User talk:Obenritter

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Helpful Pages[edit]

Million Award: Thanks for your work in this important article[edit]

The Million Award
For your contributions to bring Schutzstaffel (estimated annual readership: 1,700,000) to Good Article status, I hereby present you the Million Award. Congratulations on this rare accomplishment, and thanks for all you do for Wikipedia's readers! — Diannaa (talk) 19:33, 14 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Zeke
Obenritter
 
Editor of the Week
for the week beginning November 29, 2020
A veteran and longtime valuable editor and professional historian making numerous invaluable contributions to Wikipedia by improving a large number of important articles. He delves into complicated and controversial subjects with dedication and expertise and has played a decisive role in keeping such articles scholarly and neutral.
Recognized for
articles related to German History and the Germanic peoples.
Notable works
Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Germanic peoples, Alaric I, Theodoric the Great, Gaiseric, Odoacer, Totila, Teia, Liuvigild, Ricimer, Liutprand, Thrasamund, Schutzstaffel, List of books about Nazi Germany, Responsibility for the Holocaust, Operation Barbarossa, Sicherheitsdienst, Gestapo, Abwehr, Walter Schellenberg, Oswald Pohl, Brown House, Munich, and others.
Submit a nomination

Thanks again for your efforts! ―Buster7 ☎ 14:09, 29 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

@Krakkos:@Buster7: Thanks for the nomination. It is appreciated...just trying to do my part for the project.--Obenritter (talk) 15:36, 29 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Congratulations with a very well deserved award. Krakkos (talk) 15:40, 29 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

A barnstar for you![edit]

The Editor's Barnstar Award presented for your high-caliber editing and additions to numerous articles relating to World War II and Nazi Germany with good WP:RS citations in an area of history where neutrality and careful research are essential. Cheers, Kierzek (talk) 16:25, 29 September 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Happy Holidays[edit]

Happy Holidays Wishing you a happy holiday season! Times flies and 2018 is around the corner. Thank you for your contributions. ~ K.e.coffman (talk) 00:09, 21 December 2017 (UTC)[reply]

WikiChevrons[edit]

 The WikiChevrons 
Obenritter, as a new year begins, I hereby award you the WikiChevrons, for all your hard work and careful research in the area of history related to Nazi Germany and World War II; done in an objective way and using good WP:RS sources. Thank you. Kierzek (talk) 22:37, 1 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

FYI[edit]

I think this is the way to deal with the problem you just encountered: [1]. The odds are this IP is not some random new editor... --Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| reply here 00:40, 6 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

@Piotrus: Thanks, you're certainly right that this is not some random editor as who else cites WP CIVIL, other than an experienced editor. Nonetheless, I have a handle on this, but I appreciate the advice.--Obenritter (talk) 00:49, 6 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Alaric I[edit]

Thanks for your work on this. I just finished the new Boin book (really good), and Kulikowski's 2006 when it came out, one of the Peter Heather books, not to mention Gibbon and Bury. This is a difficult subject area due to minimal primary sources and changing historiography interpretations. -- GreenC 18:53, 19 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

@GreenC: It was my pleasure. Like you, I've read those works. Actually my primary PhD work was centered around Romano-Germanic contact. Nonetheless, I agree with you, the Boin book is absolutely amazing and so much fun. If you have the time, there are probably some minor gaps here and there from the invasion of Italy where Boin's work might be helpful. If not, I may get to it eventually.--Obenritter (talk) 21:19, 19 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Cookies for your past Waterwhiz interactions[edit]

I noticed this by chance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Responsibility_for_the_Holocaust (I have never touched it, so I am not involved.) Just in case you have not realized - you were so patient there with an IP-ed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Suspected_Wikipedia_sockpuppets_of_Icewhiz

Bows for your NPOV and more there. Zezen (talk) 03:13, 9 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

@Zezen: Thanks for your kind comments. Zezen, I try to be as constructive as possible with editors, albeit I am not always able to remain entirely NPOV with certain forms of deliberate belligerence. --Obenritter (talk) 15:35, 9 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Them are wise words - that is what it was all about, to make you lose your cool and thus subject you to an ANI or two. Zezen (talk) 16:09, 9 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

CASSIA spy ring[edit]

Thank you for editing the "Abwehr" article! I'll try it in German:

- Ich habe die Überschrift in Maier/Messner geändert, weil die Sache CASSIA nur ein Teilaspekt der Gruppe war. Die Widerstandsgruppe machte viel mehr (Flugblätter, politische Programme, Kontakt zu Militärs,...).

- Kopf der Gruppe dürfte Maier gewesen sein, der in Österreich sehr gut vernetzt war. Er hatte auch Kontakt zu dem Tiroler Teil der Gruppe und den Militärs. Viele wichtige österr. Nachkriegspolitiker dürften ihn gekannt haben.

- Laut dem jetzigen engl. Wiki Bestand bei "Abwehr" scheint es als ob die deutsche Abwehr diese Gruppe "beschützt" hat - ich habe dazu nichts gefunden.

- Die CASSIA/Maier/Messner-Sache wirkt jedenfalls sehr interessant und war mir bisher unbekannt!

Schöne Grüße aus Mitteleuropa --Schi11 (talk) 12:59, 22 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Was die englische Wikipedia betont, ist, dass dies ein Abwehrfehler war. Es gibt keinen Hinweis darauf, dass diese Gruppe von der Abwehr geschützt wurde. Ich habe zusätzliche Änderungen vorgenommen, um dies deutlicher wiederzugeben. In diesen Fall, werde ich wegen deiner Forschung die Überschrift in ihrer aktuellen Form belassen. Obwohl mir dieser Spionagering bekannt war, wusste ich nicht, wie viele Informationen sie an die Alliierten weitergegeben hatten. Es ist eine Schande, dass die Gruppe von der Gestapo aufgedeckt wurde. Die Folgen waren für seine Mitglieder schrecklich.
Übrigens, warum hast du dich nicht offiziell angemeldet, wenn ich fragen darf? Mach's gut aus Amiland. :-).
Ja, die hatten wirklich extrems Pech! Vor allem wurden die bis zur Hinrichtung monatelang noch weiter gefoltert. Offenbar hat die Gestapo geahnt, das es noch was gibt. Ich habe anfänglich auch nicht realisiert wieviel die machten. Maier dürfte über den Wiener Militärkommandanten an viele geheime Informationen gekommen sein. Hier in Mitteleuropa wurden diese Widerstandskämpfer jedenfalls fast vergessen! Messner als Brasilianer und Maier als Priester (gegen den Auftrag des Bischof),.......
Hätten die V2 die Landung der Alliierten verzögert, wäre der Krieg noch viel bitterer geworden.
Ausserdem sorry mit der Anmeldung - wusste nicht, dass ich was falsch mache! Wie melde ich mich offiziel an?
Schi11 (talk) 19:27, 22 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Keine Sorgen. Ich kann mich kaum vorstellen, monatelang von der Gestapo gefoltert zu werden! Es ist auch doch glücklich, dass die Allierten punktlich in der Normandie landen konnten, als sie taten.
Für die offizielle Almeldung auf der englischen Wikipedia müssen lediglich ein Benutzername und ein Passwort erstellt werden. Hier ist der erforderliche Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:CreateAccount
Mach's gut. --Obenritter (talk) 19:39, 22 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Danke - ubrigens Dein aktueller Text bei Abwehr ist super! Alles Gute und Glück zu Dir in die USA
--Schi11 (talk) 19:55, 22 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]

=

Ostrogotha and that new Dexippus volume[edit]

BTW had to think of you recently while reading a quite recent collection of articles that I mentioned on the Germanic peoples talk page (under Goffart, where I was listing some Pohl articles). Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde. Interrogating the ‘Germanic’, edited by Matthias Friedrich and James M. Harland, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2021, https://doi-org.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1515/9783110701623-003 . One of the papers is by Kulikowski and he states that because of that Dexippus discovery, he has had to change some opinions about Jordanes, specifically because of the mention of Ostrogotha (the king).--Andrew Lancaster (talk) 08:32, 10 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Andrew Lancaster What a magnificent find and how perfectly timed. I have not come across this work strangely enough. I'll be ordering it right away. Thank you for sharing this. --Obenritter (talk) 17:03, 10 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
You can apply for access through Wikipedia library. (Thanks to Ermenrich for pointing this out.)--Andrew Lancaster (talk) 19:08, 11 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
That volume should clear up lots for the editors tasked to address Germani and Germanic in general.--Obenritter (talk) 00:44, 12 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Yes. It has been been mentioned by myself, Ermenrich and Srnec on the Germanic peoples talk page. It makes the situation concerning sources even clearer than before I suppose, given that this is a Reallexikon publication. --Andrew Lancaster (talk) 06:45, 12 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Finally made a start on that Ostrogotha article. Needs work. Feel free. I suppose it is only one of several articles that the Dexippus fragment implies updates for.--Andrew Lancaster (talk) 20:54, 12 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Just wish I had more time Andrew Lancaster ...so much to do in the real world.--Obenritter (talk) 00:53, 13 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
No problem. Just wanted to make sure you knew I'd done a bit, in case you see any mistakes or important bits I've missed in this round.--Andrew Lancaster (talk) 07:02, 13 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Aetius[edit]

My goal was not to restore problematic parts of the old version, but the version I had inserted was not very good either and I know at least some improvements must have taken place. For instance, it no longer discussed the Afrikaners. If you know of any better versions feel free to restore those or start fixing what we had.--Ermenrich (talk) 23:59, 20 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Ermenrich – While I realize that you were trying to omit the worst parts of the old text (and there was plenty), I was just shocked that a sizable amount of the problematic text/prose we have all been mulling was restored wholesale. There is far too much Romano-centric content in much of it, as my complaint levied against obviously makes clear. There was better content at one point (especially on the Early Middle Ages using modern sources) but a certain editor deleted it all (to my consternation), replaced it with inferior prose and content that was not well sourced and the page thus began its deviation from being about the Germanic people, becoming instead a laundry list of which Romans had contact with said "Germanic" peoples. It irked me to no end and my attempts to fix it were met with walls of Talk Page disputation. Nonetheless, I realize that I am older than many of you, was educated in the seemingly "archaic" Vienna school of thought (literally) and might not always be the most unbiased opinion. Thus, I have since refrained from making any significant edits to this page specifically. I did, however, contribute a notable amount to it originally, as well as to the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Alaric, Theodoric the Great, Odoacer, Gaiseric, Totilla, and Liuvigild (among others) pages utilizing my sizable library. I shall hence abstain from making any more comments so as not to distract those of you attempting to repair it. --Obenritter (talk) 23:59, 21 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I think you should feel to comment and edit - if you can link me to the improved version, I'll add it back in! I only posted here because I was afraid that our back and forth was buried under the posts of a certain other editor.--Ermenrich (talk) 00:05, 22 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I put in what I assume is your version of the text for the early medieval period. The other parts still cited the Imperial Teutonic Order, Bury, and lots of generalist books on the history of Germany or the world, so I'd prefer not to add them, but it know how to spruce them up or change the current sections it would be very cool.--Ermenrich (talk) 00:31, 22 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Ermenrich – Thanks for finding that...a few of those "general" works you mentioned are from Oxford or Cambridge University Press so I will trust the content accordingly. We can certainly eliminate a few of the other sources (or redundant ones) with more specialized reference works as the page develops and we encounter the corresponding content. In the meantime, what we have is contemporary scholarship from respected authors. We certainly can eliminate any other sources not up to snuff. --Obenritter (talk) 01:21, 22 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Have you considered having a go at the earlier sections of history? They all need citations and a re-emphasis on actual Germanic history (however you define that).--Ermenrich (talk) 17:14, 25 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Ermenrich -- Certainly will try to do so, whenever time permits. Just been reading through some of the changes. By the way, concerning the legal stuff--there's a great source available: Goetz, Hans-Werner, Jörg Jarnut, and Walter Pohl, eds. Regna and Gentes: The Relationship Between Late Antique and Early Medieval Peoples and Kingdoms in the Transformation of the Roman World. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2003. The chapter "The Leges Barbarorum: law and ethnicity in the post-Roman West" by Patrick Wormald would be very useful. --Obenritter (talk) 20:39, 25 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for the suggestion! I will order that from my library. The law (high medieval marriage law) is actually what I have done most of my work on (in regards to literature) and is a pretty fascinating subject. It's also interesting because it seems like it's the historians who are against using the label "Germanic" for it while the legal historians have kept it up (Helmut Reimitz gave me some flak about using the term to refer to Germanic marriage law actually, but I find it hard how certain concepts could not originally be Germanic that are important in it. Anyway, I digress).--Ermenrich (talk) 20:52, 25 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Ermenrich LOL at Reimitz giving you flak. What scholar of the highest order doesn't do that to any of us, but I appreciate you sharing that, nonetheless. Surely, you have a copy of his History, Frankish identity and the Framing of Western Ethnicity, 550-850 as it's a great look at early Medieval self-perception. Some of his perspective when combined with McKitterick's on "European" identity, help give a pretty clear picture of how Christianization, notions of imperial empire, and language made us who we are today. Now we both digress.--Obenritter (talk) 21:58, 25 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I think the section on the Julio-Claudians is what needs the most work right now - it seems to have been written in a deliberately revisionist fashion that is out of step with how most historians discuss Augustus's policies or the "Varusschlacht". I don't know if there actually are historians who argue that Rome didn't really try to annex Germania (despite all of the textual and archaeological evidence for it occurring!), but until my edits this morning the text at the very least sought to obfuscate that fact... It reminds me, actually, of when I visited Kalkriese. The museum goes out of its way to not explain why the battle there was important, and I doubt my non-Germanist parents or wife would have had any idea if I hadn't told them.--Ermenrich (talk) 15:59, 4 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Ermenrich While I have been by there (in the vicinity) I never actually visited the museum or the grounds at Kalkreise. A German friend, who I was with at the time and who was driving, said it was something I should make a point to see when I got the chance. He claimed they have a couple actors, ostensibly playing Varus and Arminius, each representing the perspective of the character being portrayed. Not long ago, I watched the Netflix series Barbarians (Die Germanen), which very nicely (albeit fictionally with the usual fanfare and Hollywood-style embellishments) depicts the story of Arminius. If you've not watched it, I highly recommend it. When I have some time (scarce to me these days) I'll try to get around to that section.--Obenritter (talk) 17:49, 4 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Ermenrich - Hoffentlich, meine redaktionellen Bemühungen um den Abschnitt über die Julio-Claudian-Dynastie, nun der Mainstream-Forschung entspricht. Fühlst Du dich frei, es noch mehr aufzuräumen, wie notwendig. Mach's gut. --Obenritter (talk) 17:29, 26 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Sieht viel besser aus! Danke!--Ermenrich (talk) 01:11, 2 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Theodoric's battles[edit]

Hi Obenritter! I know that Theodoric's battles in Italy are fairly well described in ancient sources. I was wondering if you knew which ones did so. There's an extremely brief description in Jordanes...--Ermenrich (talk) 00:25, 23 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Begrüßungen Ermenrich -- Hope you are well. You're really testing an old man's memory here. I cannot recall the specific works where battles are discussed but the primary sources that come to mind with regard to his exploits are as follows (hopefully one of these will trigger your memory):
  • Anonymus Valesianus (if I recall, this is the one used by Gibbon)
  • Author Unknown, Chronica Gallica 511
  • Cassiodorus - Letters, which is more on laws and correspondence (I think)
  • Ennodius, Panegyricus dictus Theoderico regi
  • Fredegar -- albeit brief mention
  • Gregory of Tours
  • Paul the Deacon
  • Procopius
Sorry if that lacks the specificity you were seeking. --Obenritter (talk) 14:04, 23 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]
@Ermenrich: My assumption is that these must have proved unhelpful. --Obenritter (talk) 18:04, 24 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Obenritter, I haven't had a chance to look into them any more closely. Thanks for your help!Oddly the books I have on hand on the subject, such as Heather or Kulikowski, all just summarize the campaign without any footnotes or indication where the info comes from.--Ermenrich (talk) 18:14, 24 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Glad you're staying[edit]

I didn't realize before we'd almost lost you! Glad you're sticking around!--Ermenrich (talk) 15:40, 16 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for that @Ermenrich:...I needed the morale boost. --Obenritter (talk) 15:49, 16 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I did not know you were considering leaving, but I'm glad you're staying! I value your contributions to WWII topics a lot. Please feel to reach out when you need moral support. --K.e.coffman (talk) 15:54, 16 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks @K.e.coffman:. Maybe I could stand to emulate your example, since you have remained diligently committed to undo so much misrepresented history across Wikipedia pages on WW2 stuff for so many years. Seems that staying power starts to fade as one ages...you develop an apathy about so many things. Keep up the good fight! --Obenritter (talk) 15:58, 16 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I am just seeing this. I am also glad you have decided to stay, Obenritter. Fight the good fight. Kierzek (talk) 23:06, 19 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks @Kierzek:. Getting old seems to makes us more likely to lose our patience—well, at least for me—and with that, comes the propensity to dispense with anything causing consternation. It's been a rough couple of years for me, but it's great to know that other scholars/editors around here value one's prior efforts. This measure of support certainly helps. Much obliged, Sir. --Obenritter (talk) 17:22, 20 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Bibliography of World War II[edit]

Hello Obenritter, nice dog. Mine is same size only ginger. I am appealing your reversion of Polish authors. Your rationale is inconsistent with the status quo: how come half the French publications are in French? In fact, just as you knocked out the section I was saving Janina Bauman and her memoire of the Warsaw Ghetto, precisely in English. So where do we go with this?--Po Mieczu (talk) 21:52, 9 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Shepherds are the best. Anyway, the French works that are cited are from notable persons from the war period and are considered primary sources. What you've added do not appear to qualify. If we allowed every authored work on the Second World War onto the English Wikipedia, it would become enormous and unwieldy and pointless. The Bibliography page you are editing is not for all the languages of the world. If you have important primary source works from Polish general officers, major political figures, etc. sure add a section, but also include an English translation (since most English speakers cannot navigate Polish) and perhaps a note afterward about how the book is significant. --Obenritter (talk) 21:58, 9 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

German scholars with Nazi pasts[edit]

Happy New Year Obenritter! I've been considering (and have begun) making some improvements on articles dealing with German historians who are implicated (usually in some sort of advisory or cheer-leading role) in Nazi crimes such as force resettlement/ethnic cleansing, but nevertheless had successful careers after the war and were in some cases quite influential. So far I've worked on Werner Conze and also made some trimming at Walter Kuhn (the current over-stuffing of which is at least partially my fault). I was wondering if this was a topic that interested you at all. I'm interested in a balanced portrayal, which can be difficult given the emotions involved in some cases. Having more editors at least watching such articles would be very useful as they tend to just escape notice otherwise. Other examples would be Hermann Aubin, Otto Brunner, and Otto Höfler.--Ermenrich (talk) 22:30, 9 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Begrüßungen @Ermenrich:...frohes Neues. Sure I can keep those on my radar. Those look like good articles to clean up. Pretty busy these days but I'll do what I can. It might be hard to find much content about many of them. Do you have a good lead on sources about them? --Obenritter (talk) 00:07, 10 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]
I do indeed! I will post a list in a bit. Conze has a whole biography in fact.—Ermenrich (talk) 00:09, 10 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Ermenrich: That's astonishing. I am looking at what you've done thus far. Impressive use of German resources. I fixed a citation on the Conze page while there. --Obenritter (talk) 00:27, 10 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks! So there are several books covering collaborationist scholars during and before the war, although their postwar lives can be a little more difficult to document. Kuhn is actually fairly well studied, as you can gather from his bibliography. Here are a few other titles worth mentioning:
  • Burleigh, Michael (1988). Germany turns eastwards : a study of Ostforschung in the Third Reich. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521351200.
  • Michelsen, Jakob (2003). "Von Breslau nach Hamburg: Ostforscher am Historischen Seminar der Universität Hamburg nach 1945". In Hering, Rainer; Nicolaysen, Rainer (eds.). Lebendige Sozialgeschichte: Gedenkschrift für Peter Borowsky. Wiesbaden: Westdeutscher Verlag. pp. 659–681. ISBN 3-531-13717-4.
  • Mühle, Eduard (2005). Für Volk und deutschen Osten. Der Historiker Hermann Aubin und die deutsche Ostforschung. Düsseldorf: Droste. ISBN 377001619X.
  • Haar, Ingo; Fahlbusch, Michael (2005). German scholars and ethnic cleansing, 1919–1945. Berghahn Books.
I have not read the following, but it should be good: [2]. Some of the other books in the Conze bibliography are probably very useful as well generally. Another historian worth looking at is Theodor Schieder (often mentioned together with Conze).--Ermenrich (talk) 01:03, 10 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Dear Obenritter,
I wanted to thank you again for your detailed and encouraging to a new editor note. I will keep dipping my toe into participating. Thanks, Terry Tmarac (talk) 22:21, 1 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Tmarac - All of us were new to the project at one time or another. Fair warning...there are a lot of trolls out there who like to deface pages, start unnecessary arguments about edits, and host of other minefields to avoid. My advice starting out is to focus on your areas of expertise (and interests) and concentrate on making all them as academically well-substantiated as you can. Since you are a Classics scholar, I can already tell you that lots of figures from Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages alike, need secondary sources, as too many of them rely largely on primary sources instead of major historians and their interpretation of those very works. For instance, Procopius or Cassiodorus may have written something about a particular person, but what do modern historians have to say about what was written. That's where your expertise will prove helpful. Sure, it's OK to cite a primary source here or there, but it's always best to contextualize it using secondary sources from scholars of note.

@Ermenrich: Looks like you've really been after this one quite a bit. Good for you. Like I said, I will peek in here and there. If you get stuck on something, hit me up. My library is sizable. --Obenritter (talk) 03:35, 10 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I wonder if you have an opinion about this discussion here at Conze? This is sort of at the crux of the reasons why I think these articles need attention - I don't think we can be wholly critical or wholly laudatory of figures with long careers and a lot of continuing influence postwar, but most of our articles either dismiss them as hacks or don't mention their involvement with the Nazis at all.--Ermenrich (talk) 15:06, 10 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Ermenrich: Wie gefragt, habs erwidert, oder meiner Meinung dazu ausgedrückt. Hoffentlich, ich habe deinen Standpunkt bezüglich hinreichend verstanden.--Obenritter (talk) 15:51, 10 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Ich danke dir!--Ermenrich (talk) 16:00, 10 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the book[edit]

Thanks for the book! If you're interested in continuing your work over at Germanic paganism it looks to me like we might be able to pull something pretty awesome together from the sources we have. Of course we're both pretty busy I'm sure.--Ermenrich (talk) 20:08, 20 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Bitte sehr. That's the big rub for both of us, working full time is already a load, plus maintaining a household. I'll try and get around to helping out when I can. If I seem absent, charge my head, not my heart. There's certainly plenty in that article that would benefit from more thematic expertise. Much of what I did with that page was from general sources, since the page was a wreck. Plus, sometimes it's good to use accessible works for general readers to verify, vice the very expensive volumes from Fachexperten. However, I say that for the sake of expediency, not necessarily quality. Mach's gut. --Obenritter (talk) 20:19, 20 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]
I recall that at one point you edited some article on Christianization - I've replaced a lot of the content at Christianization of the Germanic peoples with stuff from the section currently at Germanic peoples which I'm planning to mostly cut or fold into the history section or a trimmed "religion" section - the article is about 4000 words too long, unfortunately. Maybe you could have a look at the article on Christianization, there are still some largely unsourced sections such as the "characteristics" section (which I believe is left over from when the article was "Germanic Christianity", a problematic concept).--Ermenrich (talk) 15:33, 27 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Well, European Christianity was significantly influenced by Germanic religious customs. Not sure if you have a copy of the following: Russell, James C. The Germanization of Early Medieval Christianity. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. It's a worthwhile read, although a bit controversial as you noted. I do have the Russell and the Fletcher works mentioned, as well as the Padberg one all in hard copy. It's just that my time is so consumed right now with real life stuff. Your work in the middle of a semester right now is blowing my mind. Is your teaching load especially light this semester? --Obenritter (talk) 18:35, 27 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]
I got the semester off! I should be working on my book and articles, but my Wikipedia addiction kicked in. There’s always so much to improve! I’m trying to keep it under control but with difficulty.
Also, re:Germanic Christianity, I think the question is mostly whether the culture that influenced Western Christianity can really be described as “Germanic” or if it isn’t more of a post-Roman barbarian thing. Parts of these larger debates, I suppose.—Ermenrich (talk) 18:58, 27 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]
"Parts of these larger debates, I suppose" < not suppose, unquestionably so. So Wikipedia will be around for you to peck away whenever. Your book could make you money. Refocus, grasshopper. --Obenritter (talk) 23:09, 27 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Operation Barbarossa[edit]

They keep trying o go against consensus like you said there was are you a admin? https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Barbarossa&action=historyBasketballfanLIT (talk) 17:37, 22 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Gruess dich[edit]

Danke der Nachfrage -nein, ich ignoriere dich nicht! Ich habe familiaere Beziehungen zur Ukraine und seit dem Beginn des Krieges habe ich einfach wenig Energie uebrig, mich mit Wikipedia zu beschaeftigen. Die wenige Energie, die ich uebrig habe, brauch ich, um an meiner Monografie zu schreiben, meinen Beitrag fuer Kalamazoo fertig zu schreiben muss, usw. Irgendwie erscheinen mir die Debatten und Kontroversen hier nicht mehr so wichtig. Deswegen bin ich mehr oder weniger verschwunden - ich will mich einfach nicht mehr zusaetzlich mit Wikipedia-Drama aufreiben. Ich muss meine psychische Energie aufsparen. Hoffentlich geht der Krieg irgendwann zu Ende und ich finde meine Begeisterung fuer Wikipedia wieder. Mein Draft fuer Germanic Religion muss noch fertiggestellt werden, es gaebe noch einiges zu tun. Aber ich weiss ehrlich gesagt nicht, wann und ob das passiert.

Beste Gruesse--Ermenrich (talk) 14:13, 22 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Es tut mir sehr leid das zu hören -- hatte ich keine Ahnung, dass die Ereignisse in der Ukraine Dich besonders negativ beeinflusst hast. Was ich eigentlich dachte war, dass ich irgendwie mehr enthüllt hatte, als Du ursprünglich auf der Webseite je beabsichtigt hättest. Ich verstehe deinen Bedenken gegenüber Wikipedia und die Notwendigkeit, deine Zurechnungsfähigkeit zu bewahren. Am Ende, Wiki ist im Vergleich fast bedeutungslos, besonders zur Zeit. Wie dich, hoffe ich dass dieses Leiden so bald wie möglich, aufhört -- aber ich fürchte gleichzeitig, dass Putin könnte verrückt sein. Hätte ich von deiner Verbindungen zu diesen Ereignissen gewusst, wäre ich in der Art und Weise, wie ich kommunizierte, viel vorsichtiger gewesen. Meine Gedanken sind bei Dir. --Obenritter (talk) 15:31, 22 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Copyedit?[edit]

Hey there, I noticed you added the copyedit tag to Axis anti-partisan operations in World War II but apart from a few spelling errors I've since corrected I don't really see much need for further copyediting. I haven't removed the template since I'm a new editor, and if I've missed anything that needs further copyediting, please let me know. ★Ama TALK CONTRIBS 11:46, 25 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Amadeus1999. The page is just not well written in terms of syntax, it's not well-sourced and generally speaking, quite amateurish. I realize that many editors are not college professors, but as you'll note from my recent adjustments to the article (lead) summary, I brought further clarity, reduced redundancies, and added further, albeit brief, mention of content that should have been there. Copy-editing is not just commas and spelling, it's also continuity, flow, comprehensibility etc. Hopefully, that example will help you going forward. Welcome to the project and happy editing.--Obenritter (talk) 18:15, 25 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you, yeah I know it's not just grammar and spelling, but thanks for your tips! ★Ama TALK CONTRIBS 18:32, 25 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

ArbCom 2022 Elections voter message[edit]

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Odoacer[edit]

Done. Let me know what you think Giray Altay (talk) 18:49, 6 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Looks great...my edits and yours combined make it very clear that the general consensus remains about Odoacer being at least part Hun (even if it is disputed).--Obenritter (talk) 22:40, 7 December 2022 (UTC)--Obenritter (talk) 22:40, 7 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. Yeah, looks great =)
I later had a look at other wikis, just to get an idea of what the general opinion is.
German Wikipedia doesn't say anything about him being a Hun, but reports that the Suda describes his brother (and so also Odoacer, in theory) as half Thuringian and half Scirian; however, the wp:de article does also provide a link to Edeko's article, where they identify him with the ambassador, who, they say, later became leader of the Sciri. Hungarian Wikipedia identifies his father with the ambassador but puts forward he was a Rugian. Turkish Wikipedia does not mention his father but states that Odoacer was from the Turcilingi, who they report might have been Huns (actually, they call them "Turkish"). Kazakh Wikipedia calls Odoacer a Hun. Japanese Wikipedia lists the various tribes but is uncertain about ethnicity. Chinese Wikipedia says he is believed to be of Germanic ancestry. French Wikipedia lists all the possible origins of Odoacer, including Herul and Hun, which they consider less likely. Spanish Wikipedia ponders both a Hunnic and a Germanic origin (the article looks like a translation from wp:en); Swedish Wikipedia does not talk about Hun ethnicity, but nonetheless links Odoacer to Edeko the ambassador of Attila. Finally, Italian Wikipedia gives a convincing recap of the history of the debate regarding Odoacers' ethnicity, which is however ruined when they support the final statement "Beyond these hypotheses, currently the majority of researchers have roughly re-attested to the Germanic origin" with a link to Britannica and a link to historyfiles.co.uk.
The general opinion in Wikipedia does not necessarily reflect the general consensus of historians; but anyway, international wp editors look pretty divided. You would say there is an inclination towards a Germanic identification; however, those who identify him as Germanic often also connect him with Edeco the ambassador, who is described as a Hun (though not all of them remember to report this latter fact).
Anyway, I was going to add the Suda to the article; however, I then saw it is already included in the article but in a different section. Wondering whether it would be better for the reader to have all the ethnicity-related info in one place? Giray Altay (talk) 23:36, 7 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Wow -- that's a lot of divergent opinions and it's pretty remarkable that you've read them in that many languages. Not sure it would help to add all these viewpoints. In fact, it would probably leave readers more confused and point them more towards Germanic ancestry for Odoacer and Edeco, at least based on what you've provided. On another note: there is a page that could use some work and one I have been meaning to get to—namely the wiki on Ricimer. If you are so inclined, consider revamping that page using the sfn style refs it would be great, as you obviously are capable of very scholarly research.--Obenritter (talk) 13:52, 8 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks; but actually, I just have a smattering of a few foreign languages, though I am good at using the translator =,). But yeah, I can get easily info from the internet and move well among books; they are currently keeping me busy elsewhere but as soon as I have time I will have a look at [[Ricimer]]. Let me know if you need help for other research or translation work. Giray Altay (talk) 15:24, 8 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Glad to hear you're onboard. I usually deal only with German or English sources, sometimes Danish and Dutch, but beyond those, not much (with the latter two, I also require a translation due to false cognates and my lack of command with their grammar). The Ricimer article obviously needs more citations and consistent formatting, as well as some content, but I'll start working it a little here and there when I can as well. Together, we should be able to clean it up. Mach's gut. --Obenritter (talk) 18:14, 8 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah the grammar is different but they are all Germanic languages after all; they are comfy to translate for me even though I know English and some German but never studied those languages.
You probably already know this, but a good tool when translating is the wiktionary; no matter what word and what language, you will probably find it there. It also allows you to search for the inflected word. I find it very useful.
You may also already know this but: for me, a good way to retrieve information in internet is using google books advanced search. It allows you too search a combination of words, and if you don't want a dated source, you can select a years' range for the books' publication date. Giray Altay (talk) 21:48, 8 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for the tips. I've never used wiktionary, but I will now. --Obenritter (talk) 23:22, 8 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Giray Altay Just so you're aware, Ermenrich is among the best editors I've ever encountered on Wikipedia and like me has an advanced education in most all things Germanic. He's likewise fluent in German and has command of other Germanic languages. Also, he has very good reasons to be suspicious of nationalists on Wikipedia and elsewhere given his personal life. Suffice it to say, by not having a legitimate user page, you raised alarms, to which both I and Ermenrich responded. My apologies for my assumptions, but you must understand how your account caused red flags. One bit of advice I'd offer - create a regular Wikipedia account. If you don't be prepared for a repeat of concerns on other pages. Hope you are well. --Obenritter (talk) 17:43, 12 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Don't worry, I can walk in your and Ermenrich's shoes and I understand. I can see he is a good editor. Like I hinted at at the admins', I am almost afraid this event could cause him to be henceforth less suspicious or even more merciful to actual nationalists and socks. I hope not. The thing is just he got it wrong this time.
It may look like I overreacted, but I had to raise my voice because I could see it would be a waste of time for all.
I will create a userpage asap. Giray Altay (talk) 19:20, 12 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Obenritter, as an editor that GA respects, would you be willing to help arbitrate at Mundus (magister militum) and stop the two of us from constantly being at each other's necks? I feel that having more editors involved there (something that continues to be elusive, despite my attempts to publicize the case) would help establish consensus on the various issues under discussion.--Ermenrich (talk) 20:44, 13 December 2022 (UTC) Also @Giray Altay: so he knows that I made this request.--Ermenrich (talk) 20:45, 13 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Obenritter is not the only editor I respect. I respect all editors a priori. I simply tell those who misbehave when they are wrong.
You should not invite other editors to Mundus or any talk page you are discussing. It is not the first time you do it. Especially because, while you pinged Obenritter here (a neutral editor that I wouldn't mind took part in that or any other discussion) you also pinged your teammate Erminwin at Mundus ([https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Mundus_(magister_militum)&diff=next&oldid=1127270113 1]), which looks a lot like canvassing, for which you have already been reported.
You should open an RfC at Mundus, not invite cherry-picked users like Erminwin and Borsoka. Giray Altay (talk) 23:23, 13 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Erminwin is already editing that page and you keep referring to a conversation you had with him - didn’t you want me to ping you when I mentioned you? That’s not canvassing. I didn’t ping Borsoka, so not sure what you’re talking about. I keep extending you olive branches and you keep throwing them back in my face.—Ermenrich (talk) 00:18, 14 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry but: you pinged Erminwin when you need some other editor's opinion
You didn't ping Borsoka now, true. Not this time. Giray Altay (talk) 00:29, 14 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Look at the chronology of these edits [3] [4], [5]. Now explain to me how I could possibly have met the definition of WP:CANVASSING when you yourself wanted his opinion about the article before my first edit, he edited before my first edit, and I pinged him after that? You need to stop making these accusations.--Ermenrich (talk) 00:40, 14 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Frohe Weihnachten…[edit]

🎄. Kierzek (talk) 18:01, 24 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Gleichfalls -- und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!

Happy New Year, Obenritter![edit]

Happy New Year!

Obenritter,
Have a prosperous, productive and enjoyable New Year, and thanks for your contributions to Wikipedia.
Abishe (talk) 02:04, 1 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

   Send New Year cheer by adding {{subst:Happy New Year fireworks}} to user talk pages.

Abishe (talk) 02:04, 1 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you very much Abishe and the same for you. May your new year be prosperous and fruitful. --Obenritter (talk) 15:41, 1 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

New definition of victory[edit]

Are you kidding me? Do you want to say that all defensive wars, battles and operations where A repelled B's attack aren't considered a victory for A? Sounds funny, but I want to see some consensus behind it, so please give a link. Otherwise we need to follow the guidelines. I would agree to "Axis failure" though. Oloddin (talk) 23:55, 5 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

No, I am not kidding you and there will be no link. This is academic parlance, wherein we characterize "named" operations as either successful or a failure for the instigating party. Would you characterize the assault at Normandy on June 6, 1944 as a German defeat or an Allied success (albeit costly)? Obviously it was an Allied success because it was their offensive. BTW - Axis failure is the same thing as Axis defeat, but if consensus is what we're attempting, go with the former. --Obenritter (talk) 15:14, 6 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I would agree if we are talking about "point operations" (there is a separate template for them), but not about invasions or major offensives. The results of the latter should be defined in the same way as those not code-named by either side, because this naming is arbitrary. In terms of practical results — yes, there're the same, but "failure" seems to be more appropriate regarding operations.--Oloddin (talk) 16:25, 6 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Talk:Nazi Germany RfC[edit]

You might want to reiterate your "Oppose" vote in the RfC that's been started. Beyond My Ken (talk) 14:34, 21 July 2023 (UTC) Beyond My Ken (talk) 14:34, 21 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Oh good grief. Thanks for the head's up Beyond My Ken. --Obenritter (talk) 20:27, 21 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

👍[edit]

Thanks for adding the note about Balfour/Breitman’s different numbers to my Abwehr#Repression and complicity edit! Fyi, from the context it seems probable that Balfour was referring to the size of the organization in 1938-39, which might explain the difference. (The source he cites to is German-language, so I can’t check!) Trellbailey (talk) 00:39, 6 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

No worries. --Obenritter (talk) 01:09, 6 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Frohe Weihnachten![edit]

… hope you’ve had a good Christmas day so far. Cheers, Kierzek (talk) 23:16, 25 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@Kierzek: It was excellent...hoping your's was too, Sir....noch einen guten Rutsch!
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