Look up über or über- in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Über (sometimes spelled ueber or uber; German pronunciation: [ˈyːbɐ] ( listen)) comes from the German language. It has one umlaut. It is a cognate of both Latin super and Greek ὑπέρ (hyper). It is also sometimes used as a hyphenated prefix in informal English, usually for emphasis.

In German[link]

In German, über is used as a prefix as well as a word in its own right. Both uses indicate a state or action involving increased elevation or quantity in the physical sense, or superiority or excess in the abstract.

elevation: "überdacht" - roof-covered, roofed, [also: reconsidered, thought over]

quantity: "über 100 Meter" - more than 100 meters, "Überschall" - supersonic

superiority: "überlegen" - (adj) superior, elite, predominant. (verb) to consider

excess: "übertreiben" - to exaggerate, "überfüllt" - overcrowded

Über may be a preposition or an adverb depending on context. E.g. über etwas sprechen - to speak about something, über die Brücke - across the bridge.

Über also translates to over, above, meta, but mainly in compound words. The actual translation depends on context. One example would be Nietzsche's term Übermensch, discussed below; another example is the Deutschlandlied, which begins with the well-known words "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles" meaning "Germany, Germany above everything" (this strophe is not sung anymore, because it is mistaken as meaning "Germany above the rest of the world"; its original meaning was the German nation above its constituent states [Prussia, Hanover, Württemberg etc.]).

The German word unter, meaning beneath or under, is antonymous to über. Unter can be found in words such as Untermensch, U-Bahn (Untergrundbahn = subway), U-Boot (Unterseeboot = submarine), as well as toponyms, such as Unter den Linden.

In English[link]

Origins[link]

The crossover of the term "über" from German into English goes back to the work of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In 1883, Nietzsche coined the term "Übermensch" to describe the higher state to which he felt men might aspire. The term was brought into English by George Bernard Shaw in the title to his 1903 play Man and Superman. During his rise to power, Adolf Hitler adopted Nietzsche's term, using it in his descriptions of an Aryan master race. It was in this context that American Jewish comic book creator Jerry Siegel encountered the term and conceived the 1933 story "The Reign of the Super-Man", in which "Superman" is "an evil mastermind with advanced mental powers".^[1] Throughout the following decade, Siegel, and Joseph Shuster, recast Superman into the iconic American hero he subsequently became. It is through this association with Superman the hero that the term "über" carries much of its English sense implying irresistibility or invincibility.^[2]

Current popular culture[link]

One of the first popular modern uses of the word as a synonym in English for super was a Saturday Night Live TV sketch in 1979. The sketch, What if?, pondered the notion of what if the comic book hero Superman had landed in Nazi Germany when he first came from Krypton. Rather than being called Superman, he took the name of Überman.^[3] The term was also used in an episode of Friends (season 1, episode 5, "The One with the East German Laundry Detergent"), when Ross tries to impress Rachel by showing her that he uses a German laundry detergent called "Überweiss". In the Philippines, a reality show franchise called Pinoy Big Brother has a segment show called Über that features extra scenes and discussions about the housemates and provides edited and comical footage. In the 2002 animated movie "Ice Age" Manfred the mammoth refers to Diego the sabre tooth cat as uber-tracker as they hunt the lone parent of the human baby that the trio has adopted. Quote: "Hey, über-tracker. Up front where I can see you."

During the 2000s, über also became known as a synonym for super due to games and gamers excessively using the word; for example, in the game SSX Tricky, a tricky move is also known as an über-trick. In the video game Team Fortress 2, a playable class called the Medic has a healing gun that can deploy an Übercharge on a teammate which renders both temporarily invulnerable. One of his domination phrases is "I am the Übermensch!". In Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 of PS1, the "Uber Score" is the most difficult score to achieve. In Toy Soldiers, one of the bosses is a giant tank called the "Uber Tank". In Dead Space 2, chapter 14-15 has an unkillable enemy known as the "Ubermorph". In the First person shooter, Team Fortess 2, the medic has a unique ability called "ubercharge" which makes his healing target invincible.

American punk-band Dead Kennedys in 1980 released the song California Über Alles, which plays on the theme of power and corruption through power.

Differences from the German[link]

Spelling[link]

The normal transliteration of the "ü" ('u' with an umlaut) when used in writing systems without diacritics (such as airport arrival boards, older computer systems, etc.) is "ue", not just "u". Because of different usage, the English language version of the word is distinct from "über". It is not possible to translate every English "uber" back into "über": for example, the above-mentioned "uber-left" could not be translated into "Überlinke": a Germanophone would say "linksaußen" ("outside left").

A natural language is defined by common use of words, which dictionaries and academia record, not the reverse. The use of "ü", "u", and "ue" in the word is an emerging trend in common usage in English with no clear consensus.

See also[link]

• Uberfic
• Metal umlaut

References[link]

1. ^ Jewish Virtual Library
2. ^ "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition: "Superman" definition, "Word History" entry". Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 2010. http://www.yourdictionary.com/superman. Retrieved Mar 14, 2011. 
3. ^ What If?, Saturday Night Live Transcripts, Retrieved 2007-11-16

• Hock, Hans Heinrich, and Brian D. Joseph. "Language History, Language Change, and Language Relationship: An Introduction to Historical and Comparative Linguistics. New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 1996.
• Burridge, Kate. Weeds in the Garden of Words: Further Observations on the Tangled History of the English Language. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004, 2005.
• Burridge, Kate. Blooming English: Observations on the Roots, Cultivation and Hybrids in the English Language. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
• Clausing, Stephen. English Influence of American German and American Icelandic. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 1986.
• Savan, Leslie. Slam dunks and No-Brainers: Language in your Life, Media, Business,Politics, and, like, Whatever. New York: Knopf, 2005.
• Stanforth, Anthony W. Deutsche Einflüsse auf den englischen Wortschatz in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Tübingen: Niemeyer, 1996.

Reinhard Mey
Reinhard Mey Live in Hamburg, 1974
Background information
Birth name	Reinhard Friedrich Michael Mey
Also known as	Frédérik Mey (in France)[1] Alfons Yondrascheck[1]
Born	(1942-12-21) December 21, 1942 (age 69) Berlin, Germany
Genres	Folk, chanson, skiffle
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Years active	1965–present
Labels	EMI
Website	www.reinhard-mey.de

Reinhard Friedrich Michael Mey (born December 21, 1942, Berlin) is a German singer-songwriter, known to fans as "Liedermacher". In France he is known as Frédérik Mey.

Mey has released 27 German albums so far by 2009, and consistently releases a new album approximately every two years; his first album was Ich wollte wie Orpheus singen (1967); the most recent studio album is Mairegen (2010). His biggest success to date was Mein Achtel Lorbeerblatt (1972). His most famous song by far is "Über den Wolken" (1974), which has been covered by numerous German artists. Mey is known to embark upon an extensive concert tour every two or three years, with a live album released from each tour.

Biography[link]

Reinhard Mey was born on December 21, 1942, in Berlin, Germany, where he spent his childhood. At the age of twelve, he had his first piano lesson, and at the age of fourteen, he got his first guitar. He taught himself how to play the trumpet. During his school years he gained performance experience by playing Skiffle music with friends. In 1965, Mey was offered the chance to perform at a Liedermacher festival at Waldeck Castle, a converted castle ruin. This led to his first recording contract. In 1961, he became part of the group Les Trois Affamés, with Schobert Scholz.

In 1963, Mey graduated from the French Gymnasium in Berlin, receiving the German Abitur as well as the French Baccalauréat, and thereafter began vocational training as an industrial trader at Schering AG Berlin. He broke off his university studies in economics in order to dedicate himself fully to songwriting and singing, and has been a successful performer in Germany, in France, and in the Netherlands ever since. He has written songs in German, French, Dutch, and Greek. He records his French material under the name of Frédérik Mey. In 1967, he married a French woman named Christine. Their marriage was dissolved in 1976.

Today, Mey lives in Berlin-Frohnau in his second marriage (since 1977) to Hella Hennies (born in Hannover), and had three children in the marriage: Frederik (born November 20, 1976), Maximilian (born January 28, 1982), and Victoria-Luise (born November 19, 1985).

On September 7, 2009 Reinhard Mey revealed in an interview on a German TV talk show that his son Maximilian had been in a persistent vegetative state since March 13, 2009. Undiagnosed severe pneumonia led to a cardio-pulmonary arrest, from which Max was resuscitated after eight minutes of hypoxia. Reinhard Mey and his family remain hopeful about a possible recovery and are focusing their energy on trying to coax Max out of his unresponsive state.

Lyrics and political views[link]

Mey writes both sensitive and humorous songs, with subject matter taken mostly from his everyday life and surroundings.^[2] His themes include life on the road, his hobbies (e.g., flying),^[3] childhood memories, his family life and surroundings, and occasionally politics.^[2] Many of his songs are humorous and demonstrate Mey's extraordinary linguistic versatility. Mey's songs are characterized most by their expressiveness of language and their penetrating melodies.

Mey's politics tend to be moderate to left-leaning. He speaks out in particular for freedom and non-violence, and not only in his songs (for example, he participated in a demonstration at the beginning of 2003 against the coming war in Iraq). Strongly influenced by the French chanson, Mey's political songs were relatively scarce among his works at the beginning, but they have increased in quantity over time, such that there is usually at least one song on each new album that concerns itself with politics. His 2004 album, Nanga Parbat, for example, includes "Alles OK in Guantanamo Bay", a song critical of the U.S. detention facility on the island of Cuba.

For years, Mey has been an avid vegetarian,^[2] and also has been active in the German chapter of the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Several of his songs deal with the theme of prevention of cruelty to animals, the most famous one being "Die Würde des Schweins ist unantastbar" (roughly, "a pig's dignity is inviolable.", echoing the first sentence of the first article of the German constitution)

Theme music[link]

The first bars Reinhard Mey's Gute Nacht, Freunde have been used since 1976 as the beginning of the theme tune for the popular Dutch radio show Met het Oog op Morgen, broadcast every night from 11pm until midnight on Radio 1. After the words "und ein letztes Glas im steh'n" the Mey song fades away and an orchestra takes over.^[4]

Awards[link]

• 1968 Prix International de la Chanson française (the first non-French singer to receive this award)
• 1983 Verdienstkreuz am Bande (Cross of Merit on ribbon)
• 2001 Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (Cross of Merit, First class)

Selected discography[link]

German[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 1967 - Ich wollte wie Orpheus singen
• 1968 - Ankomme Freitag, den 13.
• 1970 - Aus meinem Tagebuch
• 1971 - Ich bin aus jenem Holze
• 1972 - Mein achtel Lorbeerblatt
• 1974 - Wie vor Jahr und Tag
• 1975 - Ikarus
• 1977 - Menschenjunges
• 1979 - Keine ruhige Minute
• 1980 - Jahreszeiten
• 1981 - Freundliche Gesichter
• 1983 - Die Zwölfte
• 1985 - Hergestellt in Berlin
• 1986 - Alleingang
• 1988 - Balladen
• 1990 - Farben
• 1992 - Alles geht
• 1994 - Immer weiter
• 1996 - Leuchtfeuer
• 1998 - Flaschenpost
• 2000 - Einhandsegler
• 2002 - Rüm Hart
• 2004 - Nanga Parbat
• 2007 - Bunter Hund
• 2010 - Mairegen

Live albums[link]

• 1971 - Reinhard Mey live
• 1974 - 20.00 Uhr
• 1978 - Unterwegs
• 1981 - Tournee
• 1984 - Live '84
• 1987 - Die grosse Tournee '86
• 1991 - Mit Lust und Liebe
• 1995 - Zwischen Zürich und zu Haus
• 1997 - Lebenszeichen
• 1999 - Lampenfieber
• 2002 - Solo - Die Einhandsegler Tournee
• 2003 - Klaar Kiming
• 2006 - !ich kann
• 2009 - Danke Liebe Gute Fee

Compilation albums[link]

• 1973 - Mädchen in den Schänken (Compilation of 7" 45rpm singles)
• 1973 - Alles was ich habe
• 1977 - Starportrait
• 1982 - Starportrait 2, Welch ein Geschenk ist ein Lied
• 1987 - Die großen Erfolge
• 1989 - Mein Apfelbäumchen
• 1990 - Die Story (6-CD-Release Bertelsmann Buchclub)
• 1993 - Ich liebe dich
• 1997 - Du bist ein Riese ...
• 2000 - Peter und der Wolf / Tierballaden
• 2003 - Über den Wolken - Lieder aus 4 Jahrzehnten

Singles[link]

• 1965 - Geh und fang den Wind / Drei Lilien (Debut single; German cover version of Donovans "Catch The Wind" under the pseudonym Rainer May)
• 1966 - 25 00 30 Fred Kasulzke protestazki / Frau Pohl / Vertreterbesuch / Ballade / Bauer ich bitt euch (EP)
• 1966 - Die drei Musketiere / Schuttabladeplatz der Zeit / Abgesang / Mein Kanapee (EP)
• 1968 - Diplomatenjagd / Komm, giess mein Glas noch einmal ein
• 1969 - Ich hab' nur Dich gekannt / Der Weg zurück
• 1970 - Die Ballade vom Pfeifer / Ankomme, Freitag, den 13.
• 1970 - In meinem Zimmer fällt leis' der Regen / Ein Krug aus Stein
• 1971 - Die heisse Schlacht am kalten Buffet / Neun... und vorbei
• 1971 - Der Mörder ist immer der Gärtner / Längst geschlossen sind die Läden
• 1972 - Annabelle, ach Annabelle / Bevor ich mit den Wölfen heule
• 1973 - Trilogie auf Frau Pohl / Das Geheimnis im Hefeteig oder der Schuss im Backofen
• 1973 - Aber Deine Ruhe findest Du nicht mehr / Zwei Hühner auf dem Weg nach Vorgestern
• 1974 - Mann aus Alemannia / Über den Wolken
• 1974 - Gute Nacht Freunde / Musikanten sind in der Stadt
• 1974 - Über den Wolken / Der alte Bär ist tot und sein Käfig leer
• 1975 - Es gibt Tage, da wünscht' ich, ich wär' mein Hund / Es bleibt eine Narbe zurück
• 1975 - Hab Erdöl im Garten / Ich bin Klempner von Beruf
• 1977 - Ist mir das peinlich / Mein erstes graues Haar
• 1977 - Einen Antrag auf Erteilung eines Antragsformulars / Menschenjunges
• 1978 - Daddy Blue / Alles ist gut
• 1979 - Keine ruhige Minute / Dieter Malinek, Ulla und ich
• 1979 - Dr. Nahtlos, Dr. Sägeberg und Dr. Hein / Was weiss ich schon von Dir?
• 1980 - Wir sind lauter arme, kleine Würstchen / Freunde, lasst uns trinken
• 1980 - Sommermorgen / Bei Ilse und Willi auf'm Land
• 1981 - Müllmänner-Blues / Das Leben ist ...
• 1983 - Was in der Zeitung steht / Ich würde gern einmal in Dresden singen
• 1983 - Hilf mir / Ich habe nie mehr Langeweile
• 1984 - Rundfunkwerbung-Blues
• 1984 - Frohe Weihnacht / Alles ist so schön verpackt
• 1985 - Lasst sie reisen / Ich grüsse ...
• 1990 - Alle Soldaten woll'n nach Haus'
• 1986 - Nein, meine Söhne geb' ich nicht
• 1992 - Das Etikett (Promo-Single)
• 1994 - 51er Kapitän
• 1996 - Lilienthals Traum
• 1998 - Die 12 Weihnachtstage (Adaptation of the British Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas") / Willst Du Dein Herz mir schenken
• 2000 - Einhandsegler
• 2000 - Ich bring' Dich durch die Nacht (Promo-Single)

With other artists[link]

• 1986 - Ein Loch in der Kanne (Live with Rainhard Fendrich)
• 1996 - Liebe, Schnaps & Tod (with Hannes Wader and Klaus Hoffmann)
• 1999 - Einfach abhau'n, einfach geh'n (Maxi-CD, with Ina Deter)
• 2003 - Mey, Wader, Wecker - Das Konzert (live with Hannes Wader and Konstantin Wecker)

DVDs[link]

• 2003 - Klaar Kiming
• 2009 - Danke liebe gute Fee

British albums[link]

• 1970 - One Vote for tomorrow

French albums[link]

Studio[link]

• 1970 - Frédérik Mey, Vol. 1
• 1972 - Frédérik Mey, Vol. 2
• 1974 - Frédérik Mey, Vol. 3
• 1976 - Frédérik Mey, Vol. 4
• 1979 - Frédérik Mey, Vol. 5
• 1982 - Frédérik Mey, Vol. 6
• 2005 - Frédérik Mey, Vol. 7 - douce France

Live[link]

• 1976 - Recital Frédérik Mey à l'Olympia
• 1979 - Bobino

Dutch albums[link]

• 1975 - Als de dag van toen
• 1976 - Er zijn dagen ...

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official homepage of Reinhard Mey
• Reinhard Mey - www.laut.de
• Source of many Reinhard Mey's recordings

Volker Pispers
Volker Pispers on September 7, 2006
Born	(1958-01-18)January 18, 1958 Mönchengladbach-Rheydt
Medium	Kabarett, books, radio
Nationality	German
Years active	1983 – present
Genres	Observational comedy, Wit/Word play, Political satire, Black comedy
Subject(s)	German culture, German language, German and American politics
Website	www.volker-pispers.de (german)

Volker Pispers (born January 18, 1958 in Mönchengladbach-Rheydt) is a German Kabarett artist, who is well known for his political satire.^[1] His comic style includes drastic and sometimes sarcastic commentary on current events, especially about the political situation in Germany but also about the politics of the United States since 9/11 and during the Iraq War.

Biography[link]

After his Abitur, Pispers moved to Bonn and later Münster where he studied english studies, theology and pedagogy. From 1979 to 1980 he worked as a foreign language assistant in England, where he developed a liking for black comedy.

After returning to Germany, he worked as a member of several children's theatre and cabaret arrangements. His first solo program, Kabarette sich, wer kann, first opened in 1983. In the same year he finished his education and started working as an English teacher. In 1990 he became a member of the ensemble of the Kom(m)ödchen in Düsseldorf and later on its artistic director. However, in 1991, he gave up this position to tour Germany with his solo programs. Over the 1990s he received a number of awards and became a well-known figure in German political cabaret.

In 2002 he first went on tour with his program ...bis neulich ("...until recently"), which was originally conceived as a Best of of his twenty years in cabaret. It was extremely successful and made him a lot more popular, especially due to his harsh criticism of the Bush administration and the Iraq War, which were very unpopular in Germany at the time. Due to its huge success, Pispers continues to tour Germany with the program, which he frequently updates according to recent developments. He has also become a staunch critic of capitalism.

He currently lives in Düsseldorf-Oberkassel in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Works[link]

Books[link]

• 1996: Volkerkunde
• 2001: Gefühlte Wirklichkeiten
• 2003: Volkerkunde (Anniversary Edition)

CDs[link]

• 1995: Frisch gestrichen
• 1996: Ein Wort ergab das andere
• 1999: Damit müssen Sie rechnen (2 CDs)
• 2000: Update 2000 – Damit müssen Sie rechnen (2 CDs)
• 2002: … bis neulich (2 CDs)
• 2004: … bis neulich 2004 … aktualisierte Fassung (2 CDs)
• 2007: Kabarett Sampler: 3. Politischer Aschermittwoch (2 CDs)
• 2007: … bis neulich 2007… live in Bonn (2 CDs)
• 2009: Volker Pispers live 2009 (2 CDs)
• 2010: … bis neulich 2010 … aktualisierte Fassung (2 CDs)
• 2012: … live 2012 (2 CDs)

DVDs[link]

• 2004: live in Berlin. … bis neulich (Live in Berlin)
• 2007: … bis neulich 2007… live in Bonn
• 2010: … bis neulich 2010…

Awards[link]

• 1988 – (Mönchen)-Gladbach satire award
• 1989 – Kulturpreis der Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Rheinland (Sponsorship award)
• 1996 – Mindener Stichling; Deutscher Kleinkunstpreis (cabaret category)
• 1998 – Memminger Maul; Kleinkunstmaske Garching; Gaul von Niedersachsen
• 2000 – AZ-Stern des Jahres of Abendzeitung aus München
• 2003 – Obernburger Ehrenmühlstein
• 2004 – Bocholter Pepperoni
• 2005 – Cabaret award „Knurrhahn“ sponsored by the city of Wilhelmshaven; Deutscher Kabarettpreis (Main award)
• 2006 – Bayerischer Kabarettpreis (Main award)
• 2007 – Morenhovener Lupe

References[link]

External links[link]

• Volker Pispers at the Internet Movie Database
• Volker Pispers in the German National Library catalogue (German)
• Homepage of Volker Pispers (German)
• Theater Kontor: Agency and tour dates (German)
• Volker Pispers at con anima publishers

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Wolfgang Bosbach
Wolfgang Bosbach (2012)
Member of the Bundestag
Incumbent
Assumed office 1994
Personal details
Born	(1952-06-11) 11 June 1952 (age 60) Bergisch Gladbach, West Germany
Nationality	German
Political party	Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
Alma mater	University of Cologne
Profession	Lawyer
Website	www.wobo.de

Wolfgang Bosbach (born 11 June 1952 in Bergisch Gladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German politician and member of the conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which he joined in 1972. A lawyer by profession, Bosbach is a partner at Winter, Jansen & Lamsfuß in Bergisch Gladbach. Bosbach has been a directly elected member of the Bundestag since 1994, and the deputy parliamentary group leader of his party since 2000.

External links[link]

• Official website (German)

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