Germany has long played an influential role in global history. Notably, it fought two World Wars and participated in the Cold War; furthermore, Germany pioneered Daylight Saving Time as well as creating popular confectionary products such as Hershey Kisses.
German culture offers so much! Boasting 52 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Germany boasts plenty of activities. Here are 17 facts you may not be aware of about Germany!
1. The German language
German is one of the world’s premier languages, boasting widespread native and foreign speaker populations across Europe and North America, ranking third as an influential foreign language among Americans and third overall in popularity within this continent. Additionally, German plays an influential role in philosophy, literature, theology, science and technology; moreover it’s used frequently on websites around the globe and has an effect on other tongues such as English French and Spanish.
Germany is an extensive country, rich with history and culture. From medieval manuscripts written by the Brothers Grimm to world-famous universities like Heidelberg and Munich; this nation stands out as an epicenter for science, technology, and industry.
Germany is world renowned for its automobile production and sales. Additionally, Germany boasts a high-speed highway (Autobahn) without speed limits in many areas – an attraction worth visiting! Furthermore, German aviation leaders enjoy several world-class museums to show their expertise.
Germany’s people are known for being warm and friendly. Their long history of accepting other cultures shows in their food, sports, art, generosity and good work ethic – qualities which make Germany an excellent place both to live in and visit. Germany boasts beautiful forests and mountain peaks to famous festivals featuring delicious beer like Oktoberfest – one of the world’s premier bucket list events!
2. The German people
Germany is a land of many cultures and its people are extremely varied. Germans take great pleasure in learning, which can be seen through its top education systems and robust economy. Additionally, its people are known for being hardworking and thrifty as well as conversing about politics, sports, culture and philosophy with one another. Germans are well-travelled, ranking high both in travel spending and international trips taken. Additionally, they excel at board gaming – even creating some of the most beloved titles! Additionally, Germans are known for having a strict code of ethics – often following rules rigidly so as to create a better world for all; hence their dedication to recycling and minimizing late night noise levels for example – keeping communities safe and happy.
Germany is proud of its achievements and the people are justifiably proud of what their nation has accomplished. While they respect its past, they also look ahead with optimism towards its future. As progressive people they place high value on family, friendships, and spending quality time away from work.
Many of the world’s most celebrated cultural traditions can be traced to German roots: Beethoven and Bach are music legends; Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz revolutionized automobile design, while Immanuel Kant and Martin Heidegger’s philosophy revolutionized world affairs. Germany boasts a rich literary tradition and boasts some of its most beloved authors in history; additionally, Germany invented modern printing presses as well as one of the highest literacy rates worldwide.
3. The German landscape
Germany lies at the center of Europe and boasts an array of varied landscapes that define it – from its breathtaking mountains in the south to the wide, sandy North Sea beaches, Germany offers no shortage of natural beauty to discover.
Germans love connecting with nature and spending a great deal of time outdoors, which contributes to them being such environmentally conscious citizens.
Germany has an expansive and complex history. At first, its boundaries consisted of small states ruled by dukes and kings; later on however, Otto von Bismarck established the first unified German state. Over time Germans have become major forces in European politics and military affairs; during World Wars I and II and later still in Cold War negotiations between Western powers and Soviet forces.
Germany is an extremely diverse, vibrant culture and one of the fastest-growing economies worldwide with more than 80 million residents, many from different cultures all across the globe.
German culture is both vibrant and complex, yet can have dark sides. Over recent years, Germany has been rocked by an increase in right-wing extremism; nevertheless, most Germans remain open-minded towards different cultures and believe in diversity – this can be seen through how they celebrate festivals like Christmas and Easter; they also embrace liberal policies regarding gender equality and refugee rights – thus making Germany one of the world’s modern and progressive societies – especially evident in cities where you will find the most liberal attitudes toward homosexuals and refugees alike.
4. The German cuisine
German cuisine is world renowned. While many assume its signature dishes consist of meat, bread and sauerkraut; its menu can actually range much further. Drawing inspiration from Polish, Turkish and Jewish cooking traditions while being heavily regional – every state (Bundesland) boasts unique signature dishes.
German cuisine typically features meat and bread as the staple foods, with plenty of vegetables and some type of salad thrown in for variety. A typical meal might consist of potatoes (usually mashed but sometimes baked or fried), cabbage and other greens as well as soup featuring dumplings or sausage. Cake, coffee and beer are also widely enjoyed!
Germans love their traditional food, yet are gradually opening up to foreign foods and drinks. You will be able to find American, French, Italian and Thai restaurants in most major cities; not to mention Asian and Indian foods due to Germany’s large immigrant population.
Germans enjoy eating a satisfying home-cooked dinner at dinner time (Mittagessen), often consisting of meat, bread and vegetables – especially vegetables that have been cooked either by boiling, stir frying or the oven to ensure they remain chewy and crunchy. Many adults also drink beer as part of their evening meal!
Germans take great pride in their culinary heritage, with traditional recipes and customs tied to specific regions throughout Germany. This can be explained by Germany once being made up of many small kingdoms, free cities and duchies with their own distinct cultures, customs and food specialities that were passed down through generations; now however with so many people coming from various corners of the globe to Germany these new cultures are being integrated into its cuisine too.
5. The German beer
Germany is widely known for its dedication to beer. Brewing has long been an integral part of German life and culture; with dark and heavy to light and refreshing varieties available across all palates.
German beer’s history can be traced back to the 8th century, though modern production didn’t begin in earnest until 19th century. Over this timeframe, numerous styles of German beer were developed, from light and refreshing pilsner to deep malty bock – and more than 100 unique beers came into existence during that era alone!
Today, over 5,000 different brands of German beer are produced at 1,300 breweries across Germany. Pilsner is the most beloved type of German beer and serves as an inspiration for many beers consumed here in America. Not only is German beer delicious to drink; many believe that drinking beer may also have medicinal properties. Drinking beer may keep your body warm while relaxing muscles and relieving tension; plus Germans believe it can also cleanse the body of harmful substances!
Germany has over 100 years of brewing experience and is now the global leader in beer production, ranking third worldwide for consumption with an average 106-liter annual beer intake per person. German beer can boast of many iconic breweries that pride themselves on offering authentic craft beers – not to mention an admiration-inducing beer purity law and many iconic beer festivals across its many regions.