For many visitors, one of the first cultural surprises in Germany arrives not at a famous castle or … (More)
Featured Stories
What Is Leberwurst? Types and Traditional Recipes
Say “Leberwurst” to a German, and chances are their mouth will start watering. This liver sausage has been a staple of German cuisine for centuries – savory, rich, and wildly versatile. Spread on bread, scooped onto rye crackers, or sliced and pan-fried, Leberwurst is as common in German households as peanut butter is in American […]
Castle Stein in Saxony
Stein Castle, or Burg Stein is a Saxon castle located southeast of Zwickau in the village of Stein in the municipality of Hartenstein on the banks of the Zwickauer Mulde. The settlement of the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) began in the 12th/13th centuries, especially along the rivers. River crossings and religious orders (Niederlassungen) were protected by […]
Party Like a German
It’s party season, and to help you seamlessly blend into German life and culture we’ve put together our top ten ways you can avoid embarrassment while you’re keeping out the winter chill. 1. Arrive on time. Germans love nothing more than punctuality. While ‘fashionably late“ might be a desirable quality in more laid-back countries, it […]
Smoked Sausage and Cabbage Soup
Beer, cabbage and smoked sausage in one warming and cozy pot – what’s not to love? Enjoy this delicious mix on chilly afternoons. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 400 g beef smoked sausage, cut into bite-size slices 1 onion, sliced into thin semi-circles 1/2 head small cabbage, halved again, cored and thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon […]
Tracing Your German Ancestry: A Comprehensive Guide
Discovering your family roots can be a fascinating journey, especially for those with German ancestry. Germany has a rich history and culture, but tracing German ancestors can sometimes be a complex process due to the nation’s tumultuous history and the fragmentation of the region into various principalities and states before its unification in 1871. This […]
Bratwurst Sauerkraut Casserole with Pretzels
If you’re looking for a dish that tastes like Oktoberfest in a casserole dish, this is it. The German Bratwurst Sauerkraut Casserole with Pretzels combines three of Germany’s most iconic flavors – juicy sausage, tangy fermented cabbage, and warm, soft pretzel chunks – into one warm, satisfying bake. This is rustic German comfort food with […]
“Kirche, Küche, Kinder”: Germany’s Three K’s
Few phrases capture the essence of traditional gender ideology quite as succinctly as the German expression “Kinder, Küche, Kirche” – children, kitchen, church. These three K’s, often cited in varying orders, have encapsulated for over a century a particular vision of women’s proper sphere: domestic, maternal, and subordinate to both family and religious authority. Yet […]
June 10 in German History
June 10, 1051 Death of St. Bardo in Paderborn, Germany. Bardo was a Benedictine monk in Fulda. He later became the abbot at the monasteries in Kaiserswerth and Hersfeld. In 1031 he became the Archbishop of Mainz. He was known for his piety and gentle nature. It was he who constructed the present Cathedral of […]
German Swear Words and Their Surprisingly Creative Origins
The world loves to joke about how serious Germans are, but listen closely in a traffic jam, a Bundesliga match, or a Berlin late night Späti and you will hear a very lively lexicon of German swear words. From earthy farmyard insults to baroque blasphemies in Bavaria, German cursing is rich, inventive, and highly coded […]
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Lent in Germany: Traditions, History, and Rituals
Lent in Germany is a season that invites the country to take a long, thoughtful breath. It sits between the exuberant chaos of Carnival and the joyful renewal of Easter, offering a period of … [Read More...]
How to Get a Work Permit for Germany
Obtaining a work permit for Germany is not always easy. Your success in the application process depends on various factors: your nationality, your occupation, even your annual salary. Here are the key … [Read More...]
November 23 in German History
November 23, 912 Birth of Otto I in Germany. Otto became the German King in 936 and the Holy Roman Emperor in 962. He brought order to the empire, which was greatly fragmented, strengthened the … [Read More...]
August 19 in German History
August 19, 1753 Death of the architect Balthasar Neumann in Würzburg. Neumann was clearly the master of Baroque architecture. He was born in Eger, Bohemia (then Austria, now in the Czech Republic) … [Read More...]
December 8 in German History
December 8, 1672 Death of Johann Christian Baron von Boyneburg in Mainz, Germany. He was a diplomat of the archbishop-elector of Mainz, Philipp von Schönborn. He was a principal negotiator of the … [Read More...]
Saxony – a Crossroads of European History, Culture and Art
The free State of Saxony has unique georaphical position which greatly influenced and still influences on its rich possessions. Saxony meets West, East, North and South of Germany. For the centuries … [Read More...]
December 17 in German History
December 17, 1770 Birth of Ludwig von Beethoven in Bonn, Germany. Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic … [Read More...]
January 7 in German History
January 7, 1742 Birth of the enlightenment philosopher, Christian Garve. Garve was a professor at the University of Leipzig. He was noted as a moral philosopher and the translator to German of … [Read More...]
Sebastian Krüger
Sebastian Krüger is a German artist. He was born on June 30, 1963, in Hamelin. After studying free painting with Prof. Dörfler at the Braunschweig University of Fine Arts he made a stunning reputation … [Read More...]
April 13 in German History
April 13, 1111 Heinrich V is crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by the Pope in Rome. He ruled starting from 1111 till 1125 and was the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's … [Read More...]