywhere. It was a rural area but when we arrived there in June 1945, there were very few farmers. Boys and old men had been drafted during the last year of the war and if they did not die in action, they had not yet been released from American imprisonment or the field hospitals. When the summer of 1945 turned into fall and the fall turned into winter, people came back, one after the other, and the small town of Grafenwoehr came back to new life, if that’s what you want to call it. The streets were freed from debris and the small stores whose doors and windows had been barricaded with planks were reopened. On the Sunday before Christmas, three of us went the three miles into Grafenwoehr. When we arrived at the corner of the market place, we noticed a sign on the church door: the church would be open on Christmas and for the first time in six years Christmas mass would be celebrated during peace. That was something we could not miss. We had to go to Christmas mass. We had built a small, one story cha4
Camp Grafenwoehr with the Water Tower covered in white frost shown on an old post card.
pel at our military installation which was used by catholic and protestant military chaplains. But during dinner, the three of us had come to the conclusion that we would go to attend the Christmas mass downtown. We went from table to table and the three of us became twenty soldiers.
pushed the little people around. But in Bethlehem new life and new light came into a world of shadow and death. And with the birth of Jesus came love, hope and belief. Christ came to be the savior. He wanted to be among the people to free them from their sins and the power of Satan.
Christmas mass at Maria Himmelfahrt-Church I will never forget that cold night. It was my most beautiful Christmas experience. It snowed lightly when we stepped onto the truck. We arrived in town just when the church door was opened. We went to the front and sat down in two or three church benches in the center of the left side of church. It got quiet in church and right at midnight the organ started playing, the choir started singing and the altar servers started moving, followed by Chaplain Dr. Adolf Schosser. He walked straight and approached the altar to celebrate mass for the people – for the first time during peace after six long and horrible years. Mass was still celebrated in Latin but the sermon was held in German. And although all twenty of us did not speak a lot of German, we followed each of his words and understood them. You could see the joy and the mourning in the faces of his parishioners. His sermon was simple but moving. Grafenwoehr, he said, is Bethlehem. Both towns share the same problems: poverty, homelessness and hopelessness. They suffered from the pressure of the armies and powerful which
The chaplain’s message to his parishioners was the following: “Grafenwoehr is Bethlehem. Forget the past and bury it! You were saved and through the birth of Jesus tonight you are given a future. May it be a good one. May you have belief, hope and love.“
November/December 2011
Photos: Gerald Morgenstern (2)
During Christmas time, chains of light decorate the tall pine tree in the garden of the Forest House next to the Water Tower.
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
Training area
Thanksgiving Luncheon at the ACS in Vilseck Story by
Susanne Williams On November 8, 2011 the ACS in Vilseck invited guests and staff to a lovely Thanksgiving Luncheon with delicious homemade food in a cozy atmosphere. Turkey, stuffing, and fresh salads made everyone feel at home and gather with friends and family members. Capt. Mike Leeman welcomed everybody and said “Thank you” to all the people who support the work of the Soldier and Family Assistance Center. The Soldier & Family Assistance Center (SFAC) is a program within the USAG Grafenwoehr Army Community Service (ACS), staffed by a team of civilian employees who provide compassionate, coordinated services for soldiers and their families. They support soldiers who return to
Guests and staff celebrating Thanksgiving at the luncheon at the ACS.
duty or transition into civilian life. Here, soldiers and families can foster friendships and promote physical, spiritual and mental healing. Soldiers and their families are assisted in various ways such as job fairs, education classes, special events, and support groups for
Photo: Susanne Williams
spouses of injured soldiers. Everybody is welcome here and the friendly and warmhearted staff is going to help you best they can with your individual needs, questions and worries. Feel free to stop by at Rose Barracks, Bldg. 165, Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or call them at DSN 476-3164/3165 or civilian 09662-
83-3164/3165. For further information, you can also visit their homepage at www.imcom-europe.army.mil/sfac. Don’t hesitate to ask for help, or let difficulties pull you down. Everybody at the ACS is more than happy to help you and to be there for you and your family members.
VFW seek Christmas support for Orphan Program Story by
Susanne Williams Members of VFW Post 9334 in Vilseck conduct a toy and clothing drive for the orphans in the Czech Republic each year and are assisted by the Torch Club Dragons and the Keystone Tigers from the Netzaberg Youth Center. Persons who are interested in contributing to the annual Christmas program can sign cards, purchase a present, and return it to the Netzaberg Youth Center or the Vilseck Commissary starting November 1, 2011. The youth clubs will wrap the present for you if it is not giftwrapped. Once the card and gift are returned, you may keep the picture of the orphan you bought the present for as a memento. The VFW support the Detsky Domov Orphanage and the Most Baby Clinic. There will be two collection points. Persons residing in the Vilseck community may make donations to the Vilseck commissary during normal operating hours and the Netzaberg Youth Center, Bldg. 9080, Mondays www.grafenwoehr-news.com
thru Saturdays from 2 – 6 p.m. If you have any questions concerning the program, please contact Jim Dicks at DSN 475-9393 or civilian 0171 710 6647. Both communities have
responded well to this program for the last ten years. Please assist the VFW in making children happy for Christmas because they have no one else to count on except for you. Help
the VFW to make their Christmas a special one. There is nothing more precious than seeing the joy in the children’s eyes.
A visit to the
Old Bavarian Crystal Factory You will find us in Neustadt following the signs to the Nachtmann Crystal Factory, Zacharias-Frankuction tr ns co re r te af Strasse Grand Opening
sount 20 % dic on everyuptonhing with this co
• Glassblowing workshop • Engraver • Visitors can blow their own glass bulb! • Our restaurant Huettenschaenke ensures that our visitors will not be hungry! Altbayerische Kristall Glashütte Am Judengraben · 92660 Neustadt Tel. 09602/94409-0 Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 0930 to 1800 Saturday 0930 to 1400
November/December 2011
5
training area
Veterans‘ Day 2011: Local veterans honor soldiers
VFW-members honor soldiers of the past, present and future Story by
Susanne Williams Every year November 11 is a very special day for American veterans and soldiers: Veterans’ Day. The day when we all pay respect to all the men and women who have risked their lives to fight for freedom and who still do, to all who have lost their lives and to everyone who is on active duty. We are grateful for everything these brave people do for us every day. And that is why we honor them.On that day, it is not uncommon to see people hugging veterans crying and thanking them for their incredible job. Like every year, members of the VFW Tower Post 10692 visited the local cemeteries in Grafenwoehr, Eschenbach and Auerbach to post an American flag with a buddy poppy on the graves of their deceased com-
Günther Strobl & Silvana Freddura Plater
VFW Tower Post 10692 CDR James Holliman, JVC Ken Worm and Chaplain Willie J. Cromartie at a comrade‘s grave Photos: Susanne Williams (2)
rades and salute them while honoring them in their hearts. Later that day, the VFW members met at the JMTC flag pole to honor the veterans and soldiers alive with the flag as a symbolic gesture. While retreat was played and the gigantic American flag was taken down the flag pole, folded and brought to the JMTC Headquarters, you could lite-
rally grasp the pride and deep respect all these people felt as they saluted. Pride and deep respect for their country, their comrades and all the soldiers who have ever served, who are serving and who are going to serve their country.
Local veterans during the Veterans‘ Day ceremony
All gave some, some gave all. So, thank a veteran for fighting for our freedom.
Wiesenstraße 1 - 92249 Vilseck - Telefon 09662-8074 - Telefax 09662-413521
Real Estate Agency for Vilseck, Grafenwoehr and surrounding Areas: We offer: • Land Properties • Prefabricated Houses • Industrial Properties • Property Management
• New or Existing Homes • Custom build Houses • Rental‘s
• We assist with finding the right Bank and finance plan for you • We prepare all Paperwork and Documents
For assistance in English call 0171-7052012 Visit us at www.ivs-strobl.de or email to: silvana fp@yahoo.com
6
November/December 2011
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
local news
New Year’s Eve: Brazilian joie de vivre and high-class music City of Grafenwoehr ends anniversary year with New Year’s Eve ball and party at the cultural center Story by
Renate Gradl Grafenwoehr. Hot-blooded dancers, South-American joie de vivre and a breath-taking fireworks display will bring to an end the 650th city anniversary. After many attractions throughout the year, visitors of the New Year’s Eve ball in the Stadthalle and the New Year’s Eve party at the “Cultural Center” can expect a grand finale. Samba-do-Brazil offers an idea of Brazilian joy of life. The group was established in 1996 and is one of the leading entertainment acts in the Regensburg area with regard to Brazilian entertainment. Performing Germany-wide, the dance group entertains its audience with hot-blooded dancers and is the highlight of each event, transferring the South-American joy of life and the love for dance to the audience. With expensive, hand-made costumes directly from Brazil, Sambado-Brazil offers a high-class dance performance. Perfect body control combined with exotic beauties and South-American temper round out the breath-taking program.
The band „The Letters“ will entertain the party guests in the Stadthalle during the New Year‘s Eve ball.
tar players ensure there’ll be some hard riffs.
people will also celebrate in the street.
“The Letters“ offer great music at a medium volume so one can still talk while dancing. The ticket sale will start soon and will be announced in the media and on the web. But there will not only be a celebration in the Stadthalle,
Since the anniversary started with an open air party in front of the town hall, it will come to an end at the “Cultural Center“ on Kolpingstraße near the Friedens Church. Starting at 10 p.m., DJ Mini will provide the sound and great enter-
Photo: Renate Gradl
tainment. Food and beverages will also be served in the street. Various bars and food booths will cater to the party guests. At midnight, a large, brilliant fireworks display will light up the sky and mark the end of the anniversary year.
Those who do not just want to look but also want to dance themselves, should attend the New Year’s Eve ball at the Stadthalle. The band “The Letters“ will provide excellent entertainment and a constantly full dance floor. You can definitely leave your winter boots at home and exchange them for your evening gown and dancing shoes. Jive, tango, waltz, disco-Fox, cha-cha-cha, any dance you can dance, will be offered. Two brass players guarantee great dance music and a traditional Bavarian sound, the keyboard players ensure a top-modern sound and the guiwww.grafenwoehr-news.com
November/December 2011
7
Local News
St. Nicholas, Glühwein and a colorful town hall The city of Grafenwoehr invites everybody to the Advent market Story by
Renate Gradl Grafenwoehr. Time goes on and Christmas is right around the corner. To get in the mood, the city of Grafenwoehr invites everybody to the Advent market on the market place again this year. There is one change, though, because the market will not take place on the second Sunday of Advent, but instead a day earlier, on Saturday, December 3. The German-American opening with the Christ child will take place at 2 p.m. The girls and boys from the catholic child care center St. Josef in Hütten will sing Christmas songs. At 2.30 p.m., visitors can expect a colorful surprise. In the 650th anniversary
year, the town hall will be unveiled, decorated with a 650 meter long scarf. Christmas music will be played throughout the entire afternoon. The music club “Klingende Töne“, the city band and the German-American choir “The Encores“ from Grafenwoehr, the Pressath/Grafenwoehr Music School and the brass group ”Parforshorn“ from Eschenbach can be heard. St. Nicholas, his servant Ruprecht and Santa Claus will also come and distribute small packages to the kids at 4.30 p.m. Girls and boys may also ride in the horse carriage or children’s carousel, or put together Christmas decorations in the town hall from 2.30 to 3.30 p.m. Adults might be interested in the wood carvers who will display their skills. The large Christmas manger will be on display also. And everybody
The market place will feature Christmas flair with the booths and the Christmas lights. The town hall will be decorated with a 650 meter long scarf.
may try his luck at the raffle. 650 prizes are waiting for the winners. The first prize is trip for two to the Christmas market in Erfurt. The Advent market is open from 2-10 p.m. and the Grafenwoehr Culture
Photo: Renate Gradl
and Military Museum from 2-5 p.m. On display are the exhibitions “650 years City of Grafenwoehr“ and “Nature and Environmental Protection in the Training Area.”
Craftsmen and Business Association invite you to the Christmas market Story by
Renate Gradl Kirchenthumbach. On Sunday, December 4, the widely known Christmas market will be held on the newly renovated market place in the center of town, hosted by the craftsmen and business association. From 1-7 p.m., the market place will turn into a colorful village of booths with more than 30 participants. Many local clubs, regional groups and craftsmen will offer their goods and sell food and beverages to the guests. At 2.30 p.m., Mayor Fritz Fürk will welcome the visitors before the Christ kind Annika Wilterius will read the market prologue. Around 5 p.m., the Christ kind will distribute small packages with sweets to the children. Over the past years, the Kirchenthumbach Christmas market has developed into a true visitor’s magnet. On sale are mainly arts and crafts, unique presents, holiday ornaments, 8
Booths and Christmas lights turn the market place from 1 to 7 p.m. into a colorful village of booths with more than 30 participants. Photo: Fritz Fürk
baked goods, books, toys, paintings, carvings, calendars with local sights, mangers, Hummel figurines and much more. The culinary choices are very tempting. For sale this year will be hot sausages, Schnitzel sandwiches, bratwursts, pizza, gyros, French fries, grilled meats, freshly baked „Nut stone rolls“ and onion cake from the old wood-fired oven of the former Nut stone bakery. Offered also are crêpes, fruit
loaf, Christmas cookies, chocolate spits, Glühwein, Burgring fire and children’s punch. The Missionary Circle offers coffee and homebaked cake in the Pfarrheim. A special attraction for kids are the life-size manger and the petting zoo at the market fountain. “Hermann’s Puppet Theater“ performs for young and old friends of the Punch in the basement of the Nußstein house. Pony-riding is offered at the Tur-
November/December 2011
nerplatz. The Kirchenthumbach brass band and the brass band’s junior group will provide the musical entertainment. The dance group of the elementary school will also perform. In between performances, Kirchenthumbach’s street organ player Martl Kohl will play some songs. At dusk, Thumbach’s night watchman will announce the end of the market.
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
Local News
“Mr. Chocolate“ will seduce visitors with the scent of chocolate
7th Eschenbach Christmas Market takes place on December 11 Story by
Renate Gradl Eschenbach. Christ Child, St. Nicholas with his servant Ruprecht and “Mr. Chocolate“ will surprise and spoil the visitors of the 7th Eschenbach Christmas market on the third Sunday of Advent. Many Christmas lights and musical performances will create an air of Christmas on the market place. The Christmas market starts at 1 p.m. and at 3 p.m. the Christ Child will read the prologue on the steps of the town hall. Visitors can stroll by the
Eschenbach’s city hill will be illuminated with Christmas lights on the third Sunday of Advent.
many booths around the Eschenbach town hall and warm themselves with Glühwein and enjoy culinary delicacies. Professional craftsmen and local clubs will offer handmade goods and decorations. For the first time, “Mr. Chocolate“ will seduce the visitors with the smell
of chocolate during the Christmas market. The chocolate is hand-made with an antique chocolate maker. Musical entertainment is provided by the Eschenbach city band, a brass band and a children’s group from Markus-Gottwalt-School, led by teacher Ulrike Kneidl. St. Nicholas and his servant Ruprecht will stop
BERMAS-Shop
Photo: Daniela Kleber
by at 5 p.m. At 6.30 p.m. the night watchman will end the event. But there will be no need for visitors to go home because at 7 p.m. the Music School Eschenbach will give a concert with Christmas songs at the Eschenbach church, putting everybody in the mood for Christmas.
www.obi.de
Bags and more in unbelievable variety !
You will find: suitcases, lady's handbags, bags, purses, umbrellas, scarfs, belts and much more
R
The Home Improvement Emporium
e m o Welc to
y n a m r e -19% G
Saving 19% with Taxform We accept Debitcards Master and Visa
Your Home Improvement Stores in Bruckmühle 1; 92681 Erbendorf; Tel.: 09682-915015 Mon-Wen: 9.00 - 17.30 h direct in front Thur + Fr: 9.00 - 18.00 h of our door: Saturday: 9.30 - 12.30 h
P
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
Pressath Weiden Amberg Eschenbacher Straße 7 92690 Pressath phone: 09644 - 68080-0
Regensburger Straße 81-91 92637 Weiden phone: 0961 - 391799-0
Barbarastraße 2-6 92224 Amberg phone: 09621 - 76610
Sulzbach -Rosenberg Krötenseestraße 2 92237 Sulzbach-Rosenberg phone: 09661 - 5090
VAT refunds possible on request
November/December 2011
9
Local News
A Very Special Christmas Market at the Maffei Mine Story by
Sabine Wiesent Auerbach. One of the most beautiful regional Christmas markets opens its doors on the second weekend of Advent in Nitzlbuch near Auerbach: Christmas at the Maffei Mine. At the entrance, men in historic miner uniforms welcome you and you can feel a sense of history. On the one hand there is the great backdrop of the historic Maffei mine which was close more than 30 years ago and brought back to life thanks to a very dedicated club ten years ago. Small wooden booths are spread below the steel pit frames and between the partially hundred year-old mine buildings. A great contrast to the old machiney. Festively decorated they offer arts and crafts, small treasures and culinary delicacies. Here, you will be looking in vain for the regular merchandise of other Christmas markets. Hand-made treasures made of wood, metal, felt and wool can be found just like shimmering Tiffany objects, incense smokers, or bobbin lace pieces. If you continue to stroll along through the historic buildings, you will pass by beautifully decorated booths that offer fine jewelry or pre-
cious liqueurs. Christmas trees sparkle in every empty corner, old machines are glowing in the candle light. Thousands of lanterns create a festive atmosphere in the normally bare work area. And there is something nes to discover everywhere. There is the Nordic village with its typically pointed roofs where arts and crafts and gingerbread are hidden. A very special, more than three-meter high Christmas pyramid is glowing far into the darkness, fire baskets spread flaming warmth and a special delicacy is brewed in the iron kettles. For the hot “miner’s fire,“ a brew of liqueur, fresh juices and lots of sugar, you will leave behind any Glühwein. With the cups in their hands, visitors can stroll to the show mine. A mine, built like an original mine, gives an impression of what work was like underground. Here, you will also find beautifully decorated booths that glow in the lights. And because so much looking around makes people hungry, visitors follow the scent of spicy bratwurst, or try the freshly baked cream flat-cake from the wooden stove. If you prefer hearty food, you can try the goulash from the aurochs, or crisply roasted wild boar from the spear. And delicious waffles or fruit spears with chocolate from
The Christmas market in the historic Maffei mine opens its doors on the second Advent weekend in Nitzlbuch near Auerbach. Photo: Sabine Wiesent
the “Sweet Hut” as your dessert. Or you can warm up in the “Third World Cafe“ with hot coffee and delicious cake. Needless to say, the market also offers a great entertainment program. Choirs sing on the stage in the booths‘ village, the Auerbach Christ Child visits the kids and St. Nicholas has been seen before as well. There is a special goblin Christmas for kids in the basement of the mine shaft building where they can play, do handicrafts, or listen to stories. The Mine Christmas is open on Saturday, December 3 from 1 to 9 p.m. and on Sunday, December 4 from 1 to 8 p.m. On Sunday night, the Mine Christmas traditionally ends with the miners
marching in with their torches and a festive prayer. Entrance bracelets for the Christmas market can be bought for adults and teens, ages 16 and older, for 2 Euro at the Marhabu book store in Auerbach. Included in the entrance fee is a bus transfer, a special service offered by the organizers. Signs lead to various parking areas in the town of Auerbach. From there, shuttle busses go to the Christmas market every 15 minutes. There is no parking at the Christmas market. But there are also nice walkways that lead to the mine. For more information and for the bus schedules, go to www.bergwerksweihnacht.de.
Visit us in the old town of Weiden and let convince you of our diverse opportunities. We have a space up to 100 people for all kind of your special events. Try our famous german and bavarian food. Feel comfortable in a unique house of Weiden. We look forward to your reservations. Restaurant Altes Eichamt · Cafe Quint · Bar23 · Unterer Markt 23 · 92637 Weiden Tel.: 0961/44242 · Fax.: 0961/44240 · info@alteseichamt.com · www.alteseichamt.com
10
November/December 2011
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
Welcome to the
Grafenwoehr Consolidated Exchange Proudly Proudly Serving Serving the the Communities Communities of of GrafenwoehrGrafenwoehr-Rose Rose Barracks Barracks-Hohenfels-Ansbach -Hohenfels-Ansbach -Garmisch -Garmisch
GRAFENWOEHR SHOPPING CENTER Largest Exchange in Bavaria 140,000 Square Feet
Food Food Court Court Featuring Featuring
Concession Concession Mall Mall Featuring Featuring
Mall
Just aa 30 30 second second drive drive from from the the Just Exchange PX PX is is the the Shoppette Shoppette Exchange featuring 12 12 pump pump islands islands for for featuring fueling, Class Class Six, Six, Full Full Feature Feature fueling, Snack Ave Ave & & Java Java Premium Premium Coffee Coffee Bar Bar Snack and a Full Line of DVDs’ for Rent ...
w
roudly Bre eP W
The foods you love, the brands you trust!
Stateside Stateside Food Food Court Court and and Concession Concession Mall Mall
Burger Burger King King and and Anthony’s Anthony’s Pizza Pizza just just a a2 2 minute minute walk walk from from the the PX PX
Shop us online at WWW.SHOPMYEXHANGE.COM
Advertisement Advertisement by by Chris Chris Litch, Litch, Exchange Exchange Visual Visual Merchandiser Merchandiser Specialist Specialist at at time time of of print, print, all all information information was was correct correct and and is is subject subject to to change change
christmas 2011
Christmas Market at Guteneck Castle near Nabburg nabburg. Count Burkhart Beissel von Gymnich and Countess Cornelia Beissel von Gymnich cordially invite you to join them for the annual Christmas market. This winter, Guteneck Castle opens its gates for the 6th historic, romantic Christmas market. Let us take you way back to the Middle Ages, during the four weekends in Advent (every Saturday and Sunday, and also on Friday, December 10 and 17.) You will feel like being on a vibrant, diverse medieval market place with ancient craftsmanship. The whittler of Christmas crèches, torch maker, blacksmith, knife sharpener, felt maker, spinner, stained glass maker, bread baker, shoemaker, bookbinder, tablet weaving, broom-maker, rakemaker, saddler, leather punching, lace maker, pottery maker, blanket
12
Every year, thousands of visitors are excited about the very special Christmas market at Guteneck Castle near Nabburg. Photo: Schloss Guteneck
weaving and many more. Medieval knights will reenact historical camp life. Various booths will offer culinary delights and beverages. You can enjoy your food and drink in one of our heated rooms with a seating capacity of 800 – 1,000 seats. Parking lots for cars and busses are available. You can use the shuttle bus that runs every 20 minutes from the Nabburg railroad station, Nabburg Nordgauhalle (parking lot) and
the commuter parking area (near exit ramp A93). Shuttle bus tariff: 2 € per round trip. If you arrive by train, you can use the shuttle bus for free from Nabburg railroad station when showing your train ticket. If you arrive by car, take highway A93. Leave the highway at the Nabburg exit, heading towards Unteraich. When you leave Unteraich, turn right towards Guteneck. Follow the signs to the castle. For a fee of 2 € you can use
November/December 2011
the parking lots (1,000 spaces are available).
DATES Saturday, December 3 Sunday, December 4 Friday, December 9 Saturday, December 10 Sunday, December 11 Friday, December 16 Saturday, December 17 Sunday, December 18
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
christmas 2011
Blue Carp with melted butter Vanillekipferl - vanilla crescents Recipe by
Susanne Williams This is is a typical dish in Germany, especially at Christmas time. Serves/ Makes: 4 Ingredients: –– 1 kg carp –– 400 g potatoes –– 2 onions –– 2 tbsp salt –– 1 tsp juniper berries –– 1 tsp black peppercorns –– 3 bay leaves –– 100 g soup vegetables –– ¼ liter white wine vinegar –– 1 tbsp parsley –– 50 g butter –– 30 g horseradish How to cook blue carp with Melted butter Set the soup vegetables to simmer for 30 minutes with 3 liters of water,
onions, salt, peppercorns, juniper berries and bay leaves. Don´t scale the gilled carp because the external mucous layer must remain in perfect shape so that the carp can turn blue due to the vinegar. Therefore you should only touch the carp with wet hands and clean and season only the inside of the fish. Te transparent mucous layer, for which the carp is slippery, will be chemically burned by the vinegar and the color will change to blue. Wash the fish well and season the in- side with salt. Place a cup on a plate. Put the carp with the ventral side over the cup. Boil the white wine vinegar and pour it over the fish. Place the fish with the vinegar in the water and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Te carp is done when you can easily remove the dorsal fin. Place the fish on a preheated platter. Serve the carp with salt potatoes, minced parsley, melted butter, horse- radish and salad.
Recipe by
Susanne Williams These cookies are an essential part of every German Christmas experience. And what is better suited to give you the special holiday feeling than the scent of freshly baked cookies that fills the home? Every year, I send a package with these cookies to my Dad, who returned to the US 24 years ago. This is the recipe for his favorite German cookie: Ingredients: –– 300 g flour –– 250 g butter –– 125 g sugar –– 3 egg yolks –– 125 g ground nuts or almonds –– 2 small packages vanilla sugar –– 100 g powdered sugar –– 1 pinch of salt
Preparation: Knead the flour with the butter, the sugar, the yolks and the ground nuts (or almonds) to get the shortcrust dough. Let the dough rest for about an hour. Then prepare a work space with some flour and divide the dough into rolls with a diameter of one cm. Cut those rolls into parts that are about 6 cm long and bend them into crescents to form the typical Kipferl shape. Now they need to bake for 15 minutes at a temperature of about 175-195 °C. Meanwhile, mix the powdered sugar with the vanilla sugar and toss the Kipferl in the sugar mixture when they are done baking and while they are still hot.
„Weiden - a town to fall in love with“ Historical Christmas Market 24.11.2011 - 23.12.2011
Mon - Sat 10am - 8pm Sun 11am - 8pm www.grafenwoehr-news.com
www.weiden.de November/December 2011
13
christmas 2011
Baking for Christmas – an old tradition How ready-made dough lets us forget tradition, origin and taste Story by
Nadine Saalborn Why bake Christmas cookies if the cookies are available in supermarket by the end of August, packed to industry standards and vacuum-sealed? While in the past mothers and grandmothers kept their cookie recipes a secret and passed them on from generation to generation, there are more than 20,000 cookie recipes available in the internet today. Those who like it even more comfortable, simply reach for the baking mixes or the family pack of cooled, ready-made dough. Although baking cookies has a long tradition and is definitely one of the sweetest pre-Christmas traditions. Baking cookies goes back to the 18th century. The rich wanted to serve their guests something delicious with their coffee and tea. First, biscuits were developed, later what we know today as “Spekulatius,” spicy almond cookies. All the way into the 19th century, cookies were a luxury because ingredients like spices and sugar were very expensive.
Homemade Christmas cookies
all year round. The oriental spices like cardamom, cinnamon and clove give the cookies their typical aroma and taste. In addition to the traditional spicy spekulatius, there are also spekulatius recipes with almonds, butter or chocolate. Put next to each other in the right order, the pictures on the spekulatius tell the story of St. Nicholas.
Macaroons
The traditional recipe for macaroons originated in Italy and contains only three ingredients: sugar, egg-white and almonds. Today, coconut flakes are preferably used instead of almonds. They are roasted before baking, giving the coconut macaroons their intense aroma.
Photo: Nadine Saalborn
Gingerbread
Recipes for a spicy honey cake already existed 350 B. C. in Rome. Due to its long shelf life, gingerbread was very popular even then. In Germany, gingerbread is also called pepper bread, cake of life or honey cake. The British call it gingerbread, the French pain d‘épices (spice bread). The names refer to the oriental spices such as cinnamon, cloves, aniseed, coriander and cardamom that give gingerbread its Christmassy taste. The Elisen gingerbread is considered the most precious of all gingerbreads. It was developed in Nuremberg in the early 19th century. If the label reads “Elisen,“ the gingerbread should not contain more than ten per-
cent flour and at least a quarter of the ingredients must be nuts.
Vanillakipferl
Vanillakipferl have a long tradition in Germany, but also in Austria and Bohemia. The small crescents are made of a short crust from flour, butter, sugar and egg yolks. Based on individual taste, almonds or other nuts can be added to the dough. The most important ingredient, however, is the pulp of the vanilla bean. Artificial vanilla flavor is not an alternative for real vanillakipferl. After baking, the small crescents are traditionally coated with powdered sugar, raw sugar or nut crumbs.
Dresdener Stollen
The Dresdner Stollen is a symbol of the rise and prosperity of Saxony. Originally, the stollen was eaten during lent and made from flour, yeast and water until the Catholic church allowed butter to be added. In 1991, the “Association for the Protection of the Dresdner Stollen e.V.“ was founded. Today, the stollen recipe lists exactly 16 ingredients of which butter makes up nearly 50 percent.
Spekulatius
In Germany, Spekulatius has its origin mainly in Westphalia and the Rhineland. In Belgium and the Netherlands, however, it is eaten 14
November/December 2011
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
HIGH quality ibikes 10% discount for us soldiers vat refunds possiible
PROUDLY SPECIALIZED DEALER www.fahrrad-fritsch.de info@FAHRRAD-FRITSCH.DE +49 (0) 96 02/94 42 840
freyung 5
92660 neustadt
orthopedics · shoe & technique
BIRKENSTOCK made in Germany
Wellness for Christmas Owner: Richard Vogel 92637 Weiden · Unterer Markt 7 Phone 0961/43216 · Fax 0961/45239 www.orthopaedie-vogel.de · orthopaedie.vogel@arcor.de
Born in Bavaria – Trained in America Would you like to work with a real estate professional that thinks like an American?
Manuela Spaur Cell: 0176 3549 2586 www.BavarianAgent.com
Dry Cleaning laundry Now at: Alte Amberger Str. 23 across post office Tel. 09641 1489
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
open hour: Mo.–Fr. 9.00–13.00 15.00–18.00
Weiden & Regensburg
Finanzgruppe
Do. afternoon closed Sa. 9.00–12.00
November/December 2011
15
christmas 2011
American fir trees are also available in Germany Story by
Gerhard Hösl Pressath. Christmas is celebrated all over the world with a variety of customs and traditions. However, the custom to put a nicely decorated tree into one’s apartment is pretty the same in all countries. World-wide, in America as well as in Germany, the Christmas tree has become a symbol of Christmas. In Europe, the tradition goes back about 500 years. The custom to put green plants into the apartment in the winter time as a symbol of fertility and new life even goes back to pre-Christian times. In the 18th century, the immigrants brought the Christmas tree to North America. Today, the variety of Christmas trees in the USA is much large than in Germany due to the size of the country and vast climatic differences. Tree species vary depending on the climate and with them the kind of trees used as Christmas trees. The Fraser fir is very common especially in the southern states like North Carolina and Tennessee since it keeps its needles very well. The Balsam fir with its aromatic smell is closely related to it. The Douglas fir is mainly used in its natural habitat in British-Columbia, Oregon and Washington and is a very popular Christmas tree due to its soft needles and its orange-like scent. The White fir, or Colorado fir, is very common in California. Its very long, soft, blue-silver needles give it a very aesthetic appearance. The Nobel fir is also very popular in the western states because of its very aromatic scent as well as the Alpine fir which
Forest Master Gerhard Hösl shares a tree with a bushwacker at the Pressath Tannenland.
grows in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of up to 3,000 meters above sea level. Pine trees such as the Scots pine, the White pine, or the Virginia pine are also popular Christmas trees because their needles last very long. Utah and Colorado in the northeastern part of the USA are the home of the Blue Spruce and the White Spruce is very popular in Canada. Unfortunately, the needles of the spruce trees do not last as long. Cedar trees, like the Eastern Red
Cedar , or cypress trees are even used as Christmas trees in the southern states. In Germany and Europe, the image of the ideal Christmas tree is largely and almost unilaterally influenced by the Nordmann and the Blue Fir compared to the American diversity. In rural areas, the Red fir and the Scots pine play a small role. Apart from the variety of trees, a big difference can also be noticed in the shape of the trees. A typical American Christmas tree is abso-
Photo: Gerhard Hösl
lutely cone-shaped, extremely full and wide. The stem and the branch lines can hardly be seen. Due to the available floor space in American homes, it is often very large. Based on this ideal, the typical Christmas tree is grown on Christmas tree farms in the USA. Fast-growing tree varieties are used and shaped every year with bushwhackers. This so-called “sharing“ is an important part in the production process of the large Christmas tree farms in
military flights - lowest available fares to and from the states
Directions/opening hours The Pressather Tannenland is located directly at B299 between Pressath and Grafenwoehr. A visit is worth your while.
Opening hours, starting at the end of November: Every Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 1.30 – 5 p.m. as of 6 December, Monday thru Friday, noon to 5 p.m.
book online at www.usdtravel.com USDTravel GmbH - Ph. 09641-924390 - Pressather Str. 17 - 92655 Grafenwöhr
For more information, go to www.pressather-tannenland.de 16
November/December 2011
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
christmas 2011 the USA. As a result, the trees look very uniform and similar, strongly resembling an artificial tree. Plastic trees are much more popular in the USA, especially in the warmer area, than here in Germany. There, a real Christmas tree will not hold its needles very long. In Germany, the natural look of the trees is more popular. Plastic trees which are produced in China under horrible labor conditions may also contain cancer-causing materials are in very low demand here in Germany. Due to smaller floor plans, slender and smaller trees with clearly defined branch lines, so the decorations can easily be put on the branches, are the preferred choice. Just like the houses, Christmas trees are much
more heavily decorated and lighted in the USA than here in Germany. The Christmas tree is put up soon after Thanksgiving Day at the end of November. It stays up during the entire Advent time but is thrown out soon after Christmas. That’s why it needs long-lasting needles. Pressather Tannenland Tree Farm Forest master Gerhard Hösl offers many American and Asian types of fir (Siberian and Korea fir, etc.). He has planted a total of 15 varieties in his Pressather Tannenland tree farm between Pressath and Grafenwoehr. An anti-freeze protection system allows him to also grow delicate varieties. Hösl attempts to grow
the trees in an ecological fashion. Shropshire sheep serve as biological lawn mowers. This special race of sheep from England does not eat needles. He also refrains from spraying the tree with herbicides. Some trees are shaped using the sharing technique. The beauty of the trees speaks for itself. The rating “Christmas tree naturally grown in the Nature Park Oberpfälzer Forest“ guarantees the special freshness of the trees. Trees are cut fresh every day to guarantee long-lasting needles and a natural, aromatic scent
in the living room unlike the imported trees from Denmark. The five hectare-large area offers a large selection of trees. Prices remain unchanged this year. Customers may also cut their own tree. This is always a special event for families with kids. Trees on the farm may also be reserved, starting on November 25. A lot of work is necessary to live up to the motto domesticecologic-fresh.“ It takes up to ten years for the small fir plants to turn into beautiful Christmas trees.
Prof. Dr. med.Theodor Klotz, MPH Klinik für Urologie, Andrologie und Kinderurologie
Kliniken Nordoberpfalz AG Söllnerstr. 16 · 92637 Weiden Tel. 0961-303-3302 · Fax 0961-303-4405
Tips on how to extend the life of your Christmas tree 1. Buy fresh, local trees
it next to a radiator or tile stove. The cooler the room temperature, the longer your tree lasts. Using Christmas tree stands filled with water is an advantage. It might also help to cut off a small portion of the stem so the pores can draw water. This is not as effective with the stem of a tree as it is with the stem of a rose but it helps. Spraying water on the tree’s branches every day helps even more.
2. The species of tree you buy is a decisive factor. The needles of the Colorado fir last longest. The needles of the Noble fir last longer than those of the Nordmann fir which last longer than the Korea fir. The needles of the European spruce enjoy the shortest life. 3. When storing the tree before putting it up, it should be stored at a cool, wind-shielded place to prevent it from However, a long life of the needles cannot always be guaranteed, drying out. even if you follow these tips, since 4. When putting up the tree, the tree’s genetic background alyou should pay attention to ways plays an important role. the following: Do not put
Tricare Provider
Treatments/Services: - Prostate Cancer Prevention - Vasectomy - Vasovasostomy - Aging Male - Erektile Dysfunction
- Sexual Dysfunction - Sexual Transmitted Disease - Benign Prostate Hyperplasia - Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
Opening Hours Monday – Thursday: 8 am to 4 pm
Friday: 8 am to 2.30 pm
BräuWirt Restaurant and Brewery in Weiden’s Old Town! Traditional dishes and typical Bavarian specialties served fresh from the kitchen during opening hours. Changing weekly offers and popular monthly promotions. The brewery offers high-quality, home-made Zoigl beers, brewed following the Bavarian purity requirements and awarded with the German DLG food certificate in gold.
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
O
Gr
H
The only real Italian at Grafenwöhr
M
Neue Amberger Str. 99, Grafenwöhr
Pr afen E es w S sa öh E th r, R an , Es Net V d m ch za I or enb berg CE e ac , h
Visit us at the BräuWirt – we are looking forward to seeing you!
November/December 2011
17
sport
One team, One Dream: Post-season is pre-season! Story by
Christian Schärtl Grafenwoehr. If you think that after their successful championship season the Griffins are taking it easy, you are wrong. Even the Bavarian Verbandsleague organizes their annual planning according to the ProLeagues, and so the Season is followed directly by the Off-Season. This program already proved successful last year. Especially the hard and continous preparation for the season led to the championship title for the Griffins this year. With discipline and dedication they fielded the most successful defense and the second best offense of the league. Indeed the Griffins were the only team from the Oberpfalz who scored a win in the 2011 season. That itself is a clear message and speaks for the sports program, which James D. Miller and Brian Jansma have established in Grafenwoehr. Due to those two the football players of the Griffins only got a short break after the championship. Only three weeks after the last league game practice picked up and the preparation for the Bavarian Verbandsleague started.
The Grafenwöhr Griffins during their position specific tight-end and running-back training.
team, he mainly needs the will to succeed. This becomes very clear in the team’s motto: “One team, one dream.” “In spite of the success we had this year with the Griffins, it is important to remember that this team is still growing. We are constantly looking for new players, supporting staff and most of all coaches. Especially now in the off season additional coaching staff would be enormously helpful,” says defense coach Brian Jansma.
If you have experience with American Football and are interested in dedicating yourself to a club, please get in contact
Photo: Christian Schärtl
with the representatives via the homepage of the Griffins at www.grafenwoehr-griffins.de.
Preishammer Starterbatterie XXX TopStart XL 12V/100AH – 800A (EN), absolut wartungsfrei – 3 Jahre Garantie – kostenlose Altbatterie-Entsorgung
88,-
nur € In allen Filialen bei Freds Autozubehör Grafenwöhr Telefon 09641/454630
7x in Ihrer Nähe – www.freds-autozubehoer.de
Right now the schedule shows mainly position specific drills. Furthermore the players, who joined the team during the season, are being integrated and worked into the team. Last but not least important aspects like endurance, fitness and strength are being trained at this time. The pair of coaches never cease to stress that right now is the perfect time to join the team, especially if you never had any contact with American Football. The off season provides the coaches with the necessary time to individually teach and train the new athletes. Each player, wether he is tall or short, big or skinny, has an important role in the 18
November/December 2011
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
Telefon: 09646/250 Alle zwei Wochen Aktionstage von Mittwoch bis Samstag. Sehr gerne sind wir für ihre Familienfeiern, Hochzeiten, Geburtstagen, Betriebsfeiern mit unserem reichhaltigem, abwechslungsreichem, nach ihren Wünschen gefertigten Backwaren für sie da.
Therapiezentrum für Massage- und Krankengymnastik The Physical Therapy and Massage Center of Wolfgang Herrndobler – Vilseck Located: St. Agidius Straße 4, 92249 Vilseck Ph: 09662-9531, Fax: 09627-924889 therapy, ultrasound treatments, lymph system drainage and hot pack treatments. In Europe the wellness centers are very comprehensive, competitive, compassionate and competent. If you are referred into town for therapy, this is a remarkable place to feel welcome and feel better. English is spoken well here and Tricare is fully accepted. Herr Herrndobler is fully licensed in Germany and Europe and approved as a Tricare provider. While the clinic on post offers many services, sometimes personnel, both active duty and family members are referred into town. This is one of those facilities. Herrr Herrndobler has a full service physical therapy and massage clinic. He offers European style post surgery rehabilitation, heat and ice therapies, instructions and training for back usage with injury prevention, full range of massage therapies, electrical (tens) therapy, reflexology (foot) therapies, stretching and strenght training with
Directions: Take the Vilseck exit from post. At the T in town, turn right. Pass through the east gate and take the left just over the river. Drive to the right hand curve then take the first road left. The center is on the right. Open: Mo.–Tu. 9.00–19.30
Fr.
9.00–16.00
Call for an appointment or use the Tricare assistance center in the Rose Barracks clinic.
cars & traffic
To the point: VW presents the new Beetle Icon of automotive history The original is back. The Beetle! Take a seat, start the engine, and be astonished. Beetle of a new era focuses fully on dynamics (Volkswagen AG) Volkswagen is launching a new Beetle into the market. And this is anything but a commonplace event in the automotive world. That is because the original model of this car series – the Beetle – is one of the three most successful cars ever, with 21.5 million units sold. Now, the successor to these icons is making its way to the market.
Beetle shaped people’s consciousness The Beetle has always held a special place in people’s hearts. Over the years, it has shaped people’s collective consciousness. Children painted a Beetle when they painted a car. Americans bought a Beetle when they bought a Volkswagen. Germans drove a Beetle when they drove the Economic Wonder of the 1950s. Europeans chose „Made in Germany“ when they chose a Beetle. South Americans were excited about a Beetle, when they were excited about an extremely rugged car built on their continent.
VW Beetle R Concept.
new millennium, it had become clear: the classic car, whether a Beetle or New Beetle, and whether it was from the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s, had become a cult car. Furthermore: the various generations of the Beetle aka Beetle aka New Beetle reflected what is
Photo: Matti Blume
certainly the most recognisable automotive design in the world – a design that continues to win over the hearts of people of all generations.
Beetle
2011
as
n now you can The Beetle of the latest generatio also see at car dealer Stegmann. The car has positioned significantly more progressive, acts modern and urban, bolder, more dynamic and masculine, and is thus based on the conquest of a young, lifestyle-oriented target group.
New Beetle produced a car cult
Then the New Beetle debuted in the late 1990s. It brought with it Beetle Mania and a new automotive exuberance. Americans were excited about it, and Europeans too. The original Beetle wrote history as the car that moved the masses; the New Beetle offered a certain lifestyle, and it sold over one million units – alongside the Golf, which had long taken over the job of the original Beetle and became the most successful car in the world! By the dawn of the 20
of the year
the icon of a new era
Those who want to drive a car that shows emotions, offers dynamic performance, and yet provides lots of space – and as number 1 in the car pool masters everyday tasks and long journeys – will in the future think of the Beetle. This should
The new Beetle is at the basic version equipped with a 1,2Lite 77KW TSI engine and offers many features. It comes standard with daytime running light, electric front windows, Radio RCD31 (Traffic News) and Multifunctional Display Plus. Please arrange a test drive with the new Beetle, you will be amazed! (Englisch Speaking staff) Sicher super bedient.
Obere Bauscherstraße 16 92637 Weiden Telefon 0961/4040 www.rsz-stegmann.de
November/December 2011
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
cars & traffic be noted straight away, because dynamic performance alone no longer suffices: at 4.3 l/100 km (European 1.6 TDI) and 33 mpg (American 2.0 TDI), the new car is the most fuel-efficient Beetle ever.
Design of the original, reinterpreted
Coke bottle, iPhone, Ray Ban Aviator, Leica M9, Beetle – how do you reinvent a design that is so recognisable and independent? There is a clear answer to this: you can only do it if you understand the product and the brand. Volkswagen Design Chief Walter de Silva (Group) and Klaus Bischoff (Volkswagen Brand) „understand“ both, and therefore they set this as the objective for the Beetle: „Design a new original!“ And that is how the design of the 2011 Beetle came to be in Wolfsburg – a car of today as well as a design tribute to the
automotive seed of an entire corporate group. And unmistakable indeed: If one were to take the first Beetle and the new Beetle and place them together – shining light just over the roofs and viewing them from the side – one would see that the lines of the rear sections are nearly identical.
Dynamics in the style of the Ragster A comparison to the 1998 New Beetle shows this: nothing remained as it was on the previous car model. „The Beetle is now characterised by a clean, selfconfident and dominant sportiness. The car not only has a lower profile; it is also substantially wider, the front bonnet is longer, the front windscreen is shifted further back and has a much steeper incline. All of this creates a new dynamism,“ explains Klaus Bischoff. The roof profile actually runs
distinctly lower and can be considered a continuation of the Ragster concept car shown in Detroit in 2005 – a type of hot rod based on the New Beetle. The latest generation Beetle is bolder, more dynamic, more masculine.
Interior
character
also
shows
This is especially noticeable on the dashboard. The shape and use of colour in the painted or carbon-look front facia panel („dash pad“) hark back to the design of the first Beetle, yet the new car does not have a retro look. In Europe, for example, this panel is in „Monochrome Black“ on the base model („Beetle“); the panel in the „Design“ equipment line is always painted in the exterior colour of the car body. Customers choosing the „Sport“ – the new top version – get a panel with carbon look
(„Carbon Fibre“). Regardless of which colours are used, Volkswagen drivers will be able to locate the car’s interior features with their eyes closed, such are the ergonomics of the cabin.
It simply fits A distinguishing feature of the contemporary Beetle is that its interior ergonomics and packaging are based on completely new parameters. While drivers in the air-cooled Beetle travelled in a very low-slung seat, and drivers of the New Beetle could feel as if they were being chauffeured, because the bonnet was so far forward, the latest Beetle now offers a driving experience that is a lot sportier. Every feature is within easy reach. In addition, Volkswagen has once again succeeded in implementing a quality of materials that goes beyond all class limits.
Semi-New Cars - Buy NET through your Army VAT Office and save up to over 40% on Germany´s strongest brands More than 300 cars on stock - just ask us 2008 Audi Q7 S-Line White Automatic, Quattro
3.0 Diesel Engine, 240 HP, 38622 miles, black leather, S-Line Sportpaket, Sunroof-open sky, navigation system, CD-changer, DSP-Audi sound system, bluetooth interface, and much more.
2011 Passat Highline Automatic
2.0 Diesel, 170 HP, 1554 miles, brown alcantara leather, Bluemotion with energy-brake-recovery System, Distance Control (Adaptiv), 18" wheel rims, AC-Package automatic, heated seats, navigation with 30 GB harddisk, memory-adjustable seats electric powered, sound system, bluetooth interface, keyless entry and much more.
45.460 Euro (VAT refund) • low milage • as close as you can get to buying a new car • extremly stable in value with a great resell value
33.850 Euro (VAT refund)
Motor-Nützel Vertriebs GmbH Gebrauchtwagen
Get in touch with
Nürnberger Str. 95 95448 Bayreuth Telefon 0921/3360-574 www.motor-nuetzel.de
Andreas Zischler 0921-3360-574 andreas.zischler@motor-nuetzel.de
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
November/December 2011
21
event guide Flea Markets
•
07:00–16:00: in 91054 Erlangen at the Bohlenplatz. Homepage.
•
•
08:00–16:00: Trödel- & Jahrmarkt in 93055 Regensburg at the „Globus“ store, Sulzfeldstr. 3. Visitors can park for free at the car park of „Hiendl“ furniture store.
Saturday, 10 December:
Every Saturday: 06:00–16:00, in 93059 Regensburg inside the building at Am Protzenweiher 27, ph 0941-82-933. The market will not take place on German holidays. Every third Sun. of the month:
Sunday, 04 December:
08:00–16:00: Trödel- & Jahrmarkt in 93073 Neutraubling (next to Regensburg), at the „Globus“ store, Pommernstraße 4
08:00–12:00: in 92339 Beilngries at the Volksfestplatz on Sandstraße (ca. 45 km / 28 miles SW of Hohenfels)
December 2011
Saturday, 10 December:
Saturday, 03 December: •
08:00–16:00: in 92637 Weiden at the Volksfestplatz on Leuchtenberger Straße
Stamps R. Wolf
•
06:00–15:00: in 90443 Nürnberg at the Großparkplatz (large car park) on Gugelstraße, corner Humboldtstraße.
Coins and Stamps
estd. 1966
08:00–14:00: in 92224 Amberg at the Dultplatz on BrunoHofer-Straße.
You can watch a total lunar eclipse today, greatest eclipse at ca. 14:30 UT (add 1 hr for Germany). This lunar eclipse is again difficult to see. The moon will rise in the northeast as a crescent just after the total eclipse and will hardly be visible due to the daylight. The beautiful Red Moon can only be viewed farther east, e.g. in Japan. The farther east and north, the better. If you speak German, you can find a detailed timeline online. If you would like to view photos of previous lunar eclipses, go to APOD (only EN) – they have an incredible archive with loads of links Overall, most of Europe is again excluded from seeing any total solar eclipses in 2011. But at least we get
to see the meteor showers and two total albeit weak lunar eclipses: The one today; the other one was on Wed., 15 June. Germany, BTW, is one hour ahead of London where Greenwich Mean Time (aka Universal Time) famously starts. Taking daylight savings into account, that‘s two hours ahead in the summer! Saturday, 17 December: •
08:00–16:00: in 92637 Weiden at the Volksfestplatz on Leuchtenberger Straße
Sunday, 18 December: 4. Advent •
16:00: Waldweihnacht = Christmas in the Forest in 92287 Schmidmühlen at the Hammerkapelle (chapel), Hammerstr. 30 (ca. 20 km / 12.5 miles NW of Hohenfels).
•
17:00: Waldweihnacht = Christmas in the Forest in 92670 Windischeschenbach, Johannisthal (ca. 20 km / 13 miles north of Weiden).
ALL PURPOSE LOANS MILITARY LOAN SERVICE AGENT Stamps R. Wolf · Unterer Markt 17 · 92637 Weiden · Phone 0961/42423
MO - FRI 10 AM - 6 pM SAT. - 3 pM Im Markwinkel 1 · 92655 Grafenwöhr · Telephone 09641/2286
09641/9367806 89 NEUE AMBERGER STR.
Thailändisches Spezialitäten-Restaurant Gastronomic specialities from Thailand
11 YEARS KOH SAMUI Thai-Restaurant Grafenwöhr
plan your festivities with us,
GRAFENWOEHR EMAIL:
grafloans@googlemail.com
we offer space for 80 persons · lunch offered if 20 persons or
WWW.AMERICANMOTORS.NET
more · delicious THAI BUFFET or A LA CARTE · reservation
FOR GOOD CARS
preferred
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday 17.00–23.00 22
ke-away. All dishes for ta
www.kohsamui-grafenwoehr.de November/December 2011
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
event guide Fresh Produce Markets
Sundays and German holidays.
Are you too dissatisfied with the freshness of the produce you find in some stores? Is the fruit you‘ve bought there absolutely tasteless because it‘s out of season and you didn‘t notice? Here‘s a simple solution: try out the fresh produce and farmers markets that are held all over the area! If any of the listed days is a German holiday, the markets are usually held the day prior.
In Beilngries: Farmers market held every other Saturday between 09:00 and 12:00, on Kirchenvorplatz.Dates in 2011: 25 June, 02 + 09 + 16 + 23 + 30 July, 06 + 13 + 20 + 27 August, 03 + 10 + 17 + 24 September, 01 + 08 + 15 + 22 + 29 October, 05 + 12 November, 10 + 17 December
In Amberg: every Wednesday and Saturday, 07:00–12:30, on Marktplatz in front of the historical city hall.
In addition, they have a „Waren- und Krammarkt“ every other Tuesday on Ringstraße. Dates in 2011:
21 June, 12 + 26 July, 09 + 23 August, 20 September, 11 + 25 October, 08 + 22 November, 13 + 27 December In Berching: every first and third Tuesday of the month, 08:00 - 12:00. Dates in 2011: 28 June, 05 + 19 July, 02 + 16 August, 13 + 27 September, 04 + 18 October, 02 + 15 November, 06 + 20 December In Neumarkt: every Thursday and Saturday, in Untere Marktstraße. Thursday 10:00–19:00, Saturday 08:00–13:00.
In Regensburg: every Saturday 07:00–13:00, at the Donaumarkt (right next to the Eiserne Brücke / Iron Bridge). Closest car park is Unterer Wöhrd (and a short walk along the Danube and across the Eiserne Brücke / Iron Bridge). In Weiden: every Wednesday and Saturday 07:00–12:30, Oberer and Unterer Markt / all around the Altes Rathaus (historical city hall, pedestrian zone).
In Ansbach: every Wednesday and Saturday 08:00–13:00, on MartinLuther-Platz. In Bamberg: Monday thru Saturday, 07:00–18:00, on Maxplatz. Closed on
Participate now! Please pay attention to the attached flyer and bring in your ideas by going to
www.freizeitzentrum-diessfurt.de
Participate now! This is a project of the city of Pressath in cooperation with the cities of Grafenwoehr and Schwarzenbach
n
von 11 Uhr bis in den späten Abend am Kirchplatz/Rathausplatz und Georg-Bertelshofer-Platz
www.grafenwoehr-news.com
November/December 2011
23