If you sit down for breakfast at a German guesthouse expecting pancakes or a stack of cereal boxes, … (More)
Featured Stories
October 15 in German History
October 15, Feast day of St. Pantalus (ca. 304 – ?). St. Pantalus is thought to have been the first bishop of Basel, Switzerland. Available documentation indicates that he was a Martyr. By the 12th century his story had become interwoven with the legends of St.Ursula. According to those legends he met St. Ursula on […]
What Is Blutwurst? Traditional German Blood Sausage
Dark, rich, and centuries old, Blutwurst (blood sausage) might be one of Germany’s most misunderstood culinary treasures. While it may raise eyebrows among the uninitiated, this hearty sausage is revered throughout German-speaking regions – especially in Rhineland, Saxony, and Bavaria. Made with pork blood, fat, and spices, Blutwurst is a comfort food steeped in rural […]
Wilhelm Hoffmann – E.T.A. Hoffman
E(rnst) T(heodor) A(madeus) Wilhelm Hoffmann (1776-1822) was a German writer, composer, caricaturist, and painter, mostly known for his stories in which supernatural characters reveal people’s hidden secrets. Hoffmann’s first passions were music and painting, and only in the middle of his short life he started writing. His fiction works were the first examples of the […]
August 4 in German History
August 4, 1905 Death of Walther Flemming in Sachenberg, Germany. An anatomist, Flemming founded the science of cytogenetics. He taught at the University of Kiel. He discovered mitosis which he explained in Zell-substanz, Kern und Zelltheilung (1882). August 4, 1914 Britain declares war on Germany (WWI). Britain had made a pledge to honor Belgium’s neutrality, […]
What Germans Believe Today: Faith, Values, and Identity
What do Germans believe in today? For a country so often defined by its past, it’s a surprisingly difficult question. Once shaped by Protestant reformers, Catholic traditions, and two world wars, modern Germany now stands at a cultural crossroads. With church attendance declining, values shifting, and national pride tempered by a painful history, Germany’s identity […]
Medieval Germany – The Merovingian Dynasty, ca. 500-751
The Merovingian Dynasty, reigning from approximately 500 to 751, is often heralded as the foundational ruling family of medieval Germany and much of Western Europe. This article delves into the origins, significant achievements, and enduring legacy of the Merovingians, whose influence was instrumental in shaping the early medieval landscape. Origins and Rise to Power The […]
The Dark Side of German History: Strange and Unusual Events
Germany’s history is full of invention, philosophy, and cultural brilliance—but beneath that polished surface lies a strange and eerie past. From bizarre medieval justice systems to mysterious disappearances and unexplained phenomena, Germany has seen its share of bizarre and unsettling events. While most history books focus on wars and political movements, there are stories lurking […]
The German Lunch Break: Why the Mittagspause Is Sacred in German Culture
In Germany, the middle of the day is more than a time to eat – it is a carefully protected ritual known as the Mittagspause, or German lunch break. At around 12:00, offices, factories, and shops across the country pause in unison. Computers are locked, tools are set down, and workers step away from their […]
Karl der Große, or Charlemagne
Charlemagne (April 2, 742 – January 28, 814), numbered Charles I, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774 and Emperor of the Romans from 800. He united much of Europe during the early Middle Ages. He was the first recognized emperor in western Europe since the fall of the […]
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German Wine
German wine, a hidden gem in the world of viticulture, offers a unique and exhilarating experience for wine enthusiasts and novices alike. Germany's winemaking tradition, deeply rooted in history and … [Read More...]
The Berlin Wall
Besides its increasing economic difficulties, by the end of the 1950s the GDR encountered another problem that began to threaten its existence: large numbers of people were leaving East Germany for … [Read More...]
The Austro-Prussian War (1866)
In the summer of 1866, two German-speaking giants clashed in a war that would forever change the political landscape of Central Europe. The Austro-Prussian War, also known as the Seven Weeks' War, was … [Read More...]
Vanillekipferl – Vanilla Crescents
Among all the beloved Christmas biscuits of German-speaking Europe, few inspire as much nostalgia and affection as Vanillekipferl, also known in English as Vanilla Crescents. These delicate, … [Read More...]
Fertility in Germany
Despite the Berlin Wall and the fortified boundary that divided them, the two Germanys had many similar demographic developments in the postwar period. In the late 1950s and especially in the 1960s, … [Read More...]
Carl Zeiss
Carl Zeiss (September 11, 1816—December 3, 1888) was a German industrialist who gained a worldwide reputation as a manufacturer of fine optical instruments. The firm of Carl Zeiss grew to one of the … [Read More...]
Bratwurst With Sauerkraut and Potatoes
Few dishes embody German comfort food like Bratwurst with sauerkraut and potatoes. It’s a hearty, satisfying meal that pairs the smokiness of grilled sausage with the tang of fermented cabbage and the … [Read More...]
March 1 in German History
March 1, 1077 Imperial diet removes Heinrich IV as Kaiser and subsequently elects Rudolf von Schwaben. March 1, 1683 Birth of Karoline von Brandenburg-Ansbach in Ansbach, Germany. … [Read More...]
July 20 in German History
July 20, 1839 Birth of the pathologist, Julius Cohnheim, in Demmin, Prussia. He worked with the effects of tuberculosis on tissue. July 20, 1847 Birth of the artist, Max Liebermann, in … [Read More...]
Mettwurst Recipe
The name of this delectable sausage is derived from the Low German word "mett", which means minced pork without bacon. It's related to the English word "meat". Ingredients: 3 lbs pork shoulder, … [Read More...]