WesWorld

Ugh. Insert a rant about kids these days and declining education standards.

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Ugh. Insert a rant about kids these days and declining education standards.

No doubt to these kids, the worst maritime disaster was when their toy boat sank in the bath tub.

On the other hand, I'm not sure how it is in other parts of the world, but I was never taught about Titanic at school at any level. Apparently this subject is not important enough. It was something I read about in the library as a kid. If you don't learn about it at school, you're eventually going to learn about it and some might find out about it sooner than others.

Still, Titanic is generally well known, while not many will have heard of the Wilhelm Gustloff.

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Originally posted by Rooijen10

Quoted

Ugh. Insert a rant about kids these days and declining education standards.

No doubt to these kids, the worst maritime disaster was when their toy boat sank in the bath tub.

On the other hand, I'm not sure how it is in other parts of the world, but I was never taught about Titanic at school at any level. Apparently this subject is not important enough. It was something I read about in the library as a kid. If you don't learn about it at school, you're eventually going to learn about it and some might find out about it sooner than others.

Still, Titanic is generally well known, while not many will have heard of the Wilhelm Gustloff.

That's actually quite true Walter. I never learned about either in school. I heard about Titanic in my pre-teen years (7-9yrs old range) and didn't hear about Wilhelm Gustloff until I was in my mid-late 20's.

For me about the same. About 8-10 with Titanic and I was in my late 20s when I saw something about the Wilhelm Gustloff on National Geographic.

I learned about Titanic early on when I got a book about ships when I was a kid. Wilhelm Gustloff I've only just recently discovered.

Hell's teeth!
Still at least you can't say these idiots believe everything they see in films is true (what, you mean Rambo wasn't real! Surely Mary Poppins was a real-life biography!).

Shipwrecks aren't generally taught in schools, although the Titanic gets a brief mention in every schoolbook. According to the story the whole thing brought down Edwardian society and was a portend of things to come. Actually I must confess to mixed feelings (having been studying the ship since I was seven and even doing a univesity essay on myth formation and the Titanic) of the hype these last few months.

The tale is indeed tragic, the story will forever live in sea folklore and those victims deserve some kind of rememberence.

But on the other side of the coin it was only one event, shipwrecks and disasters at sea have been common enough, indeed the Titanic was only one in a long line of events that preceeded it. The Gustloff is on such incident but falls more under victim of war than victim of incompetence and chance. The media have another 2012 marker to celebrate along with the Olympics and the Queens Jubliee etc, but has it really just dumbed the whole event down, re-churned the same myths and unfactual elements?
Also the designation of UN protection to the wreck to my mind is 26 years too late. It should have been done when Ballard found the wreck, too much stuff has been dredged up and flogged in auction houses. That should never of been allowed. Instead on focusing on one, admittedly large, event perhaps a memorial to all victims of all shipwrecks would be more fitting.

I find it interesting to note that naval bookshelves, at least in the UK, which have never been more than scanty now have at least two whole shevles devoted to Titanic books, a certain amount of overkill. Name me one other singular historical event that has two shelves devoted to it. An yet these shelves never seem to go down, does anyone actually buy these books. And given the multitude of myths and mis-information its pretty hard to figure who has the best account and who has the fresh angle or conspriacy theory.

Also its interesting to see at last J. Bruce Ismay's image of a coward being slowly revoked, perhaps becuase we put 2010 interpretations on the events 100 years ago, but its welcome nevertheless. Also historians are trying to weed out the myths, but myths are powerful things that don't die easy. A final interesting thought, the Titanic was the first mass disaster to occur during the modern media era (telegraph and wireless) and so its exposure was much greater. Had the event happened in 1892 would the ship and event be so impressed into our memories as it is today?

Anyway, I shall spare a thought for those poor vicitims tonight.

In memory of all People died in this night.
Titanic, you are always in our memory.
Reste in peace


Jef

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Originally posted by Hood
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Well, from the perspective of someone whose job is still influenced by the sinking, I will say that the Titanic has had a tremendous amount of long term influence starting with the foundation of SOLAS and from there the IMO.