OMFG! 72% of college sophomores answered "NO" to this question:

[datasuspect]

"if Hitler had won WWII, would he still be German?"

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Bizarre

[supernova]

2. Technically, that's correct.

[sasquatch]

16. It is, he's Austrian

[hobbit709]

18. But when he "annexed" Austria in 1938 it became part of Greater Germany.

[supernova]

19. But culturally they are different

and Germany still claims cultural superiority over the Austrians. See the subthread under Aristus' post. You'll see what I mean.

[hobbit709]

22. Don't tell that to the Viennese

[supernova]

23. Ha! Don't I know it!

My former MiL was Viennese. :D

Frankly I prefer Austria anyway, for a whole host of reasons, including that they're just way less uptight than the Germans (outside of Berlin).

[hobbit709]

25. My mother is from Vienna

and I was born here-better picture

[crimsonblue]

3. the question makes no sense...

But thanks for starting the anti-student thread... jerk.

[datasuspect]

6. your 'tarded!

[crimsonblue]

13. wanna fight?

I'll see you at Mr McCreary's abandoned lot tomorrow at 3 pm. Be there... or else.

[davsand]

4. Hitler's birthplace was Braunau Am Inn, Austria. He was not technically German.

:shrug:


Laura

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. Ohhh, it was a trick question then?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. He never was German; he was Austrian.

[davsand]

9. We tied on that response!

High fives!


Laura

[supernova]

12. But I said it first!

:P

:D

[Ava]

11. what's the kids saying these days?

OH SNAP!

;)

[myrna minx]

7. HItler's birthplace was Austria.

:shrug:

[Aristus]

10. Trick question. But 72% got it right, even if they didn't get the trick.

Hitler was born in Austria. Even after becoming chief of the Nazi Party and the Chancellor of Germany, he didn't get around to acquiring German citizenship until 1937. Service in the Bavarian Army in WWI did not automatically confer citizenship.

[supernova]

14. Yeah, and Hitler never got over being teased

about his austrian accent either.

The rivalry between Germany Austria is very culturally similar to our North/South Dynamic. Similar caricatures at work.

[davsand]

17. That accent thing is a BIG deal.

The whole dialect thing really is huge. I live in an area here in Central Illinois that was settled mostly by a group of folks from Ostfriesland which is the part still considered part of Germany. They STILL make a big deal about the fact that they speak LOW German and many of these guys are several generations removed from Germany.

When was a kid here in the 60's we learned all our Christmas carols in both German and English. We still ha party line telephones and a lot of the old German ladies would get on there and talk in German because the kids didn't speak it as well and probably wouldn't understand the gossip.

FWIW, It is still a VERY ethnic area and they still sing Silent Night in GERMAN at the end of the local grade school Christmas program. The little old ladies have pretty much all died off and most homes do not speak German any more, but there are a few of the old ones that still do. Many families around here still go BACK to Germany for vacations to see family--to this DAY. (In fact, our State Senator went back to visit just a couple of years ago...)

I have ZERO doubt that Hitler took crap over his accent in his day.


Laura

[supernova]

21. SNERK, that's totally believable to me

But it's interesting to me that they are proud of speaking Plattdeutch.

There's proper "Hoche Deutche," High German, just like there's proper English RP, received pronunciation, proper Queen's English. To this day anybody who doesn't speak proper HD is considered low class.

[davsand]

24. I think it is a sort of ethnic pride thing for them.

Not too different than the Boston, Chicago, or Irish Channel brogue (not that NOLA will ever be the same again...) I think it is a sort of low key "FU" to the snobs.

Plus, you gotta figure it isn't like they actually LIVE there anymore. You can be as eccentric as you like if it isn't home...


Laura

[Tuesday Afternoon]

15. American Sophomores, no doubt, but he is Austrian

by birth.

[Lex]

20. What kind of question is that anyway?

:wtf: