history

By Deutsch Centre
July 1, 2021
Culture, hamburg, hanseatic city, hansestadt, history, lubeck, medieval age, Travel

Hanseatic nobility and civic freedoms

The medieval trade association that shaped Germany and modern Europe Welcome to a journey back into history and up to the very North of Germany, the realm of the “Hanseat”, a very special breed of German civic

Could you pass me my Handy, please? How Denglish influences modern German language

Let’s jump right in: The term „Handy“ causes plenty of confusion between Germans and native English speakers. The German word for mobile phone sounds so very English that it’s hard to grasp that it actually isn’t.

Back to nature: German’s national parks and the return of the wolves

Nature might not be the first idea when thinking about Germany. Engineering, industry, car manufacturing, the Autobahn, densely populated cities spring to mind. But then there are, of course, other stereotypes:

The country of poets and thinkers (and maybe engineers and inventors)

Sometimes back in the philosophical revolutions of the early 19th century, German intellectuals coined the phrase of the “Land der Dichter und Denker”, the country of poets and thinkers, to describe not so much an

Why it always rains in England: Your food defines the weather. Germans know.

“Iss auf. Sonst regnet es morgen.” German kids know this sentence when growing up: Empty your plate, or it will rain the next day. Quite a few of my German friends, visiting Manchester, used this traditional rule to

Home entertainment, old style: German parlour games, survival in Corona times

Being in lockdown with a small kid brought back something that we neglected due to all the offers of the electronic age: Family and group entertainment via parlour games, a term I never heard in English before I

By Deutsch Centre
February 1, 2020
Culture, history, language, swear words, swearing

Verflucht und zugenäht – The art of swearing in German

Trigger warning: Bad words and naughty language ahead. Admittedly the author enjoys swearing quite a lot (probably even more since moving to England 10 years ago), so there is literally no holding back. That,

Don’t slip, but slide: Getting into the New Year, German style

Already made up your New Year’s resolutions? Do you actually believe in them? Let me go out on a limb: Probably not. And neither do Germans. Despite their reputation as being reliable and efficient: New Year’s

By Deutsch Centre
November 1, 2019
Culture, german cuisine, history, martinmas, st martin

Treats without tricks: St Martin in Germany

Every November brings a challenge for German parents: The candy collection. If you now think of Halloween, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. The very American habit of “trick or treating” has made it to Germany and is

By Deutsch Centre
October 1, 2019
Culture, history, science fiction, Travel

Per aspera ad astra: Germany’s dream of Outer Space

On 21st of September this year a pioneer of space travel died – after a long and exciting life full of adventures, always on the bleeding edge of history. Sigmund Jähn was famous in East Germany and a decorated Hero

Celebration of unity: October 3rd, the German National Day

„East or West?“ – this dreaded question followed Germans around the globe whenever they were traveling until 1989, when the political status as “front state of the Cold War” finally seized. For West Germans the

By Deutsch Centre
September 1, 2019
autumn, Culture, festivities, history, Travel

The Volksfest tradition: Party, German style

Being German, one can’t avoid the biggest of clichés (if we leave out “Don’t mention the war!”): Lederhosen, beer, pretzel, Oktoberfest. The most German thing of all seems to be to get drunk in a tent, dressed in

The forest nation: Why trees are at the heart of the German soul

The English language doesn’t know a word with the same meaning as the German “Heimat”. The translation as “homeland” doesn’t remotely touch the emotional charge of its German counterpart, which makes the current

The learning society: Schools in Germany

Two decades ago Germany lived through a shellshock. The world famous PISA study classed the country’s schools as merely average, while Finland took the pole position. This was an attack on a cornerstone of German

The Cult of Purity: German beer and why it is the best in the world.

Legend has it that beer was popular in ancient Egypt. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi mentions beer in 1754 B.C. and lays down explicit rules regarding brewing and serving of the beverage. The Mesopotamians even

Celebrating adolescence: Jugendweihe German youth ceremonies in and outside of church

Growing up in West Germany in a Catholic surrounding with just a few protestant sprinkles, it was normal for me to witness plenty of church rituals. Many of my friends were altar boys or at least spent part of their

By Deutsch Centre
May 1, 2019
ascension day, church, Culture, german holiday, history, public holiday

Bridge days and Christian tradition: What Father’s Day and the Ascension of Jesus have in common

Thursday, May 30th is Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension of Jesus) and a national holiday in Germany. What would be a “bank holiday” in England, demonstrating the historical power of banks and the financial industry in

By Deutsch Centre
April 1, 2019
Culture, history, labour day, may day, may pole, walpurgis night, workers day

May Day in Germany: Worker’s movement tradition and folkloristic entertainment

I remember the term “May Day” being confusing to me when I heard it the first time. As a non-native speaker, it was a little too close to the “Mayday” distress call, and given that Bank Holidays in the UK are

By Deutsch Centre
March 1, 2019
cologne, Culture, fasching, history, karneval, mainz, shrove tuesday, Travel

The fifth season: How German carnival takes over and splits the nation for days of folly

A few years back I found myself in hospital for surgery on a more or less auspicious date: Outside the gates (and a little bit also inside), carnival had taken over, switching huge parts of Germany into something

By Deutsch Centre
February 1, 2019
Culture, german cuisine, history, kartoffel, potato, recipe

Don’t call me Kraut – … the proper term should probably be “potato”

No, don’t worry, this article won’t complain about insults thrown at Germans. Rather the opposite: We want to correct an inaccurate stereotype and replace it with something far better. Yes, Sauerkraut is pretty

By Deutsch Centre
January 1, 2019
Culture, gender equality, history, language

Hanseatic nobility and civic freedoms

Could you pass me my Handy, please? How Denglish influences modern German language

Back to nature: German’s national parks and the return of the wolves

The country of poets and thinkers (and maybe engineers and inventors)

Why it always rains in England: Your food defines the weather. Germans know.

Home entertainment, old style: German parlour games, survival in Corona times

Verflucht und zugenäht – The art of swearing in German

Don’t slip, but slide: Getting into the New Year, German style

Treats without tricks: St Martin in Germany

Per aspera ad astra: Germany’s dream of Outer Space

Celebration of unity: October 3rd, the German National Day

The Volksfest tradition: Party, German style

The forest nation: Why trees are at the heart of the German soul

The learning society: Schools in Germany

The Cult of Purity: German beer and why it is the best in the world.

Celebrating adolescence: Jugendweihe German youth ceremonies in and outside of church

Bridge days and Christian tradition: What Father’s Day and the Ascension of Jesus have in common

May Day in Germany: Worker’s movement tradition and folkloristic entertainment

The fifth season: How German carnival takes over and splits the nation for days of folly

Don’t call me Kraut – … the proper term should probably be “potato”

Your fork is female, your spoon is male: Gender is a big issue in German language and culture

Remember, remember the 9th of November – The German Day of Fate

Is this German!? A patchwork of dialects mirrors Germany’s colourful history

Know your Knigge: What to avoid during German Mealtimes

The ball is round: German football is pure wisdom… and en route to win a fifth star

The German Day of Unity

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