Bavarian Cream: Bayerische Creme

This famous dessert was seemingly developed in France centuries ago, where apparently it was invented for the purpose of honoring the German noble family the Wittelsbachs, as King Charles VI of France was married to Isabeau (known in German as Elisabeth) of Bavaria, who was from the House of Wittelsbach; thus, she was the queen of France. Over the centuries, Wittelsbach family members were involved in many regions of Europe, including England/Britain, as King George I was of the House of Hanover, but his mother was a Wittelsbach. Ludwig IV (Louis) was German emperor (Holy Roman Emperor) in the 1300s and Karl VII (Charles) was German emperor in the mid 1700s (note: Ludwig IV was the great grandfather of Elisabeth/Isabeau of Bavaria mentioned above). The Wittelsbach family's center of power has always been in Bavaria, but branches settled elsewhere due to marriages. Wittelsbach family members have ruled in various capacities in many places over the centuries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Bavaria, the Palatinate (Germany), Greece, part of the Netherlands, Bohemia, the Archbishopric and Electorate of Cologne. Over time, the strong association of this dessert with Bavaria has made it a German dessert, rather than French, as it originally was.

 

Ingredients (4 to 5 servings):

 

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks

6 tablespoons sugar

1 packet unflavored gelatin in 5 tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream

 

In a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat the milk to a simmer. Mix the yolks and sugar together in a cup or small bowl. Dissolve the gelatin in water in another cup. Add the vanilla extract to the hot milk, whisk 2 tablespoons of hot milk into the egg mixture, then whisk in 2 more tablespoons of hot milk (this will help prevent you from serving scrambled eggs rather than Bavarian Creme). Turn the heat to low and whisk the egg mixture into the remaining milk in the sauce pan, then continue to whisk as the custard heats up (do not boil), then whisk in the gelatin. When thickened, remove from the heat and let it cool, whip the heavy cream until thick, then when the custard has cooled substantially, fold in the whipped cream, distribute to individual serving dishes, or put the cream into molds, refrigerate for at least a couple of hours or overnight. Serve in the dishes or unmold the cream and the add topping of your choice, like fruit sauce or chocolate sauce.

 

Bavarian Cream topped with dark sweet cherry compote ...

Topped with Lemon Curd ...

WORD HISTORY:

Swarm-This word is related to "swirl," a word from Germanic. "Swarm" goes back to Indo European "swer/suer," which meant, "to buzz;" and was likely used for bees and other insects. This gave Old Germanic "swarmaz," meaning, "a large moving group of buzzing and humming insects," and also, "a commotion," which gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "swearm," with the buzzing and humming insect meaning. This then became "swarm," where it has remained for hundreds of years. The other Germanic languages have: German has "Schwarm," Low German has "Swarm" (both German and Low German nouns are capitalized), Dutch has "zwerm," West Frisian has "swarm/swaarm," Danish has "sværm," Norwegian has "sverm," Icelandic has "sweimur," Swedish has "svärm."

 

The verb form was derived from the noun in the 1300s meaning, "for insects, often bees, to leave one living space to go to another." The figurative usage has been common as, "to have a large group converge on an area," as in: "The fans swarmed over the plane as the victorious team returned home," or, "Police swarmed over the area after the bank was robbed." Other verb examples in Germanic: German has "schwärmen," Dutch has "zwermen," Swedish has "svärma."  

Bavarian Cheese Spread: Obatzda

If you've ever been to a restaurant or biergarten in the southern German state of Bavaria, you've seen "Obatzda" on the menu. Even if you haven't been to Bavaria, many German restaurants in other parts of the world often serve "Obatzda," especially if they are "Bavarian-themed," as this cheese spread is strongly associated with the very lifestyle of Bavaria, where it is commonly, but not exclusively, served with soft pretzels, called "Brezn" in Bavarian German dialect (standard German uses both "Brezel" and "Bretzel"). One of my German recipe books calls it, "Camembert Cheese Spread,"* and uses ripened Camembert, but you can certainly use "Brie," as well as the more "potent" smelling cheeses like Limburger, Romadur or Tilsiter, although sometimes these cheeses are only used to supplement either Camembert or Brie. As is so often the case with German food, there are regional dialect names for similar cheese spreads, but it is best known by the Bavarian dialect word "Obatzda" (also "Obatzter"), which is a form of "Angebatzter" (mixed together), but I know it from Frankfurt am Main as "Schneegestöber" ("snow shower"), but they don't add beer to the cheese mixture in Frankfurt, and it is often served with a glass of "Ebbelwoi," Hessian dialect for standard German "Apfelwein;" that is, "apple wine," which is "hard apple cider," a Hessian specialty. 

As for variations or substitutions, cream cheese (German: "Frischkäse," literally, "fresh cheese") is used in the preparation, but I've seen recipes that use quark or ricotta. I've also seen recipes that use dark beer (dunkles Bier), while others use light (in color) beer (helles Bier), so make your own choice. I've also seen recipes that do not use onion and some that do not use paprika.** As to texture, originally Obatzda was often mashed up and mixed with a fork, and many people still make it that way, but if you prefer a completely smooth texture, you can use a food processor.  

Ingredients:

9 ounce (approx) *** Camembert, sliced or cut into smaller pieces to make it easier to mash
3 tablespoons butter, softened
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 heaping teaspoon caraway seeds
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 to 1/3 cup beer
1 heaping tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt  

If you choose to mash and mix the spread with a sturdy fork, the cheese should be left out to warm a little, as this makes it easier to mash. Likewise, the cream cheese and butter should be softened to make them easier to mix in with the other ingredients. Mash up the cheese and mix in the other ingredients, but gradually mix in the beer until you reach the consistency you desire. If using a food processor, add the ingredients, but start by adding only a couple of tablespoons of beer. After you process the spread briefly, keep adding more beer and process until you get to the desired consistency. Obatzda is best if refrigerated for a minimum of a couple of hours before serving.    

* From "Germany, a Culinary Tour," by Wolfgang W. Reichert, Sigloch Edition, 1994 edition (originally published 1986), printed in Stuttgart, Germany

** Typically in English we say "paprika" for types of ground red peppers, which tend to come in "sweet" or in "hot" (not "usually" blazing hot). The Hungarians and the Spanish are both known for their respective varieties of "paprika" (Spanish paprika commonly has a smoky flavor). In German, "Paprika" ("properly," all German nouns are capitalized, but in today's world of texts and social media, that rule is not always followed, likely causing many "traditionalists" to require oxygen and and a heart monitor)... Let me start again... In German, "Paprika" is commonly used for the actual pepper (bell pepper, for instance, and regardless of color) itself, and it is a shortened form of "Paprikaschote" (literally, "pepper pod"), which is also often used. "Paprikapulver" is more commonly used for the ground red pepper used as a spice. "Pulver," meaning "powder," is a word German borrowed long ago from Latin.   

*** Camembert is "often," but not always, sold in rounds of "about" 9 ounces, but you can certainly use a little more than that; and in fact, if you'd like, you can add an ounce or two of Limburger to the Camembert (or Brie).

"Obatzda" with large soft pretzels, caraway and salt rolls, sliced radishes, halved grape tomatoes and  a glass of "Altbier," a kind of brown ale from Düsseldorf, if the Bavarians will forgive me. 

WORD HISTORY:
Hammer-This word is distantly related to "acme," a word English borrowed from Greek, and to "edge," a word from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to the Indo European root "ak," which had the notion, "sharp, pointed," which then produced "akmen," meaning, "pointed stone," and the variant form (inverted beginning sounds), "kamer." This gave Old Germanic "hamaraz," meaning, "stone attached to a handle used as a tool for pounding." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "hamor," meaning "hammer." This then became "hamer," before the modern version. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Hammer," Low German Saxon has "Hamer," West Frisian has "hammer," Dutch has "hamer," Danish has "hammer," Norwegian "hammer," Icelandic has "hamar," and Swedish has "hammare." The verb came from the noun in the second half of 1300s, meaning, "to strike with a hammer," but then extended to, "strike with a heavy object." German has the verb "hämmern" and Dutch has "hameren," both meaning, "to pound or beat with a hammer or heavy object." I found reference to an Old English verb for "to hammer;" that is, "to beat or pound" ("seemingly" often used about sword making), but I can find no other sources to confirm it, but if it existed, it could well be the actual source of the modern verb. On the other hand, if it existed, it could also have died out allowing the emergence of the modern word directly from the noun.

Weißwurst, Very Bavarian!

This is something I've periodically fixed over the years, and it's VERY Bavarian! This is a famous plate served in Bavaria before midday: Weißwurst (or "Weisswurst," literally, "white sausage"), pretzel (called "Brezn" in Bavarian dialect),* sweet mustard (süßer Senf) and wheat beer (Weizenbier). Before refrigeration became popular, Weißwurst was served before midday, as the sausages had no preservatives in them, so they needed to be eaten pretty quickly to keep them from spoiling. Similarly for the pretzels, which would begin to lose their soft inside texture after a time. So, the tradition began out of necessity, and it continues to this day.

Weißwursts (German plural: Weißwürste) are typically made with ground veal, some back bacon (German: Rückenspeck), and usually some ground cardamom, mace, onion and parsley, but each sausage maker has their own recipe, and ground pork is often used too, as well as some dried lemon peel and white or black pepper. Weißwursts are packed into natural hog casings and tend to be about 4 or 5 inches in length. They are prepared by placing the sausages in "hot water," where the water temperature remains at several degrees below boiling. The Weißwursts are kept in the hot water for about 10 to 15 minutes. The point made by the Bavarians is that the casing should not split. Why? So they can take the Weißwursts from the hot water, put them on a plate and then begin to remove the casing from the mildly seasoned meat filling. Ah, hey look, if you have any complaints, tell the Bavarians. So, Weißwursts are eaten with the skin removed and accompanied by sweet mustard, another Bavarian specialty. Also traditionally served with Weißwursts are "Brezn" (pronounced as if, "bray-tsn," with the "z" pronounced like the "ts" at the end of "hits"), which is the Bavarian dialect word for pretzel. Of course, you need something to wash this food down, and "Weizenbier" (pronounced as if, "vytsen-beeah"), also termed "Weißbier," is the drink. This is "wheat beer," and in Bavaria it generally is not filtered, so the beer remains a little cloudy, but there are filtered versions, which are, thus, clear.

For Americans, while nowhere near as common as "bratwurst," Weißwurst can sometimes be found in supermarkets or in specialty meat shops, or German/Austrian shops. Imported German sweet mustard can be found in supermarkets or ethnic stores, but there are some domestic products too.** The same with wheat beer, which is now commonly produced by the many local and regional breweries that have sprung up across the U.S. in the last couple of decades or so, but there are a number of German imports available too.   

* Standard German uses both "Brezel" and "Bretzel" as the spelling for the word for "pretzel."

** I'd guess about 35 years ago, I was returning from Germany and there was an American soldier (US Army) on the plane, a common occurrence in those times, as the U.S. had hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in West Germany. He was talking with many people and he was telling them how German mustard was simply the best. He was referring to standard mustard, not the sweet mustard type. He really lavished praise on German mustard, but I must say, I "like" mustard, I don't love it, so I can't really tell you if he was right (back then). I'm much more of a ketchup guy, which may cause some Germans, including my relatives, to faint, as they by far prefer mustard. But in those times, bratwurst was becoming increasingly popular in the U.S.  

WORD HISTORY:
Split-This word goes back to Indo European "splei/spley," which had the notion, "to separate from, to split off from." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "spaldanan," with the same meaning. This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "splatan" and "asplætan," with the vowel sound and the "L" sound transposed, and both forms meaning, "to split, to cut or break parts off from the whole." These forms seem to have then died out in English ("cleave," then spelled "cleven," was the verb used to mean "to split"), and it wasn't until the mid 1500s that a form of the word was reacquired from Low German "splitten," which had the same meaning as the former English words, while Dutch seems to have used their form of the word, also spelled "splitten," at least occasionally, in reference to a "ship breaking up;" that is, "splitting apart" (wooden in those times). Other relatives in the Germanic languages: German has both "spalten" (to split),and "spleißen" (to split, to splice; that is, "bonding two split pieces together"), Dutch has "splijten" (to split), and the related, "spouwen (once spelled "spouden," and meaning, "to break up, break apart, collapse"), West Frisian "spjalte" (split), Old Norse once had the related noun "spjald" (piece of word), and Danish and Norwegian "splitte" (split, divide) seem to have been borrowed from Low German. Swedish has "spjälka" (split, cleave), while Swedish "splittra" (to splinter, to shatter, to divide) "may" be a borrowing from Low German (much contact between the Swedes and Low German speakers in the north of Germany over the centuries).    

German Bread Dumplings (Semmelknödel)

Bread dumplings (Semmelknödel) are common in many parts of Bavaria and Austria; in fact, they are a part of the food culture in these areas. Making bread dumplings is a great way to use leftover bread or rolls. The standard German word for a bread roll is "Brötchen," the diminutive of "Brot" (bread); thus, literally, "little or small bread," but there are several dialect terms, including "Semmel," in much of Bavaria and Austria. Traditionally, rolls are used to make these dumplings, but you can use bread, although this may make you a target of the "Semmelknödelpolizei" ("Bread Dumpling Police"), who are the "flour" of the food police. "Knead" I say more?

Ingredients:

10 stale kaiser rolls (or 10 large slices of stale white bread)
3 to 4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons bread crumbs (panko are best)
1 to 1 1/2 cups heated milk
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
10 parsley sprigs, chopped
pinch of nutmeg or mace
salted simmering water

Slice the rolls or bread, put them into a bowl and add 1 cup of the heated milk. Depending upon the dryness of the rolls, you may need up to a half cup more milk, but wait until you see that the extra milk is necessary. You want the rolls softened, not mushy. Soak the rolls for half an hour. Meanwhile, heat 5 to 6 cups of water in a pan. Add some salt to the water and bring it to a simmer. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the onion. Saute until the onion is softened. Add the onion to the bread, and add the beaten eggs, the bread crumbs (if the "dough" is too mushy, wring it out a bit and add some more bread crumbs), the salt, the nutmeg and the parsley. Mix everything by hand, but don't over knead the dough, which should be fairly firm. Form the dough into rounds about the size of golf balls. Roll each round in flour on a plate, just to coat. Shake off excess flour. Put the dumplings into the simmering water, but don't overcrowd the pan; cook them in batches. The dumplings will float when done, although I give them 1 or 2 extra minutes after they float. Serve with meat dishes with plenty of gravy or meat juices. 

In this picture I used beef gravy, sliced tomatoes and a good beer.

WORD HISTORY:
Scrape-This word, distantly related to "scribe," "script" and "shear," goes back to Indo European "sker," which had the notion "to cut," and to its extended form, "skerb," which meant, "to cut into, to carve, to engrave." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "skrepanan," which meant, "to scrape, to shave, to scratch up." This gave Old English the verb forms, "scrapian" and "screpan" (depending upon dialect), both meaning, "to scrape, to scratch." These then became "scrapen," reinforced by the related Old Norse form, "skrapa," which had the same meaning. The Old Norse form likely influenced the pronunciation of the English word, changing it from the "sh" beginning, to the hard beginning sound as if, "skrape." The other Germanic languages have: German "schrappen" (to scrape, to scratch"), Low German Saxon "schrapen" (to scrape, to scratch), Dutch has three forms:  "schrapen" (to scrape), "schrabben" (to scrape or scratch) and "schrappen" (to scratch through or scratch out (that is, "cancel"), West Frisian "skraabje" (to scratch), Danish "skrabe" (to scrape), Norwegian "skrape" (to scrape), Icelandic "skrapa" (to scrape), Swedish "skrapa" (to scrape).

Liptauer Cheese Spread

This is a highly popular cheese spread in much of Bavaria and Austria, commonly just called Liptauer, or Liptauer Aufstrich (spread), not to be confused with the well known "Obatzda," another, similar, cheese spread, primarily from Bavaria, often eaten with large soft pretzels (YUMMY!). There are a number of variations on Liptauer, with just a change or two in ingredients, but all recipes I've seen are very similar to one another. Good with pumpernickel or hearty rye bread and some sliced vegetables. Liptauer came from the "Liptov" area of northern Slovakia, for which the German rendering of the name was "Liptau."  

Ingredients:

1 pound small curd cottage cheese, mashed up well (or pressed through a sieve, if you want to get that involved, which I don't, but see the Word History)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 heaping tablespoons sour cream
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons sweet paprika (Hungarian for authenticity, but use what you have)
2 tablespoons hot paprika (same as with sweet paprika)
1 medium pickle, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons caraway seed (whole or ground)
3 tablespoons capers (whole or chopped)
3 anchovy fillets, chopped*
3 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper

In a bowl, thoroughly mix the cottage cheese, cream cheese and sour cream. Gradually add all of the other ingredients to make sure everything is well mixed. Cover and chill for a couple of hours. "Typically," "hot paprika" is not really all that hot, but you can cut down on the hot paprika, but then up the regular paprika, as the spread needs quite a bit of paprika.

* Please don't be afraid of anchovies. When used in cooking, they actually melt away, but provide a subtle meaty taste. When used in cold dishes, they do need to be chopped well to keep the taste subtle, and not the taste anchovy haters remember from a bite of pizza they had when they were 11 years old. I love anchovies, including on pizza, but I realize that "full strength" anchovies are not for everyone.   

I had mine with pumpernickel cocktail bread along with celery and green onions. (Hey, who's the guy with the onion breath?)

WORD HISTORY:
Sieve-This word, closely related to "sift," goes back to Indo European "seip," which had the notion, "to flow through, to drip, to trickle." This gave the West Germanic branch of Old Germanic, "sibp," ^ which meant, "sieve." This then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "sife" (likely pronounced "sifeh," with a short "i," and the ending "e" was pronounced 'eh'). This then became "sive," before the modern form. The verb form was derived from the noun in the 1400s. Other West Germanic languages have: German "Sieb," Low German Saxon "Seev," Dutch "zeef," West Frisian "souwe."

^ Forms of "sieve" are only in the West Germanic languages, so either other Germanic forms died out in East and North Germanic, or the form itself was developed in West Germanic.  

The German Question, Part One Hundred Six

"The Rise of Hitler and The Nazis" Part One/C
"Hitler, Munich & the Great War"

A bit more about Hitler's developing anti-Jewish feelings;* it "seems" that these feelings were not pathological while he was in Vienna, as many Jewish shopkeepers handled his paintings in their stores. Of course, he could have been like some of the egomaniacs unleashed upon us in more recent times through incessant deregulation; "I may hate you, but if you offer me money, I don't hate you that much. Mo' money! Mo' money! Mo' money!" Further, "supposedly" Hitler had some Jewish acquaintances, including a young lady he "liked" very much. Could Hitler have been rejected by this young lady or her family, "perhaps" for religious reasons, causing a resentment that festered into hatred? Over the years, I've read so many books and articles about Hitler, it is difficult to recollect the sources of some of these "stories;" that is, how reputable the sources were, but I also remember there have been various stories about Hitler and Jewish friends, including, if I remember correctly, his mother's doctor; the officer, Hugo Gutmann, who recommended the Iron Cross for Hitler in World War One;** Erhard Milch, a field marshal in the Luftwaffe (air force) during World War Two. I'm sure there were others, but this one is in my mind, and I can't remember the source, or even the exact story, so please keep that in mind. The story went something like this: There was a Jewish businessman who helped Hitler out financially during his days in Vienna. When Austria became part of Germany in 1938, and the Nazis began to keep tabs on all Jews there, the man contacted Hitler, who told him to leave Germany for his own safety, so the man went over the not too distant border into Czechoslovakia. A year later Hitler sent German troops into what was left of Czechoslovakia (an explanation will be forthcoming in a future part of this series). When Hitler visited Prague, the man turned up again seeking Hitler's protection. Hitler told him to leave the country, but not to go to Poland. The idea here was, Hitler already had plans to go into Poland in the near future. Whether I have the story completely correct is one thing, but also whether the basic story is even true is subject to question.***

Being a citizen of Austria-Hungary meant Hitler was subject to military registration and potential call-up for duty. Hitler was a "German nationalist," not an "Austro-Hungarian nationalist," and it seems the idea of serving in the Austro-Hungarian military was not something to his liking, and he evaded the authorities for quite some time. There are disagreements about when Hitler went to Munich ("München", in German), especially either 1913 or 1911, and I'm not currently aware if they have ever been resolved through true documentation. Hitler's statements and writings have to be considered suspect, as by that time he was in politics, and the idea that he evaded military service (even though in Austria-Hungary) could have given opponents a major issue. As I mentioned in the previous article, I seriously doubt whether the border between Germany and Austria was under strict control, with only customs duties being the main goal for both countries, not necessarily why people went to one country from another, or even back and forth. At some point, Hitler was given over to the Austrian authorities (remember, Germany and Austria were close allies, besides their historical ties) and he was deemed "unfit" for military service. Since this was pre-war, standards were likely more rigid; thus even minor physical problems could have kept Hitler out of service (during wartime, standards are more relaxed, as more personnel were required). Hitler returned to Munich.

Upon the outbreak of what is now called World War One, Hitler is seen among the crowd in a photograph in central Munich, as people celebrated the outbreak of war. I've seen moving picture film in television bios of Hitler, "supposedly" showing Hitler in the crowd, but I'm not sold on its being genuine. I don't know the source of the film, and I certainly could be wrong, but in the active crowd, pushing and cheering, Hitler is seen almost isolated and simply standing, pretty calmly. The film is also too distant to see Hitler up close, but it looks like a far later picture of him, in my opinion*** (same note as from above). Though legally a citizen of Austria-Hungary, Hitler was given permission by the Bavarian state government to join the Bavarian Army, which he did.**** Hitler was now part of the "German" military.

Next...."Hitler in the Great War"

* For more information on Hitler's ancestral background, see my article, "Hitler the Jew?," at this link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2010/10/hitler-jew.html

** For the basic story about Gutmann and Hitler, see my article, "Part 80," of this series at this link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2011/02/german-question-part-eighty.html

*** If anyone knows more details about this, or about the moving picture film, I hope you will share the info with us here in the comments section, which is free.

**** In the Germany of those times, the individual states were still ruled by nobles; in the case of Bavaria, by a king. These states had their own armies which made up individual parts of the overall German military, which was dominated by the state of Prussia, whose king was simultaneously Kaiser (Emperor) of Germany. The German officer corps was also heavily dominated by the nobility of various ranks, and one had to almost always be from the nobility to become a high ranking officer.

WORD HISTORY:
Pelt/Fell-This is the noun "detached skin with fur from an animal." This goes back to Indo European "pell(o)," which meant "skin." This then gave Latin "pellis," which meant "skin or hide." In Old French (a Latin-based language) this became "pel," and simply meant "one/a skin." The related French word "peltry" meant "skins" in general. This seems to be the source of English "pelt," and it may not have been acquired by English until the 1300s or even 1400s. Now, while archaic, English still has the little used word "fell," its own word, and it means "skin of an animal," but it also had a secondary and associated meaning, "the membrane on the underside of an animal's skin," which gave English "film" (this will be the word for the next article). "Fell" goes back to the same Indo European root for "pelt," "pello," and this then gave Old Germanic "fellam," "skin, or furry skin from an animal." The "p" sound became "f" in Germanic. This then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "fell," which has since remained unchanged, although this noun for a fur-covered animal hide is archaic. Its forms are pretty common in the other Germanic languages: German "Fell" (German nouns are capitalized), meaning "pelt, fur, skin;" Dutch and some Low German dialects have "vel;" West Frisian "fel;" Swedish has "fäll." While I'm not certain of this, apparently any similar forms in Danish, Norwegian and Icelandic have died out, as I could not find them.

The German Question, Part Ninety-Eight

"Germany's Weimar Republic" Part One

With Germany defeated in World War One and the Kaiser gone, the new German republic tried to govern the country. Delegates met in the city of Weimar to forge a constitution;* thus the "unofficial" name of the new republic, "The Weimar Republic;" its proper designation simply being, "Deutsches Reich." The country was dispirited and many factions, both of the political left and right, seemed ready to pull the fragile new system apart. Communist elements actually claimed a Soviet republic in Bavaria, only to be defeated by former soldiers organized and led by right wing officers. These right wing units and militias were called the "Freikorps," or "Free Corps," and they provided the basis for many other right wing political organizations, including what was to become the Nazi Party.

* Weimar is located in east central Germany in the state of Thuringia (Thüringen in German).

WORD HISTORY:
Fret-This is the verb meaning "be anxious, worry;" often used in expressions like, "don't fret over" something. This word traces back to Indo European "ed/et," which meant "to bite," and it is closely related to "eat" (see the Word History at this link for "eat:" http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2011/05/german-question-part-ninety-seven.html ). "Fret" is actually a compound, with the "fr" tracing back to Old Germanic "fra," which was used as an intensifier; in this case, intensifying "eat," to mean "eat gluttonously, to gobble up." The Old Germanic compound was "fraetanan" (see further below) with that meaning. This gave Anglo-Saxon (Old English) "fretan," with the same meaning, including for animals. Later it was "freten," and the basic meaning of "gobble up" came to be used pretty much exclusively for animals or derogatorily for crude people. At that same time, around 1200, the more figurative sense of "to eat up with worry" developed. Gradually, the "gobble up" meaning died out, leaving English with the "worry" sense into the modern era. Common in the other Germanic languages, German has "fressen" which still retains the primary meaning "to eat, but only for animals," unless when used as an insult to someone (it also has the secondary meanings "corrode" [see Swedish below] and "worry excessively," as in English). "Fressen" was once spelled various ways in older forms of German, including "veretzen" and "vretzen." Low German has both "fräte" and "freten," both meaning "eat up, for animals," Dutch has "vreten," also with the meaning "take in food," often used of animals, West Frisian has "frette" (to eat, to feed, for animals), Swedish has "fräta," which means "corrode;" that is, "eat away." Danish has "fråse," meaning "to eat up greedily." I did not find examples in Icelandic or Norwegian. I'm not sure, but the old compound form of "fraetanan" may have been a West Germanic formation, rather than Old Germanic, as it appears that both Swedish and Danish borrowed forms of the word, likely from Low German and German, respectively, as I could not find a form in Old Norse, the forerunner of the modern North Germanic languages (Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Swedish are most prominent), and that would explain the absence of forms in Norwegian and Icelandic. Old Germanic was the parent language of North, West and East Germanic. Forms of East Germanic have all died out and English, Frisian, German, Low German and Dutch are West Germanic.

The German Question, Part Thirty-Five

"Napoleon Dominant"

With the various German states subdued, Napoleon set up "The Confederation Of The Rhine" ("Rheinbund" in German). This confederation eventually consisted of all but Austria, Prussia, part of Holstein (under Danish rule), and part of Pomerania (under Swedish rule).* The confederation was highly subservient to Napoleon, providing him with many men for his army. The German princes who ruled the individual states were always looking for ways to boost their personal territories, and Napoleon and the French were more than willing to adjust state borders of the larger German states at the expense of the smaller ones. Further, at times the French granted new titles to their German allies, as for instance with Bavaria, which they renamed as a "kingdom," thus making the Bavarian ruler a "king" (prior he had been called "Kurfürst," a "prince-elector;" that is, a prince entitled to vote on who became German emperor).

With France frequently at war with Great Britain, Napoleon had implemented a trade embargo against Britain. In order to enforce the embargo, Napoleon literally sent French troops into several northern German states along the North Sea coast (naturally there were a number of German port cities there), and formally annexed these areas to France. While so many Germans seemed subservient to the dominant Napoleon, there was opposition beginning to take shape.

* Holstein, still in existence today, was/is a German state in the northern part of Germany. As I've noted before in this series, the borders of all the various German entities mentioned do not necessarily match what the borders are today. A significant part of Holstein was under Danish rule during the period of the "Confederation." "Pomerania" was a German area (formerly populated by Slavic people, who later "mixed" with the incoming (ruling) Germans, with many thus losing their Slavic identity, although in the eastern part (near Poland), Slavic dialects and identity persisted. Pomerania is located along a stretch of coast of the Baltic Sea. During the period of Napoleon, the western part was under Swedish rule, with the larger part being part of Prussia. Today, most of what was considered to be Pomerania is now part of Poland.

WORD HISTORY:
Hind-I'm just dealing with the noun in this case, not the "hind" of "behind" or "hind leg." While this is no longer a common word (at least in American English), I always encourage people to use some of our more antiquated words, or to at least get to know something about them. Famous English seafarer Sir Francis Drake named his ship "the Golden Hind."^ This means "female deer," and it goes back to Indo European "kem/kemti," which meant hornless. This gave the Old Germanic offshoot of "khindo/khinda" (then "hindo?"), which then gave Old English "hind" (then "probably" with a short 'i' pronunciation).  Germanic relatives include German "Hinde," Low German doesn't seem to have a modern form, but it once had "hind(e);" likewise, I could not find a form in modern Frisian, but it too once had "hind," Dutch "hinde," Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish all have "hind," the form passed onto them from their ancestor, Old Norse. All the Germanic forms mean "female deer."

^ When I decided to do the history of this word, I already knew of it, as back in the early 1960s, NBC ran a TV series for a short while (made in England) named "The Adventures of Sir Francis Drake," and his ship, the Golden Hind, was often shown in the series.