Moi non plus

The subtitle of Professor Stefan Pfänder's lecture was, "It was a cultural shock for me!" That is what a French lady felt when, as a student, she met her future German husband in a Wohngemeinschaft (shared apartment).

In his sociological research, Prof. Pfänder has been documenting German-French couples on audio and video for years. With the examples he showed, his lecture was extremely colorful and lively. 

The novel "Hirishima mon amour" unfolds as a literary drama. By this I do not mean the amour fou between the Frenchwoman Elle and the Japanese man Lui, but rather her wartime experience as a girl.

In her youth, she had fallen in love with a German occupation soldier in Nevers. The two lovers had planned to leave France and get married in Germany. But then she had to watch as her lover was shot by a Résistance fighter in the street right in front of her house and saw him bleed to death before her eyes.

Red Baron still vividly remembers the filmic scene when the German, with blood pouring from his mouth, breathed his last. The girl was branded a collaborator, had her head shaved, was locked in a cellar, and finally sent to Paris for further treatment.

First impression of the Germans

In Franco-German zwischenleiblichen (interpersonal) relationships, painful, traumatic memories cannot be suppressed, as evidenced by the statement of a French woman: "And everything that was unpleasant, uncomfortable, or dangerous - that was always the German."

In 1946, when French troops occupied Baden, German girls fell for the men in uniforms and formed interlingual couples.

Here is a slide from Prof. Pfänder's lecture.

 

How does bilingualism change how people see themselves in the eyes of their partners?

Bilingual individuals develop a heightened metalinguistic sensitivity and experience identity as dynamic and negotiable.

Living between multiple languages promotes flexibility and reduces rigid national stereotypes.

And he continued, "How do bilingual, intercultural couples communicate?" How do they share stories - separately or together? What are the challenges of such a partnership? And what are its potential benefits? His answers were:

Intercultural couples more frequently report stress caused by differences in values, religion, and communication.

Intercultural couples develop new shared routines, forms of communication, and identities beyond their respective cultures of origin.

Acceptance or rejection by their families depends on language skills, cultural expectations, and migration experiences.

In fact, differing language skills generate feelings of exclusion, frustration, isolation, and cultural alienation. On the other hand, bilingualism changes self-perceptions and strengthens the ability to adopt multiple cultural perspectives simultaneously.

Red Baron found all these facts interesting, but since he's never had a French girlfriend, he can't contribute to the experience.

However, some of Prof. Pfänder's observations can generally be applied to multilingual environments, such as that of Red Baron, who has been working at CERN and communicating in Franglais for 32 years.

Here, somewhat out of context, I add some photos of the couple Franco-Allemand:

A historic embrace between two old men in Reims Cathedral.
Where's the champagne?

De Gaulle's pathetic speech: "My heart is overflowing, and my spirit is filled with gratitude now that I have just signed the Treaty on Cooperation between Germany and France with the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. No one in the world can fail to recognize the immense significance of this act. Not only does it mark a turning point after a long and bloody history of struggle and war, but it also opens the door to a new future for Germany, France, Europe, and thus the world."

Chancellor Kohl and President Mitterrand, holding hands, stand over the graves at Verdun.

Chancellor Angela Merkel cuddles up to President François Hollande.

An embracing armistice between President Sarkozy and Merkel

French and Germans: a history full of "I love you" and "Not me anymore."

NB: As in previous years, Red Baron has again booked the French Summer University.

Entente cordiale between President Macron and Angela.
Merkel's husband, Professor Sauer, doesn't he look a little sour?

A couple enjoying a romantic moment in the Compiègne Forest.

In the Compiègne Forest, the armistice between the French Republic and the German Empire, which ended the First World War, was signed in a Wagon-Lits (?) on November 11, 1918.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary, the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Angela Merkel, reaffirmed the value of Franco-German reconciliation in the service of Europe and peace.

Back to the lecture. A man from Cognac gave his reasoning in nearly perfect German as to why his girlfriend moved to be with him:

That's just love - it does that kind of thing!

It wasn't only the director of the Freiburg Adult Education Center, Dr. Philine Weyrauch-Herrmann (holding the mic), who thanked Prof. Pfänder for his engaging lecture.

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