Western Germany - The Land And The People (1954)

thank you Western Germany is a land of industrial might and Power of large manufacturing centers like this one in the roar area Western Germany is a land with only a few natural resources but it does have coal a very important resource it is a land which cannot feed itself for much of the soil is generally poor every acre of its arable area is used to grow much needed food Western Germany is also a land of trade in fact the Country Must trade to live among the reasons for the development of trade is the geographical position of Western Germany it is a key country of North Central Europe north of Western Germany is the peninsula of Denmark among Western Germany's other neighbors are the Netherlands Belgium France Switzerland Austria and Czechoslovakia in trading with these neighboring countries it makes use of its inland waterways a network of rivers and canals access to the Baltic and North Seas makes it possible for Western Germany to trade overseas trade and commerce have helped to give Western Germany one of the highest standards of living in Europe the people who live and work in this busy thriving country are the same who not many years ago faced the tremendous task of rebuilding after the second World War during this costly War the military might of Germany was checked by the Allied powers following World War II a smaller Germany was divided into eastern and western zones the Eastern Zone was controlled by the Soviet Union the Western Zone was controlled by the allies Great Britain France and the United States the two zones were called Western Germany and Eastern Germany in the capital at fun the people of Western Germany set up a new democratic government the West German Republic biggest problem of the new government was to resume its place in the family of Nations what were some of the problems West Germany faced lack of land was one problem large forests cover many parts of Western Germany there is not enough Farmland to grow food for the more than 50 million West Germans and much of the available Farmland is not too fertile this small farm about 12 acres in size belongs to Hans Miller and his family like many German Farmers hair Miller combines grain farming with stock raising pigs are the chief source of meat and fine cattle provide both beef and milk because of the relatively infertile soil hair Miller and his son use fertilizer to increase their crop yield potash is one of the best of fertilizers this mineral chiefly potassium is mined in some of the Eastern parts of West Germany after being mined the potash is packaged and made ready for shipment it will go to Farms such as hair Millers using fertilizers and rotating crops are part of the scientific farming practiced by West Germans they have also developed another kind of farming tree farming growing trees for wood products in this tree nursery women are covering the tree seedlings to provide shade when these trees have matured they will replace the trees that are cut in this way various Industries are assured of a continuing supply of wood the West Germans have developed many uses for their Timber some is cut into Lumber some is processed into wood pulp for a variety of uses from wood pulp rayon a valuable synthetic fiber is made and then is woven into rayon cloth West German chemists are constantly finding new uses for the country's raw materials in addition to products from wood they have developed synthetic oils and gases from another natural resource lignite lignite is a form of very soft coal because lignite is soft and found near the Earth's surface it can be strip mined here is one reason for West Germany's industrial might vastly positive lignite or brown coal this is the kind of coal that is pressed into briquettes for use as fuel to run the dynamos that Supply homes and industries with electricity many of West Germany's heavy Industries are concentrated in the roar Valley the roar Rhine region is one of many important industrial areas in Western Germany in the roar Valley we'll find many mining towns such as this one this boy is the son of one of the many coal miners who live in this town it is just about time for hair bergman's shift at the mine the mine where he works produces bituminous coal at the mine shaft the car carries the miners deep underground here is another resource bituminous call that has helped to make possible the industrial might of Western Germany enough coal is produced for domestic use as well as for export on rivers and canals coal is shipped by barges out of the Roar region while iron ore from other countries has shipped into the region most of the iron ore needed by the steel industry must be imported from France Sweden and other countries this iron ore together with ore mined in Western Germany is used in industrial cities such as Essen and duisburg centers of the steel industry here coal in large quantities is used to feed the huge furnaces to provide the heat necessary to melt the iron ore this is an Ingot of Steel later it will be rolled into bars or sheets steel to supply a variety of West German Industries among the heavy Industries shipbuilding is important these men are working on a ship in the shipyards at Bremen in Bremen Harbor we see some of West Germany's growing Merchant Fleet a fleet that plays a vital part in the country's survival since it must trade with other nations of the world to live the port cities of villamshoffen bremerhofen Bremen Hamburg and liebec handle much of Western Germany's overseas trade what does Western Germany sell for the food she needs for the answer we return to Industry steel from the big industrial centers is used in many factories to produce a variety of products castings and machine parts electrical Goods fine surgical instruments complex cameras and lenses and scientific instruments of many kinds much steel is used in the manufacture of automobiles one of Western Germany's most important exports cars such as these carry passengers on the four-lane stretches of the Autobahn one of the best highways in Europe it connects many parts of Western Germany my highways by a fine system of Railways and by an excellent Waterway system of canals and rivers trade Commodities are brought to the big ports for export to other lands Western Germany must trade to live mainly because it does not produce enough food to supply its people the products it trades are chiefly call from the rural Rhine region Iron and Steel steel products Precision Instruments and chemicals by scientifically using its natural resources Western Germany is proving itself an important Keystone nation in European economy [Music]