A friend of mine moved to Munich for a new job, walked into a small café on her first weekend, … (More)
Featured Stories
What You Need to Know About German Dating Culture
When it comes to dating, Germany might not be the first country that comes to mind. Yet for those navigating romance in this structured, sincere, and refreshingly honest culture, German dating can be both deeply rewarding and surprisingly confusing. Whether you’re a foreigner living in Germany, planning to move there, or simply curious about cross-cultural […]
The Thirty Years’ War
Germany enjoyed a time of relative quiet between the Peace of Augsburg, signed in 1555, and the outbreak of the Thirty Years’ War in 1618. The empire functioned in a more regular way than previously, and its federal nature was more evident than in the past. The Reichstag met frequently to deal with public matters, […]
Oskar Schindler
We all know the story of Oskar Schindler from Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning film Schindler’s List. Oskar Schindler was a remarkable man who miraculously saved more than 1,200 Jews from the gas chambers. He did what nobody else did in those scary times of death camps and mass murder. He was all that stood between his […]
April 9 in German History
April 9, 1486 The Habsburg, Maximilian I is crowned German king at Aachen. He would later become the Holy Roman emperor. Maximilian expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg through war and his marriage in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy, the heiress to the Duchy of Burgundy, though he also lost the Austrian territories […]
Wilhelm Wundt – Father of Psychology
Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt (born on August 16, 1832 – died on August 31, 1920) was a German physician, physiologist and philosopher widely regarded as the “father of experimental psychology”. Wundt, who noted psychology as a science apart from philosophy and biology, was the first person ever to call himself a psychologist. Wundt was born at […]
Krampus in Germany: Origins, Folklore, and Traditions
If you spend enough time studying German holiday traditions, you eventually stumble upon a figure who seems almost too strange to belong beside gingerbread and candlelit wreaths. He is horned, hairy, wild, and unmistakably menacing. He rattles chains, stomps through snowy streets, and carries a bundle of birch rods meant to discipline the naughty. His […]
May 27 in German History
May 27, 1525 Death of Thomas Müntzer in Mühlhausen. Thomas Müntzer was born in 1489 in Stolberg, Germany and died on May 27, 1525 in Mühlhausen, Germany. He was a leading radical reformer during the Protestant reformation and the leader of the peasants’ revolt in Thuringia in 1524-25. Müntzer was a significant figure in the […]
How to Move to Germany
If you do not want to completely say goodbye to your own country in order to live in Germany, permanent residency to guarantee you can stay long-term might be a better bet. Taking up residency in Germany can be a tricky topic that involves a fair bit of paperwork. This article will list the most […]
Bienenstich – German Bee Sting Cake
Bienenstich or Bee sting cake is a German dessert made of sweet yeast dough with a baked-on topping of caramelized almonds and filled with a vanilla custard, Buttercream or cream. The cake may have earned its name from its honey topping: according to one legend, a bee was attracted to it, and the baker who […]
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German Bundestag
The Bundestag is the principal legislative chamber, roughly analogous to the United States House of Representatives. The Bundestag has grown gradually since its creation, most dramatically with … [Read More...]
Arminius and the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
One of the most pivotal events in early German history—and a defining moment for the identity of the Germanic tribes—was the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE. At its heart was Arminius, a … [Read More...]
June 23 in German History
June 23, 1760 The Battle of Landshut in Silesia is fought. The Battle of Landshut was an engagement fought on June 23, 1760 during the Seven Years' War. A Prussian army of 12,000 men under … [Read More...]
Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel)
Few desserts embody Old World charm like Apfelstrudel, or Apple Strudel. With its paper-thin layers of flaky pastry wrapped around a sweet apple filling, Apfelstrudel is one of Germany’s most iconic … [Read More...]
August 21 in German History
August 21, 1849 On August 21, 1849, Pauline Mallinckrodt founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Charity. Pauline Mallinckrodt was born in Minden, Germany on June 3, 1817. She directed … [Read More...]
German Vocabulary: Weather
In Germany, like in most countries, talking about the weather is always a good topic when there is nothing else to talk about or if you want to break the ice with people you have just met. Here is a … [Read More...]
Rearmament and the European Defense Community
The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 convinced Western leaders of the growing threat of international communism. The United States began to encourage the Europeans--the FRG in particular--to … [Read More...]
Christ Child – Christkind
In some parts of Germany, mainly the south east of the country, children write to the Christkind/Christkindl asking for presents. The letters to the Christkind are decorated with sugar glued to the … [Read More...]
October 16 in German History
October 16, 1708 Birth of the biologist Albrecht von Haller in Bern, Switzerland. He was a professor of medicine, anatomy, and surgery at the University of Göttingen. He was the first to understand … [Read More...]
April 15 in German History
April 15, 1659 Death of Simon Dach in Königsberg, Prussia (now Russia). Dach was one of the outstanding German Baroque poets. April 15, 1707 Birth of Leonhard Euler in Basel, Switzerland. A … [Read More...]