GERMANY

GERMANY
GERMANY
GERMANY
PLACES TO VISIT IN
GERMANY
 The official name of this monument of
Gothic architecture is the Cathedral
of Saints Peter and Mary. It is located
on the Cathedral Hill in Cologne. The
history of the monument begins in
the 1st century AD, when the first
temple was built on this site.
The building of the cathedral that
residents and guests of Cologne can
see today began in the middle of the
13th century. The local archbishop
was given the relics of the Magi — the
kings who brought gifts to the
newborn Jesus. The city authorities
decided to build a temple in honor of
this, but the construction was
delayed for several centuries. The
first stone was laid in 1248, and
Cologne Cathedral construction was finished only 632
years later.
 This castle was built during the reign
of Ludwig II — a dreamer, lover of
fairy tales and legends, who was fond
of art and music. One of the German
tourist spots is located on the
territory of the community of
Schwangau in Bavaria.

Inside the castle is decorated with

swans — the symbol of the region, as
well as motifs from the operas of
Wagner — the favorite composer of
Ludwig II. Due to the high cost of the
project, the ministers accused the
monarch of being insane and
deprived him of the throne. Some
time later, Ludwig II died under
strange circumstances. The castle
Neuschwanstein was opened for paid visits by tourists
Castle and 7.5 million marks, which were
spent on its construction, paid off in
 This is the most famous Christmas
market in Europe and a tourist
attraction of Germany, where
hundreds of thousands of people
come for entertainment and gifts a
month before the holiday.
Striezelmarkt in Dresden is famous
for the unique work of German
artisans and the festive atmosphere
with costumed performances.

In addition to a wide choice of gifts

and souvenirs, the fair offers
traditional sweets: cottage cheese,
donuts, stollen (Christmas cake) and
Striezelmarkt roasted chestnuts. Also on
Striezelmarkt there are many points
selling barbecue and sausages,
dozens of beers, punch and mulled
wine.
TRADITIONS IN
GERMANY
 Oktoberfest honors Bavarian culture and
traditions despite its beer connotation.
Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess
Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on
October 12, 1810. Munichers were invited
to the royal celebration on the Wiesen
fields in front of the city gates, starting
Oktoberfest. The parade with Munich
mayor tapping the first beer keg in the
“O’zapft is” ceremonial starts the
celebration.

OKTOBERFEST
 Germany celebrates Krampusnacht the
night before St. Nicholas Day, especially
in Bavaria. According to folklore,
Krampus, St. Nicholas’s companion,
punishes wayward children. The winter
season is darker and more mysterious
with this Alpine mythology-inspired
custom.

Adults march as Krampus during

Krampusnacht, wearing fur, horns, and
grotesque masks. Revelers’ playful
chasing and intimidation of youngsters
make festivities more interesting and
terrifying. Some German regions
celebrate Krampusnacht, adding a unique
Krampusnacht and intriguing flavor to German culture.
 As children start school, anxiety and fear
can run high. On the first day of school,
parents and grandparents will sometimes
give kids a schultüte—a decorated paper
cone filled with gifts to bring light-hearted
fun to the day.

Schultüte
TRADITIONS IN
GERMANY
TRADITIONAL CLOTHING
GERMANY
 Dirndls and lederhosen may quickly come to mind as
traditional German clothing. These outfits originated in
Bavaria but have been widely adopted elsewhere.
A dirndl is a dress consisting of a blouse, bodice, skirt,
and apron. Dirndls were originally worn by servants or
peasants. They were typically made of sturdy cloth that
would stand up to hard work and repeated washings.
Over time, however, others took notice of these unique
costumes and created their own adaptations. For
example, aristocratic ladies in the 18th century used
finer fabrics like silk for their dirndls and added
embroidery and other ornamentation.

Lederhosen are breeches worn by men, typically made of

leather from cows, goats, or deer. They include
suspenders worn over the shoulders and connected in
Dirndls and the front by a decorative crosspiece. Lederhosen are
often complemented by knee-high socks, leather shoes,
Lederhosen a checkered shirt, and a jacket.
 Women’s headwear can be simple or quite
elaborate. One of the more eye-catching
hats is the Bollenhut, which originated in
the Black Forest area. It has a wide brim
with pompoms on top. The pompoms are
red for single women and black for married
women.

Woman wearing a bollenhut with red

pompoms
The Goldhaube is an elegant hat
painstakingly created from golden fabric
and adorned with embroidery, sequins, or
other decorations.

The quintessential tracht hat for men is the

Headwear Tyrolean hat, which may be decorated by a
band, a feather, a sprig of edelweiss, or
even a Gamsbart, which is a tuft of hair
from an animal.
 Dirndls fell out of favor after World War II,
but they have enjoyed a resurgence in
recent years. Today’s designers are
“breathing new life” into this traditional
dress, and it’s not unusual for women to
wear dirndls to family celebrations or other
special events.

Traditional clothing is also an important part

of cultural celebrations like Oktoberfest,
which is held around the world.

Trachten Today
TRADITIONAL CLOTHING
GERMANY
FAMOUS FOOD IN
GERMANY
 Bread, in the form of a loaf (Brot) or
a small, usually crusty roll
(Brötchen), is an important part of
the cuisine, which is eaten all over
the country and served with most
German dishes. Bread is enjoyed
with most meals, especially
breakfast and dinner, but also at
lunch (usually considered the main
meal of the day), which will often be
served with rolls on the side.

Germans enjoy a wide variety of

bread including grain, Pumpernickel,
rye, and white bread. German bread
tends to be heavier and heartier
Brot & Brötchen than bread from Italy, Spain, or
France.
 An Eintopf is a one-pot stew that
may include a wide variety of
ingredients. It is a meal-in-one that
will typically contain broth,
vegetables, potatoes, and meat.
Sometimes it may include pulses
such as lentils, and it's usually
served mit Brot (with bread).

Enjoyed all over the county, there

are vast regional differences in the
flavors and ingredients used to make
an Eintopf. Typically enjoyed at home
as a family meal, it is one of the
easiest German recipes. Those new
to German cooking may well choose
Eintopf this to start with, as it is probably
one of the easiest German recipes to
make.
 Brezel is the German term for
'pretzel', although you may see them
sold under either name. Available at
bakeries and on street stalls, a
Brezel is made with a long strip of
dough which is folded into a knot
and then boiled before being baked.
This results in a chewy brown crust
and a soft fluffy interior.

It is typically then flavored with salt,

seeds, or cheese and served with a
mustard dip. The origin of the Brezel
is fiercely contested, but they have
long been associated with Christian
celebrations, with many viewing the
Brezel knot shape as a symbol of the holy
trinity.
FAMOUS FOOD IN
GERMANY
Common Expressions
Das ist nicht mein
Bier.
Drück mir die
Daumen

Jetzt mal Butter bei die

Fische
 Das ist nicht mein Bier.
Literally: That is not my beer. Meaning: I'm not
interested; I don't like it. It's no secret that
Germans love their beer and also the occasional
American IPA or Irish Guinness. Could it even be
that "love" is too weak a word for this special
relationship? Beer has become one of the main
German cultural goods and maybe the only
conversational ice breaker for every German
person. In Germany, your choice of beer brand or
beer type says a lot about you. In a way, you are
what you drink. The six pack of beer you bring to
a party is even referred to as your "six friends"
(sechs Freunde). So if you say that something is
not your beer, you are conveying, in the clearest
way possible, that you want nothing to do with it.
Drück mir die Daumen Literally: Press your thumbs for
me! Meaning: Wish me luck! Try
pressing your thumbs to the rest
of your fingers. Looks a lot like a
fist, right? But don't mistake this
gesture as an indication of
violent intent. It might just be
that your best friend is "pressing
the thumbs" to either wish you
good luck, or asking you to wish
her good luck. It's the German
equivalent of crossing your
fingers. Now good luck trying to
interpret the true intention
behind every fist waved in your
face!
Jetzt mal Butter bei die
Fische
Literally: Now butter for the fish.
Meaning: Get to the point! Not
only is this a useful phrase to ask
someone to pass the butter, it's
also your key to interrupting a
tedious rant. Simply utter this
phrase, and your conversation
partner will get the message that
they need to get straight to get
straight to the point. We Germans
need our facts, so serve them
quickly, please!
History of German Language
German language, Official language of Germany and Austria
and one of the official languages of Switzerland, used by
more than 100 million speakers. It belongs to the West
Germanic group of the Germanic languages. German has
four noun cases and masculine, feminine, and neuter
genders. Its many dialects belong to either the High German
(Hochdeutsch) or Low German (Plattdeutsch) groups.
Modern High German, spoken in the central and southern
highlands of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, is now
standard written German, used in administration, higher
education, literature, and the mass media in both High and
Low German speech areas.
History Timeline of
GERMANY
1517

800
AD

Germanic tribes
9 AD defeat Roman forces
in the Battle of the
Teutoburg Forest.
2021

2015
1816-
1864

1517
Charlemagne, King of the
Franks, crowned Holy
Roman Emperor, marking
800 the beginning of the Holy
AD Roman Empire (which
includes much of present-
9 AD
day Germany).

2021
1806

1816-
1864 Martin Luther's "95
Theses" spark the
Protestant Reformation,
151 leading to religious and
7 political upheaval in
800 AD Germany and Europe.

9 AD
1815

1806
The Thirty Years' War
devastates much of
1816- Germany, ending with the
Peace of Westphalia and
1864 weakening the Holy
1517 Roman Empire.

800 AD
1871

1815

Napoleon dissolves the

Holy Roman Empire; the
1806 Confederation of the Rhine
is formed under French
influence.
1816-1864

1517
1914-
1918

1871

After Napoleon’s defeat,

the German Confederation
181 is established at the
5 Congress of Vienna.
1806

1816-1864
193
3

1914-
1918
Unification of Germany
under Prussian leadership
187 after victory in the Franco-
1 Prussian War; the German
1815
Empire is proclaimed with
Wilhelm I as Emperor.

1806
194
5

193
3
Germany is a central
power in World War I.
1914- Defeat leads to the
1918 abdication of Kaiser
Wilhelm II and the
1871
establishment of the
Weimar Republic.
1815
1949

194
5
Adolf Hitler becomes
Chancellor, leading to the
193 establishment of Nazi
3 Germany and the start of
World War II in 1939.
1914-
1918

1871
1961

1949 Germany is
defeated in WWII,
leading to its
194 division into East
Germany (controlled
5 by the USSR) and
1933 West Germany
(controlled by the
Allies).
1914-
1918
1989

1961
Federal Republic of
Germany (West Germany)
1949 and the German
Democratic Republic (East
Germany) are officially
1945
established.

1933
1990

1989

Construction of the Berlin

196 Wall begins, symbolizing
the division of East and
1 West Germany.
1949

1945
2002

1990

The Berlin Wall falls,

198 signaling the end of the
Cold War and the
9 beginning of the
1961 reunification of Germany.

1949
2015

2002

Germany is officially
reunified on October 3.
199
0
1989

1961
2021

2015

Germany adopts the Euro

2002 as its currency, replacing
the Deutsche Mark.

1990

1989
9 AD

2021
Germany takes in a large
number of refugees during
201 the European migrant
crisis, under Chancellor
5 Angela Merkel's
2002 leadership.

1990
800 AD

9 AD
Angela Merkel steps down
after 16 years as
2021 Chancellor; Olaf Scholz is
elected as her successor.
2015

2002
References:
https://yesim.app/blog/tourist-attractions-of-germany/

https://www.expatrio.com/about-germany/german-food

https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/traditional-german-clothing

https://www.britannica.com/summary/German-language