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  • Raising Children in a German-Canadian Household: The Importance of Language and Culture

    This portrait follows the life of a German woman, Kordula, who immigrated to southwestern Ontario in 1999 in order to farm. The portrait specifically focuses on her journey in raising her children in a German-Canadian household. The portrait captures how she tried to preserve German traditions and the German language while raising her children amidst the backdrop of southwestern Ontario. It touches on why language is important to her and her children’s upbringing, indicating that it has allowed them to foster their German-Canadian identity. She also gives advice for families who have immigrated, and wish to continue teaching their children about their culture.

  • The German Democratic Republic: Before and Beyond

    This project is an interview with Dr. Nina Rosenbusch, a woman born in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Rosenbusch was only a teenager when the Berlin Wall fell down in 1989 and so she is part of the generation of Germans who came into adulthood in the newly reunified Germany. This interview seeks to understand the legacy of the GDR’s culture for the citizens of modern Germany. In particular, the discussion focuses on the generation of Rosenbusch’s parents who only knew Germany as two separated states, unlike the generation of Rosenbusch’s grandparents who were able to remember a previously unified Germany. The involvement of the state in daily life is also discussed, with a focus on the German secret police service, called the Stasi. As Rosenbusch’s family did not protest against the state, they were not as affected as some individuals but were nonetheless limited in what they could do and say. Ultimately, the German Reunification was and is very popular in the former GDR, although there are still slight cultural differences and difficulties for those who lived most of their lives before 1989.

  • Exploring Multiculturalism as a way of life

    This portrait follows the story of Marwa Ali, a German teacher in London, Ontario. She was born in Egypt, where she spent her childhood, and had the opportunity to attend a German school. In this video she talks about what her experience has been coming to Canada and how growing up with the Egyptian and German cultures has affected her mindset. After a break, she is now living again in Canada and will explain how her multiculturalism has been an asset and how open-mindedness is important in our modern life.

  • Berlin: An Anchor Of Culture

    Beginning with Evelyn’s cultural connection with Canada and how that relates to her experiences in Berlin as a text overlay. We explore Evelyn’s first memories in the aftermath of World War 2. Afterward, we transition into life during the rebuilding of Berlin and her experiences transitioning between East and West Berlin before the Berlin Wall is built. Evelyn recounts her visits to East Germany after the wall has been built and the struggles faced with the new reality of strict border checks and a wall separating east and west. Finally, Evelyn reflects at the lasting effects the division has had on the German people and the entire country itself, as well as what her connection to Berlin means to her.

  • Home in Canada: Immigrant from Germany to Canada in 1980s

    Reinhild came from Chemnitz, Germany. She immigrated with her family to Canada in the 1980s. She taught mathematics in Western before. This video will introduce her immigrant process and the factors she thinks affect her integrated into Canada.

  • A Mixture of Cultures: A Story of Nationality

    The portrait project begins with a description of Hugo discussing his immigration from the Netherlands to Canada. The video then transitions to a discussion about the German Canadian Club while footage of the Club's 2018 Christmas Market is shown. The dialogue of the German Canadian Club discussion relates to the various types of things offered at the club, as well as the reasons as to why it was formed. Finally, the video concludes as Hugo discusses how the migration from the Netherlands to Canada has impacted his identity.