124-611: Verrückt ( German meaning "crazy" or "insane", listen ) was a custom water coaster water slide located at the Schlitterbahn Kansas City water park in Kansas City, Kansas , United States. At the height of 168 feet 7 inches (51.38 m), Verrückt became the world's tallest water slide when it opened on July 10, 2014, surpassing Kilimanjaro at Aldeia das Águas Park Resort in Brazil. The ride
248-465: A de facto official language of Namibia after the end of German colonial rule alongside English and Afrikaans , and had de jure co-official status from 1984 until its independence from South Africa in 1990. However, the Namibian government perceived Afrikaans and German as symbols of apartheid and colonialism, and decided English would be the sole official language upon independence, stating that it
372-578: A grand jury issued an indictment against Schlitterbahn and Tyler Austin Miles, former director of operations, charging them with involuntary manslaughter , aggravated battery , aggravated child endangerment , and interference with law enforcement. The indictment accused the park of negligence, concealing design flaws, and downplaying the severity of previous injuries reported on the ride. The 2018 indictment against Schlitterbahn wrote that Jeff Henry and John Schooley "lacked technical expertise to design
496-521: A grand jury issued an indictment against Schlitterbahn and Tyler Austin Miles, former director of operations, charging them with involuntary manslaughter , aggravated battery , aggravated child endangerment , and interference with law enforcement. The indictment accused the park of negligence, concealing design flaws, and downplaying the severity of previous injuries reported on the ride. The 2018 indictment against Schlitterbahn wrote that Jeff Henry and John Schooley "lacked technical expertise to design
620-402: A second language , and 75–100 million as a foreign language . This would imply the existence of approximately 175–220 million German speakers worldwide. German sociolinguist Ulrich Ammon estimated a number of 289 million German foreign language speakers without clarifying the criteria by which he classified a speaker. As of 2012 , about 90 million people, or 16% of
744-612: A "commonly used" language and the Pan South African Language Board is obligated to promote and ensure respect for it. Cameroon was also a colony of the German Empire from the same period (1884 to 1916). However, German was replaced by French and English, the languages of the two successor colonial powers, after its loss in World War I . Nevertheless, since the 21st century, German has become
868-418: A "fictional and dramatized version of events created for entertainment purposes," and expert witnesses for claiming that the designers of the slide were negligent in not following ASTM standards, though the law at the time did not require that those standards be followed. German language German (German: Deutsch , pronounced [dɔʏtʃ] ) is a West Germanic language in
992-559: A greater need for regularity in written conventions. While the major changes of the MHG period were socio-cultural, High German was still undergoing significant linguistic changes in syntax, phonetics, and morphology as well (e.g. diphthongization of certain vowel sounds: hus (OHG & MHG "house") → haus (regionally in later MHG)→ Haus (NHG), and weakening of unstressed short vowels to schwa [ə]: taga (OHG "days")→ tage (MHG)). A great wealth of texts survives from
1116-408: A matter of time until someone died on Verrückt", the lifeguard said. A safety consultant hired by the park shortly before Verrückt's scheduled opening told Henry it was unfinished and unsafe. When complete, he recommended that only riders aged 16 and over be allowed on the ride. Henry, who had no formal engineering education, decided age 14 was better. Just before the opening, however, he eliminated
1240-417: A maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h). Verrückt was well-received upon opening, winning a Golden Ticket Award from Amusement Today in 2014. After Schwab's death, amusement park safety laws were updated to require state inspection of all attractions. It was later revealed that at least 13 other people had suffered non-fatal injuries from hitting the netting above the slide. Criminal charges led to
1364-458: A native tongue today, mostly descendants of German colonial settlers . The period of German colonialism in Namibia also led to the evolution of a Standard German-based pidgin language called " Namibian Black German ", which became a second language for parts of the indigenous population. Although it is nearly extinct today, some older Namibians still have some knowledge of it. German remained
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#17327866108381488-696: A popular foreign language among pupils and students, with 300,000 people learning or speaking German in Cameroon in 2010 and over 230,000 in 2020. Today Cameroon is one of the African countries outside Namibia with the highest number of people learning German. In the United States, German is the fifth most spoken language in terms of native and second language speakers after English, Spanish , French , and Chinese (with figures for Cantonese and Mandarin combined), with over 1 million total speakers. In
1612-443: A properly functioning water slide" and did not perform standard engineering procedures or calculations on how the slide would operate. Instead, they used "crude trial-and-error methods" to test its performance out of haste to launch the ride. According to court documents, Schooley conceded that, "If we actually knew how to do this, and it could be done that easily, it wouldn't be that spectacular." Three days later, on March 26, Henry
1736-441: A properly functioning water slide" and did not perform standard engineering procedures or calculations on how the slide would operate. Instead, they used "crude trial-and-error methods" to test its performance out of haste to launch the ride. According to court documents, Schooley conceded that, "If we actually knew how to do this, and it could be done that easily, it wouldn't be that spectacular." Three days later, on March 26, Henry
1860-617: A rapid decline in Schlitterbahn's reputation and financial standing, resulting in the park's closure in September 2018. Verrückt was dismantled two months later. Original plans for Schlitterbahn Kansas City , the first Schlitterbahn Waterparks site outside Texas , called for a $ 750 million complex including hotels and resort areas. Officials in Wyandotte County , Kansas , where it was to be built, were delighted when
1984-796: A recognized national language in Namibia . There are also notable German-speaking communities in France ( Alsace ), the Czech Republic ( North Bohemia ), Poland ( Upper Silesia ), Slovakia ( Košice Region , Spiš , and Hauerland ), Denmark ( North Schleswig ), Romania and Hungary ( Sopron ). Overseas, sizeable communities of German-speakers are found in Brazil ( Blumenau and Pomerode ), South Africa ( Kroondal ), Namibia , among others, some communities have decidedly Austrian German or Swiss German characters (e.g. Pozuzo , Peru). German
2108-483: A result, the surviving texts are written in highly disparate regional dialects and exhibit significant Latin influence, particularly in vocabulary. At this point monasteries, where most written works were produced, were dominated by Latin, and German saw only occasional use in official and ecclesiastical writing. While there is no complete agreement over the dates of the Middle High German (MHG) period, it
2232-597: A trip to China on April 2, 2018. The defendants were arraigned in April 2018, and the first criminal trial began in October. On February 22, 2019, criminal charges were dismissed against Henry, Schooley, and Miles because inadmissible evidence had been presented to the grand jury. The judge's ruling reprimanded state attorneys for presenting the Xtreme Waterparks episode to jurors as fact, instead of as
2356-417: A trip to China on April 2, 2018. The defendants were arraigned in April 2018, and the first criminal trial began in October. On February 22, 2019, criminal charges were dismissed against Henry, Schooley, and Miles because inadmissible evidence had been presented to the grand jury. The judge's ruling reprimanded state attorneys for presenting the Xtreme Waterparks episode to jurors as fact, instead of as
2480-601: Is a recognized minority language in the following countries: In France, the High German varieties of Alsatian and Moselle Franconian are identified as " regional languages ", but the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of 1998 has not yet been ratified by the government. Namibia also was a colony of the German Empire, from 1884 to 1915. About 30,000 people still speak German as
2604-612: Is also notable for its broad spectrum of dialects , with many varieties existing in Europe and other parts of the world. Some of these non-standard varieties have become recognized and protected by regional or national governments. Since 2004, heads of state of the German-speaking countries have met every year, and the Council for German Orthography has been the main international body regulating German orthography . German
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#17327866108382728-558: Is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Germanic group of the Germanic languages . The Germanic languages are traditionally subdivided into three branches: North Germanic , East Germanic , and West Germanic . The first of these branches survives in modern Danish , Swedish , Norwegian , Faroese , and Icelandic , all of which are descended from Old Norse . The East Germanic languages are now extinct, and Gothic
2852-590: Is believed that this happened with other accidents. Even some uninjured riders were unnerved by Verrückt. A Kansas City man who had made a point of riding due to favorable experiences with the Texas Schlitterbahn parks recalled having to grab the raft's auxiliary straps when the Velcro straps holding him came loose after the first drop; he was thankful that his son had used the weight limit as an excuse not to ride. A local woman whose boyfriend held her in
2976-478: Is called the "German Sprachraum ". German is the official language of the following countries: German is a co-official language of the following countries: Although expulsions and (forced) assimilation after the two World wars greatly diminished them, minority communities of mostly bilingual German native speakers exist in areas both adjacent to and detached from the Sprachraum. Within Europe, German
3100-430: Is complicated by the existence of several varieties whose status as separate "languages" or "dialects" is disputed for political and linguistic reasons, including quantitatively strong varieties like certain forms of Alemannic and Low German . With the inclusion or exclusion of certain varieties, it is estimated that approximately 90–95 million people speak German as a first language , 10–25 million speak it as
3224-535: Is generally seen as ending when the 1346–53 Black Death decimated Europe's population. Modern High German begins with the Early New High German (ENHG) period, which Wilhelm Scherer dates 1350–1650, terminating with the end of the Thirty Years' War . This period saw the further displacement of Latin by German as the primary language of courtly proceedings and, increasingly, of literature in
3348-611: Is generally seen as lasting from 1050 to 1350. This was a period of significant expansion of the geographical territory occupied by Germanic tribes, and consequently of the number of German speakers. Whereas during the Old High German period the Germanic tribes extended only as far east as the Elbe and Saale rivers, the MHG period saw a number of these tribes expanding beyond this eastern boundary into Slavic territory (known as
3472-565: Is less closely related to languages based on Low Franconian dialects (e.g., Dutch and Afrikaans), Low German or Low Saxon dialects (spoken in northern Germany and southern Denmark ), neither of which underwent the High German consonant shift. As has been noted, the former of these dialect types is Istvaeonic and the latter Ingvaeonic, whereas the High German dialects are all Irminonic; the differences between these languages and standard German are therefore considerable. Also related to German are
3596-435: Is one of the major languages of the world . German is the second-most widely spoken Germanic language , after English, both as a first and as a second language . German is also widely taught as a foreign language , especially in continental Europe (where it is the third most taught foreign language after English and French), and in the United States. Overall, German is the fourth most commonly learned second language, and
3720-597: Is one of the three biggest newspapers in Namibia and the only German-language daily in Africa. An estimated 12,000 people speak German or a German variety as a first language in South Africa, mostly originating from different waves of immigration during the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the largest communities consists of the speakers of "Nataler Deutsch", a variety of Low German concentrated in and around Wartburg . The South African constitution identifies German as
3844-401: Is partly derived from Latin and Greek , along with fewer words borrowed from French and Modern English . English, however, is the main source of more recent loanwords . German is a pluricentric language ; the three standardized variants are German , Austrian , and Swiss Standard German . Standard German is sometimes called High German , which refers to its regional origin. German
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3968-525: Is the Sachsenspiegel , the first book of laws written in Middle Low German ( c. 1220 ). The abundance and especially the secular character of the literature of the MHG period demonstrate the beginnings of a standardized written form of German, as well as the desire of poets and authors to be understood by individuals on supra-dialectal terms. The Middle High German period
4092-578: Is the only language in this branch which survives in written texts. The West Germanic languages, however, have undergone extensive dialectal subdivision and are now represented in modern languages such as English, German, Dutch , Yiddish , Afrikaans , and others. Within the West Germanic language dialect continuum, the Benrath and Uerdingen lines (running through Düsseldorf - Benrath and Krefeld - Uerdingen , respectively) serve to distinguish
4216-485: Is understood in all areas where German is spoken. Approximate distribution of native German speakers (assuming a rounded total of 95 million) worldwide: As a result of the German diaspora , as well as the popularity of German taught as a foreign language , the geographical distribution of German speakers (or "Germanophones") spans all inhabited continents. However, an exact, global number of native German speakers
4340-689: The Ostsiedlung ). With the increasing wealth and geographic spread of the Germanic groups came greater use of German in the courts of nobles as the standard language of official proceedings and literature. A clear example of this is the mittelhochdeutsche Dichtersprache employed in the Hohenstaufen court in Swabia as a standardized supra-dialectal written language. While these efforts were still regionally bound, German began to be used in place of Latin for certain official purposes, leading to
4464-639: The Alamanni , Bavarian, and Thuringian groups, all belonging to the Elbe Germanic group ( Irminones ), which had settled in what is now southern-central Germany and Austria between the second and sixth centuries, during the great migration. In general, the surviving texts of Old High German (OHG) show a wide range of dialectal diversity with very little written uniformity. The early written tradition of OHG survived mostly through monasteries and scriptoria as local translations of Latin originals; as
4588-537: The Early Middle Ages . German is an inflected language , with four cases for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative); three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and two numbers (singular, plural). It has strong and weak verbs . The majority of its vocabulary derives from the ancient Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family, while a smaller share
4712-480: The European Union 's population, spoke German as their mother tongue, making it the second most widely spoken language on the continent after Russian and the second biggest language in terms of overall speakers (after English), as well as the most spoken native language. The area in central Europe where the majority of the population speaks German as a first language and has German as a (co-)official language
4836-522: The German states . While these states were still part of the Holy Roman Empire , and far from any form of unification, the desire for a cohesive written language that would be understandable across the many German-speaking principalities and kingdoms was stronger than ever. As a spoken language German remained highly fractured throughout this period, with a vast number of often mutually incomprehensible regional dialects being spoken throughout
4960-746: The Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I , and the other being Meißner Deutsch , used in the Electorate of Saxony in the Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg . Alongside these courtly written standards, the invention of the printing press led to the development of a number of printers' languages ( Druckersprachen ) aimed at making printed material readable and understandable across as many diverse dialects of German as possible. The greater ease of production and increased availability of written texts brought about increased standardisation in
5084-690: The Indo-European language family , mainly spoken in Western and Central Europe . It is the most spoken native language within the European Union . It is the most widely spoken and official (or co-official) language in Germany , Austria , Switzerland , Liechtenstein , and the Italian autonomous province of South Tyrol . It is also an official language of Luxembourg , Belgium and the Italian autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia , as well as
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5208-666: The Old High German language in several Elder Futhark inscriptions from as early as the sixth century AD (such as the Pforzen buckle ), the Old High German period is generally seen as beginning with the Abrogans (written c. 765–775 ), a Latin-German glossary supplying over 3,000 Old High German words with their Latin equivalents. After the Abrogans , the first coherent works written in Old High German appear in
5332-676: The Sprachraum in Europe. German is used in a wide variety of spheres throughout the country, especially in business, tourism, and public signage, as well as in education, churches (most notably the German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (GELK) ), other cultural spheres such as music, and media (such as German language radio programs by the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation ). The Allgemeine Zeitung
5456-550: The Standard German language in its written form, and the Duden Handbook was declared its standard definition. Punctuation and compound spelling (joined or isolated compounds) were not standardized in the process. The Deutsche Bühnensprache ( lit. ' German stage language ' ) by Theodor Siebs had established conventions for German pronunciation in theatres , three years earlier; however, this
5580-513: The Upper German dialects spoken in the southern German-speaking countries , such as Swiss German ( Alemannic dialects ) and the various Germanic dialects spoken in the French region of Grand Est , such as Alsatian (mainly Alemannic, but also Central–and Upper Franconian dialects) and Lorraine Franconian (Central Franconian). After these High German dialects, standard German
5704-469: The pagan Germanic tradition. Of particular interest to scholars, however, has been the Hildebrandslied , a secular epic poem telling the tale of an estranged father and son unknowingly meeting each other in battle. Linguistically, this text is highly interesting due to the mixed use of Old Saxon and Old High German dialects in its composition. The written works of this period stem mainly from
5828-401: The 10-year-old son of Kansas state representative Scott Schwab , died while riding Verrückt. The raft he was riding went airborne during the ascent of the second hump and struck a metal support of the netting, decapitating him. The other two passengers, both women, were injured in the incident – one suffered a broken jaw, while the other suffered a facial bone fracture and needed stitches. In
5952-448: The 10-year-old son of Kansas state representative Scott Schwab , died while riding Verrückt. The raft he was riding went airborne during the ascent of the second hump and struck a metal support of the netting, decapitating him. The other two passengers, both women, were injured in the incident – one suffered a broken jaw, while the other suffered a facial bone fracture and needed stitches. In the immediate aftermath, Schlitterbahn Kansas City
6076-513: The 2014 Golden Ticket Awards . However, at least thirteen riders suffered non-fatal injuries, such as concussions or slipped and herniated discs – many of which had long-term effects – after either hitting the netting or being thrown into it. After a Missouri man thrown from the raft suffered facial injuries in June 2016, the park's operations manager allegedly attempted to cover up the incident, telling lifeguards what to write in their reports; it
6200-723: The Empire. Its use indicated that the speaker was a merchant or someone from an urban area, regardless of nationality. Prague (German: Prag ) and Budapest ( Buda , German: Ofen ), to name two examples, were gradually Germanized in the years after their incorporation into the Habsburg domain; others, like Pressburg ( Pozsony , now Bratislava), were originally settled during the Habsburg period and were primarily German at that time. Prague, Budapest, Bratislava, and cities like Zagreb (German: Agram ) or Ljubljana (German: Laibach ), contained significant German minorities. In
6324-748: The Frisian languages— North Frisian (spoken in Nordfriesland ), Saterland Frisian (spoken in Saterland ), and West Frisian (spoken in Friesland )—as well as the Anglic languages of English and Scots. These Anglo-Frisian dialects did not take part in the High German consonant shift, and the Anglic languages also adopted much vocabulary from both Old Norse and the Norman language . The history of
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#17327866108386448-536: The German language begins with the High German consonant shift during the Migration Period , which separated Old High German dialects from Old Saxon . This sound shift involved a drastic change in the pronunciation of both voiced and voiceless stop consonants ( b , d , g , and p , t , k , respectively). The primary effects of the shift were the following below. While there is written evidence of
6572-451: The German states; the invention of the printing press c. 1440 and the publication of Luther's vernacular translation of the Bible in 1534, however, had an immense effect on standardizing German as a supra-dialectal written language. The ENHG period saw the rise of several important cross-regional forms of chancery German, one being gemeine tiutsch , used in the court of
6696-681: The Germanic dialects that were affected by the High German consonant shift (south of Benrath) from those that were not (north of Uerdingen). The various regional dialects spoken south of these lines are grouped as High German dialects, while those spoken to the north comprise the Low German and Low Franconian dialects. As members of the West Germanic language family, High German, Low German, and Low Franconian have been proposed to be further distinguished historically as Irminonic , Ingvaeonic , and Istvaeonic , respectively. This classification indicates their historical descent from dialects spoken by
6820-655: The Irminones (also known as the Elbe group), Ingvaeones (or North Sea Germanic group), and Istvaeones (or Weser–Rhine group). Standard German is based on a combination of Thuringian - Upper Saxon and Upper Franconian dialects, which are Central German and Upper German dialects belonging to the High German dialect group. German is therefore closely related to the other languages based on High German dialects, such as Luxembourgish (based on Central Franconian dialects ) and Yiddish . Also closely related to Standard German are
6944-518: The MHG period. Significantly, these texts include a number of impressive secular works, such as the Nibelungenlied , an epic poem telling the story of the dragon -slayer Siegfried ( c. thirteenth century ), and the Iwein , an Arthurian verse poem by Hartmann von Aue ( c. 1203 ), lyric poems , and courtly romances such as Parzival and Tristan . Also noteworthy
7068-414: The age limit. Verrückt was eventually completed and officially opened on July 10, attracting national media coverage. Among the first riders was then- Kansas Governor Sam Brownback . The riders who had seen the videos of 110-pound (50 kg) sandbags flying off the rafts went on anyway. One local judge told Esquire later that she rode the water slide ten times that day, and an employee who had loaded
7192-611: The area passed a law allowing Schlitterbahn to self-inspect its attractions without state oversight as it did in Texas, unlike all other amusement parks in Kansas, which were subject to state inspection. However, the complete plans never came to fruition. Two years later, the Great Recession forced many amusement park operators, including Schlitterbahn, to scale back their plans and focus on making their existing parks profitable in
7316-547: The arrests of several individuals, including Schooley and Henry. The charges were ultimately dismissed with the finding of multiple procedural issues with the case's presentation by the Kansas Attorney General. The incident's aftermath, however, resulted in a rapid decline in Schlitterbahn's reputation and financial standing, resulting in the park's closure in September 2018. Verrückt was dismantled two months later. Original plans for Schlitterbahn Kansas City ,
7440-418: The challenging economy. Schlitterbahn Kansas City was reduced to a $ 180 million park without lodging and was not open for an entire season until 2010. It was successful, but not to the degree Schlitterbahn and co-owner Jeff Henry had initially expected. In November 2012, Schlitterbahn announced plans to create the world's tallest and fastest water slide at its Kansas City park, to open in mid-2013. No name
7564-449: The company announced the plans in 2005, seeing this as the culmination of efforts to draw residents of the Kansas City metropolitan area to spend their disposable income in Kansas rather than Missouri . State legislators from the area passed a law allowing Schlitterbahn to self-inspect its attractions without state oversight as it did in Texas, unlike all other amusement parks in Kansas, which were subject to state inspection. However,
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#17327866108387688-466: The company for the longest – allowed to watch. He further stated, "The only time I saw the slide run successfully was on the Travel Channel episode, but I wouldn't even call that successful", he recalled, because the raft in that case got stuck on the second hump. Sandbags on the raft frequently went airborne at that point, as in some leaked viral videos . "I told my friends and family it was only
7812-409: The complete plans never came to fruition. Two years later, the Great Recession forced many amusement park operators, including Schlitterbahn, to scale back their plans and focus on making their existing parks profitable in the challenging economy. Schlitterbahn Kansas City was reduced to a $ 180 million park without lodging and was not open for an entire season until 2010. It was successful, but not to
7936-428: The degree Schlitterbahn and co-owner Jeff Henry had initially expected. In November 2012, Schlitterbahn announced plans to create the world's tallest and fastest water slide at its Kansas City park, to open in mid-2013. No name was given during the announcement, while specifications on the height of the ride were kept secret to ensure that the completed ride would set a world record for its creation. The water slide
8060-430: The development of non-local forms of language and exposed all speakers to forms of German from outside their own area. With Luther's rendering of the Bible in the vernacular, German asserted itself against the dominance of Latin as a legitimate language for courtly, literary, and now ecclesiastical subject-matter. His Bible was ubiquitous in the German states: nearly every household possessed a copy. Nevertheless, even with
8184-456: The dialect so as to make the work as natural and accessible to German speakers as possible. Copies of Luther's Bible featured a long list of glosses for each region, translating words which were unknown in the region into the regional dialect. Luther said the following concerning his translation method: One who would talk German does not ask the Latin how he shall do it; he must ask the mother in
8308-519: The eastern provinces of Banat , Bukovina , and Transylvania (German: Banat, Buchenland, Siebenbürgen ), German was the predominant language not only in the larger towns—like Temeschburg ( Timișoara ), Hermannstadt ( Sibiu ), and Kronstadt ( Brașov )—but also in many smaller localities in the surrounding areas. In 1901, the Second Orthographic Conference ended with a (nearly) complete standardization of
8432-452: The first Schlitterbahn Waterparks site outside Texas , called for a $ 750 million complex including hotels and resort areas. Officials in Wyandotte County , Kansas , where it was to be built, were delighted when the company announced the plans in 2005, seeing this as the culmination of efforts to draw residents of the Kansas City metropolitan area to spend their disposable income in Kansas rather than Missouri . State legislators from
8556-404: The foot-to-torch portion of the Statue of Liberty . Because it was beyond the 120 feet (37 m) that zoning codes permitted, the design required a variance. The height was increased from its initial plan of 148 feet (45 m), which was also above the limit. After the announcement of the ride's height and the certification of its world record on April 25, 2014, Schlitterbahn tore down most of
8680-415: The height of 168 feet 7 inches (51.38 m), Verrückt became the world's tallest water slide when it opened on July 10, 2014, surpassing Kilimanjaro at Aldeia das Águas Park Resort in Brazil. The ride was designed at the park, led by John Schooley with assistance from park co-owner Jeff Henry. It was featured on an episode of Xtreme Waterparks on the Travel Channel in June 2014, shortly before
8804-435: The home, the children on the streets, the common man in the market-place and note carefully how they talk, then translate accordingly. They will then understand what is said to them because it is German. When Christ says ' ex abundantia cordis os loquitur ,' I would translate, if I followed the papists, aus dem Überflusz des Herzens redet der Mund . But tell me is this talking German? What German understands such stuff? No,
8928-400: The hype Henry had created and design something previously unheard of. "Basically we were crazy enough to try anything", Schooley recalled. Henry pressed his design team to complete the ride faster than usual, forcing many staff to work almost constantly. Calculations that normally required three to six months were completed in five weeks. As they began testing, rafts repeatedly went airborne on
9052-506: The immediate aftermath, Schlitterbahn Kansas City was closed pending an inspection. Although the park reopened three days later, the ride remained closed. Reportedly, Caleb, who weighed 74 pounds (34 kg), had been allowed to sit in the front of the raft rather than between the two women accompanying him – one weighed 275 pounds (125 kg), while the other weighed 197 pounds (89 kg). This created an uneven weight distribution , which some experts concluded may have contributed to
9176-414: The incident, telling lifeguards what to write in their reports; it is believed that this happened with other accidents. Even some uninjured riders were unnerved by Verrückt. A Kansas City man who had made a point of riding due to favorable experiences with the Texas Schlitterbahn parks recalled having to grab the raft's auxiliary straps when the Velcro straps holding him came loose after the first drop; he
9300-481: The influence of Luther's Bible as an unofficial written standard, a widely accepted standard for written German did not appear until the middle of the eighteenth century. German was the language of commerce and government in the Habsburg Empire , which encompassed a large area of Central and Eastern Europe . Until the mid-nineteenth century, it was essentially the language of townspeople throughout most of
9424-410: The largest concentrations of German speakers are in the states of Rio Grande do Sul (where Riograndenser Hunsrückisch developed), Santa Catarina , and Espírito Santo . verr%C3%BCckt Verrückt ( German meaning "crazy" or "insane", listen ) was a custom water coaster water slide located at the Schlitterbahn Kansas City water park in Kansas City, Kansas , United States. At
9548-431: The law that had allowed Schlitterbahn to self-inspect, requiring that the state regularly inspect all the state's amusement park attractions. In November 2016, Schlitterbahn announced that Verrückt would be demolished following the conclusion of a criminal investigation. The Schwab family settled with several involved parties, including Schlitterbahn, for approximately US$ 20 million in early 2017. Settlements involving
9672-427: The law that had allowed Schlitterbahn to self-inspect, requiring that the state regularly inspect all the state's amusement park attractions. In November 2016, Schlitterbahn announced that Verrückt would be demolished following the conclusion of a criminal investigation. The Schwab family settled with several involved parties, including Schlitterbahn, for approximately US$ 20 million in early 2017. Settlements involving
9796-428: The lower part of the ride, to rebuild and re-engineer it because sandbags had flown off the ride during testing. As a result, the second drop was changed from 45 degrees to 22 degrees, an extra 5 feet (1.5 m) was added to the uphill portion of the ride to slow the rafts, and a series of metal hoops supporting netting were added into areas where rafts had flown off in early testing. On August 7, 2016, Caleb Schwab,
9920-425: The lower part of the ride, to rebuild and re-engineer it because sandbags had flown off the ride during testing. As a result, the second drop was changed from 45 degrees to 22 degrees, an extra 5 feet (1.5 m) was added to the uphill portion of the ride to slow the rafts, and a series of metal hoops supporting netting were added into areas where rafts had flown off in early testing. On August 7, 2016, Caleb Schwab,
10044-410: The lower portion of the ride was rebuilt, to coincide with a television special about the ride; the park later canceled this opening date and two days of media previews following further delays. An unnamed lifeguard at the park told Esquire magazine in 2019 that the park primarily conducted some of the later tests after operating hours, with only select employees – usually those who had been with
10168-402: The mother in the home and the plain man would say, Wesz das Herz voll ist, des gehet der Mund über . Luther's translation of the Bible into High German was also decisive for the German language and its evolution from Early New High German to modern Standard German. The publication of Luther's Bible was a decisive moment in the spread of literacy in early modern Germany , and promoted
10292-653: The ninth century, chief among them being the Muspilli , Merseburg charms , and Hildebrandslied , and other religious texts (the Georgslied , Ludwigslied , Evangelienbuch , and translated hymns and prayers). The Muspilli is a Christian poem written in a Bavarian dialect offering an account of the soul after the Last Judgment , and the Merseburg charms are transcriptions of spells and charms from
10416-519: The other two riders injured in the accident were undisclosed. In July 2018, a judge approved a plan by the park to disassemble Verrückt beginning the following September. The ride's teardown was placed on hold indefinitely in August 2018, resulting from ongoing discussions in multiple court cases that were filed after the incident. The park eventually began dismantling the ride in November 2018, and
10540-405: The other two riders injured in the accident were undisclosed. In July 2018, a judge approved a plan by the park to disassemble Verrückt beginning the following September. The ride's teardown was placed on hold indefinitely in August 2018, resulting from ongoing discussions in multiple court cases that were filed after the incident. The park eventually began dismantling the ride in November 2018, and
10664-412: The park opened, delays in construction and testing of the ride led to its opening date being pushed back to June 5, and then June 29, after the lower portion of the ride was rebuilt, to coincide with a television special about the ride; the park later canceled this opening date and two days of media previews following further delays. An unnamed lifeguard at the park told Esquire magazine in 2019 that
10788-414: The park primarily conducted some of the later tests after operating hours, with only select employees – usually those who had been with the company for the longest – allowed to watch. He further stated, "The only time I saw the slide run successfully was on the Travel Channel episode, but I wouldn't even call that successful", he recalled, because the raft in that case got stuck on the second hump. Sandbags on
10912-420: The park's 2014 season. The Guinness Book of World Records named Verrückt the world's tallest water slide in April 2014, before it was even finished. At 168 feet 7 inches (51.38 m), it surpassed Kilimanjaro at Aldeia das Águas Park Resort in Brazil. When the park opened, delays in construction and testing of the ride led to its opening date being pushed back to June 5, and then June 29, after
11036-462: The pronunciation of the ending -ig as [ɪk] instead of [ɪç]. In Northern Germany, High German was a foreign language to most inhabitants, whose native dialects were subsets of Low German. It was usually encountered only in writing or formal speech; in fact, most of High German was a written language, not identical to any spoken dialect, throughout the German-speaking area until well into the 19th century. However, wider standardization of pronunciation
11160-472: The raft frequently went airborne at that point, as in some leaked viral videos . "I told my friends and family it was only a matter of time until someone died on Verrückt", the lifeguard said. A safety consultant hired by the park shortly before Verrückt's scheduled opening told Henry it was unfinished and unsafe. When complete, he recommended that only riders aged 16 and over be allowed on the ride. Henry, who had no formal engineering education, decided age 14
11284-433: The raft going airborne. However, the total weight of 546 pounds (248 kg) was less than the maximum recommended weight of 550 pounds (250 kg). Engineers who inspected the ride also commented that the ride's netting, used in areas where riders travel up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h), "posed its own hazard because a rider moving at high speeds could easily lose a limb if they hit it". Their findings revealed that
11408-431: The raft going airborne. However, the total weight of 546 pounds (248 kg) was less than the maximum recommended weight of 550 pounds (250 kg). Engineers who inspected the ride also commented that the ride's netting, used in areas where riders travel up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h), "posed its own hazard because a rider moving at high speeds could easily lose a limb if they hit it". Their findings revealed that
11532-426: The raft likewise noted to Esquire that the netting and hoops on the lower hump showed signs of many human collisions. Verrückt was designed to consist of two drops, the initial being a 17-story plunge, with a five-story uphill midsection. The ride was designed to accommodate three-person rafts, each weighing 100 pounds (45 kg) and carried up by conveyor to the top of the slide, while riders climbed 264 steps to
11656-404: The ride faster than usual, forcing many staff to work almost constantly. Calculations that normally required three to six months were completed in five weeks. As they began testing, rafts repeatedly went airborne on the ride's large bottom hump. In November 2013, the ride was officially named Verrückt , the German word for crazy or insane , with the opening date pushed back until the start of
11780-486: The ride opened. Verrückt permanently closed in 2016 following a fatal incident involving the decapitation of Caleb Schwab, the 10-year-old son of Kansas state legislator (and later Secretary of State of Kansas) Scott Schwab . Verrückt was originally scheduled to open in June 2013, but difficulties during various construction and safety testing stages resulted in several delays. Sandbags loaded into rafts during testing went airborne. The ride's final design made rafts reach
11904-459: The ride's large bottom hump. In November 2013, the ride was officially named Verrückt , the German word for crazy or insane , with the opening date pushed back until the start of the park's 2014 season. The Guinness Book of World Records named Verrückt the world's tallest water slide in April 2014, before it was even finished. At 168 feet 7 inches (51.38 m), it surpassed Kilimanjaro at Aldeia das Águas Park Resort in Brazil. When
12028-423: The sandbags during testing said he went down twenty times over its first two days. "That should tell you something about how I felt about it," he said. However, Henry and Schooley, while watching riders that day, noted how many rafts seemed to be going airborne on the lower hump into the emergency netting meant to keep them on the slide. Two months later, Verrückt was voted the world's " Best New Waterpark Ride " at
12152-434: The slide himself, enlisting John Schooley as the ride's lead designer. Henry had described the new ride to the Travel Channel crew as a "speed blaster", a term he had likewise improvised. He and Schooley knew that Schlitterbahn had to live up to the hype Henry had created and design something previously unheard of. "Basically we were crazy enough to try anything", Schooley recalled. Henry pressed his design team to complete
12276-546: The states of North Dakota and South Dakota , German is the most common language spoken at home after English. As a legacy of significant German immigration to the country , German geographical names can be found throughout the Midwest region , such as New Ulm and Bismarck (North Dakota's state capital), plus many other regions. A number of German varieties have developed in the country and are still spoken today, such as Pennsylvania Dutch and Texas German . In Brazil,
12400-500: The third most commonly learned second language in the United States in K-12 education. The language has been influential in the fields of philosophy, theology, science, and technology. It is the second most commonly used language in science and the third most widely used language on websites . The German-speaking countries are ranked fifth in terms of annual publication of new books, with one-tenth of all books (including e-books) in
12524-412: The top of the slide, while riders climbed 264 steps to the top. To prevent the rafts from lifting off the slide, rider groups were weighed twice – once at the bottom and again at the top before riding – to ensure a combined weight between 400 pounds (180 kg) and 550 pounds (250 kg), and that single riders are below 300 pounds (140 kg). The starting point of the ride, at 168 feet (51 m),
12648-401: The top. To prevent the rafts from lifting off the slide, rider groups were weighed twice – once at the bottom and again at the top before riding – to ensure a combined weight between 400 pounds (180 kg) and 550 pounds (250 kg), and that single riders are below 300 pounds (140 kg). The starting point of the ride, at 168 feet (51 m), was taller than either Niagara Falls or
12772-510: The use of the metal brace and netting system in the design, along with the use of hook and loop straps to restrain the riders, violated guidelines set by ASTM F-24 Committee on Amusement Ride and Devices. According to the guidelines, Verrückt should have incorporated rigid over-the-shoulder restraints for riders and an upstop mechanism to prevent the rafts from going airborne. After Scott Schwab spoke to his fellow legislators about his son's death and its effect on him, they voted to change
12896-505: The use of the metal brace and netting system in the design, along with the use of hook and loop straps to restrain the riders, violated guidelines set by ASTM F-24 Committee on Amusement Ride and Devices. According to the guidelines, Verrückt should have incorporated rigid over-the-shoulder restraints for riders and an upstop mechanism to prevent the rafts from going airborne. After Scott Schwab spoke to his fellow legislators about his son's death and its effect on him, they voted to change
13020-436: The water slide ten times that day, and an employee who had loaded the sandbags during testing said he went down twenty times over its first two days. "That should tell you something about how I felt about it," he said. However, Henry and Schooley, while watching riders that day, noted how many rafts seemed to be going airborne on the lower hump into the emergency netting meant to keep them on the slide. Two months later, Verrückt
13144-421: The work to remove the ride was completed within two months. The park did not operate the following season, and Schlitterbahn's reputation and finances were negatively impacted. Two of the company's water parks in Texas were sold in June 2019 for $ 261 million to Cedar Fair , a major owner of amusement parks nationwide, including Kansas City, Missouri 's Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun . On March 23, 2018,
13268-417: The work to remove the ride was completed within two months. The park did not operate the following season, and Schlitterbahn's reputation and finances were negatively impacted. Two of the company's water parks in Texas were sold in June 2019 for $ 261 million to Cedar Fair , a major owner of amusement parks nationwide, including Kansas City, Missouri 's Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun . On March 23, 2018,
13392-555: The world being published in German. German is most closely related to other West Germanic languages, namely Afrikaans , Dutch , English , the Frisian languages , and Scots . It also contains close similarities in vocabulary to some languages in the North Germanic group , such as Danish , Norwegian , and Swedish . Modern German gradually developed from Old High German , which in turn developed from Proto-Germanic during
13516-600: The written form of German. One of the central events in the development of ENHG was the publication of Luther's translation of the Bible into High German (the New Testament was published in 1522; the Old Testament was published in parts and completed in 1534). Luther based his translation primarily on the Meißner Deutsch of Saxony , spending much time among the population of Saxony researching
13640-429: Was a "neutral" language as there were virtually no English native speakers in Namibia at that time. German, Afrikaans, and several indigenous languages thus became "national languages" by law, identifying them as elements of the cultural heritage of the nation and ensuring that the state acknowledged and supported their presence in the country. Today, Namibia is considered to be the only German-speaking country outside of
13764-547: Was an artificial standard that did not correspond to any traditional spoken dialect. Rather, it was based on the pronunciation of German in Northern Germany, although it was subsequently regarded often as a general prescriptive norm, despite differing pronunciation traditions especially in the Upper-German-speaking regions that still characterise the dialect of the area today – especially
13888-586: Was arrested in Cameron County, Texas , in connection with the incident. One day later, on March 27, the Kansas Attorney General 's office released a new indictment against Henry, Schooley, and Henry & Sons Construction Company — privately owned by Schlitterbahn — charging them with second-degree murder in addition to seventeen other felonies . Schooley was arrested at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport after returning from
14012-443: Was arrested in Cameron County, Texas , in connection with the incident. One day later, on March 27, the Kansas Attorney General 's office released a new indictment against Henry, Schooley, and Henry & Sons Construction Company — privately owned by Schlitterbahn — charging them with second-degree murder in addition to seventeen other felonies . Schooley was arrested at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport after returning from
14136-405: Was better. Just before the opening, however, he eliminated the age limit. Verrückt was eventually completed and officially opened on July 10, attracting national media coverage. Among the first riders was then- Kansas Governor Sam Brownback . The riders who had seen the videos of 110-pound (50 kg) sandbags flying off the rafts went on anyway. One local judge told Esquire later that she rode
14260-449: Was closed pending an inspection. Although the park reopened three days later, the ride remained closed. Reportedly, Caleb, who weighed 74 pounds (34 kg), had been allowed to sit in the front of the raft rather than between the two women accompanying him – one weighed 275 pounds (125 kg), while the other weighed 197 pounds (89 kg). This created an uneven weight distribution , which some experts concluded may have contributed to
14384-505: Was designed at the park, led by John Schooley with assistance from park co-owner Jeff Henry. It was featured on an episode of Xtreme Waterparks on the Travel Channel in June 2014, shortly before the ride opened. Verrückt permanently closed in 2016 following a fatal incident involving the decapitation of Caleb Schwab, the 10-year-old son of Kansas state legislator (and later Secretary of State of Kansas) Scott Schwab . Verrückt
14508-492: Was established on the basis of public speaking in theatres and the media during the 20th century and documented in pronouncing dictionaries. Official revisions of some of the rules from 1901 were not issued until the controversial German orthography reform of 1996 was made the official standard by governments of all German-speaking countries. Media and written works are now almost all produced in Standard German which
14632-432: Was given during the announcement, while specifications on the height of the ride were kept secret to ensure that the completed ride would set a world record for its creation. The water slide was spontaneously conceived by Henry at a trade show after a team from Travel Channel's Xtreme Waterparks asked what he was working on. Initial attempts to pitch the idea to vendors at the show failed, so Henry decided to build
14756-405: Was later revealed that at least 13 other people had suffered non-fatal injuries from hitting the netting above the slide. Criminal charges led to the arrests of several individuals, including Schooley and Henry. The charges were ultimately dismissed with the finding of multiple procedural issues with the case's presentation by the Kansas Attorney General. The incident's aftermath, however, resulted in
14880-513: Was originally scheduled to open in June 2013, but difficulties during various construction and safety testing stages resulted in several delays. Sandbags loaded into rafts during testing went airborne. The ride's final design made rafts reach a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h). Verrückt was well-received upon opening, winning a Golden Ticket Award from Amusement Today in 2014. After Schwab's death, amusement park safety laws were updated to require state inspection of all attractions. It
15004-480: Was spontaneously conceived by Henry at a trade show after a team from Travel Channel's Xtreme Waterparks asked what he was working on. Initial attempts to pitch the idea to vendors at the show failed, so Henry decided to build the slide himself, enlisting John Schooley as the ride's lead designer. Henry had described the new ride to the Travel Channel crew as a "speed blaster", a term he had likewise improvised. He and Schooley knew that Schlitterbahn had to live up to
15128-496: Was taller than either Niagara Falls or the foot-to-torch portion of the Statue of Liberty . Because it was beyond the 120 feet (37 m) that zoning codes permitted, the design required a variance. The height was increased from its initial plan of 148 feet (45 m), which was also above the limit. After the announcement of the ride's height and the certification of its world record on April 25, 2014, Schlitterbahn tore down most of
15252-488: Was thankful that his son had used the weight limit as an excuse not to ride. A local woman whose boyfriend held her in the raft likewise noted to Esquire that the netting and hoops on the lower hump showed signs of many human collisions. Verrückt was designed to consist of two drops, the initial being a 17-story plunge, with a five-story uphill midsection. The ride was designed to accommodate three-person rafts, each weighing 100 pounds (45 kg) and carried up by conveyor to
15376-445: Was voted the world's " Best New Waterpark Ride " at the 2014 Golden Ticket Awards . However, at least thirteen riders suffered non-fatal injuries, such as concussions or slipped and herniated discs – many of which had long-term effects – after either hitting the netting or being thrown into it. After a Missouri man thrown from the raft suffered facial injuries in June 2016, the park's operations manager allegedly attempted to cover up
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