GERMAN CULTURE

The people, language and customs together enhance the grandeur of German culture. The German culture not only influences the current German lifestyles but plays a vital role in defining a large part of European history. While you call it Germany, the German folks address their nation as Duetschland. The great poets and thinkers that dwell in the heart of Germany are a justification of Germany being known as the land of ideas. The dawn of the German culture is rooted deep down to the first millennium. It has always reflected various traits that it acquired in various historical episodes moulding not only the German land but the European continent at large.

Germany’s historical events have been of crucial importance in carving the German culture. The German land is home to a family of more than 80 million people including Germans and minorities of other nationalities residing altogether and portraying Germany as a land of values, ethics and various celebrations. The capital is Berlin yet cities like Munich, Cologne and Hamburg are also popular hubs in Germany. Speaking of life expectancies, the average women in Germany live for a period of about 83 years while that of a man is 79 years. Impressive, isn’t it?

Now, it’s time for you to look straight at your device’s screen and enjoy some German cultural facts which are as follows-

• LANGUAGE

As far as language is concerned, you will find German running through the lips of more than 95% of German residents. And if we take a look around the globe, then we will find that Germany has around 100 million native speakers while 80 million non-native speakers. Nevertheless, the German states have recognized 4 minority languages, namely the Upper and Lower Sorbian, Romani, North and Saterland Frisian, Danish. Since a lot of people immigrate to Germany, chances are that you will hear a lot of people chattering in Greek, Turkish, Russian and Polish as well.

• DID YOU SAY LITERATURE?

Needless to say, Germany leads the way when it comes to literature. German literature has its traces back to the Middle Ages when the noblest authors were Walther von der Vogelweide, Wolfram von Eschenbach, etc. If you are fond of reading, then Germany invites you to attend the International Frankfurt Book Fair, the most important book event in the world. More than 94,000 books are published by German publishers annually, making it the 5th largest book producer in the world.

• THE GERMAN WARDROBE

Even though you will observe Western attires in the German streets, yet there are traditional dresses that differ from region to region. Take the case of Bavaria where the men wear leather trousers not below the knees while the women allure you through their bodice and skirts worn along with the apron. Moreover, wearing these costumes during celebrations and carnivals brings a different level of joy to them.

The German nation comprises of about 1,300 textile companies employing about 130,000 people. The revenue generated by all these companies is a figure amounting to € 28 billion. And if you make a list of famous German brands, make sure to put brands like Escada, Triumph, Adidas and Puma on that list.

• CELEBRATE THE GERMAN WAY OF LIFE

Although you may have an image of the Germans as very bureaucratic people, they know how to live and enjoy their life to the fullest when it comes to celebrate. The large crowded carnivals and marvelous parades might give you a proof of the above statement. Such events bring a jolly moment in the German cultural life where all the Germans care is to paint the town red! The festivals in Germany involve German cultural activities like street parades and people wearing fancy costumes and masks.

Let alone the carnivals, the German wedding celebrations are no less than a festival in the German land. The marriages are followed by a tradition where the bride is supposed to carry bread and salt with her which are considered as the omen for food harvest. While the groom brings with himself grains which is believed to bring wealth and fortune.

• CUISINES

Feeling hungry? Let’s head to the cuisines! Ever heard of the deep affection Germans have toward the beer. Well, no jokes, but Germans drink a lot of beer. Records suggest that the average German folk consume a quantity of about 140 liters of beer annually! And such statistics have pulled Germany to the second largest beer consumer in the Europe, after the Czech Republic.

Let alone beer, they are a big fan of sausages and breads too! The German culture food is also packed with tantalizing traditional delicacies. Sausage, or Wurst in German language, is an important member of the German culture food. You can eat them in whatever way you like, pork or beef or meat. As far as bread is concerned, there is a very long tradition of baking of breads, something the Germans take pride in. You can see breads of different shape, size, taste, quality, etc.

So let’s end this culinary discussion with a note. Even if you have a picky habit in terms of food, then keep it aside because the German cuisines are ready to bewilder you because whatever you choose to eat or drink, it will be undoubtedly amazing!

• SPORTS

As per the estimated data, more than 27,000,000 Germans are a member of a sports club while a further figure of 12,000,000 Germans said to be engaged in a particular sport activity. Well, you have already got an idea of the enthusiasm of Germans towards sports. The Bundesliga, a German football championship, attracts the 2nd most average attendance of any professional sport in the world. The German football team has been one of the strongest teams across the globe, having won 4 World Cups.

The enthusiasm of Germans for sports, especially football is to such an extent that whenever there is a FIFA cup or a UEFA league, feel free to watch the game in any of the huge screens around the city squares or in the bars, cafes and restaurants where you can see people of every age group gathering and enjoying the match with a beer in one hand and sausage in another.

• RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY

Christianity is the predominant religion in Germany with more than 65% Christians and out this percentage, 29% are Catholics. Muslims further comprise 4% of the population. An interesting fact is that you will find 36 out of every 100 Germans who do not identify themselves as Christians or Muslims. Either these people are Atheists or belong to a religion other than Christianity and Muslim. Further, this non-religious majority is found mostly in the city if Hamburg and former East German states.

• THE GERMAN ARTISTIC STYLES

Western art has got its major influences fromGerman culture and art; Carolingian art, Celtic art and Ottonian art to name a few. The paintings and sculptures made in the Gothic style gained popularity in the European continent (including Germany) at large. The patterns of altarpieces were considered as one of the highlights of the 15th century. The craftsmanship of the artistic German folks can be further witnessed in the styles of Neoclassicism Baroque and Rococo styles as well. Some of the famous artworks of German artistry include the “Studio Wall” by Adolf Menzel, “Heller Altarpiece” by Albrecht Dürer & Matthias Grünewald and “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog” by Caspar David Friedrich etc.

Why Study in Germany through MOKSH?

MOKSH is one of the top education consultants in Mumbai. There are very few overseas education consultants who represent Study in Germany on such a large scale. An already existing list of Study in Germany consultants is present in India. There are many consultancies in Hyderabad and other Indian cities. MOKSH is one of the best. Thus, along with Mumbai, it also serves as a consultancy in Hyderabad and other cities.