Culture

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Little Germany

Blumenau is the most famous German settlement in Brazil and is known for its traditional German-style half-timbered houses. The 300,000-person town in the southern region of the country was named for the German pharmacist, Dr. Hermann Blumenau, who led the first group of colonists and founded Blumenau in 1850.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Dres up

In southern Brazil many cities celebrate Oktoberfest, but the event in Blumenau is by far the largest. Some 600,000 visitors attend each year, making it the second largest Oktoberfest in the world and also the second largest fair in Brazil after Carnival. Entry costs between 2.50 and 7.50 euros ($3.30-9.80), but if you show up in a dirndl or lederhosen, you get in for free.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Hans and Hannah

Every Brazilian Oktobfest has its own mascot, which makes an appearance at the fairgrounds each day and participates in the parades. In the southern Brazilian city of Igrejinha, the stereotypical German couple Hans and Hannah take on the role of mascot. For their 10th birthday in 2008, two children were added: Frederico and Alice.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

The royalty

The Oktoberfest queen and her two princesses represent the festival all year round. Each city has its own tradition. In Blumenau, the Oktoberfest royalty are reminiscent of American beauty pageant contestants.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Your royal highness

The city of Itapiranga, however, has modeled its royalty contest on the traditional German wine queens, which are crowned at harvest time in the Moselle-Rhine region.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Touch of Carnival

The parade is a highlight of the festival. In some Brazilian cities, like Santa Cruz do Sul, several parades take place. The Oktoberfest queen gets a seat of honor on an elaborately decorated float. The parades are similar to those held in the Rhineland during Carnival.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Bottoms up!

The grand finale each year is the beer drinking contest. The winner is the first participant to consume a liter of beer without spilling any. The beer isn't important, but comes from national or local breweries and has names like "Our beer," "Magic beer," or "Railroad."

Author: Christine Weise / kjb | Editor : Michael Lawton

Muslims in Germany

Multi-facetted

Clichés are simple. But reality is complicated - and above all, too diverse to represent in one definitive image. The magazine Zenith and the Mercator Foundation established a photography prize aimed at representing the many facets of daily Muslim life in Germany. Karl Löffelbein's photograph of three people on their way to an engagement celebration won first prize.

Muslims in Germany

Encouraging understanding

Careful attention was first paid to the Islamic population in Germany after the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Since then, the Muslim community has, if anything, been perceived as a threat. Because of that, many initiatives have been set up to encourage intercultural dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims. Senad Granulo's "From another point of view" portrays his hopes for dialogue.

Muslims in Germany

Opening doors

For the majority of non-Muslims, Islam reamins a mysterious religion. Most non-Muslims rarely enter the tea rooms of Turkish cultural associations. But photographer Kai Löffelbein stepped inside. His series "Strange Home" is an unvarnished look at the daily lives of Muslims in Germany. He wanted to portray, above all, "the feeling of estrangement and being unwelcome."

Muslims in Germany

A question of belonging

"Islam belongs to Germany," Christian Wullf, Germany's former president, said in 2010. His successor, Joachim Gauck, believes that at least Muslims living in Germany are a part of Germany. At the same time, Muslims are regularly urged to better integrate. That includes German Christians who have converted to Islam. "Made in Germany" is the title of this photograph by Laurent Quint.

Muslims in Germany

Bridging cultures

Around four million Muslims currently live in Germany. But they continue to stand out, like police commissioner Yildiray Kara in Gelsenkirchen (Photo: Yavuz Arslan). Kara belongs to the one percent of immigrants in the police service and was specially recruited to mediate between cultures.

Muslims in Germany

Different approach

Just how arduous the integration process can be is documented by Agata Szymanska-Medina in her series "Searching." For one year she accompanied Ali, a Palestinian, at work and during his free time in Berlin. Ali came to Germany on an academic exchange program. Without pathos, the photographer portrays a young man's approach to a strange new culture.

Muslims in Germany

Non-reductive images

What is typically Muslim? That's what 84 Muslims and non-Muslims attempted to answer for the nation-wide photography competition. They have captured the multiple manifestations and receptions of Muslim culture in Germany. Islamic culture is not presented as black-and-white, even when photographers such as Özge Celik employ it as a stylistic device.

Author: Marlis Schaum / hw | Editor : Kate Bowen