Sunday, March 13, 2016

#6 Industrialization and Economic Development

                                               NGOs and Community Development 

Sister cities are cities that are twined with each other and form a partnership. Nowadays, more than 2000 cities and states are partnered in 136 countries around the world. These partnerships promote economic development, cultural tolerance, and global cooperation. They help especially the poorer or less developed cities in improving their economies and introducing new projects and technologies.

Before creating a plan for town Teniente Morales in Paraguay, I would need to know mostly about the economic situation of inhabitants and what kinds of jobs they have. Also, The other important things I would need to know is how far away they live from clear water, what kinds of work they have and if most of them are farmers, are they mainly sustainable.

To help this community I would mostly focus on education. A small library with textbooks would provide more opportunities to people and their futures. People who don't have access to education could use these books so that they could can attain a better quality of life and escape the poverty. Many schools in lower developed countries lack a lot of books and this supply of books could solve the problem especially when libraries are located in major cities than in small villages.

With 25, 000 dollars I would transform one of the buildings in villages into a small library.
I would buy four bookshelves, each for $400, so the total cost would be $1600. The information desk for the worker would cost $2500  and the rest I would invest in books. The rest of money, $20 900 I would spend on the books and for resupplying them. The books would be on many different topics ranging from primary education to further education. Some of them would teach children writing and maths, the others would be about medicine, economy, and any other field people would want to study. These books could be borrowed any time and then they would be returned so that other people can use them. There would be one worker in the library either coming from the village or changing workers coming from other countries. They could be volunteers or NGO would pay some money for the work.

This project would give a lot of opportunities for people to learn and help them to get other professions than farming. They would also help the local school in teaching the children. With this access to education, people could develop further projects and be inspired to help their community in reducing the poverty.

Later, the foundation could be made in Salzburg to collect money for new books and eventually for a bigger building for library. The money would be collected in Salzburg and for this money books would be bought and sent to Teniente Morales and materials for building a library would be bought locally.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

#5 EU Regulations for Dairy Production

                                     Regulations Placed on Milk Production in Austria



Austria is a big producer of dairy products. Around 32 850 Austrian farmers produce high quality milk products. The milk and dairy production help to conserve the natural landscape. Without cows, the preservation of grass in Alpine regions wouldn't be possible. A lot of milk is organic and in 2014 the quantity of milk produced reached 3.5 million tones.

The dairy policy of Europe is developing and encouraging the producers to be more market-orientated since 1960s. It helps to create stable market conditions in EU for dairy producers. It operates in 3 areas: using trade, making direct payments to farmers, and internal market supports.
EU keeps relatively high tariffs on dairy products to sustain the market price.

There is a variety of systems concerned in milk marketing. Some of the farmers sell their milk to dairy processors but in Austria many direct their milk to consumers, as well.
The milk quota system was developed in Europe, in 1984 and it set a limit on the amount of milk produced per year. If the farmer produces more milk than allowed, he/she gets financial penalty.

The prices of milk are based on few factors, such as: world dairy product prices, supply and demand in EU, the fluxion of currency exchange, quality requirements and demand for certain products, support for dairy market and farmers, and the competition within food chain.

Among the main producers of milk products in Austria are: Alma and SalzburgerLand located in the Salzburg area:



Cows in Austria contribute to the natural landscape and grass preservation. They graze on the fields and eat grass. The cow manure helps the grass to grow and is also used for fertilizing the land. During summer, the cows are on the mountain regions and in fall the are herded back to mountain valleys. This event and their safe home coming is celebrated in Tirol regions and is called the Cattle Drives.



Folk Festival- Cattle Drives, celebrating safe home-coming of Austrian cows


Normally, cows are milked around twice a day. The milking machines are used that can milk many cows at the same time.  It's called the Automatic Milking System (AMS).  The use of this system is increasing and can be evaluated for its effect on cow welfare.
The milk can be directly sold to customers. Around the place I live there are milk automats in which you can buy fresh milk directly from cows. It is usually transported to the producers such as SalzburgerLand. Some produce their own dairy products such as cheese and butter.
The average price for milk is 1 euro.




cows grazing on the fields during summer


Tuesday, February 2, 2016

#4 Political Geography of Salzburg - Internet research


                                            Political Geography of Austria and Salzburg


People settled Austria since pre historic times. In 14 BC the Romans invaded the area creating the cities that exist today: Vindobona (Vienna), Juvavum (Salzburg), Valdidena (Innsbruck), and Brigantum (Vienna). Later, after the Roman Empire fell,  Austria became a part of Charlamagne's empire until it joined the Holy Roman Empire in 10th century. The political geography of Salzburg and Austria also changed significantly throughout the last 100 years. Some of the most important moments and changes of Austria are the changes in the borders, type of government, and occupation.

During the WWI, Austria-Hungary allied with Germany, Italy, and Turkey and these countries were known as Central Powers. In 1918, the Central Powers were defeated and Austria-Hungary disintegrated. It was reduced and it covered its German speaking parts.The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Trianon established the new borders of Austria and Hungary. Austria also wasn't allowed to form any deals or alliances with Germany without the control of League of Nations. It established itself as federal republic.


source: Wikipedia, Austria-Hungary and the territory after dissolution

In 1938, on March 12, Hitler announced Anschluss. Anschluss is a union of Austria with Germany – the smaller country became a part of greater German territory. Some sources, however, consider it not a union but annexation. When Hitler rose to power, Austria was less eager to join Germany but Hitler dreamt of this union because he originally came from Austria. The government of the smaller country was pressured for this union, even though Hitler promised its sovereignty. Finally, the rise of Nazi party in Austria and nazi officials appointed to government, helped him to establish the Anschluss. He gained 99.7 percent of approval. Many people were afraid to vote "no" because they could easily be discovered. The Nazi occupation of Austria marked the oppression of Jews and their emigration. Many Jews wanted to pay anything in order to leave the country and the Nazis took advantage of it. They took their valuables and money offering them freedom to leave. Austria gave the Nazis a good position and advantage during the WWII. Soon, Hitler started the occupation of Czechoslovakia which was the neighbor of Austria.






source: http://gooring.tripod.com/goo19.html, Map representing Anschluss- Austria in union with Germany

Post World War II Allied Zoning of Austria lasted 10 years, from 1945 to 1955. At the beginning, Austria was considered a part of German state but later it was decided by the Allied Powers that the country was the first victim of Nazis (because of Anschluss) during the WWII. Austria, just like Germany, was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and France. Vienna was divided but its center was controlled evenly by the council of Allied Powers. The occupation forces in Vienna changed every month.
The Soviet Army that came to control Austria, at the beginning, earned a reputation of violent due to its assaults. According to Austrian police records, there was a lot of criminality and many soldiers were often drunk. At that time, the Soviet governors restricted the size of Austrian police. The Soviets also assumed control of oil in their zone of occupation.
On July 1945, the Allied Powers decided on the occupation borders. Voralrberg and North Tyrol were occupied by French; Salzburg and Upper Austria were assigned to the USA; East Tyrol, Carinthia and Styria were assigned to British; and Burgenland, Lower Austria, and Muhlviertel to the Soviet zone. 

source: http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont_USFA.htm, The map shows four occupation zones in Austria during 10 years

In 1955, at the end of occupation, Austria declared permanent neutrality. On 15 May the Austrian State Treaty was signed, giving the freedom to the country, freeing it from the occupying troops. The permanent neutrality became a part of the constitution. 

Today, Austria has a federal government and it's composed of the Chancellor-leader of the government, Vice-Chancellor, ministers, and president with government forming executive branch. Since Austria is a federal republic, it's made up of nine states (on the map). Each state elects legislature, state government, and governor. Elections are held once every five years. 
The citizen living in Salzburg on Moosstrasse would live in Salzburg state. He or she would be entitled to human rights, such as rights of the workers to form labor unions and he or she would have a possibility to participate in elections (from the age of 16). Also, from the age of 18 he or she could stand at elections (except for president who has to be 35 years old or older).


source: http://www.kidsnet.at/llaender/austria.htm, States of Austria


Monday, December 14, 2015

#3 Folk Culture



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                                                     Traditional Clothing in Salzburg

Traditional clothing is often one of the interesting aspects of a country's culture. it's often associated with region and represents cultural identity. In Salzburg, this clothing consists of Dirndlkleid which is a dress, Lederhosen which are breeches, and Joppe which is a jacket. They used to be worn mainly in rural areas for physical work. The dresses and breeches were plain without many decorations. On special occasions such as holidays, people wore more elaborate clothing. Dirndl, for example was made of silk, brocade or velvet. In the middle of 19th century, the clothing also became popular among the tourists. Now, many shops can be found in Salzburg selling the original traditional costumes. There are also souvenir shops which sell their cheaper versions or clothing similar/based on the traditional for the wider range of tourists.

The Dirndl consists of a blouse, bodice, full skirt falling below the knee, and apron.
Accessories include silk scarves and waistcoats.
Lederhosen are breeches made of leather and they usually are short or knee-lenght.
The Tyrolean hat is also sold in Salzburg and it comes from Tirol.


In Salzburg, I noticed people from all age groups wearing these clothes: from very young children to elders. Most of them I found during Rupertikirtag and on other special occasions like weddings and concerts, and holidays. I also noticed that people in small villages wear them quite often, also during usual Sundays.  People wearing these costumes mainly come from Austria or Germany, especially from the regions surrounding Salzburg. I think that people from all economic situations wear this because the clothes, even though they are often expensive, are very well made and can be worn for a long time. People also enjoy wearing them often, on many different occasions. For example, recently I found few women on an advent concert wearing the dresses and also an elderly couple wearing these clothes in town.



I visited few different shops on Getreidegasse and Goldgasse. I noticed that most of them are located in the center of Salzburg, especially in the old town. I think that the reason for this location is based on the amount of tourists visiting these areas. I also visited a souvenir shop to compare the original clothing with its cheap adaptations. This shop was located near Getreidegasse as well.

Getreidegasse

Goldgasse


I noticed a big difference between the quality of original Dirndl, Lederhosen, and Joppe and their cheaper version in souvenir shop. The original ones were made from silk, cotton, wool, leather, and felt. The ones from the souvenir shop were made of cheap materials, mostly from polyester. The original clothes are handmade in Austria and some of the materials, such as wool, are also coming from Austria. It is possible that many of these items are made in Salzburg or in the area. They have, therefore, high quality and are far more expensive than the adaptations of these clothes in souvenir shops. The clothes that I found in the souvenir shop were labeled as "made specially for Europe". There was nothing mentioned about their real origin but I think that most likely they were made in China, probably massively produced. This increases their availability for more tourists but you can see the difference between them and original pieces and they also have worse quality. Unlike the original clothes, they won't last that long. 
In the souvenir shop, the blouse part of the dress costed around 40 euros. Similar prize was for the adaptations of Lederhosen. The whole outfit wouldn't cost more than 100 euros.
The original clothes were expensive. The dresses costed around 300 euros and the breeches 600 euros. The cheapest dress I found costed 190 euros. Most of the coats costed around 400 euros. 

Souvenir shop






Scarves seen outside the shop.
They became later also a part of the traditional
clothing in Salzburg and are often bought by tourists.

Blouse based on Dirndl in the souvenir shop.
Blouse seen inside with the label "made specially for EU"


Adaptation of Lederhosen

Price of the adaptation of Lederhosen
Attire for children in souvenir shop



Original Dirndls





One of the shops seen outside
Vests and Joppe

Price of Lederhosen, 600 euros

Coats and Dirndls


          


Prices for the woman's attire
One of the displays

                                                                                  

One of the shops
Price of the coat
One of the shops from outside
material of coats and Joppe


The traditional clothes became again more popular throughout the years, especially since the beginning of tourism in 19th century. Many tourists come to Salzburg and they are often interested in them because they are one of the most characteristic parts of the culture of that regions. The musical "The Sound of Music"from 1959 also contributed to the popularity of these clothes. Many fashion designers, such as Vivienne Westwood got interested in this clothing and recommend people to wear it. They also create new pieces of clothing based of the traditional ones. 
Many people coming from Salzburg and region like to wear these clothes also because they are their unique cultural identity in their nation, a tradition that they shared for many years and still want to follow. 

Monday, November 2, 2015

#2 Population and Migration

                               How International Migration Affects the Urban Landscape


Salzburg has around 20 000 immigrants. Every year new immigrants come to Austria to seek economic opportunities. Their adaptation to the new surroundings changes and affects the urban landscape. It is mostly visible in the part of the city were immigrants live together. They often choose to live together to preserve their culture and to find in those areas cheaper apartments. The immigrants set up there shops with food and clothes, restaurants, clubs, and other services that are often based on their culture and have goods imported from their countries. This activity is an example of cultural diffusion.

The first place that we observed was a Turkish Consulate. It is located on Strubergasse. It serves as a representation of Turkey in Austria. It helps turkish immigrants solve their problems, secure their rights in a foreign country, and it also provides safety.

Turkish Consulate on Google Maps



Turkish Consulate


The other facilities were located on Ignaz-Harrer Straße. There was an Indian restaurant, shop with   clothes, and an Islamic Center with mosque

Satellite image of Ignaz-Harrer Straße
                                        
The immigrants coming from India often choose to go to an Indian restaurant like this because they are accustomed to eating this kind of food in their country. Sometimes they can't buy all the food products in Salzburg from India and cook their traditional food, so they go to this restaurant to eat it. Some of the people also can't or don't want to adapt completely to the Austrian food and this restaurant is their alternative. They also simply might prefer to eat their traditional food.

Indian restaurant

The clothing shop sells shawls and clothing which, for most of the muslim immigrants, are an important part of their culture. They are also associated with their laws and religion. These clothes are an example of basic needs acquired by the immigrants.

Shop with clothes
The Islamic Center contains mosque which is an important place of worship for the muslims. It's where the people can meet and pray and in this way preserve some of their traditions. 

Islamic Center
The last place we observed was an internet cafe located next to Hauptbahnhof. Not all of the immigrants have access to internet because of for example economic problems. It is also a place where they can meet and talk. They can also connect with their home country and learn what's happening there.
Entrance to the internet cafe
Other places we saw were:
kebab restaurant
grocery shop with food from around the world

Afro shop















Tuesday, October 6, 2015

#1 The Labyrinth

                                           The Labyrynth, Landeskrankenshaus



On Google maps you have the possibility to view the labryinth in two-dimensional form, as a satellite image.

satellite image, Google maps- labyrinth seen from above


 When I went to see it for the first time, my impression of it completely changed:
  • The perspective became different  because it wasn't anymore a flat representation of a labyrinth.
  •  I could expierience it on my own through using my senses and actually walking through it. 
  • Walking through it made me also think about it. I was paying attention to how it was constructed and how it organized the space.
  • I think that it can be considered a ground truthing because I was inspecting this terrain, making observations, and collecting informations about it.
  •  It was also different from most of the labiryths I saw. It was completely flat and the paths were separated by grass, while the other labirynths I saw had high walls, usually made from bushes. From my path I could see the destination, which was the middle. On other labirynths I never saw the destantion until I reached it. It was different from what I expected.   
This labyrinth was an interesting composition. It was a quite a long path organized or compressed into a small amount of space. The destination was the middle which could constantly be seen from every part of the labirynth. When I was walking through it, I had an impression that I was very close to the middle but the path was constantly leading me away from it. Only after a while I was able to reach the destination. It is made of stone and grass and there is a stone slab next to it with "the way of truth" written on it.

Labyrinth could be seen as a map because it organizes space, includes a specific path and the destination. Maps usually help you to find destination and lead you to it, just like this labyrinth does. They describe and represent the terrain. Labyrinth makes you think about space and how it is organized. It can tell you how some things have to be placed within a small amount of space and how the space is going to be used. It can be related, for example, to the population or buildings that often also have to fit into a certain or limited  amount of space.

The geographical imagination is how we think and how we structure our knowledge of space. We make up maps in our minds with characteristic features that we remember very well. We apply them to find our final destination. These mind maps are never exactly accurate but they help us find desired place and they help us find ourselves within our world. This imagination gives us also an impression of a place.

Labyrinth represents the complexity of human minds and imaginations. It leads us through a certain path to the destination. We also use geographical imagination to find a specific place . Through this imagination, we also organize the space. We make up maps in our heads that we will be able to use then all the time. We pay attention to the easily recognized or remembered features and use them to describe the place or find the destination. The labyrinth is also used to represent knowledge. We use geographical imagination to organize our knowledge of world and the way we perceive it.




part of the labyrinth

labyrinth, Landeskrankenhaus