Kulturkaempfe (whole sentence, sense)

English translation: another attempt

13:21 Dec 10, 2003
German to English translations [PRO]
German term or phrase: Kulturkaempfe (whole sentence, sense)
"Und es gibt Horrorszenarien, in denen es fuer moeglich gehalten wird, dass die mit der Aufloesung der im 19. Jahrhundert konstruierten nationalstaatlichen Konstellationen fuer die ehemalige Union der sozialistischen Sowjetrepubliken nach deren Zusammenbruch im 20. Jahrhundert aehnliche *Kulturkaempfe* stattfinden koennten."

it sounds awful and somewhat ungrammatical in German (source text might be wrong?), I know, but I'd be grateful for any comments...
ulysem (X)
Local time: 10:14
English translation:another attempt
Explanation:
Certain nightmare scenarios are considered possible in which the break-up of the USSR could result in ethnic clashes similar to those that emerged from dissolution of the configuration of nation states formed in the 19th Century.
I think they're probably referring to the "Balkanization" (ethnic conflicts and in-fighting) that resulted from the dissolution of the Habsburg Empire (pax romana)
Selected response from:

William Stein
Costa Rica
Local time: 04:14
Grading comment
thank you so much for your answer, it's exactly what I've been looking for! have a nice evening -
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3another attempt
William Stein
3 +1clash of cultures
tectranslate ITS GmbH
3cultural wars
Lori Dendy-Molz
3The sense of the whose, as I read it, follows:
Mary Wilburn


  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
clash of cultures


Explanation:
My take. And yes, there seems to be one word too many in the source: "_die_ mit der Aulösung"

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Note added at 10 mins (2003-12-10 13:31:55 GMT)
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Obviously, you might need to use a different grammatical form like cultural clashes or clashes of culture or...

The whole sentence seems to be about the fear that the breakdown of the USSR into individual republics might lead to cultural clashes in these countries.

tectranslate ITS GmbH
Local time: 11:14
PRO pts in pair: 289

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Heidi Stone-Schaller: yes, and I think you just have to omit the "die" in "die mit der Auflösung" (not sure if you meant that) and the sentence becomes clear--well, clearer anyway. It sounds like one of those sentences uttered by some VIP in an interview
3 hrs
  -> Yup, I did mean that ;)
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
cultural wars


Explanation:
is being used a lot these days, especially in the US

Lori Dendy-Molz
Germany
Local time: 11:14
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 1453

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.: culture wars, but that's low brow vs. middle brow, not culture as it's used here
1 hr
  -> a google check shows it used in numerous ways, including in the sense of an ethnic conflict
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
The sense of the whose, as I read it, follows:


Explanation:
Culture wars (like those that occurred between nation-state constellations constructed in the 19th century) could break out (after the 20th century collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).
The USSR dissolved those 19th century nation-state constellations
There are some horror scenarios that see such culture wars as possible after the collapse of the USSR.

Mary Wilburn
United States
Local time: 06:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 76
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
another attempt


Explanation:
Certain nightmare scenarios are considered possible in which the break-up of the USSR could result in ethnic clashes similar to those that emerged from dissolution of the configuration of nation states formed in the 19th Century.
I think they're probably referring to the "Balkanization" (ethnic conflicts and in-fighting) that resulted from the dissolution of the Habsburg Empire (pax romana)

William Stein
Costa Rica
Local time: 04:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1734
Grading comment
thank you so much for your answer, it's exactly what I've been looking for! have a nice evening -

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.: definitely closest - ethnic conflicts - and as in the Habsburg example, language is key - not even the Königliche-Kaiserliche truly respected the cultural (and linguistic) differences
48 mins

agree  gangels (X)
1 hr

agree  Heidi Stone-Schaller: that makes the most sense--why would anybody want to pack that much meaning into one single sentence I wonder?
2 hrs
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