h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, it might just be me...

Entry: Bismarck Towers - A Rash Of Monuments - A53896486
Author: Malabarista - 245 new blobs hunted down and indexed at A53308361 - U1528154

If I confuse even one reader, that's one too many!

Back later

Wow. You're right, Mala. The fact that somebody wouldn't know the NSDAP is, well, a good sign.

That use of circa is probably a Germanism. (Note to self, stop staying that in English.)

Thanks. I'll change it, then.

I've added a line to clarify a little earlier that other monuments were being built at the same time, and with tax money, but the Bismarck towers were an expression of Bismarck hysteria.

And added a bit to the footnote about the NSDAP.

I'm wondering whether this entry requires a better summary of German history up to 1871, or at least a link to one. I don't want to make it too long, but wonder whether the significance of the unification is understandable without a basic knowledge of the problems caused by all the little city-states and principalities, like the import/export taxes, and different measures and currencies, and so on. Or of the strange Prussian mindset where you're only somebody if you're nobility or in the military.

It might benefit from a little bit of that background - but I wouldn't want to over-burden it with it.

Hmmm - I'll give it some thought, then.

An interesting read. I think the background is very good just as it is. Perhaps a link for those who woulg like more info but are too lazy to look up German history.

I noted that Bismarckturm is sometimes written Bismarcktürme. Also, maybe I read it too quickly but what's Bismarcksäulen?

As regards the 'scaleable' debate, wouldn't 'adaptable' cause less confusion (or even adjustable or down-/upgraded although I'm not too keen on the latter).

Towards the end, you say that Bismarck is no longer seen as such a saintly figure... Is there any special reason for that or is it just changing fashions?

Hi, eagle, thanks for commenting!

I'll try to find a decent German history link, then. (Dmitri, if you're still here, would you happen to know one?)

Bismarcktürme is the plural - anytime you suddenly see a different spelling of a German word where it gains an Umlaut, chances are, it's a plural

(You get the same phenomenon in English, but without a special letter to denote it, just a different one. For example: German: Mann -> Männer is the same as English: man -> men)

Bismarcksäulen are Bismarck columns, as they were called in the call for designs.

Not sure I like "adaptable", because it was mostly a difference in size they meant...



As for Bismarck's legacy, let's see:


Idea for and execution of the North German Confederation, which put a stop to a lot of the problems re taxes and weights being different between the tiny principalities and city-states

Unification of Germany

He kicked off the German wellfare state with bills for health and accident insurance, old age pensions


but also:

His Realpolitik - almost Machiavellian, the end justifies the means kind of thinking - he deliberately caused conflict between third parties to strengthen Prussia, and was quite willing to accept war as a consequence. He wasn't "The Iron Chancellor" for nothing!

Quote: "Die einzige gesunde Grundlage eines großen Staates, und dadurch unterscheidet er sich wesentlich von einem kleinen Staate, ist der staatliche Egoismus und nicht die Romantik, und es ist eines großen Staates nicht würdig, für eine Sache zu streiten, die nicht seinen eigenen Interessen angehört." - in short, a large state cannot be based on "romantic" ideals, but must be egoistical and *only* fight for those things that further its own interests.

There's also the whole imperialism thing which is quite frowned upon these days. (He was against colonialism initially, but eventually converted - and even his "kleindeutsche Lösung" for the German state encompassed large parts of other countries annexed in various wars...)

He restricted the freedom of the press and passed anti-socialist laws.

And he's been used and misused by so many political movements... Hitler, especially, used the figure of Bismarck for propaganda purposes.

Quick history lesson here, too, I suppose: The Third Reich was called that because of the two before it - the Holy Roman Empire (Heiliges römisches Reich deutscher Nationen) and the German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich), which was also known as the Second Reich, a term no longer used for obvious reasons.

For the scaleable question: The German was "Die Säulen sollten in unterschiedlicher Größe, je nach Spendenaufkommen, zu fertigen sein."

So how about simply "It should be possible to build the towers to different sizes to suit different budgets"?

"Scaleable up or down" suggests the presence of staircases.

Or else leave it - it's not that important, but I think it reads a little bit stilted.

That's not stilted, that's channeling the Prussians

But yes, maybe something like that is better.

I'll try to work some of that about Bismarck into the Entry proper tomorrow.

Considering linking to this: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/6916/unification.htm It seems concise enough and the style's not too difficult, but I've not read it all yet to see how good it is. And it's on geocities, dunno how stable it will be (Though he has managed to keep it up for ten years; that's got to count for something!)

I wouldn't add the Geocities link - Geocities is going to be shut down in a couple of months, so it won't be there for long.

Yes, that's what I was afraid of.

Shall I come back next week?

Oi! A lurker!

Only the best, of course

I suppose I should look for a suitable link then...