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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">===========================================<br>
L O W L A N D S - L - 22 September 2008 - Volume 03<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><br>
From: <span class="ep8xu"><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 104, 28);">Luc Hellinckx</span></span></span><span class="hccdpe"> </span><span class="ldacoc"><<a href="mailto:luc.hellinckx@gmail.com">luc.hellinckx@gmail.com</a>></span><br>
Subject: <span class="hccdpe">LL-L "Events"</span><br>
<br>
To whom it may concern,<br>
<br>
Upcoming Dutch/Flemish cultural festival in Berlin: <a href="http://flachlandfest.de/" target="_blank">http://flachlandfest.de/</a><br>
<br>
Too bad that Northern Germany was left out of the picture. To my knowledge,
flachland-culture doesn't stop at the "Pale".<br>
<br>
Kind greetings,<span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"><br>
<br>
Luc Hellinckx</span><br>
<br>
----------<br>
<br>
From: R. F. Hahn <<a href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">sassisch@yahoo.com</a>><br>
Subject: Events<br>
<br>
Thanks, Luc.<br>
<br>
What you're seeing there is typical of the average view in Germany. It is
also consistent with European attitudes that compartmentalize cultures by
political boundaries. It'll take a while for this to go away, if it ever will. It is
disheartening when organizations of younger people perpetuate such outmoded
views.<br>
<br>
Obviously, the entire northern half of Germany
is <i>Flachland</i> ("flat land") and is on an old cultural and
linguistic continuum with the "Low Countries" (today's Belgium and Netherlands),
thus in this regard ought to be seen as a part of the "Low
Countries". The fact that many people do not see it as such
(which to northern "extremists" may seem like an insult) is the
result of long-time Germanization.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
Reinhard/Ron</span></p>
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