Pretzels, Punctuality, & Puppies

By Mark Weber

Taking undergraduate students to Germany for two weeks might have been like herding cats, but they were as sweet as puppies.

In May, Prof. Eileen Beiter and I hosted a 17-day study abroad course in Munich and Berlin for 11 students. The goals for students in our German Business Culture course were to better understand the European Union and how Germany became an export star. We toured BMW and Volkswagen. We met with representatives of the EU, the German Chamber of Commerce, the country’s trade and investment department, and the Berlin public transportation system.

Students observed more than business. Punctuality is a cultural priority. On time means five minutes early. Employers provide flexible schedules to keep employees happy and to have good retention. At a green fair and at companies, we saw a strong focus on environmental sustainability, including electric vehicles, wind and solar power, and alternative fuels.

We toured amazing places like Neuschwanstein Castle in the Alps — Disney’s model for the Magic Kingdom. We walked around beautiful Dresden, a city destroyed in World War II that later recovered like a phoenix, with royal beauty. At Munich’s Marienplatz, 30,000 soccer fans celebrated the local team’s country trophy.

Not all was magic, as students toured Dachau Concentration Camp with its gas chamber and crematory, trying to understand how Munich’s community could ignore the smoke and the odors a few miles away. We explored the Holocaust Museum, reading the sad last letters from victims. Students understood over 8 million people were murdered, not merely eliminated. They observed how Germans remain haunted after 60 years, and the Nazi shadow will follow them for generations to come.

Our students learned more than the curriculum goals:

• German pretzels are far tastier than Auntie Anne’s.

• Jumping on two subways and a tram to enjoy a distant gyro shop is an exciting experience.

• Surrounded by breweries in a country with a younger drinking age, students demonstrated self control while enjoying the atmosphere.

• In an overloaded hostel, all overcame their frustrations and adapted to the environment.

• Everyone watched out for each other, whether it was counting who was on the train or making sure no one felt alone.

And there were puppies. We found pretty, poopy, precious, pettable, Polish puppies at a fair near the Germany-Poland border. While none became souvenirs, the joy and smiles represented well the special memories of navigating a new country and culture with 11 young adults.