WeimarConstitution Reflection

Article 17

Every state must have the constitution of a free state. State parliament must be elected in a general, equal, immediate and secret ballot, in which all Reich German men and women participate, according to the principles of representative election. The state government requires confidence of state parliament.

The principles for the election of state parliament also apply for local elections. State law may determine if those who lived in the community for one year or less may participate in the election or not.

This article grants men and women the right to vote. They are to follow state guidelines and are also kept in secret so that the people do not feel pressured or intimidated to vote for the party of their choice. It is also important to note that people must be living in a state for a certain period of time to prevent any unjust votes. This is important even today. Voting should be kept private and furthermore all people should be allowed to participate in voting.

Article 109

All Germans are equal in front of the law.

In principle, men and women have the same rights and obligations.

Legal privileges or disadvantages based on birth or social standing are to be abolished.

Noble titles form part of the name only; noble titles may not be granted any more.

Titles may only be granted, if they indicate an office or occupation; academic degrees are not affected by this regulation.

The state may no more bestow orders and medals.

No German may accept titles or orders from a foreign government.

This article explains that all people are equal, both men and women, regardless of your social class. They have revoked insignificant titles from monarchies to further make people more equal. This is still applicable in today’s society because people should not feel entitled due to their finances. They need to be reminded that any crimes they commit are still punishable by law and are not excused due to their social standing.

Junius Pamphlet by Rosa Luxemburg Reflection

"If it is true that war is really a fight for national existence, for freedom, if it is true that these priceless possessions can be defended only by the iron tools of murder, if this war is the holy cause of the people, then everything else follows as a matter of course, we must take everything that the war may bring as a part of the bargain. He who desires the purpose must be satisfied with the means. War is methodical, organized, gigantic murder. But in normal human beings this systematic murder is possible only when a state of intoxication has been previously created. This has always been tried and proven method of those who make war. Bestiality of action must find a commensurate bestiality of thought and sense; the latter must prepare and accompany the former. Thus the Wahre Jacob of August 28, 1914, with its brutal picture of the German thresher, the party papers of Chemnitz, Hamburg, Kiel, Frankfort, Koburg and others, with their patriotic drive in poetry and prose, were the necessary narcotic for a proletariat that could rescue its existence and its liberty only by plunging the deadly steel into its French and English brothers. These chauvinistic papers after all a great deal more logical and consistent than those others who attempted to unite hill and valley, war with humanity, murder with brotherly love, the for voting war credits with socialist internationalism."

The Junius Pamphlet by Rosa Luxemburg has many different points that encourage socialist reform. In this specific passage she provides concrete examples as to one of the major problems with capitalism which is war. Luxemburg shows that the bourgeoisie use the war to promote brotherly love, to promote humanity when in reality it is actually the opposite of this. German is fighting against their French and English brothers. Everybody is a human being and everyone should be taking action to prevent war not cause hostility between the countries because of the need to gain power.

Luxemburg puts a lot of emphasis on the fact that war is murder. There is no difference to her between war and murder. “War is methodical, organized, gigantic murder.” Here, she is showing how important it is to understand that the government does not blindly go into war just as a means of self defense. The government understands the full implications of war and does not care that war is harmful to the target country but even to their own country. As long as they achieve the outcome it does not matter to the government that families lose fathers, brothers etc. Due to the need for capitalistic gain, either in the form of money or power, the proletariats are the ones who must suffer the consequences.

Many times war between countries is initiated for the personal gain of a country. For example the War in Iraq was executed to ensure that America will have access to the country’s oil however, it was masked as war on weapons of mass destruction that were never found.  Furthermore, in Crimea, where the Russians have either used military force to annex Crimea or Crimea wanted to separate itself from the Ukraine and join Russia, is a major political issue for America and the European Union. It is quite frightening to think that larger military countries are still able to expand imperialistically in today’s world. 

Rosa Luxemburg What Does the Spartacus League Want? Interpretation

"Out of all this bloody confusion, this yawning abyss, there is no help, no escape, no rescue other than socialism. Only the revolution of the world proletariat can bring order into this chaos, can bring work and bread for all, can end the reciprocal slaughter of the peoples, can restore peace, freedom, true culture to this martyred humanity. Down with the wage system! That is the slogan of the hour! Instead of wage labor and class rule there must be collective labor. The means of production must cease to be the monopoly of a single class; they must become the common property of all. No more exploiters and exploited! Planned production and distribution of the product in the common interest. Abolition not only of the contemporary mode of production, mere exploitation and robbery, but equally of contemporary commerce, mere fraud."

Written in December 1918, the Rosa Luxemberg, discusses the German people who suffered from WWI. The introduction goes into detail about the destruction of the war especially of the wounded and lost German soldiers. Many films during this time period hinted at the need for social reform, specifically the need for a strong leader. This quote begins to discuss the need for social reform contrary to what the media was portraying, socialism, the idea of people governing themselves. The author proclaims that the bourgeoisie are taking advantage of the proletariat. The proletariat class are the backbone of the German society, their hard labor is what is necessary for the economy to thrive and yet they are at the bottom of the barrel while the bourgeoisie are reaping all the benefits. 

The wage system should be abolished and replaced with the collective labor. The bourgeoisie should have to do just as much work as the proletariat, in fact people should work just to benefit the society as a whole not as a means to earn income. If people were able to work as they please and not just for the income there would be a lot of people who are happier to go to work. Since the proletariat class out number the bourgeoisie they would be the only people who can actually begin this process of revolt and reform.

Here we see nihilistic themes reoccur. The proletariat represent the followers of Nietzche's ideals. The proletariats are following the government blindly rather than recognizing the problems with the government especially one that models capitalism. The bourgeois, superhuman, are able to take misuse the proletariats for their own benefit. 

M directed by Fritz Lang Scene Analysis

The film M directed by Fritz Lang is set in Berlin, Germany. A serial killer, Hans Beckert, of little girls is on the hunt for his next victim. However, in response the police are taking extreme measures to find him. This affects the towns criminals' business of hustling and burglary so they also begin their own search. One of the most compelling scenes of the film occurs when the criminals get together in order to take on the responsibility of stopping the murderer. From the moment the criminals are in the room the audience is unsure if it is another police gathering, however they soon realize that they are in fact convicts. The head of the scandals, whom is Schranker, appears and the discussion of the stopping the murderer begins.

The team of lawbreakers begin to discuss how the murderer is different from them, even though some of these men have also committed murder. It is a way to desensitize themselves from the fact the murderer is a human and make him appear to be more of a "monster" as well as a threat to the town and the criminals themselves. Here, it is easy to compare the criminals to the Nazi party. The Nazi party during this time believed that they would do a better job of fixing Germany than the current political party. They believed that the current political party was not helping to solve the many economic and criminal problems of Germany.

The outlaws begin to discuss ways as to why the police are unsuccessful with stopping the murderer. According to one of the men, the general public is of no help at all. He is suggesting that the townspeople should not be allowed to be involved in these matters of handling the murder because they give inaccurate information and become overwhelmed by hysteria. Here, the need for someone to take control of the situation at hand is being suggested. This is indefinitely how the Nazi party was able to become a strong force in Germany by recognizing the German people's need for control. Due to the economic difficulty and the failing infrastructure of government the Nazi party was able to seize political power.

Schranker suggests that because the police are unable to stop the murderer it would be in the best interest of the outlaws to pursue the murderer themselves. They discuss the use of street beggars as a means of surveillance in the town because it would not be suspicious. Once again, the parallels between the scandals and the Nazi party are uncanny. The group of scandals and the Nazi party both felt that the government are failing them and the German people. They both felt the need to take the matters into their own hands and to take control of the situation.

There are also many nihilistic themes that are apparent in the movie. The nihilistic lawbreakers decide to go against their government and the take matters into their own hands. They did not and never have conformed to society norms, such as having respectable jobs. Once they were able to see the police failing them as well as the German people they decided to go against police efforts and take control of the situation. They symbolized the Nazi party in Germany in many ways even before the Nazi party had full control of Germany in 1933.

Paragraph 175 (Society - Homophobia) Summary

 Paragraph 175 before it was amended states that any unnatural male homosexual activity or any person who engages in sexual activity with an animal is punishable by imprisonment. The Nazi party had amended the paragraph to include any males who are willing to engage in homosexual activity are also punishable by imprisonment. The amendment also stated that in very rare cases men that are under the age of 21 at the time of the act may be excused from imprisonment. Paragraph 175 was again revised by the Nazi party. Paragraph 175a goes into more depth of the punishment of those participating in homosexual activity. Men who engage in homosexual activity can be charged with penal servitude up to 10 years and if necessary imprisonment of up to 3 months. This included men who are potential rapists, gay men, male prostitutes, 21 year old men who seduce men who are underage. Paragraph 175b states that people who engage in unnatural sex with animals can result in imprisonment and even the loss of civil rights. 

This is very pertinent to Freud's argument that "...we are animals, our reason develops out of a conflict with the natural world, including the internal regulation of our instincts in order to better adapt for survival..." The fact that people are engaging in homosexual activities goes against the natural instincts of heterosexuals. The Nazi party wanted to enforce punishment against homosexuals because it helped to make the Nazi party more powerful. People who may have not been in favor of the Nazi Party, but are heterosexual, now had some form of common ground. People were able to identify with this due to the previous opinions about homosexuality, and therefore where easily manipulated by the Nazi Party. The Nazi Party exploited their power over homosexuals due to the newly gained support of the public. This allowed  for unjust punishments to homosexuals.

Cabaret Songs of Germany Reflection

Click here to listen to "No Time" (Keine Zeit) music by Rudolf Nelson, lyrics by Herbert Nelson (1933)

"No Time" (Keine Zeit) English Translation

There may still be those who live unhurried lives
and don’t care about the hectic pace of these times.
Those who are not yet wildly obsessed
as they devour food from vending machines and make themselves sick.
However, in these frantic times, you meet few of these unhurried people.
Nowadays you stand at the vending machine,
with the token in your trembling paws.
You insert the coin, the tray revolves, and you take some bread.
Then you eat the roll at a frantic pace,
because hundreds of others are right behind you.
You chew and you chew without peace and rest
because there is a voice telling you:
"Insert token, take out bread,
for the food might soon be sold out."
One eats without finesse.

CHORUS:

No time, no time, no time.
Yes, we have no time.
Sorry, but we're always on the go,
with tongues hanging out as we run.
We have no spare time.
No time, no time, no time,
no hours nor even a second to spare.
We hardly sleep, we don’t rest.
No time, no time, no time.

Nowadays, a person doesn't have a second to spare.
Yet many even think the pace is too slow.
If you do business today, you go bankrupt before you have even started.
People don't want to waste time with the beginning,
they'd rather skip straight to the end.
In this day and age, you fall in love in the evening, are engaged at night,
and get married the next morning.
At noon you have a fight; by night you're divorced.
In negotiations between countries, before a treaty is evened signed,
it's already broken.
Because nowadays it is considered chic to be quick.

CHORUS:

No time, no time, no time.
Yes, we have no time.
Sorry, but we're always on the go,
with tongues hanging out as we run.
We have no spare time.
No time, no time, no time,
no hours nor even a second to spare.
We hardly sleep, we don’t rest.
No time, no time, no time.
 

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Keine Zeit

Es soll noch Menschen geben,
die ganz gemuetlich leben und sich nicht kuemmern um das Tempo unserer Zeit.
Die noch nicht wild besessen aus Automaten fressen, bis ihnen uebel wird vor lauter Schnelligkeit.
Jedoch in diesen bewegten Zeiten, trifft man nur wenige von diesen Leuten.
Denn heut steht man im Schnellautomaten, mit der Marke im zittrigen Pfoetchen.

Oben steckt man sie rein und dann gibt’s einen Dreh, schon ist unten zum Vorschein ein Broetchen.
Und dann isst man das Broetchen in rasender Hast, denn es warten ja schon hundert andere und man kaut und man kaut, ohne Ruh ohne Rast, denn es sagt eine Stimme, der wandere.
Marke rein, Broetchen raus, schon ist dein Essen aus.
Man ist schnell ohne jede Finesse, der es schmeckt ist ganz ohne Fingresse.

Keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Zeit. Ja, wir haben keine Zeit. Es tut uns leid.
Wir sind immer auf dem Sprung, haengt uns raus schon die Zung und doch wir rennen, ja wir kennen keine Zeit.
Keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Stunde und Sekunde haben wir Zeit. Ja, wir schlafen heute kaum noch, denn wir ruhen uns nicht aus. Keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Zeit.

Man laesst sich weit und breit heut nicht mehr Sekunde Zeit heut.
Es geht im Gegenteil uns noch zu langsam fast.
Machst du Geschaefte heute, bist du bereits schon pleite, bevor du ueberhaupt noch angefangen hast.
Man moecht am liebsten, ja das soll’s geben, das Ende noch vor Beginne leben.
Heut verliebt man sich abends, verlobt sich bei Nacht und vermaehlt in der Frueh sich zufriede und am Mittag da hat man bereits sich verkracht und am Abend ist man wieder geschieden.

Findet heut zwischen Laendern Verhandlungen statt und die Herren haben alles besprochen, ja dann wird noch bevor unterzeichnet man hat, der geschlossene Vertrag schon gebrochen,
denn das findt man heut chick, denn wir sind ja so quick.
Es ist gleich, ob wir heute reell sind, denn die Hauptsache ist, dass wir schnell sind.

Keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Zeit. Ja, wir haben keine Zeit. Es tut uns leid. Wir sind immer auf dem Sprung haengt uns raus schon die Zung und doch wir rennen, ja wir kennen keine Zeit.
Keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Stunde und Sekunde haben wir Zeit. Ja, wir schlafen heute kaum noch, denn wir ruhen uns nicht aus. Keine Zeit, keine Zeit, keine Zeit.

"No Time" (Keine Zeit) music by Rudolf Nelson, lyrics by Herbert Nelson (1933)

Second Verse

Nowadays, a person doesn't have a second to spare.
Yet many even think the pace is too slow.
If you do business today, you go bankrupt before you have even started.
People don't want to waste time with the beginning,
they'd rather skip straight to the end.
In this day and age, you fall in love in the evening, are engaged at night,
and get married the next morning.
At noon you have a fight; by night you're divorced.
In negotiations between countries, before a treaty is evened signed,
it's already broken.
Because nowadays it is considered chic to be quick.

What the author is trying to discuss here is the fact that people are living too fast. People don't properly evaluate major life decisions, they just jump right in. The song was written in Germany in 1930, while Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party where becoming popular with the German people. The song suggests that making decisions so quickly without properly assessing the situation leads to destruction. If you open a business too quickly, it fails. When you jump into marriage, it ends in divorce. The most significant line is the "In negotiations between countries, before a treaty is even signed,/ it's already broken." This is a reference to the Treaty of Versailles (1919). Here, the allied powers signed a doctrine, that deemed Germany responsible for WWI and had to pay back all damages to the allied powers that had suffered. This treaty was meant to limit the German Powers but was not thought thoroughly enough because it didn't assess the possible negative consequences that could occur, such as the Nazi Party coming into power. 

Even though this song was written in 1933 it is still very relevant today, especially in America. People are always making poor decisions or rushing into things without fully understanding what the consequences are. When it comes to voting, a lot of Americans are guilty of voting for a party without really being well read on politics. Although, not everything politicians promise will happen it is important to know what is promised by the political party and if those promises were put into action. This is important to make sure that the government officials are working in favor of the people.  

Click here to listen to "Chuck Out the Men" (Raus mit den Mannern), by Friedrich Hollaender (1926)

"Chuck Out the Men" (Raus mit den Männern) English Translation

The battle for emancipation's been raging since history began
Yes, feminists of every nation want to chuck off the chains made by man
Hula girls and housemaids and wives in Maribou
hear all our voices thunder in protest
Anything that men do women can do too
and more that that we women do it best

CHORUS:  Chuck all the men out of the Reichstag
and chuck all the men out of the courthouse
Men are the problem with humanity
they're blinded by their vanity
Women have passively embraced them
when we could have easily outpaced them
Yes we should have long ago replaced them
or better yet erased them
If we haven't made our feelings clear
we women have had it up to here

As babies men all howl and bluster they cry through the night and the day
perfecting the techniques they'll muster for the times when they don't get their way
Nursie holds the monster and feeds him from her breast
and baby is contented for a bit
But when he sees his nurse is trying to get some rest
the little man decides to have a fit

CHORUS

The men get their pick of professions they're policemen or scholars or clerks
They get rich and acquire possessions like we wives who keep house for these jerks
They're ruining the country while we mop up the floor
They're flushing this whole nation down the drain
Sisters stand together, let's show these men the door
before they drive us totally insane

CHORUS

English translation copyright by © Jeremy Lawrence
 

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Raus mit den Männern! (für Claire Waldoff) 

Es geht durch die ganze Historie
ein Ruf nach Emanzipation
vom Menschen bis zur Infusorie
überall will das Weib auf den Thron.
Vin Hawai-Neger bis zur Berliner Range
braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall daher:
Was die Männer können, können wir schon lange
und vielleicht ’ne ganze Ecke mehr.

Raus mit den Männern aus dem Reichstag,
und raus mit den Männern aus dem Landtag,
und raus mit den Männern aus dem Herrenhaus,
wir machen draus ein Frauenhaus!
Raus mit den Männern aud dem Dasein,
und raus mit den Männern aus dem Hiersein,
und raus mit den Männern aus dem Dortsein,
sie müten schon längst fort sein.
Ja: raus mit den Männern aus dem Bau,
und rein in die Dinger mit der Frau!

Es liegn in der Wiege und brüllen
die zukünft’gen Männer ganz klein.
Die Amme, die Meistrin im Stillen,
flöt die Kraft ihnen schluckweise ein.

"Chuck Out the Men" (Raus mit den Männern), by Friedrich Hollaender (1926)

Chorus

 Chuck all the men out of the Reichstag
and chuck all the men out of the courthouse
Men are the problem with humanity
they're blinded by their vanity
Women have passively embraced them
when we could have easily outpaced them
Yes we should have long ago replaced them
or better yet erased them
If we haven't made our feelings clear
we women have had it up to here

Although the songwriter, Friedrich Hollaender, is in fact a male, he writes a very feminist song about woman empowerment. However, I think the feminist message is just the scratching the surface of the song. The underlying message is the overhaul of government. "Chuck all the men out of the Reichstag/ and chuck all the men out of the courthouse/ Men are the problem with humanity/ they're blinded by their vanity" is an assessment of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party. He is subliminally trying to inform the people of Germany that Hitler should not be in office, furthermore that if he does gain power he will be the destruction of Germany. Hitler's party principles are too extreme and inhumane. 

There two very important messages here that can be utilized even today. There should be equality for men and women. Women should not allow men to dominate them. The second message is that government should not dominate the public. There should be a greater balance of power between citizens and government. He states, "Yes we should have long ago replaced them/ or better yet erased them" this suggest the idea of having no government at all. Not always does government have the citizens best interests a lot of the times the government is looking to gain more power no matter what the cost.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari directed by Robert Weine

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari directed by Robert Weine is considered to be one of the first horror films of all times. The movie was filmed in the early 1920's in Germany. The movie invokes feelings of fear, suspense and anxiety. It follows the expressionistic art movement during that time.

One of the most terrifying scenes of the film is when the young Francis is searching for Dr. Caligari in the insane asylum. The setting of the asylum is very dark, although the building itself is white The entrance ways into the building from the garden are very dark with a glimpse of stairs that lead to somewhere. The scenery is very eerie, the viewer can already anticipate that something is wrong with this place. Even the doctors themselves look a little off, sort of what a mad scientist would look like with the long white lab coats and darkened eyes. Francis asks the staff where is Caligari and unfortunately, they inform him that Dr. Caligari is not a patient there. Puzzled the staff recommend that he see the head of the asylum.

As Francis is walking to see the head of the asylum, there is a change of background. The asylum walls are white with dark black swirls, while the door leading to the directors room is a very odd trapezoid shape. Again the background sets a very mysterious and eerie mood for the viewers. Here, lies the biggest shock of the movie, the apparent murderer in the story, Dr. Caligari, is actually the director of the asylum. He is seated with his white hair and glasses and darkened, crazed eyes. Francis sees this and is so terrified that he runs out of the room in a frenzy.

The movie is a very unique form of expressionism, perhaps even more along the lines of dadaism. The film emulates a lot of mixed emotions for the viewers through the set design and story line. The moment when Francis sees the crazed murderer as the head of the asylum, the audience immediately feels shocked and frightened. The sets are very obscure, using light and dark to make it more dramatic. The costume design resembles almost a zombie like crowd, with the darkened wide eyes.

Dr. Caligari is a murderer and also the director of an insane asylum. While Francis contrasts Dr. Caligari; he is sane but ultimately has no control over the situation. Francis is supposed to represent the people of Germany, while Dr. Caligari represents the German government. The nihilistic ideals of Nietzche are once again appearing, people can not follow others blindly. This way of just accepting other people's views and opinions allowed a crazed murderer to with hold power, so much that he is the head of the insane asylum. Here, the similarities between Dr. Caligari and Adolf Hitler are indisputable.

Robert Weine's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is not only important for the social messages it had delivered in the past but for what it contributed to today's film industry. Weine accomplished many firsts with this film, such as being the first horror film, and integrating a surprise ending which was never done before.