Friday, March 13, 2015

Assignment Due 3/7

Assignment Due 3/7



Go to the link for "Weimar Republic" and where it says Primary Sources on the drop-down menu, go to "culture." Listen to the cabaret songs then choose two of those songs. Choose a specific part of each song to analyze and interpret the lyrics and explain why you chose these lyrics. When writing it out, write it out both in German and the English translation.

On the same website, go to "society" under Primary Sources, and summarize Paragraph 175 and how it relates to this lecture.

"It's All a Swindle" (Alles Schwindel), by Mischa Spoliansky and Marcellus Schiffer (1931) (Culture - Cabaret Song)

https://www.facinghistory.org/videos/weimar-its-all-swindle-alles-schwindel

1. Translation in English.

Lyrics:
Papa swindles
Mama swindles
Grandmama's a lying thief
We're perfectly shameless
but we're blameless
after all it's our belief
Nowadays the world is rotten
honesty has been forgotten
fall in love but after kissing --
check your purse to see what's missing
Everyone swindles some
my son's a mooch and so's the pooch

CHORUS:  Life's a swindle, yes, it's all a swindle
so get what you can
from your fellow man
Girls and boys today
would rather steal than play
and we don't care
We tell them get your share
Life is short and greed's in season
all mankind has lost its reason
life is good, knock on wood, knock, knock

Shops will swindle shoppers swindle
every purchase hides a tale
The price is inflated
or regulated
to ensure the store will fail
Wheel and deal and pull a fast one
knowing you won't be the last one
get the goods while they are going
grab the cash while it is flowing
Everyone swindles some
what the heck go bounce a check

CHORUS

Politicians
are magicians
who make swindles disappear
The bribes they are taking
the deals they are making
never reach the public's ear
The left betrays, the right dismays
the country's broke and guess who pays
But tax each swindle in the making
profits will be record breaking
Everyone swindles some
so vote for who will steal for you

CHORUS

2. Translation in German.

 Alles Schwindel
Papa schwindelt,
Mama schwindelt,
tut sie auf blob ihren Mund!
Tante Otilie,
und die Familie
und sogar der kleine Hund!
Und besieht man’s aus der Nähe:
Jedes Band und jede Ehe
jeder Kub in dern Betriebe
und sogar die grobe Liebe!
Und die ganze heut’ge Zeit ja,
sogar die Ehrlichkeit!

Alles Schwindel, alles schwindel,
überall wohin du guckst
und wohin du spuckst!
Alles ist heut ein Gesindel,
jedes Girl und jeder Boy,
’s wird einem schlecht dabei!
’s wird ein’m schwindlig von dem Schwindel,
alles, alles, alles Schwindel,
unberufen toi! toi! toi!

Kaufmann schwindelt
Käufer schwindelt,
mit dem höflichsten Gesicht!
Man schwebt in Ängsten,
nichts währt am Längsten,
also warum soll man nicht!
Jede freundliche Verbeugung,
jede feste Überzeugung,
Preisabbau, solide Preise,

ob zu Hause, auf der Reise!
Jeder Ausblick, wo es sei,
selbst für den, der schwindelfrei!
Alles Schwindel, alles Schwindel, usw.

Bürger schwindelt,
Staatsmann schwindelt,
Schwindel, was die Zeitung schreibt,
Moral und Sitte,
rechts, links und Mitte!
Ehrlich ist, was übrig bleibt!
Alles sucht sich zu betrügen,
na, sonst mübt’ich wirklich lügen!
Bins, das kann ich glatt beteuern:
Könnt’ den Schwindel man besteuern,
hätt’ der Staat nicht Sorgen mehr,
denn dann wär’ er Millionär!
Alles Schwindel, alles Schwindel, usw

This song exhibited the social corruption that happen in the German society. It show's what condition the German society has faced, and what they are currently going though. I believe this quote "were perfectly shameless but were blameless after all its our belief."    shows the action of the Nihilism movement, people losing trust in the government, hopeless, going though unemployment and the struggles the German people went though. Because  the German military grew corrupted this demonstrated why German experienced a social and political corruption. Part of the quote "after all its our belief" shows  Dadaism movement as well as expressionism. I choose this song because I believe it is a powerful song. I also believe this song shows that the chorus were greedy and selfish. 

"Night Ghost" (Nachtgespenst), music by Rudolf Nelson, lyrics by Friedrich Hollaender (1930) (Culture - Cabaret Song)

https://www.facinghistory.org/videos/weimar-night-ghost-nachtgespenst

English Translation by Inge Spiegel (see original German text, below):
Night Ghost (Nachtgespenst)

When the housewife chains the hallway door at night, I’m standing right outside.
Without hurry, I file the chain away, and there I am.
As the daughter is putting on her nightgown, I enter her room.
I feel sorry for her.
I’m the night ghost, your sweet night ghost,
I wake you up each time you call me your darling.
Don’t be so scared, It's only me waking you.
And after you have been uncovered,
you will get tucked in again.
When I climb through the window,
I have no interest in taking your jewels,
Only your ivory skin appeals to me.
As a night ghost I don’t take any shiny jewels;
only enough for the return fare.
Nachtgespenst
Legt die Hausfrau nachts die Kette hoch, im Korridor, steh ich davor.
Mit der Feile ohne Eile, keck, feil ich se weg. Da liegt der Dreck.
Waehrend sich die Tochter gerade kleid, tret ich bei ihr ein, sie tut mir leid.
Ich bin das Nachtgespenst, dein suesses Nachtgespenst.
Ich weck dich, wenn du pennst, sooft wie’s du mich Liebling nennst.
Sei bloss nicht so erschreckt, du wirst nur aufgeweckt.
Und wenn du aufgedeckt, dann wirst du wieder zugedeckt.
Steig ich durchs Fenster ein, reizt micht kein Edelstein.
Nein, nur dein Elfenbein reizt mich allein.
Ich nehm als Nachtgespenst kein Steuckchen mit, was glaenzt.
Ich brauch wirklich nur das Fahrtgeld retour.


"I’m the night ghost, your sweet night ghost, I wake you up each time you call me your darling". This part of the song show a relationship between a lover who is a ghost and his girlfriend during the night. The lover awaits his girlfriend to fall ah sleep at night. He waits for it to be dark so he can come to her in the middle of the night. She waits for him to come to her to make her feel special. I choose this song because i think women have a lot of power to make a man fall in love with them. I also like how romantic the song sounds and sweet ghost man that comes to see her everyday. 
I choose this song because I like the romances that is involved in it. Its makes 

Paragraph 175 (Society - Homophobia)

A national prohibition, Paragraph 175, was added to the Reich Penal Code in 1871. It read:1

"An unnatural sex act committed between persons of male sex or by humans with animals is punishable by imprisonment; the loss of civil rights might also be imposed."
When the Nazi's came to power in 1933, they put a halt to efforts seeking reform of this law. In 1935, after the murder of Ernst Roem, the NSDAP amended the Paragraph 175 to close what were seen as loopholes in the current law.

The new law had three parts:

Paragraph 175:
"A male who commits a sex offense with another male or allows himself to be used by another male for a sex offense shall be punished with imprisonment. Where a party was not yet twenty-one years of age at the time of the act, the court may in especially minor cases refrain from punishment."
Paragraph 175a:
"Penal servitude up to 10 years or, where there are mitigating circumstances, imprisonment of not less than three months shall apply to: (1) a male who, with violence or the threat of violence to body and soul or life, compels another male to commit a sex offense with him or to allow himself to be abused for a sex offense; (2) a male who, by abusing a relationship of dependence based upon service, employment or subordination, induces another male to commit a sex offense with him or to allow himself to be abused for a sex offense; (3) a male over 21 years of age who seduces a male person under twenty-one years to commit a sex offense with him or to allow himself to be abused for a sex offense; (4) a male who publicly commits a sex offense with males or allows himself to be abused by males for a sex offense or offers himself for the same."
Paragraph 175b:
"An unnatural sex act committed by humans with animals is punishable by imprisonment; the loss of civil rights might also be imposed."




The paragraph 175 was identified in 1871. In 1890 sexual reformers fought again paragraphs that targeted against gays. As time went by they received support from the Social Democratic Party. As the Welmar Republic approached gays were allowed to live their lives as normal people. Until 1935 when anal sex became a problem for others. In 1935 The Night of the Long Knives was created to help support gays in interacting in anal sex, and other sexually acts. 

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