Happy Birthday: 60 Years North Rhine-Westphalia

For those, who are not really aware of the various (independent) historic states in Germany, Interactive Map of North Rhine - Westphalia might be interesting.


Copied/pasted from that:



If the political situation today would be the same as in 1789, I was born in the Dukedom Westphalia (part of the Electorate of Cologne - "Geseke", yellow arrow) and live now in the Bishopric of Münster (marked in red).
Lippstadt, my village is part of today, was in those days a "condonium" = a town, owned by two countries (Dukedom of Berg [later Prussia] and Principality of Lippe.

Interesting little topic with a great deal of information there Walt. Thank you.


Congratulations on your Home States 60th as well.


Just as a matter of interest, what are the main exports from Germany today?

Happy '60'[/b][/size], Walter and Neighbors!

From America to Germany, a birthday song:

Westphalia Waltz Lyrics

Westphalia Texas Waltz
Lyrics by: Mickey Newbury

He said to her My little darlin',
You're as lovely as I did recall,
and her eyes brightly sparkled like diamonds,
as her tears started slowly to fall.
Oh yes I can clearly remember,
he said with a slow Texas drawl,
and she smiled as she softly surrendered,
to the strains of the Westphalia Waltz.
Instrumental till key change up:
He stood as the sun in the mornin',
rose up on Wichita Falls,
and there in the dim light she watched,
as he sauntered on off down the hall,
Oh yes I can clearly remember,
he said with a slow Texas drawl,
and she smiled as she softly surrendered,
to the strains of the Westphalia Waltz,
Instrumental till final verse:
Oh yes I can clearly remember,
that night and San Antone Rose,
she smiled as she softly surrendered,
to the strains of the Westphalia Waltz.

Brave Combo. :wink:

Thank you, Letty, for that wonderful tune, the Westphalia Waltz!

(Any Rhinish polka?) :wink:

i'm familiar with westphalia (NRW today) through "Baron Gisbert von Bomberg " (also known as "der tolle bomberg") , a somewhat more modern "muenchhausen" , i believe .

a book about his life was one of my favourite ones as a boy - and i brought it with me to canada and still read it now and then .



if he'd still be around , he'd have quite a party !
so here's a big "happy birthday" to all of westphalia , walter and "der tolle bomberg" !
hbg

btw even though the picture shows him wearing a (prussian ) uniform , in the book he is usually portrayed as wearing civvies .

Just happen to have one handy, Walter. Tried to find the German lyrics by Rosmunda without much success:

English lyrics
There's a garden, what a garden,
Only happy faces bloom there
And there's never any room there
For a worry or a gloom there.
Oh! there's music and there's dancing
And a lot of sweet romancing
When they play a polka
They all get in the swing:


Ev'ry time they hear that oom-pa-pa
Ev'rybody feels so tra-la-la
They want to throw their cares away
They all go lah-de-ah-de-ay,
Then they hear a rumble on the floor
It's the big surprise they're waiting for
And all the couples form a ring
For miles around you'll hear them sing


Chorus:

Roll out the barrel
We'll have a barrel of fun
Roll out the barrel
We've got the blues on the run.
Zing! Boom! Ta-ra-rel
Ring out a song of good cheer!
Now's the time to roll the barrel
For the gang's all here.