#cugermany

[arhindeutschland-blog]

Prompt 2: Museum Communication meets Metropolis: At the museum, look for two examples of science or technology to relate to the film: 1 - Find an exhibit that suggests the film was accurate in communicating the future. 2 - Find an exhibit that suggests the film was inaccurate in its vision of the future.

Metropolis is a film released in 1927 that portrays a bleak future in which the wealthy few prosper off of the backs of the many. Workers live underground and spend their lives on 10 hour shifts handling machines that power the metropolis above. An example from the Museum of Communication that suggests the film was accurate in communicating the future is pictured above. What I have included is an image showing technologies introduced in the past 20 years that have shaped our lives. Things like the iPhone and iPad have brought technology to our fingertips but have allowed the dismantlement of our privacy. This mirrors the future from Metropolis; technology is the driving force in society, many people spend hours on end on machines, and privacy is no longer sacred.

An example from the Museum of Communication that suggests the film was inaccurate in communicating the future can be found in the Oh Yeah! temporary exhibition on German Pop-Music. The “Love Parade” was a techno-music festival held in Berlin from 1989 to 2003, with reboots several years afterwards. The reason it shows inaccuracies with Metropolis’ communication of the future is because it shows technology being used to gather people from many walks of life, create music, and celebrate love.

[eadibona-blog]

Woche Drei

Blog Drei: Find an example in Berlin (not TV, online, etc.) of communication from a regional, city, or national governmental body about a particular technology. Drawing on Habermas, examine it first from a public sphere perspective: What information is needed about this technology for citizens of a democracy to have informed civic debate and deliberation about it? Then, drawing on Jaganathan et al , examine it from a rhetoric of advertising perspective: What persuasive arguments might a manufacturer or distributor of the same technology want to make to the public?

“Citizens behave as a public body when they confer in an unrestricted fashion—that is, with the guarantee of freedom of assembly and association and the freedom to express and publish their views” (Habermas Page 1). The photo above contains the background of a communist rally in Paris. Passing this rally there were cars parked in the middle of the street with newspapers, pamphlets, and communist flags. “Newspapers changed from mere institutions for publication of news into bearers and leaders of public opinion—weapons of party politics” (Habermas Page 3). These newspapers contained the communist plan for government and how it compared to France’s current government. These forms of technology were used to educate the French people of the ‘communist way.’ In order to process the communist party rally, the people need to understand what communism is and how it is implemented in government compared to France’s current government.

“While the language of advertising needs to be concise and manifest a great impact, every element used via the codification also portrays the different styles in putting forth a message creatively” (Jaganathan Page 2). The pamphlets handed out were written in different languages to communicate to all the people in the region of Paris. In these papers, the argument is made that the French government is corrupt and that the only way to save France is to reform to the Communist Manifesto. In order to combat this type of communication and demonstration, the government can come back with examples of where communism fails and why communism actually limits the citizen, rather than freeing. The government will have to appeal to the public sphere.“By “the public sphere” we mean first of all a realm of our social life in which something approaching public opinion can be formed” (Habermas Page 1). The government would have to present the argument against communism in a multilingual way to address all citizens. They would need to cut down the utopian idea of communism and address its true agenda through past history examples.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism

[tgrate-blog]

The Way of the Future

Review notes on Futurism. Read “The Furturist Manifesto.” What exhibit at the Mercedes Benz Museum do you think Marinetti would like the most? Why?

 According to F.T Marinetti,  “No reason to die unless it is the desire to be rid of the too great weight of our courage! We drove on, crushing beneath our burning wheels, like shirt-collars under the iron, the watch dogs on the steps of the houses.” On the tour at the Mercedes museum, I notice these two cars as a symbol of the enduring human spirit to have the courage and to fully embrace the desire and the adrenaline of the speed of the car. You should not feel ashame or guilty for taking a chance for the advancements in speed car. The death of some many drivers for Mercedes is a result of creative destruction. Just When Marinetti alluded in the Futurist Manifesto that,  “Death, tamed, went in front of me this at each corner offering me his hand nicely, and sometimes lay on the ground with a noise of creaking jaws giving me velvet glances from the bottom of puddles.” For the death of these people created an opportunity for the advancement in the creation of a faster and efficient car. As the cars got faster the in the sports cars so did the fashion such as the goggles, hats, gloves, jackets.  The images that Mercedes had throughout the museum with celebrities, political figures, and everyday folks is a “testament to all the living men of the earth. “ It takes some sweat, tears, and failure to fully live out the meaning of the human endurance and that’s what defines a person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zji_woRTls

[arhindeutschland-blog]

Prompt 1 (extended): Pick a concept from the chapter 14 reading on cross-cultural communication and PR that you have seen exemplified during our time here so far. Perhaps at a cafe you've witnessed differences in how space is used (Proxemics). Maybe on a weekend trip you've seen ways that people from some countries view time differently than we tend to (Chronemics). Or perhaps you've seen a really clever ad that bridges cultural/linguistic boundaries. Post a photo or video, and explain how it captures or illustrates the concept you choose.

pictured above; French Cathedral cir. 1705

Germany, previously known as the “Holy Roman Empire,” has long struggled over their perception of religion. In the 18th century, the "nation-state" was divided into thousands of smaller kingdoms which were not united by a central religion. Philosopher and historian, Voltaire, is quoted during this time as observing that, “the Holy Roman Empire is neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire," yet, “Holy” remained in the name of the land until 1806. Skipping ahead to the early 1900s, Germany's government systems through the end of World War II were secular and some, such as the Nazi Regime, even discouraged religious practices. With a history such as Germany, how do we expect German culture to perceive religion in the present day? How does German culture communicate these perceptions?

pictured above; Census Map - Unaffliliated with Religion (Ergebnissen des Zensus 2011)

In present-day Paris, there are a total of 197 places of worship in city-center. Compare that to Berlin’s measly 11 (Berlinfo.com). Berlin, and Germany as a whole, has a culture that is less focused on religion compared with other nations. The percentage of German citizens who say they are unaffiliated with any religion is 35.4% as compared to only 24% in the United States. Those who lived in East Germany were subject to socialist ideology throughout the Cold War which discouraged faith and encouraged concrete physical community in areas such as sports. Even still today, we can see the striking regional religious differences in the map above showing those claiming to be “non-religious”.

Fun Fact: The Kirchensteuer, or Church Tax, has existed in Germany since 1827. All members of a church must pay a government tax to that church in the form of a paycheck deduction. In a 2015 poll, 84% of Germans said they disapprove of this tax model. This may contribute to German’s sour mood towards religion. (Der Tagesspiegel)

pictured above; Sign at Bus Stop Defaced by AfD supporter 

More recently, Germany has seen some changes to their cultural perception of religion. Culture is defined in Chapter 14 as, “behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought”. Regarding behavioral patterns, it has been publicized that over 200,000 Germans left the Catholic Church last year (christiantoday.com). Along with that, Germany has seen the dramatic rise of power of the AfD, which stands for Alternative for Germany. This organization is a far-right political party which was founded in 2013 and now is the 2nd most popular party in Germany (thelocal.de). The sign above stating “Muslims Not Welcome” shows the effects of this rise to power.  The party’s platform centralizes on blaming Muslim immigrants for the majority of Europe’s problems. AfD and its members’ rejection of other religions and sects of people shows a rejection of globalization – “the growing economic interdependence of the world’s people” (Chapter 14). The audacity of party leaders leads members to show their support for the party in more “vocal” ways, which explains the sign which reads, “AfD Territory” on the back.

Overall, Germany’s unique historical situation has shaped it’s culture’s struggle with faith. As you venture through Berlin, you see less religious icons and more “technological marvels”, such as the Berlin TV tower seen towering over a church steeple in the first image. Recently, German culture has reflected less church attendance and more anti-Islamic rhetoric as the world moves through the uncharted waters of the 21st century.

[arhindeutschland-blog]

Prompt 1 Extended: Capture an advertisement that you think would be ineffective in the U.S. Tell me why it would be ineffective, and then describe how you might do it differently for a U.S. market. Post a photo of the advertisement so that your classmates and I can see what you're referring to. (Note: You cannot post something in German and say "it would be ineffective because it isn't in English" or something similar. Think in terms of the intended message, intended audience, and how both are communicated - would the spirit of the message be ineffective? Why?) Make a connection to at least one of our readings from the program.

Pictured above are posters advocating for the Communist Renaissance in France. Translations include “Break the chains of the European Union” and “Macron & EU: They destroy our Social Conquest”. The Pole de Renaissance Communists en France or PRCF are advocating for a rebirth of communism and the dismantlement of democracy in France and the rest of the European Union.

These posters would most likely be ineffective in the United States due to a difference in culture. As we have learned from our readings, culture can be defined as “the set behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought characteristic of [a] group” (GM Chapter 14, pg. 428). France, along with much of the European Union, has had direct experience with socialism and communism throughout history that has recently been seen in a romantic light due to the current EU government’s shortfalls (Cato.org). In contrast, American culture has, since it’s infancy, celebrated the strength of the individual and the power of a self-balancing capitalistic model (newhistory.org). These fundamental historical differences produce a present-day culture that values different economic models and favors different ways of governance. 

The fundamental differences between the European Union and the United States can complicate international relations and public communication. With the rapid onset of globalization, the “increasing economic, social, and political interdependencies around the world” (Zerfass, 2015, pg. 785), the Communist Renaissance potentially will want their message to be adapted to reach the American public without alienating them. If pulled directly, translated, and posted around major American cities, the result would be just short of disaster. 

First, the poster appeals to anger with the European Union. As mentioned before, European citizens have had experiences with their central government that Americans have not experienced which has led them to regress back to communistic ideals, i.e. overreaching regulation, wasteful spending, wealth inequality among member nations (washingtonpost.com). Although it can be argued that the United States shares these experiences, American culture tends to place blame on the politicians and not the political system. The closest appeal some American’s could stomach for a call to switch to communism is the toxicity of big corporations and wealth inequality brought about by capitalism.

Second, the poster advocates for communism. In America, a nation with a history of hunting down communists and sending them to prison (amnh.org), the idea of openly calling for a shift to communism is a culture-shock. Therefore, taking all into consideration, adapting this poster for use in the United States should substitute the EU with big corporations and substitute the word communism with something to the effect of “positive change”. My idea would be a minimalistic poster with different facts about wealth inequality in America and statements of brotherhood and community.

[arhindeutschland-blog]

Prompt 1: Computerspielmuseum / DDR Museum: Public Communication of Sport Sciences and Technologies. Compare and contrast an example from each museum that talks about, shows, or otherwise presents a science or technology used in sports. Embed a music video of one song you would choose to play along with each sport (one for each, two songs total). Use supporting quotes from McLeod to explain why you chose those songs.

pictured above; Poly-Play cir. 1985

In East Germany and other socialist nations, there was a focus on community, competition, and childhood. The artifact I chose from the DDR museum was a booklet of stickers used to congratulate young children on their athletic excellence. East Germany focused on educating the children to become good socialists and sports were a fantastic way to do this. The soundtrack I chose for this artifact is “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” – a classic sports soundtrack that has simple lyrics and a playful melody that seems designed for children. As McLeod says, “sports and music have largely been driven by and appealed to the energy of youth” (pg. 536). 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSYWX7ZXd5I

Looking at a slightly older generation, East Germany attempted to attract the youth by using the newest innovation of the time – video games. The artifact I chose from the Computerspielmuseum is the Poly-Play system shown above. This machine contained several video games copied from the West (unbeknownst to the East Germans) and served to foster a sense of competitive community similar to the children's stickers from the DDR museum. However, this machine served less as a community tool and more as a marvel of the East’s technological ability. However, for most East Germans, they probably used it for another reason: as McLeod says, “it is arguably the very experience of sports, with its suspension of real time and space, that offers the transgressive release from oppressive reality” (pg. 535).  The soundtrack I chose for this artifact is Motorhead’s “Breaking The Law” not only because it is a “hypermasculinized sports rock anthem” (pg. 532) that riles the youth up, but also because it’s lyrics reflect the desire to break the rules and rebel against the mundane life of the socialist regime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k9hXLwAt5o

[tgrate-blog]

The state parliament of Baden-Württemberg is made up of 143 elected members of the state. It consists of five parties, starting with the Green party, Christian Democratic Union, Social Democratic Party, Free Democratic Party, and the Alternative for Germany. The government is solely run by the parliament and not-exclusively by the executive compared to the United States which is run by the systems of checks and balances. Parliament is run by a speaker, according to the tour guide, it is run by the first Women from Turkey. The majority party has to form a coalition government with the other parties listed in order for the government to function. The coalition government forms a cabinet with ministers that they choose to elect.  Making laws is the most important task of the Baden- Württemberg parliament. The state parliament exercises legislative power and monitors the state government use of executive powers. This system of government makes it easier for laws to be pass, it makes the government more efficient. 

The state parliament of Baden-Württemberg uses public relations mainly through the design or architecture of the parliament building and the art inside the building. The government refuses to promote a political party over another party. An example of this restraint was our tour guide who insisted on his refusal of not give his opinion about the parties or policies put forth by parliament. According to Gelder's public relations is supposed to foster dialogue between the organization and the public attempt to seek a mutual benefit. The tour guide uses his platform to be non-partisan because of his role in parliament and what government means to the people.  

The cube-shaped parliament building is surround by glass and this is an example of government being transparent through symbolism. The state government, “want to see the people and the people want to see the government.” In order for Democracy to function and for freedom to reign, the government must be honest and transparent with its citizens. The big mural with the national colors of Germany represents the unity that Germans have for one another regardless of race, religion, or creed. In order for government to meet the needs of its citizens there must be unity not division.  

[eadibona-blog]

Woche Vier

Blog Drei: Dimeo, Hunt & Horbury, “The Individual and the State: A Social Historical Analysis of the East German ‘Doping System’” explores a governmental scandal about a sports/medical technology. Compare this to a contemporary sports scandal of your choice, using at least two quotes from the reading. Take a local photo to illustrate the East German doping scandal in some way, and another photo to illustrate the scandal you choose.

“Doping in the German Democratic Republic, which was central to the national policy for sport from the mid-1960s to the collapse of the Soviet satellite in November 1989, has been represented as fundamentally different to other historical and contemporary examples of doping” (Dimeo, 1). The article above advertises the doping scandal that happened during the Soviet reign. It walks through the setting of East Germany and if the doping scandal was true or not. It is brought to light with Germany going to the World Cup in 2014. As the Soviet reign in Germany ended,  there became “...overwhelming, hard evidence of some of the doping, and that since the country no longer exists as a separate entity it has been easier for the details to be publicly aired” (Dimeo, 2). It became clear that after the Soviets left, they had been dosing their athletes for years and had started doping them from a young age.

“What is important to note is that the use of performance-enhancing drugs was a systematic part of . . . East German sports policy, and that it involved a wide variety of people . . . the drugs were provided by the state, and all aspects of the athletes’ development, including those relating to the administration of drugs, were supervised and monitored by specialists in sports medicine” (Dimeo, 8). This concept that doping was a fundamental part of sports is being repeated in Russia. Russia has repeatedly been disqualified due to doping, but this does not seem to stop them. Doping in Russia was banned in 2016, but according to one player he seems to believe the scandal was not an accident. “‘You'd never know if it was on purpose or by accident, but obviously that's been banned for a year and a half and I can't imagine that that was something that happened on purpose,’ said John Shuster, the captain of the U.S. men's curling team” (NBC Article). Because the ban on doping athletes is still relatively new in Russia, his teammate does not seem to think it was an accident. A teammate of the accused athlete states “...that there is absolutely strength and conditioning and fitness in curling and you know it (doping) will give you a little bit of an edge’“ (NBC Article).

 The idea of doping does not seem to be condemned by the accused athlete. If anything, his teammate seems sympathetic. The same idea ran through East Germany. When the doping scandal of East Berlin was taken to court, “...over 1,000 former athletes were asked to testify, but only 300 did” (Dimeo, 19). The fact that the majority of athletes did not testify proves that the people did not think the doping was wrong. They did not have a problem with it. Even with long term side effects the former athletes of East Germany did not care.

[eadibona-blog]

Woche Vier

Blog Zwei: Research the GPDR online privacy regulations that went into effect last Friday. Link to an official government communication from the EU or another governmental body about these new technological restrictions.     Then, find an example of art or advertising in the city you’re in (not online) that deals with similar issues of privacy or surveillance.

On May 25th, the EU put into practice a new regulation on data privacy. On the official GDPR website, the GDPR focuses on “consent,” “right of access,” and most importantly “the right to be forgotten.”  According to the EUGDPR website, “the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the most important changing in data privacy regulation in 20 years…” This regulation revolutionizes data privacy. The idea that people have the right to be forgotten is a major change in data collection on the internet. Almost every website has cookies that track your online shopping and google searching habits and this information is used to make money.

The above art represents the idea that people are always being watched. It is hard to go anywhere in public without there being some kind of surveillance footage. The photos represent the idea that someone or something is always observing you and there's no way to stop it. The eye is always looking and the camera is scanning your face in order to ID you. This idea that you can not escape online data being collected on you is being changed through the new GDPR regulations. In a IT Governance article, the GPDR is described as “a 21st-century approach to data protection” The new regulated “expands the rights of individuals to control how their personal information is collected and processed, and places a range of obligations on organizations to be more accountable for data protection.” The people are getting an opportunity to control their data collection online and decide whether or not they want an organization using their information or not.

[eadibona-blog]

Woche Vier

Blog Zwei: You have now seen the Mercedes-Benz arena & museum, the BMW Motorcycle Factory, and the VW Autostadt. How are these various locations similar in terms of stakeholder engagement? In what ways are they different? As a tourist viewing these locations (rather than as a local fan, a native German, or a customer), which was more effective in creating a compelling experience for you? Think about the Ramshaw reading as you answer, and include specific examples.

“...where heritage values are actively shaped and interpreted in the lives and experiences of real actors rather than passively accepted as inalienable and unassailable cannons of truth” (Ramshaw Pg 2). After touring the Mercedes-Benz arena and museum, the BMW Motorcycle Factory, and the VW Autostadt, it is clear that the quality of the car is of the highest importance to these organizations. They way each car is made is individualistic and valued. All these brands have defied the odds stacked against them and continually created newer faster cars despite critics saying it can’t be done. The tours themselves were all pitch sales to grab attention. One of the major things all the tours did were using their brand logo and models of cars and motorcycles to grab your attention. “The meaning-making element of the tour perhaps becomes easier if there exist recognizable collective heritage elements” (Ramshaw Pg 4). The cars displayed were all famous cars without history that a person could identify and recognize. They were strategically rehearsed to make you want to become a consumer of their products. All of the tours explained their values and goals of their company and how the stakeholders’ demands of better, faster, and newer are what drive the organizations to create new products. Though all the tours had some similarities, all three organizations have different approaches to sell and show-off their products. The Mercedes-Benz museum goes through the history of the car brand. The museum runs through every model of car and contains hands on parts that can be examined and appreciated. The museum is used to elude of the brands luxury cars and high status in the world. For the BMW museum, it displayed its most complicated to make motorcycles. It did not highlight its classic models and focused only on the new. The Autostadt tour does focus on the new as well, but only the highest class vehicles that also have the highest price tag. This tour was also the only that allowed us as the potential stakeholder to choose which brands we saw.

I would say that the Autostadt tour was the most compelling to me because of what was offered to do at their location. There were beautiful ponds and gardens and nice restaurants that circled around the car museums. The tour also allowed us to sit in some of the most expensive cars and play around with them. The hands on experience of the tour was the most compelling to me.

[eadibona-blog]

Woche Vier

Blog Eins: Museum Communication meets Metropolis: At the museum, look for two examples of science or technology to relate to the film: 1 - Find an exhibit that suggests the film was accurate in communicating the future. 2 - Find an exhibit that suggests the film was inaccurate in its vision of the future. 

In Metropolis, the major theme is technology is going to take over society and try to destroy it. This technology will be influential across social classes and will deceive many. In the Museum Communication, a variety of technology is displayed and is shown how it was able to communicate to the societies it was developed for.

One of the technologies was a clock. A clock is a basic form of technology that most people do not recognize that it is one. But clocks are one of the most influential pieces of technology to date. Every culture runs on a clock. At a certain time this or that must be completed. In the US, time is one of the most valuable things a person can have. The slogan “time is money” is commonly used. The movie Metropolis shows a man working to keep the clock running and shows the Mayor of Metropolis son trades places with him. The son works a long 10 hour shift and is exhausted at the end. Time is literally controlling him. He must keep up in order to show the correct time. In this sense, Metropolis foreshadowed the future. The average working man is controlled by time and works on a time clock.

Another important technology is a plane. The invention of the plane allowed people to connect in an even greater way and traveling became more achievable. However, according to Metropolis planes should control us in some way and/or manipulate us, rather planes enable us. They allow us to see more of the world, and they allow us to travel places safely. Planes are one of the safest way to travel now. They are dependable and with automatic technology they rarely have issues in the sky. In this example, Metropolis’s idea of technology in the future is unfulfilled. Planes have given people a new way to see the world and communicate with people. Planes have not controlled us or tried to manipulate us.

Sources:

Metropolis

Plane History

Clock History

[arhindeutschland-blog]

Prompt 1: Research the GDPR online privacy regulations that went into effect last Friday. Link to an official government communication from the EU or another governmental body about these new technological restrictions. Then, find an example of art or advertising in the the city you’re in (not online) that deals with similar issues of privacy or surveillance.

The GDPR, or General Data Privacy Regulation, is the largest change in privacy law in over 20 years and was just enacted in the European Union on May 25th, 2018. The law was passed in 2016 and was enacted this year to give companies time to prepare for these sweeping changes. Here is a link to the European Commission on Data Protection:  https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection_en. This site provides sections such as “Rights of Citizens” and “Rules for businesses and organizations”, as well as a full-text version of the GDPR.

I have included an image above of an advertisement I have seen many times around Berlin. The advertisement is pretty cut-and-dry; “Strong for your Privacy.” is printed plainly at the top, followed by a graphic of a mask and the Firefox website. The ad communicates the desired message of privacy protection as well as taking advantage of the GDPR hype to get noticed.

[eadibona-blog]

Woche Drei

Blog Zwei: Capture an image from the portion of the BMW Motorcycle factory where we’re allowed to have photos – anything you like (something cool, obviously). Discuss the concept of communicating/connecting with internal & external stakeholders, and how this tour accomplishes both of those things (refer to the entire tour and to things we learn from the tour guide and the promo videos). Draw specific connections to the Zerfass reading - quotes w/ page numbers are a good way to do this.

“Curtin and Gaither (2007) identified four clusters of studies in international public relations: (1) analyses of how national cultures influence public relations practice, (2) analyses of the relevance of US-centric public relations models in other countries, (3) comparisons of public relations practices across regions or countries through case studies, and (4) studies of international public relations practiced by governments” (Zerfass Page 1). The BMW tour was a campaign to sell us, as potential stakeholders, their motorcycles. We were not allowed to take pictures on the tour and the tour guide was not allowed to mention some things when asked questions because of government control of those public relations. The government has to approve all media campaigns through BMW and us taking pictures would’ve have been cause for arrest. This is an example of government using international public relations to control the image of BMW. Also, on the tour, the guide, Martin, mentioned that the US dropped to #3 on the list of top stakeholders of BMW motorcycles, and he kept mentioning how we needed to buy more motorcycles to put us back at #2. This mentioning shows how much BMW keeps up with its stakeholders and cares about their status in their company. Martin stated that BMW as a company tries to make the best quality car at a price that stakeholders are willing and able to pay. They do not make the most expensive motorcycle possible because no one would be able to afford it. This shows how the company analyzes stakeholders’ willingness to buy their product and how much they are willing to spend.

“The communication function will be shaped by general trends that affect global companies: digitalization, change of customer needs and stakeholder expectations, increased interconnectedness, efficiency expectations as well as increasing emphasis on risk management” (Zerfass Page 7). One of the unique things BMW does and emphasized during their tour was the uniqueness of the bike depending on where the bike was going. Meaning, the bikes sent to England are not the same design externally than the ones sent to the US. The customization of bikes shows that BMW does research on the regions it sells to make a motorcycle more appealing. An attractive motorcycle in Germany is not the same look for a motorcycle desired in France. BMW also internally cares for their employees. Their employees are internal stakeholders, and they are cared for as such. The employees’ comfort is taken vey seriously in consideration in the production plant. The employees are not rushed to make as many bikes as possible because quality matters over quantity to BMW. The employees also have comfortable work chairs and stations because BMW wants their employees to work for them for a lifetime, and making comfortable happy work environments for them ensures they will stay. Martin mentioned that if an employee is sick for a day there is no one who could replace him because he is essential. The employees are hired in the hopes of them staying for a lifetime. Overall, BMW works hard to keep its clients and employees happy to ensure the highest quality good is going out their door and they are receiving the highest possible satisfaction when driven by a client.

[eadibona-blog]

Woche Zwei

Blog Drei (erweitert): We visited Sachsenhausen this week. The holocaust undeniably was a crisis, and created a series of cascading crises for Germany, Europe, and the world over the following months and years. Thinking about the Guth reading, how does Sachsenhausen function as a response to that crisis? How does the organization utilize Sachsenhausen (and museums/memorials like it) to pursue healing, restoration, and a prospective vision for the future with the various publics affected by the holocaust? Make specific connections to both the Guth reading and the ECC (Effective Crisis Comm) reading - again, quotes are a good way to do this.

“Your organization is on the hot seat. Someone has screwed up and the whole world knows it.” (Guth Page 123) This quote embodies Germany after WW2 and Sachsenhausen functions as a historical response to Germany’s loss in WW2. For Germany, “they didn’t have the foresight to anticipate their worst nightmare” which was losing the war to the ally powers. (Guth Page 124) In response, Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp that held mostly political prisoners during WW2, was used as a symbol of Germany’s lack of preparedness to lose the war.

Guth states that “organizations less experienced in crises, the more likely it is that the public relations function takes a technical role.” (Page 124) At the end of the war, the SS planned on evacuating Sachsenhausen. The SS forced over 33,000 prisoners to walk northeast and if any prisoner was too weak, they were killed. Parts of Sachsenhausen were destroyed or hidden by the SS to mask some of the horrors of the camp. Parts of the gas chamber they had built were buried. The SS did this in the hopes that they would soon be back to use their horror death chamber again. In August 1945, Sachsenhausen was liberated by the ally powers, but soon after was taken over by the Soviet Union and used as a prison for political oppositions. When the Soviets took over Sachsenhausen, they saw the camp as an opportunity to use as their own torture prison, rather than seeing the horror that reek throughout the camp. It was not until 1961 that Sachsenhausen was shut down completely.

“Organizations are also vulnerable to sabotage, which involves the intentional damaging of a product of the working capacity of the organization by someone inside the organization” (ECC Page 5) Following the liberation from being a Soviet prison, Sachsenhausen was abused by its own people. Many Neo-Nazis tried to destroy the remaining parts of the camp to hide what the camp had been doing. These people did not want the camp turned into a memorial. They still believed what the camp had been doing was right and did not want to memorialize those who had died. After trying to set fire to the remaining living quarters of prisoners, German government decided to preserve the burnt building rather than rebuild it to kept its history and honor those who were brutally harmed there.

“…crises provide opportunities with the potential to leave the organization stronger in some ways than it was before the crisis.” (ECC Page 4) The camp today is a memorial for those who suffered within it. The camp is filled with museums and tell the stories of its prisoners. The camp has several memorials within it and a statue was built taller than the main watch tower of the camp to symbolize that the Nazis are not the most powerful anymore. The statue is also used to cut off the vision of the entire camp to hide what happened there. Sachsenhausen is now used as a memorial to honor the people who died within the camp and to make sure that they are not forgotten. The German government has worked to preserve the camp and to uncover and expose the camp’s horrible past in the hopes that it will not be repeated and the people it affect can be honored.

(I chose not to take pictures at Sachsenhausen out of respect of my neighbors who are Jewish and asked me not to. For them it is a sign of disrespect to photograph concentration camps. I chose to use a photo of the bricks on the streets that have the names and dates of people taken and killed at Sachsenhausen. These bricks are a memorial for those who died at the camp and I believe that it is more important for them to be memorialized and honored than to photograph the point in time where they were reduced to an inhuman level.)

[arhindeutschland-blog]

Prompt 3 (extended): We visited Sachsenhausen this week. The holocaust undeniably was a crisis and created a series of cascading crises for Germany, Europe, and the world over the following months and years. Thinking about the Guth reading, how does Sachsenhausen function as a response to that crisis? How does the organization utilize Sachsenhausen (and museums/memorials like it) to pursue healing, restoration, and a prospective vision for the future with the various publics affected by the Holocaust? Make specific connections to both the Guth reading and the ECC (Effective Crisis Comm) reading - again, quotes are a good way to do this.

David Guth, in his article, “Organizational Crisis Experience and Public Relations Roles”, defines a crisis as “a major, unpredictable event that has potentially negative results. The event and its aftermath may significantly damage an organization and its employees, products, services, financial condition, and reputation” (Guth, p125). Throughout his paper, Guth emphasizes an organization’s public response to a crisis and how crucial this aspect of public relations is. 

The Holocaust and the aftermath thereof, being both crises, warranted a swift response from Germany. In 1956, six years after the Soviet Union closed the camp, German organizations started adapting the camp into a National Memorial. However, during this time, the German government was less emphatic on the preservation of history so they destroyed much of the camp in the process. Guth states on page 135 of his article that “the lack of planning for crises is also a cause for great concern. Crises, as well as inappropriate responses to them, pose societal threats on a variety of levels. There are tangible losses associated with them, such as damage to property…” And this is exactly what happened.

The Sachsenhausen Memorial was wrought with destruction from the very beginning. When the Soviets took control of the camp in 1945, they were less focused on preserving what was there and more so focused on moving in and setting up a torture camp of their own. After they ceased operation of Sachsenhausen, the government of East Germany demolished several sections of the camp, including Station Z (the extermination section of the camp), to build artistic memorials such as the large obelisk found in the camp today. This projected a view of “burying our abhorrent past” and that was the main view of the German people during that time. Some German citizens even came to the camp to destroy buildings themselves; using the wood panels from the buildings as firewood for their homes. 

In the present day, there is a larger focus on preservation at the camp. Frequent attacks from Neo-Nazi’s in the 1990s caused many parts of the camp to be damaged. One of the main attacks was an arson attack on the few remaining living quarters. Instead of choosing to demolish and rebuild this section of the barracks, the German commission in charge of the camp decided to preserve this as to serve as a reminder of German history. This focus on preservation shows a public relations stance of solidarity. The commission wants to show the public the truth because anything less would be disrespectful to the victims of these crises. 

[tgrate-blog]

Compared to the U.S. festivals/fairs, the spring festival in Stuttgart is the same in the U.S. with one exception. The spring festival is one of many identities shared by the citizens throughout Germany. The government helps advertise the event in order to market visitors to come to the city and share in the cultural experience. It is a chance for individuals to be free and enjoy the moments of life.