Eugen Mittwoch Mittwoch was the leading orientalist in Germany, and the founder of a more politically oriented, modern science of Middle East Studies, in contrast to the traditional philologic, apolitical approach very much influenced by Goethe. In 1924, Mittwoch stayed in Jerusalem, where he participated in the founding of a Department for Semitic Studies at Hebrew University. Since he was the leading specialist on Ethiopian languages world-wide, Mittwoch did not lose his academic position in 1933 immediately like almost all his Jewish colleagues in Germany did at that time. This had to do with a special intervention by Mussolini with Hitler on
German Unity Day in East Germany, even with the name "Day of the German Unity". Since 1963, it was proclaimed by the President of the Federal Republic as "National Day of Memorial of the German People". However by the mid-1960s as hope faded that the two Germanies would ever be re-united, this date became more of a holiday and opportunity to drink than a day to consider national unity. In the year 1990, the "Day of German Unity" was celebrated twice, on this date and on October 3. In East Germany, the Founding Day in 1949 would be celebrated on 7 October as