Professor Dirk Voss discusses history, St. Louis and German beer
BY: BRADY YANKO
Staff Writer
Karl ‘Dirk’ Voss has been teaching at Meramec for over 20 years; most of his time has been spent teaching several different engaging history courses. Dr. Voss is from the southwest region of Germany near the corner of Switzerland and France.
Remembering his childhood and young adult life in Germany, he said, “Our travel sometimes included international borders […] we would spend weekends sometimes in northern Italy, or Austria. But that is typical for Europeans, international borders are just around the corner. It was a very nice hilly country, and I understand why some Germans like to settle in Hilly areas like Herman [Missouri].”
As someone who is very well-traveled, one country stood out and changed his teaching style the most.
“The United States,” Voss said. “That’s the most influential country of my teaching because my first very good teachers were American. First in Germany, then when I came here, they were really good. Other countries changed my attitude, like Vietnam and China in many ways. But the most important impact was in the United States. That is why I stayed here; I like the American teaching style so much better than the German teaching style.”
Dr. Voss explained the difference in the teaching style between Germans and Americans.
“First of all, German classes are not funny at all, ever. They are very dry, and sometimes occasionally, Professors read a lecture to you,” he said. “It’s terrible. My first American history teacher was walking around, he was free speaking… sometimes you get the feeling they are reading their own book manuscript. That had an impact on me. Not all American professors are funny, but some of them influenced me very much.”
The most important time in history for Dr. Voss is something that echoes through many of his courses, “I think the most important change in world history is the beginning of the development of industrialization. The factory system changes everything. Power relations between nations, it also totally changes the way we approach time and work.”
That is a belief that can be found in his Western Civilization course.
Living in a new city can be strange at first. Something that initially surprised Voss about St. Louis is how segregated it felt.
“What surprised me when I came here was how segregated Saint Louis is. I lived in Texas and Arizona, but segregation is so strong here. I had no explanation for this. For example, Meramec twenty years ago had very few African American students and I was puzzled. I was not used to it in Texas or Oklahoma. I have to say we are much more diverse nowadays… What I like about St. Louis is that it is an old city, it really is old. Even in Germany, the cities aren’t this old because of World War II.”
When on the topic of Anheuser Busch and German lager Dr. Voss also noted, “I think America is so much more innovative right now in beer brewing, the microbrewers around the area. Big German companies have become so concentrated, big corporations. When I tell Germans that the best beer in the world is now brewed in America, they think I’m crazy. Places like Urban chestnut and micro-breweries in St. Louis are doing great.”
