German-speaking Area Research Articles

Women ‘s perception on the quality of maternal and newborn care during the COVID-19 pandemic in German-speaking countries: Findings from the IMAgiNE EURO project comparing data from Germany, Switzerland and Austria

ProblemRestrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic compromised maternal and newborn care. BackgroundCountries in the German speaking area share several clinical care guidelines but differed significantly in the strictness of COVID-19 protective measures. AimTo investigate the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the German-speaking area and explore associations between the reorganisational changes due to COVID-19 and QMNC, as described with WHO Standards-based Quality Measures. MethodsAs part of the IMAgiNE EURO study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04847336), we conducted an online survey on the QMNC in the German-speaking area, including women who gave birth in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Descriptive statistics, Spearman rank correlation coefficient and multivariable quantile regression were used. FindingsOut of a total of 70,721 women accessing the online questionnaire, 1,875 were included (Germany: n = 1,053, Switzerland: n = 494, Austria: n = 328). Significant differences across countries were found in Quality Measures. In Switzerland, women scored Quality Measures more favourable than in Germany and Austria in all four sub-indexes of QMNC. In Austria, Quality Measures gaps in the sub-index ‘Experience of care’ were higher. The sub-index ‘Reorganisational changes due to COVID-19′ correlated weakly to strongly with the other sub-indexes (between r = 0.33 and r = 0.62, p < 0.001 for all correlations). DiscussionMidwives and other health professional should pay particular attention to the provision of respectful, high-quality care. ConclusionTo effectively improve QMNC, further research is essential to monitor the quality of care and develop targeted interventions beyond the COVID-19 pandemic addressing inherent challenges in the organisation and delivery of care.

Rediscovering History: The Revival of the Cluj Pharmacy Museum

Among the oldest known public pharmacies in Transylvania, established by city magistrates and operated by tenant pharmacists, are those in the most important and wealthiest towns of the Transylvanian Saxons: Sibiu [German: Hermannstadt, Hungarian: Nagyszeben] (1494), Brașov [German: Kronstadt, Hungarian: Brassó] (1512), and Bistrița [German: Bistritz, Hungarian: Beszterce] (1516). Those pharmacy foundations are based on models from the German-speaking area. The same applies to the third largest city in Transylvania, although the establishment of the first municipal pharmacy in Cluj [German: Klausenburg, Hungarian: Kolozsvár] is not documented, but the existence of this is suggested by the fact that Wolfgang Theke, a pharmacist from Buda (today: Budapest), moved first to Brașov, then to Sibiu, and later to Cluj in 1543.

Dialektwandel als Systemwandel: Die Genuskongruenz bei den Numeralien zwei und drei in den deutschen Dialekten und darüber hinaus

Abstract This paper investigates the gender agreement behavior of the cardinal numbers two and three in various German(ic) dialects in attributive function using a corpus of dialect grammars and linguistic atlases. In contrast to previous studies which have investigated certain regions, this paper focuses the entire German-speaking area. The results show diatopic differences in gender agreement depending on the numeral as well as certain tendencies in its development through a comparison of the two datasets. The paper closes with a discussion of the differences between the standard language and the dialects, and proposes that the loss of gender agreement was set in motion by dialect sound mergers.

"Who cares about us?" Results of a cross-sectional study on the psychosocial health of obstetricians and midwives after traumatic birth experiences

Traumatic births not only cause emotional stress for expectant parents but can also affect the psychosocial health of midwives and obstetricians due to their professional demands. To evaluate the impact of traumatic birth experiences on the psychosocial health of obstetric healthcare professionals. A cross-sectional study using validated measurement tools (Impact of Event Scale Revised IES-R, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory CBI) and assessing post-traumatic growth (PGI-SF) through an online survey of midwives and obstetricians in German-speaking areas. The study included 700 participants with peripartum and/or personal traumas. Of the 528 participants who completed the IES-R, 33 (6.3%) with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) received less support from colleagues (p = 0.007) and were more likely to experience workplace consequences (p < 0.001) than participants without PTSD. A moderate to high level of burnout was found in 66.2% of the 542 participants who completed the CBI. Personal growth through experiencing trauma was reported by 75.9% of the 528 participants who completed the PGI-SF. The psychosocial health of midwives and obstetricians is at risk due to traumatic birth experiences. Screening tests and the provision of collegial and professional debriefings to strengthen resilience are essential preventive interventions.

Love and Emotions in Pietist Hymnography—From the Past to Us: Musical Examples

This study aims to analyze, through religious hymns in the German-speaking area from the early 18th century, the influence that the Pietist theological movement, starting from Philipp Jacob Spener’s Pia Desideria, had on the centralization of the self in the Protestant religious world, through the introduction of personal feelings of love towards God. On the one hand, the origins of Pietism can already be traced back to the late 16th century in areas affected by the radical reforms of the Anabaptists. On the other hand, it is from the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century that this theological and spiritual movement destabilized orthodox Lutheranism in some symbolic cities of Protestant Germany, such as Frankfurt am Main, Halle, and the Duchy of Westphalia, up to Moravia. The extensive publication of hymnals and musical compendia for the use of individuals, lay groups (collegia pietatis), faith communities, and churches denotes a fervor and a desire to preach their way of “practicing” spirituality, which greatly contrasts with both orthodox Lutheranism and the prevailing rationalism in the religious and philosophical sphere in Germany of the mid-18th century. For the first time since the Reformation, Lutheranism saw the use, in the theology of the preached and sung Word, of personal feelings and emotions that connect the individual with God, who is made an object of individual as well as collective worship. This was one of the most significant accusations that came from the University of Wittenberg against Pietism, namely the shift of theological and spiritual focus from the centrality of God to the centrality of the self, which manifests its faith through the most intimate emotions and feelings. Through the analysis of some examples taken from hymnographic and theological production, centered on the individual feelings of the believer, this article focuses on how this influenced the religious revival movements that would pervade England and the United States of America for more than two centuries (from the First Great Awakening in the late 18th century to the Pentecostal movements of the 20th century), with a spotlight on Italian hymnody during the Risorgimento.

„Et fehlt dä Ruhrpott, verstehste!“. Dialekt als Stance-Ressource in der digitalen Interaktion

Abstract This article sheds light on the functionality of dialect performance in digital writing on Instagram. Within an interactional-sociolinguistic framework, two Instagram posts (by aroundtheword; responsible: ZDF) which deal with the German-speaking dialect area including follow-up communication (1,068 comments) are analysed. The main research questions guiding this article are (1) for what specific purpose dialect is used in the analysed Instagram comments and (2) which functional patterns of dialect use can be identified in this form of digital interaction. The corpus study presented follows a mixed methods approach and thus integrates descriptive quantitative and qualitative analyses. In theoretical and methodological terms, the study is based on widely accepted models of stance research (Du Bois 2007) as well as media and internet linguistic concepts (Beißwenger 2020). From this theoretical perspective, Instagram communication is investigated as a (typical) format of a digital and interaction-orientated stance practice. The present study provides insights into the stance potential of dialect performance: it not only serves as a marker of authenticity and a resource for identity construction (referring to regionality) but is also an essential means of community building (as part of alignment) and epistemic-evidential positioning.

HALF A CENTURY OF PROGRESS IN CONTROLLING

The science of controlling has made significant advances in recent decades. Managerial accounting, linked to financial accounting, has evolved to bring together the accounting and planning of costs and results, permeating the entire activity of the company, from finance to production, sales, marketing, human resources processes, satisfying the growing information needs of management. In the development of controlling, a distinction can be made between trends specific to the Anglo-Saxon and German-speaking areas. The basic difference is that the Anglo-Saxon approach sees controlling as an integral part of management, with the main task of helping to allocate resources efficiently. The German approach, on the other hand, sees controlling as an independent information-producing tool, a separate organisational unit, on the basis of which the various planning and control processes of management are implemented. Common to both approaches is that controlling is not limited to operational management areas but is increasingly extended to strategic levels, thus helping to improve corporate performance effectively.

The S3 Guideline on the Treatment of Language Development Disorders: Summary of Recommendations

The S3 Guideline on the Treatment of Language Development Disorders: Summary of Recommendations Abstract: The German S3 Guidelines on the Treatment of Developmental Speech and Language Disorders (AWMF: No. 049-015) were published on the AWMF homepage at the end of 2022. The German Society for Phoniatrics and Paedaudiologie coordinated the work and developed the guideline text together with linguists and speech and language therapists. Many scientific medical societies consented to the respective recommendations. For the first time in the German-speaking area, the guideline group reviewed international research results on the treatment of various speech and language disorders and formulated evidence- or consensus-based recommendations for clinical care. The present article summarizes these recommendations and evaluates the guidelines from the perspective of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy.

“With utmost caution and restraint.” The making of Roman Catholic sex education in the German-speaking area, 1900s to 1930s

ABSTRACT While the emergence of sex education in the early 20th century is well studied, religious reactions to it remained under-studied. The paper addresses this gap by analysing the emergence of Roman Catholic sex education in the German-speaking area from the turn of the century to the 1930s. It explores official doctrinal guidelines, inner-Catholic debates, and the growing body of Catholic sex education publications. The paper argues that for the Roman Catholic Church, sex education was not a mere pedagogical problem but a topic that raised overarching questions such as how to deal with modern natural sciences, female emancipation, or the secular school system. The findings suggest that lay people and clergy working in pastoral care were the driving force for the modernisation of the discourse vis-à-vis a more conservative church authority.

“Eene schoone engelsche troupe”: William Durham and His Company of Travelling Performers in Ghent (1713) and Germany (1724–1728)

Abstract Relying on information contained in Prosper Claeys’ Histoire du théâtre à Gand (1892) and in notes bynineteenth-century German theatre historians, the present essay seeks to partially reconstruct the repertory of William Durham, the (largely forgotten) manager of a troupe of wandering actors, who performed at Ghent in 1713 and in various German cities between 1724 or 1725 and 1728. No particulars are available about his performances at Ghent, which appear to have been a combination of acting and rope-dancing. Contemporary play-bills, on the other hand, reveal the diverse nature of three pieces which Durham produced in German-speaking areas: (1) Das durchlauchtigste Müllermädchen, possibly an adaptation of aseventeenth-century English comedy by John Fletcher and William Rowley; (2) Genovefa, a play about the legendary eponymous character, whose story had been widely circulated in Europe; and (3) Der transmetamorphosirte Arlequin, a Harlequin-Faustus Hauptaktion, which may have taken its cue from a spate of popular harlequinades on the contemporary London stage. Although the scanty available evidence does not allow of any firm conclusions about his international standing, Durham may have been the exponent of a ‘transnational’ or ‘transcultural’ theatre bridging the gap between various dramatic traditions.

Digitale Informationsmaterialen über Demenz – Eine explorative inhaltsanalytische Betrachtung

ZusammenfassungHintergrundEine Demenzdiagnose bedeutet eine hohe Belastung für die Betroffenen und ihre Angehörigen. Häufig müssen schwierige Entscheidungen getroffen werden. Idealerweise treffen Menschen mit einer neuen Demenzdiagnose informierte Entscheidungen gemeinsam mit Angehörigen. Im Vorfeld einer informierten Entscheidung sind digitale Informationsmaterialien eine wichtige niederschwellige Quelle. Sie sollten möglichst umfassend über Demenz aufklären, sowohl zur Primärprävention (Risikofaktoren für Demenzentstehung) als auch zu späteren Behandlungsmöglichkeiten. Auch über vorsorgliche Maßnahmen, die spätere Entscheidungen erleichtern können (bspw. Patient*innenverfügung, Vorsorgevollmacht), sollte informiert werden. Einen umfassenden Überblick über die diversen Onlineangebote zu Demenzerkrankungen gibt es bisher nicht.MethodeDaher untersucht diese Studie im deutschen Sprachraum mittels einer innovativen systematischen Suchstrategie, welche demenzbezogenen Informationsangebote es digital für welche Zielgruppen gibt und wie diese Materialien inhaltlich hinsichtlich Risikofaktoren und Behandlungsmaßnahmen sowie Entscheidungsunterstützungen aufbereitet sind. Dieser methodische Ansatz ist neu und wird daher ausführlich vorgestellt und diskutiert.ErgebnisseDie Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die meisten Materialien für Menschen mit Demenz sowie deren Angehörige aufbereitet sind. Häufig werden Behandlungsmaßnahmen thematisiert, ohne die Risikofaktoren zu erklären, auf die diese Maßnahmen abzielen. Auf präventive Maßnahmen zur Entscheidungsunterstützung wird kaum eingegangen.DiskussionDie unausgewogene Darstellung kann dazu führen, dass einzelne Maßnahmen (für Laien) schwer nachvollziehbar sind oder Risikofaktoren falsch eingeordnet werden. Wichtige Implikationen werden abgeleitet.

KOALA – Building Support for Diamond Open Access

A discussion with Marco Tullney, initiator of the bottom-up initiative KOALA (Konsortiale Open Access Lösungen Aufbauen, i.e. Establishing Consortial Open Access Solutions). Building upon an established role in the organisation of library consortia that negotiate deals with commercial publishers, Tullney and his colleagues have succeeded to acquire small sums from more than a hundred partner libraries to fund journals and books series. Each funding period lasts for three years, with the consortia covering all legitimate costs of running a publication outlet. So far, ten small to medium sized journals have received funding, as well as two smaller book series. Based on his experience from the German-speaking area, Tullney shares several pieces of advice on how to set up similar funding mechanisms in other regions. He also raises the fundamental question about how to make sure that Diamond OA can grow from its current status as a nieche phenomenon in a limited spectrum of disciplines to becoming a sustainable and attractive model for scholars across all fields. First published online: May 3, 2024.

Niemieckie i polskie nazwy szkół wyższych w ujęciu języko- i przekładoznawczym (XX i XXI wiek)

GERMAN AND POLISH NAMES OF HIGHER SCHOOLS FROM A LINGUISTIC AND TRANSLATIONAL PERSPECTIVE (20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES) The present paper is an attempt to describe the nomination usus (namegiving linguistic custom) regarding higher schools of the German-speaking area on the one hand, and of the Polish-speaking one on the other. The specific semantic categories of nominal components correspond to grammatical realisations, which are subject to certain structural constraints, as well as exhibit more and less typical forms. Informed by such observations – initiated by Jan Iluk’s overview paper [2000] and refined by an analysis of much broader material, encompassing Austrian and Swiss names as well – I tried to show the name-giving possibilities and tendencies in this field in both German and Polish, mainly with a view to a translation-related application of such contrastive analysis. The findings presented here, based on the material of a considerable number of higher school names in the examined area and combined with the presentation of about 100 German and some 45 Polish examples (provided with translations), should help both in evaluating already published equivalents, hardly ever official in the case of German, and proposing one’s own ones – also because of the non-existence of given equivalents in publications, be it only Internet-based ones.

Verschriftungsprinzipien im geschriebenen Dialekt: WhatsApp-Nachrichten aus Südtirol

Although the orthographic norm of the standard language has dominated most written registers of German, social media and other non-standardized digital contexts have recently given rise to the written use of dialects and vernaculars in informal communication. The written use of non-standard dialects is especially wide-spread in the south of the German-speaking area, e. g. in Switzerland, Bavaria, Austria and South Tyrol, where various studies have reported the use of dialectal forms in digital contexts such as Chatrooms, WhatsApp or Facebook (cf. Christen 2004; Glaznieks/Frey 2018). Using a corpus of South Tyrolean WhatsApp chats with corresponding audio recordings of the chat authors retelling the chat contents, we analyze four phonetic-phonological phenomena of Tyrolean dialects, characteristic of the southern German-speaking area: pre-consonantal s-retraction, the neutralization of the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in word-initial position, vowels undergoing umlaut or unrounding and the realisation of r in the coda of unstressed syllables. In particular, we analyze if and how these phenomena of the dialect are represented in the written form. The results show that Standard German graphematic conventions form the basis for most dialect spellings in WhatsApp chats. However, they are sometimes abandoned for the benefit of spellings that explicitly represent dialectal pronunciations. Interestingly, in some cases these dialectal spellings do not correspond to the pronunciation of the writers who, instead, opt for a pronunciation closer to that of the standard language.

Rumänische Schüler am Evangelischen Gymnasium in Schäßburg in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts

The town on the Târnava Mare river has a rich school tradition, the first educational institution being documented in 1522. The 19th century brings an evolution of the school in Sighișoara, both through reforms in the educational field, marked by the introduction of modern pedagogical precepts, and through the diversification of school institutions from the point of view of the nationalities that lived in the city as well as of the specialization of schools. From the fourth decade of the 19th century, students of Romanian nationality began to be enrolled at the prestigious Evangelic Gymnasium in Sighișoara, and the increase in their number became exponential starting from the sixth decade of the 19th century. We link this increase on the one hand to the significant evolution of the number of Romanians and Hungarians living in the city, and on the other hand to their economic ascendancy during this period. Among the enrolled students are the sons of priests and peasants from Sighișoara and the surrounding area, attracted by the reputation of this high-quality educational institution of the Transylvanian Saxons, whose most prestigious graduates could subsequently continue their studies at universities in the empire or the German-speaking area, thus contributing to the formation of a secular intellectual elite that grew stronger and became more involved in the life of the community.

Alevite identity in the diaspora: experiences of exclusion and social integration in the German-speaking area

Alevite identity in the diaspora: experiences of exclusion and social integration in the German-speaking area

Check valves : Important facts for safe use

Patients benefit from the use of check valves when drugs with a particularly short half-life (e.g., catecholamines) are continually administered through aone-way valve or when an accidental retrograde bolus application must be prevented, as in the event of arapid sequence induction and intubation. The lack of acheck valve can prevent the administered drug from working in the intended manner resulting in potentially insufficient treatment and negative consequences for the patient. In order to ensure the highest level of patient safety while using check valves appropriate training of medical personnel is essential. In contrast, preventable dangers (e.g., infections, awareness) exist when safety measures are disregarded, including the re-use of medications, syringes or disposable materials in successive patients after having only exchanged the check valves. It is not clear how often this is practiced in German-speaking areas.

From Brunfels to Bauhin – The first 100 years of „botany” in the German-speaking area

This article examines how Caspar Bauhin (1560–1624) became famous as a scientific author and University teacher in Basel focusing on the evolution of scientific practices such as botanizing and herbarizing in the German-speaking world. In the early 16th century German-speaking publishers were the first to sell well-illustrated books that would be of great help to readers in identifying plants. After 1550, Swiss and German physicians such as Felix Platter, Leonhard Rauwolf, Kaspar Ratzenberger and Johann and his brother Caspar Bauhin began collecting plants for their herbaria, some of which are among the oldest still preserved today. The Rauwolf herbarium, with its most „scientific” design, shows how plant identification was done in practice. Rauwolf also was the first to leave behind a comprehensive report of his fieldwork in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, written in German. In Basel, Caspar Bauhin was to become a particularly influential academic teacher in the German-speaking world and beyond when he took over the newly established chair for Botany and Anatomy in 1589. He trained a total of nearly 800 students during his University career. Moreover, Bauhin’s extensive correspondence comprises over 2500 letters and provides insights into the lively discussions among the fellow botanists with whom Bauhin corresponded.

Estimation of the Prevalence of Body Integrity Dysphoria (BID) in German-Speaking Countries Based on the Use of an Internet-Forum by Those Affected

Body Integrity Dysphoria (BID, BIID) is a disease of unknown cause, in which those affected have the intense feeling that a part of the body does not belong to them. BID-sufferers can feel and move the corresponding limb, but it is not part of their mental body image. Estimating the prevalence of BID is very difficult due to the fact that most sufferers do not confide their suffering to anyone. However, the situation has changed since the widespread use of various Internet platforms. The basis is that in the three German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) most adults have access to the Internet and, sooner or later, are looking for information about the strange feeling that parts of the body don’t feel like they belong. It can therefore be assumed that many of those affected will at some point register in such a forum in order to exchange ideas with others. The quantities are estimates from: (a) Number of BID affected people in the German speaking BID-DACH forum, (b) Number of BID affected people registered in BID forums in the German speaking areas, (c) Number of those affected by BID who do not register but inform via social media, (d) Estimation of the total number of people affected by BID from (a), (b) and (c). According to this model, the prevalence is in the range of 1 in 5,500 (0.018%) to 1 in 22,000 (0.0045%), mean value is in the range of 1 in 11,000 (0.01%). According to the data from Fischer et al (2015) and Garbos et al (2022), the severity of BID follows a normal distribution. This means that 16% have a very mild form, they feel relatively little pressure and they are often probably not even aware that they are suffering from BID at all. The middle 68% from a statistical perspective have a moderate form of BID. Most achieve sufficient catharis with occasional pretending and often do not seriously pursue real disability. Serious candidates for an amputation or other forms of disability are those with an above-average level; they include the top 16% of the distribution. Of these 1,500, around half suffer from the need for amputation, the other half have a desire for paraplegia or other forms of disability. Here it is to be expected that they will want an operation in the long term. This value can be justified rationally, because every realization of the need for disabilities is associated with massive restrictions in everyday life. Those affected are well aware of these limitations and even in the group of severe cases, most people delay it for decades before giving in to the need and having an operation (or other options) carried out. If we assume that the 750 people ready for amputation are spread across the age group 20-70 years, after processing the backlog of old cases, then a maximum of 15 new candidates for amputation per year would be expected. This model refers to the German-speaking area because the forum is conducted in German. However, it seems entirely permissible that a similar prevalence value can also be assumed for several other countries.

Childhood vaccination coverage and regional differences in Swiss birth cohorts 2012–2021: Are we on track?

AimsMany western countries are challenged by delayed and insufficient vaccination coverage rates in children, and thus missing WHO coverage targets. This study aimed to estimate vaccination coverage and timeliness in Swiss children over a decade. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of COVID-19, regional variations, and the adherence to the amended vaccination schedule in 2019. MethodsRetrospective observational study with Swiss health insurance claims data including birth cohorts 2012–2021 of children continuously observed until ages 13, 25, and 48 months respectively. We used population-weighted proportions and time-to-event analyses to describe coverage and timeliness of diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis/poliomyelitis/haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP-IPV-Hib), measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), hepatitis B (HBV), pneumococcal (PCV), and meningococcal (MCV) vaccinations according to the national schedule. The potential impact of COVID-19 and vaccination schedule adherence were evaluated descriptively. Logistic regression was used to investigate regional factors potentially associated with non-vaccination. Results120,073 children, representing between 12 and 17 % of all Swiss children born in corresponding years, were included. Coverage remained stable or improved over the years. The 2019 amendment of the national immunization schedule was associated with an increase of ~10 % points in full coverage in Swiss children for DTaP-IPV-Hib, MMR and HBV despite the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, full vaccination coverage remained below 90 % with many vaccination series being delayed or not completed. The comparison across the different vaccines revealed large differences in coverage. Moreover, we observed large regional differences in non-vaccination with children living in rural and German-speaking areas more likely to be entirely unvaccinated. ConclusionFull vaccination coverage in Swiss children is still below 90 % with many vaccinations administered delayed. Given regional differences, missed or delayed booster vaccinations, and differences in vaccine-specific acceptability, more effort may be needed to achieve national vaccination targets.