Belgium

German

Equal vertical bands; vertical design based on French flag. Colors are those of the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field)

Temperate: mild winters, cool

summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

Brussels

10.5 million

Chief of State King Albert II

La Brabanconne (The Song of Brabant)

German, Dutch, French

euro

Belgium 11 April to 18 April

What’s going through your mind?

Wo ist die Toilette?: Where is the bathroom?

Sprechen Sie Englisch?: Do you speak English?

ja: yes nein: no

Bitte: Please

Danke schön: Thank You

Bitte sehr: You’re welcome

Wieviel kostet das? How much does it

cost?

Ich verstehe das nicht: I don’t understand.

Useful Phrases I Heard

Natural Resources: construction materials, silica sand, carbonates

Natural Hazards: flooding along rivers and in areas of reclaimed costal lands

Brussels is where the headquarters of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty

Organization) is located

Brussels is commonly referred to as the capital of Europe: home of the European Commission and the Council of the

European Union

Signal de Botrange

High Fens

Ardennes Forest

Kemmelberg

Ashenputtel

• Title means Ash Girl• Written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm• First translation from German to English left

out some of the gruesome details• As more versions of this story became known,

the Brother’s Grimm continued to modify their interpretation

Cognates• Aktiv (active)• Alarm• Hand• Kajak (kayak)• Ketchup• Butter• Hammer• Khaki• Bank• Park• Wind• Kindergarten

Going to School in Belgium• There is a unified school system throughout

the country• Funded by one of three communities:

Flemish, French, and German-speaking• National government plays a minor role: it

decides directly the age for mandatory schooling

• Mandatory between the ages of 6 and 18• In the past, there was much debate between

state schools and Catholic schools regarding funding

• Belgium has a literacy rate of 99%

Three Groups of Schools

1. Schools owned by the communities2. Subsidized public schools, organized by

provinces and municipalities3. Subsidized Free Schools, mainly organized by

an organization affiliated to the Catholic church

Levels of Education

• Preschool Education (kindergarten): under 6 years of age; free starting at age 2, 6 months

• Primary School: ages 6-12• Secondary School: ages 12-18

– General --Vocational – Technical --Art Secondary Education

• Higher Education: University and Polytechnic/Vocational University

Sjoelbak/Jakkolo: A version of shuffleboard, originating in the late 19th century. 30 disks are aimed down a 6-foot table, trying to get them through 4 arches numbered 1 to 4 at the other end. Each set of disks in all 4 compartments scores double.

Tap the Line: Need 20 or more players, and a pole. One player is chosen to be the tapper and starts

the game by chasing the other players until the chaser succeeds in

tapping one, called bogey. Once tapper has tagged bogey, they race for the pole that is in the center of the playing area. If bogey touches

pole first, he is free. If chaser touches it first, bogey in prisoner, and must

continue touching the pole. If another player touches the bogey, he

is free. If chaser taps player before she gets to bogey, she must join one hand with bogey’s free hand. Same

tapper until all players are in a line at the pole.

Alpine Tag: 21 or more players, a playground ball, and a stick or paper

wand are needed. One player is chosen to be king/queen, and carries an Alpine stick. Other players divided into 4 groups, with a goat leader for each. Players form a large, hollow

square with each goat at the head of the line. A large, soft ball is placed in

the centre of the square, near the king/queen. Game beings when

king/queen taps 3 times with alpine stick. 4 goats then start leading their line anywhere, but not far from the yodel ball. The one to reach the ball first grabs it and runs. Everyone else yodel and shout and chase the goat with the ball. Goat with the ball my

roll it to anyone in her line by hitting it with her hand, but never kicking it. Goal is to keep ball from king/queen.

Going to Jerusalem: A.K.A. musical chairs. Created after the 30 Years’ War, when

there was a scarcity of partners for girls. Chairs placed in a row, alternating

directions. Leader carries a stick and chants, “I’m going to Jerusalem!” Stops in front of chair, taps stick on ground, player

in chair joins line. Continue until all are following leader.

History• Controlled as a Roman province for about 300 years• Rome’s power weakened when the Franks, a German group,

gained control of the territory• 1519-1713: occupied by Spain• 1713-1794: occupied by Austria• 1795: Belgium annexed by Napoleonic France after the French

Revolution• Battle of Waterloo took place near Brussels in 1815, making

Belgium part of the Netherlands• 1830: Belgium won independence from the Dutch• 2002: Belgian franc replaced by the euro

Neuschwanstein Location: Bavarian Alps

Most famous castle in all of Germany

Built in 1869 by Ludwig II of Bavaria as his summer retreat, with no purpose

other than personal entertainment

At the time of construction, many modern amenities were included—flushing toilets,

running hot and cold water, and heating

Inspiration of the Sleeping Beauty castle in Disneyland

Cost: €9

The Cathedral of CologneLocation: Cologne

Third tallest cathedral in the world

Construction took over 600 years!

When finished, it was still true to the 1248 plans

Only building left standing in Cologne

during WWII

Germany’s most visited landmark—20,000 people

per day!

1996: Declared a UNESCO World Heritage

Site

There are 11 bells

The Dresden FrauenkircheLocation: Dresden What is it?: The

Church of Our LadyDuring WWII, air-raids

wiped out Dresden. The original church collapsed,

leaving a 42-foot high pile of rubble

The pile of rubble was left untouched

for 40 years

In 1994, reconstruction began, funded entirely from private donations. Took 11 years and cost

over €180 million!Many of the original

stones were used for the reconstruction

Ticket to the viewing platform: €8

Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851) Emanuel Leutze

Architecture

• There is great regional diversity• Much of original architecture was destroyed during

WWII• Rebuilding after WWII is characterize by simple,

modernist architecture• There are still remains of the Roman Empire• Trier is the oldest city in Germany• After the Romans left Germany, so did their advances

in architecture (heating, windows, glass)

• Romanesque: 10th to 13th century; characterized by semi-circular arches, robust appearances, small paired windows; many churches in Germany

• Gothic: followed the tradition of French Gothic; height and might

• Renaissance: 15th to 17th century: revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and culture

• Baroque: began in Italy; a theatrical, sculptural fashion, expressing the triumph of absolutist church and state; based on the French model

• Classicism: 18th century; drew inspiration from classical architecture of antiquity, in reaction against Baroque

• Historicism (eclecticism): draws inspiration from historic styles or craftmanship

Choco-Laté

• The Chocolate Festival• Many people paint themselves with

chocolate, creating pieces of art• Sculptures are made using chocolate• Location: Bruges Belfry• Kidsvillage: Learn about the history and value

of chocolate, as well as eating eat

Le Carnival de Binche• Recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of

the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity• Created as the result of a long oral tradition• Origin is unknown• Legend: Gille was a descendent from the

Incas, and as a result the Incas appear in costume at the festivals starting in 1549

Regate des Baignoires

• Bathtub race down the River Meuse through the town of Dinant, Belgium

• The International Regatta of Bathtubs• Originally, a stunt to attract tourists to the

area• Has been going on for the past twenty years• Rules: Each craft must have at least one

bathtub at its core; motors are forbidden