Ladies and gentlemen, gather around. I would love to share with you a story.
Dir Dammen an dir Hären, kommt all erbäi. Ech géing iech gären eng Geschicht erzielen.
Once upon a time in 19th century Germany, there was the book. Now during this time, the book was the king of storytelling. It was venerable. It was ubiquitous. But it was a little bit boring. Because in its 400 years of existence, storytellers never evolved the book as a storytelling device. But then one author arrived, and he changed the game forever. (Music) His name was Lothar, Lothar Meggendorfer. Lothar Meggendorfer put his foot down, and he said, "Genug ist genug!" He grabbed his pen, he snatched his scissors. This man refused to fold to the conventions of normalcy and just decided to fold. History would know Lothar Meggendorfer as -- who else? -- the world's first true inventor of the children's pop-up book. (Music) For this delight and for this wonder, people rejoiced. (Cheering) They were happy because the story survived, and that the world would keep on spinning.
Viru laanger Zäit an Däitschland am 19ten Jorhonnert, gouf et e Buch. Deemools war d'Buch de Kinnek vum Geschichtenerzielen. Et war éierwierdeg. Et war allgéigewäerteg. Mee et war e bësse langweileg. Well a senger 400-järeger Existenz, hunn d'Geschichtenerzieler d'Buch ni als Medium fir Geschichten ze erziele weider entwéckelt. Mee du koum en Auteur, an hien huet d'Spill fir ëmmer geännert. (Musik) Säi Numm war Lothar, Lothar Meggendorfer. De Lothar Meggendorfer huet mat der Fauscht ob den Dësch geschloen a gesot: "Genuch ass genuch!" Hien huet e Bic an de Grapp geholl, hien huet no senger Schéier gegraff. Dëse Mann huet refuséiert sech de Conventioune vun der Normalitéit ze erginn an décidéiert Pabeier ze falen. Geschicht kennt den Lothar Meggendorfer als - wee soss? - de weltwäit éichten wirklechen Erfinder vum Opklappbuch fir d'Kanner. (Musik) Fir des Freed a Wonner hun d'Leit gejubelt. (Jubel) Si ware frou well d'Geschichten haten iwerlieft, an d'Welt wärt sech der emmer weider ausdenken.
Lothar Meggendorfer wasn't the first to evolve the way a story was told, and he certainly wasn't the last. Whether storytellers realized it or not, they were channeling Meggendorfer's spirit when they moved opera to vaudville, radio news to radio theater, film to film in motion to film in sound, color, 3D, on VHS and on DVD. There seemed to be no cure for this Meggendorferitis.
De Lothar Meggendorfer war net deen éichten den d'Art a Weis wéi eng Geschicht gezielt get weiderentweckelt huet, an hee war ganz secher net dee leschten. Ob Geschichtenerzieler et realiséiert hun oder net, si hun dem Meggendorfer säi Geescht kanaliséiert wéi se vun Oper ob Vaudeville, vu Radio Norichten ob Hörspiele, vu Film ob bewegte Film ob Film mat Toun, Faarw, 3D, ob Videokassett an DVD weider gaangen sin. Et huet geschengt wi wann et kee Géigemettel fir d'Meggendorferitis géif gin.
And things got a lot more fun when the Internet came around. (Laughter) Because, not only could people broadcast their stories throughout the world, but they could do so using what seemed to be an infinite amount of devices. For example, one company would tell a story of love through its very own search engine. One Taiwanese production studio would interpret American politics in 3D. (Laughter) And one man would tell the stories of his father by using a platform called Twitter to communicate the excrement his father would gesticulate.
An d'Saach as nach vill mi flott gin wi den Internet bis obkomm as. (Laachen) Well, net nemmen konnten d'Leit hier Geschichten duech d'Welt senden, mee si konnten dat maan mat Hellef vun et schengt onendlech villen Hellefsmettel. Zum Beispill, eng Entreprise kann eng Liebesgeschicht azielen mat Hellef vun hierer eegener Sichmaschinn. Een Produktiouns-Studio an Taiwan kann amerikanesch Politik an 3D interpretéieren. (Laachen) An ee Mann kann d'Geschichten vu sengem Papp azielen an deems en eng Platform di Twitter heescht benotzt fir seng Ausscheedungen a Gebärden ze kommunizéieren.
And after all this, everyone paused; they took a step back. They realized that, in 6,000 years of storytelling, they've gone from depicting hunting on cave walls to depicting Shakespeare on Facebook walls. And this was a cause for celebration. The art of storytelling has remained unchanged. And for the most part, the stories are recycled. But the way that humans tell the stories has always evolved with pure, consistent novelty.
A no all deem huet jidderen fir e Moment stall gehal an ee Schrett no hannen gemaach. Se hu realiséiert, dat se an 6000 Joer Geschichtenerzielen, vum Duerstellen vun Juegt ob Höhlenmaueren ob Duerstellen von Shakespeare ob Facebook Pinnwänn gaangen sin. An dat war e Grond fir ze feieren. D'Konscht vum Geschichtenerzielen as onverännert bliwen. An zum gréißten Deel gin d'Geschichten recycléiert. Mee d'Art a Weis wi d'Menschen Geschichten erzielen huet sech emmer weiderentweckelt mat purer, bestänneger Neiheet.
And they remembered a man, one amazing German, every time a new storytelling device popped up next. And for that, the audience -- the lovely, beautiful audience -- would live happily ever after. (Applause)
An si wärten sech emmer un ee Mann arenneren, een immensen Däitschen, all Kéiers wann e neit Mettel fir Geschichten ze erzielen obkomm as. An dofir wärt d'Publikum - eist allerléifst, wonnerbart Publikum - wann se net gestuerwen sin, haut nach liewen. (Applaus)