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ODDS and ENDS German Baby Naming Laws Here in the U.S., you can name your child almost anything, but that's not the case everywhere in the world. In Germany, you must be able to tell the gender of the child by the first name, and the name chosen must not be negatively affect the well-being of the child. Also, you cannot use last names or the names of objects or products as first names. Whether or not your chosen name will be accepted is up to the office of vital statistics, the Standesamt, in the area in which the child was born. If the office rejects your proposed baby name, you may appeal the decision. But if you lose, you'll have to think of a different name. Each time you submit a name you pay a fee, so it can get costly. When evaluating names, the Standesamt refers
to a book which translates to "the international manual of the first names," and they also consult foreign embassies for assistance with non-German names. Because of the hassle parents have to go through to name their children, many opt for traditional names such as Maximilian, Alexander, Marie, and Sophie.
Last surviving WWII food taster/tester speaks out On April 25, 2013, in an interview with the Associated Press from her home in Berlin, 95 year old Margot Woelk spoke for the first time to anyone about the 2 ½ years she was a food tester for Adolf Hitler. During WWII when Hitler was at the military command center at the Eastern Front Headquarters known as the Wolf Lair. Woelk who was in her 20’s and 14 other women were drafted into civilian service while their husbands were serving in the war. Hitler was afraid someone will try to poison him so these ladies were brought in to taste the food served to him and would wait an hour to see if anything happens. Hitler was a vegetarian and was served a variety of vegetables, rice and pasta. During the war, food was
scarce so it was nice to be able to eat good food but it was hard to enjoy knowing every meal may be her last. On July 20, 1944, a bomb went off at the compound and everyone was forced to move to a different location. Things became so tense, Woelk ran away and hid in Berlin. Woelk would eventually be captured by Soviet soldiers who assaulted her many times. She would be saddened to hear that the other 14 food tasters were also captured by Soviet soldiers and shot. She kept this a secret because she did not want people to think she was a Nazi. Now frail and in failing health, Woelk wanted to tell her story and make peace wth herself. •
Deutsche Welle Celebrates 60th Anniversary
sent German media to the rest of the world. In six decades, Deutsche Welle reporters have produced pieces on culture, politics, sports and business through an independent, unbiased viewpoint. The DW Director General, Erik Bettermann, says this is due to the multicultural, cooperative atmosphere of DW. “At DW, the dialogue between different cultures is defined by the daily cooperation and exchange between journalists and editors from some 60 nations.” •
On May 3, 1953, the German news station Deutsche Welle went on the air for the first time. Today, 60 years later, the station has morphed into a multi-faceted media machine, with a website available in 30 languages, and a network of freelance journalists from over 60 countries. Deutsche Welle has come to repre-