German Culture

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German Card Games

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Germany has a strong tradition with respect to card games, as a result the most popular game varies by region.

Skat, Doppelkopf and Schafkopf are amongst the most popular, they are very similar to each other and pretty tactical. Schafkopf is traditionally played in Bavaria (South-East), Doppelkopf is more popular in the West and North, and Skat originates in the East, but has gain a lot of traction elsewhere since it is the most tactical variant and often played competitively.

Mau Mau is a very simple game which is also popular throughout Germany especially amongst children, UNO is essentially the commercial version of it.

There are many more card games which enjoy local popularity, but may not be known elsewhere. Binokel, Watten, 66 (Schnapsen), Gaigel, just to name a few.

Do you know the names of the suits in German? If not, then here they are!

  • diamond Karo (Diamonds)
  • heart Herz (Hearts)
  • spade Pik (Spades)
  • club Kreuz (Clubs)

An Ace is an Ass. A Jack is a Bube – an old-fashioned German word for “boy.” A Queen is a Dame (which translates to “lady”) and the King is the König (literal translation this time).

Spieler is the word for “player” in German (it’s also the word for “gambler”).

Du bist dran means “your turn.” Unfair (pronounced “oonfair”) means, you guessed it, “unfair.”

Is someone playing dirty in the game? Then yell out, “Hey, du schummelst!” (“Hey, you’re cheating!”)

One-player German Card Games

Auf Wiedersehen

If you’re all by yourself, but still in the mood for a good card game, play a few rounds of the German solitaire game Auf Wiedersehen (Farewell).

To play this game, you need a standard deck of 52 cards. Start with 12 cards laid out face up in three rows of four. Four additional cards are placed face down on the table.

You need to rearrange the cards at the top so that they run from Ace to King. Place the additional cards under the correct suits in order. Now draw a card from the deck and place it where it belongs, if possible. If you pull a King, you can start a new row. Once you’ve finished laying out all the cards you can, turn over the four cards still laying face down on the table. If any of these cards are an Ace or a King matching the top card in the rows, you’ve lost.

Die Farbenelf

The next German card game you can play by yourself is called Die Farbenelf (roughly, “the colorful eleven”).

To play this game, shuffle a standard 52-card deck, then lay out four rows of four cards face up. In these 16 cards, you look for two cards of the same suit with a total value of 11. These pairs can now be laid aside and the gaps filled with new cards taken from the deck.

The Jack, King and Queen can only be removed if they’re taken from the deck at the same time and have the same suit. The goal of the game is to use up the deck and get rid of all the cards.

German Card Games for Groups

Each of the games listed here can be played by two to five players.

Quartett

Quartett (Quartet) is one of the most popular kids’ card games in Germany, and has been for a long time. This game is basically played the same as Go Fish.

The goal is to get four of the same type of card (four sixes in all the suits, for example). Each player asks another player for a card they need to make a set of four. If the player has the card, they have to hand it over. If they don’t have the card, it’s their turn to ask.

Although you can play Quartett with a standard 52-card deck, most kids play with a special deck that features animals facts, trains, planes and automobiles, famous sports stars, etc. These make Quartett the perfect game for learning or practicing basic German vocabulary topics. You can also buy plenty of quirky and/or naughty Quartett decks for a more adult audience, like a Quartett deck of dead rock stars, one featuring addictive substances and, last but not least, the sexy dirndl deck.

Mau-Mau

The German card game Mau-Mau is similar to Uno. Each player is dealt five to six cards. The top card of the deck is then turned over. The player can either lay down a card of the same suit or the same number—for example, a 10 of Diamonds on top of a 10 of Spades.

The goal of the game is to get rid of all your cards. If a player lays down their final card, they have to say Mau, but if their last card is a jack, they have to say Mau-Mau (pronounced like the word “ow” when you hurt yourself, with an “m” in the front).

Böse Dame

Böse Dame (Evil Queen) is similar to the game Hearts, only you want to end the game with high points, not the other way around.

This game is only played with Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, Tens, Nines, Eights and Sevens. The points you get for the cards are as follows:

  • Ace (11 points)
  • Ten (10 points)
  • King (four points)
  • Queen (three points)
  • Jack (two points)
  • Nine, Eight and Seven (0 points)

Like Hearts, the Pik Dame (Queen of Spades) is the evil queen here indeed. If you end up with this card at the end, you get -50 points!

You lay down cards of the same suit and the player with the highest card takes the pile. If you don’t have the suit, but you have the Queen of Spades, you can play her and pass her on to another player. If the Queen of Spades is played, you can “stab” her with the King or Ace of Spades. Play this card, and she’ll go back to the person who laid her down.

Longer German Card Games for Groups

If you really want to get into the world of German card games, there are two words for you: Doppelkopf and Skat.

Both of these popular games can be played for hours. There are many game clubs dedicated to both and they have their own tournaments throughout Germany as well as other German-speaking countries.

Doppelkopf

Doppelkopf (roughly, “double-head”) is a game for four players in teams of two. However, you don’t know who your teammate is until later in the game.

The game is played with 48 to 40 cards and is sometimes played with German-suited cards featuring Balls, Hearts, Leaves and Acorns rather than the standard French-suited cards most of us are used to.

The rules for Doppelkopf are too complex to go through here, you can read them on this website.

Skat

The other granddaddy of German card games is definitely Skat. Skat is a game for three players and is played with a 32-card deck, either French- or German-suit. The suits have different values, with Clubs or Acorns boasting the highest points, 12.

The rules for Skat are even more complex than Doppelkopf, but you can learn more on this website.




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How to Act Like a Real German

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How do people greet one another in Germany? How do work colleagues interact? What really makes Germans “tick”? Anyone arriving in a foreign country for the first time is often unsure of how they should behave. So it makes great sense to find out about a country’s idiosyncrasies before you arrive. You will find it far easier to integrate into both professional and private life. Here are some tips that will help you blend right into the German society like a pro!

  1. Tip 10% to 15% on big meals. For coffee or small meals, round up to the next euro.
  2. Drinking alcohol is common but it’s always acceptable to refuse a drink.
  3. Make eye contact when toasting. Not doing so is said to bring bad luck.
  4. Crossing your utensils means you are still eating. Laying them parallel means you are finished.
  5. Expect to pay for bottled water at restaurants. Asking for tap water is considered impolite.
  6. Keep your hands on the table while eating. To do otherwise is considered rude.
  7. Wait to sit down until you are invited to do so or until others sit.
  8. When it’s your birthday, it’s your responsibility to provide food and drinks.
  9. When invited to someone’s home, always arrive on time and bring a small gift.
  10. Proper garbage disposal is important in Germany. Always recycle.
  11. Never light a cigarette off a candle. A common superstition says doing so kills a sailor.
  12. Avoid exaggerations and high-pressure talk.
  13. Always be on time. Be direct and detail-oriented.
  14. Wear conservative business attire. Khakis make people think you are sloppy.
  15. Do not remove your suit jacket unless your host does.
  16. Expect business meetings to be longer than in other countries.
  17. Make your status known. Hierarchy is considered important.
  18. Always use titles, like Doktor, Frau and Herr. Do not use first names unless invited.
  19. Anyone with a PhD should be addressed as Professor or Doktor.
  20. Bathroom attendants are common and and expect to be tipped roughly 30 cents.
  21. Taxi drivers do not expect tips but most people round up their fare to the next euro.
  22. Never jaywalk, even if there is no traffic anywhere to be seen. Even at 3 am.




Boiled Potatoes with Quark – Pellkartoffeln mit Quark

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Potatoes with Quark, photo via essen-und-trinken.de

Fresh boild potatoes combined with the creamy quark make for a wonderful snack or side dish. Perfect springtime dish for vegetarians and those who mind their waistline!

Ingredients:

1 kg of new potatoes
500 g of low-fat quark
50 ml of linseed oil
2 tbsp caraway seeds
1 bunch of parsley
small bunch of basil
1 bunch of chervil
1 bunch of dill
1 bunch of chives
2 spring onions
2 tbsp butter
salt, pepper

Preparation:

  1. Wash potatoes thoroughly and cook unpeeled in plenty of salted water for about 20 minutes. Put the quark with 40 ml linseed oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir until creamy with a whisk for about 2 minutes. Roast caraway seeds in a dry pan, allow to cool and then roughly crush in a mortar.
  2. Pluck the herb leaves from the stems. Put 1/3 of the herb leaves in a bowl of cold water. Finely chop remaining herbs. Cut the chives into fine rolls, clean the spring onions, wash and finely chop. Add chopped herbs, chives, half of the caraway seeds and the spring onions to the quark and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Melt butter in a saucepan. Drain the potatoes, steam for a short time and peel. Drain the leaves of herbs. Arrange the potatoes with the quark and drizzle with the remaining linseed oil. Sprinkle with herb leaves and the remaining caraway seeds. Serve drizzled as desired with the liquid butter. Enjoy!

 




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Weiberfastnacht, or Kiss for Your Tie!

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Michael Esken, mayor of the city of Verl, gets his tie cut off on Weiberfastnacht.
Photo by Kerstin Eigendorf

Weiberfastnacht is a holiday celebrated mostly in the Rhineland on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. Originally a special day for women’s carnival, but now celebrated by both sexes as the beginning of the six-day peak of the carnival season. Women take charge of men on Carnival Thursday by cutting off their ties and giving them a kiss. The tradition hails from an era when women’s rights didn’t exist. The act dates back to pagan times and symbolizes the power of women and their ability to rule over men, especially in crazy times.

 

Photo by dpa/Oliver Berg

Today, Weiberfastnacht — composed of the words “weiber” (women) and “fastnacht,” another word for Carnival — lives on as a fun-filled, female tradition that takes place on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. The unofficial holiday kicks off at exactly 11:11 a.m. with a street festival, and revelers don colorful, over-the-top costumes, and the annual “storming” of city hall is broadcast live on television. The festivities also include some interesting customs like “necktie-cutting,” a symbolic gesture to show men who’s boss. The men customarily get a kiss or a “Bützchen” in return for the chopped accessory. Basically, women run the show in every way on this celebratory day, and everyone gets to enjoy the spoils of a lady-led world with a parade, food, drinks and fun.

Maintaining your personal space is not exactly an option; close bodily contact with strangers is just as much a part of Carnival as music and beer. People link arms and sway to the Schlager, or do the “Stippeföttche,” a traditional dance that involves rubbing rear ends together.

In the Middle Ages, upper-class woman were allowed to throw their manners out the window on this day, which was dubbed “the drinking day for dear women.”

In the 18th century, some convents even recognized the anything-goes tradition and the nuns were permitted to feast, gamble and dance until the wee hours of the morning.

In the 19th century, a group of washerwoman in Beuel near Bonn, around 30 km (about 19 miles) south of Cologne, laid the foundation for the present-day Weiberfastnacht celebrations.

The Beuel Ladies’ Committee pictured in the year 1900

Back then, the washerwomen had to work 16 hours a day — and not only for the high-society men who could afford it, they also had to scrub their own husbands’ dirty laundry so that the men could go to Carnival parties in nearby Cologne in clean shirts. The wives had to stay at home to work and tend to the children.

In 1824, the washerwomen had finally had enough. They ditched their work and met in a pub to complain about their husbands. Obviously, they weren’t just sipping tea and coffee.

They founded the “Beuel Ladies’ Committee” and proceeded to storm the city hall in Beuel, claiming authority for a day. The tradition stuck and Bonn-Beuel became an important Carnival hub.

Word of what the women in Beuel had done spread quickly throughout the Rhineland. Women in many other cities and villages formed similar committees and proceeded to storm their city halls as well.

As a symbol of revoking the power of the men, the women started chopping off their neckties, which they collected like trophies. Of course, since the tradition is all in good fun, the men don’t go away empty-handed. Instead, they get a “Bützchen” — a smooch — in return. In this ritual, it’s the woman who chooses who she’s willing to kiss, though the unwritten rule remains that both partners must consent to locking lips.




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Pumpernickel – German Rye Bread

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Pumpernickel, photo credit fotolia.com

Pumpernickel is a typically heavy, slightly sweet rye bread traditionally made with sourdough starter and coarsely ground rye. It is often made today with a combination of rye flour and whole rye berries. Pumpernickel has been long associated with the Westphalia region of Germany, first referred to in print in 1450. Although it is not known whether this and other early references refer to precisely the bread that came to be known as Pumpernickel, Westphalian pumpernickel is distinguished by use of coarse rye meal and a very long baking period, which gives the bread its characteristic dark color. Like most traditional all-rye breads, pumpernickel is traditionally made with an acidic sourdough starter. Pumpernickel has a rich dark-brown color, but no crust as it’s baked in fully covered baking tins.

Making Pumpernickel the proper way takes some effort and time, so be prepared for the delayed gratification effect!

Ingredients:

Getting started:
  • 200 g rye berries
  • 350 g dark rye flour
  • 1½ cup lukewarm water
  • 3 tbsp sourdough starter
For the dough:
  • 350 g dark rye pumpernickel meal
  • 350 g cracked rye
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1⅓ to 1½ cup lukewarm water
  • 100 g imported golden syrup or real maple syrup
  • 150 g dry-roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

Preparation:

(Evening of Day 1)
  1. Put the berries in a small saucepan and pour boiling water over them to cover by at least 1 inch. Cover and set aside to soak overnight.
  2. For the starter, mix the rye flour, water and sourdough starter in a small bowl until well combined. Cover and let it rest overnight in a warm place.
(Day 2)
  1. Add enough water to the soaked rye berries so that there is about three times as much water a berries. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour, or until the berries are soft. Check for water once in a while to make sure the berries are always covered with plenty of water, and add more water if necessary. Drain the cooked berries and set aside to cool.
  2. In a large bowl mix the dark rye pumpernickel meal, cracked rye and salt. Add the starter mix and 1⅓ cup water. Mix until well combined and no traces of flour remain. Add the cooked berries, syrup and sunflower seeds. Knead the dough using the dough hook of an electric mixer or your hands and add the rest of the water during kneading, as needed, until the dough starts to come off the sides of the bowl. The dough should be moist and slightly sticky so it might not come off the sides of the bowl like in other bread doughs, which is fine. Dust with rye flour and cover. Let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
  3. Grease 2 loaf tins.
  4. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface to remove any excess air. The dough should be slightly sticky. Divide the dough into equal portions and place it into your baking pans or jars. Only fill the pans to two-thirds to make smaller loaves. Grease small pieces of aluminum foil and cover the jars/baking pans, greased side down. Let rest in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 150 C. Remove the aluminum foil from the jars/baking pans and lightly spray the surface of the dough with water. Place the aluminum foil back on the jars/baking pans, greased side down. Make sure that the jars/baking pans are tightly covered.
  6. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest setting. Place the jars/baking pans in the casserole and and place it on the oven rack. Pour about 1 inch hot water into the casserole. Place the lid on the casserole.
  7. Bake for 1 hour at 150 C. Reduce the heat to 100 C and bake for 13 more hours. Add hot water to the casserole every few hours to maintain the water level. If you bake the bread overnight, pour more water into the casserole before you go to bed. A higher water level of 3 cm to 5 cm does not harm but an empty dry casserole may cause the jars to crack and should be avoided by all means.
(Day 3)
  1. At the end of the baking time, turn off the oven and leave the casserole in the oven for 1 hour. Then take the casserole with the jars/baking pans out of the oven and let everything cool on the counter for another 30 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile keep the oven door closed to trap the residual heat. Gently unmold the breads (promptly removing them is important, otherwise you will have trouble removing them later) and place them in the warm oven for a couple of hours to dry.
  2. Remove the breads from the oven. Let them cool completely, then wrap them in wax paper or parchment paper and either place them in freezer bags right away, or let the bread sit in a cool place for another two days before cutting it on Day 5. Store the pumpernickel in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe credit http://bit.ly/2tpnXG9.




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German Dream

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With the fifth largest economy in the world, Germany is Europe’s land of opportunity for skilled professionals. In addition to high job security and a favorable work-life balance, people are also thrilled with how safe the country is and with its high quality of medical care.

For about two centuries, Germany was a land people migrated from, not to. But times have changed, and so has Germany. With a booming economy, it attracts talent from the rest of Europe and beyond. German universities are reporting more foreign students and researchers, and many of those stay and found companies – in that respect Berlin, where 43% of tech startups are launched by immigrants, is second only to Silicon Valley (46%) and ahead of London, Tel Aviv and Paris.

This trend may be surprising given the alleged barrier of “the awful German language,” as Mark Twain memorably described it, with its tricky cases, genders and inflections. And yet branches of the Goethe Institute, a network of culture centers that teach German, are doing brisk business from Latin America to Asia. Something similar could be said about Germany’s awful bureaucracy (too bad Mr. Twain omitted that angle!). Even there, Germany has improved: several reforms have made it much simpler for German firms to recruit abroad, for example.

Many of those coming to Germany would in the past have gone to America or Britain instead. But America in the age of President Trump, with headlines full of travel bans and walls to be built, has lost some of its draw. Britain could careen for years toward who-knows-what-kind-of Brexit. In Germany, however, the government is rolling out a red carpet by simplifying immigration procedures, funding free language classes, even opening “ welcome centers” for newcomers. So bankers, students, artists and others look to Germany instead, pursuing their German Dream.

One in five foreigners in Germany work in the IT industry. As the country is experiencing a skills shortage in this area and experts are in high demand, many have found a safe and secure job in this field. Indeed, the highest percentage of expats (17%) list having found a job in Germany as their main reason for moving abroad.

Once people settle into their new job, they are happy to find that the average work week consists of 39 hours, leaving plenty of time to spend with family and friends and engage in leisure activities. At first, many newcomers find it difficult to adjust to the fact that stores in Germany are closed on most Sundays and in some states shut their doors in the early evening during the week. After a while, though, most learn to plan ahead and enjoy their leisurely Sundays.

When it comes to personal safety in Germany, according to the Expat Insider 2016 survey, expats feel that it is possible for them to move about freely in their neighborhoods, cities, and the country in general, without fearing for their personal safety.

Foreigners appreciate being able to walk around Germany’s cities and sleep peacefully in their beds each night, all the time feeling safe and secure. Even during the Oktoberfest in Munich and after World Cup soccer games, foreigners are often surprised at the relatively low amount of trouble that Germans get into, compared to what they would expect to see in other countries.

While Germany ranks very high for job security, quality of medical care, and personal safety, there are some areas in which it falls far behind other countries. First of all, only one in ten people are very happy with the climate and weather in this European country. Luckily, with excellent transportation options and a central location within Europe, escaping to sunshine and warmer climes for a long weekend or extended vacation is a breeze.

Expats in Germany also find it quite difficult to settle into life here and make new friends, especially local ones. The cool and distant outward demeanor of many Germans is often interpreted as rudeness. The blunt, frank way of speaking and expressing opinions can come off as tactlessness. Only 14% of the survey respondents think the local German population is very friendly and the country ranks a miserable 50th out of 61 in terms of overall friendliness.

Despite this less-than-ideal result, expats who manage to crack the hard outer shell and become friends with Germans will find that they have made friends for life. Although excellent knowledge of English is widespread throughout Germany, being able to converse in German will help pave the way to feeling at home and making local friends.

Germany is by far the leading trading country in the continent in terms of volume and value. With a largely very prosperous population of around 82 million, the German economy remains one of the most outstanding economies in the world. It is only a few hundred miles from the UK – and it has been forecast to grow at around 1.5% each year over the next 20 years.




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Gun Laws in Germany

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The German system of gun control is among the most stringent in Europe. It restricts the acquisition, possession, and carrying of firearms to those with a creditable need for a weapon. It bans fully automatic weapons and severely restricts the acquisition of other types of weapons. Compulsory liability insurance is required for anyone who is licensed to carry firearms.

In recent years, German gun-control law underwent several reforms that made it even more stringent. A new Weapons Act became effective in 2003 after a school shooting in the city of Erfurt in which a student killed sixteen persons. The new Act restricted the use of large caliber weapons by young people and strengthened requirements for the safe storage of firearms.

Another reform was enacted in 2009 in response to the massacre at Winnenden, in which an eighteen-year-old killed fifteen people in the course of a school shooting. This latest reform led to the creation of a federal gun register and to intense governmental monitoring of gun owners’ compliance with requirements for the safe storage of firearms. Pursuant to the reformed legislation, the authorities may at any time request access to the premises of any registered gun owner to monitor whether proper safe-storage procedures are being observed.

Germany has one of the highest rates of gun ownership worldwide, yet also one of the lowest rates of gun-related deaths.

To get a gun, Germans must first obtain a firearms ownership license (Waffenbesitzkarte) – and you may need a different one for each weapon you buy – or a license to carry (Waffenschein).

Applicants for a license must be at least 18 years old and undergo what’s called a reliability check, which includes checking for criminal records, whether the person is an alcohol or drug addict, whether they have mental illness or any other attributes that might make them questionable to authorities.

The also have to pass a “specialized knowledge test” on guns and people younger than 25 applying for their first license must go through a psychiatric evaluation.

One must also prove a specific and approved need for the weapon, which is mainly limited to use by hunters, competitive marksmen, collectors and security workers – not for self-defence.

Once you have a license, you’re also limited in the number of and kinds of guns you may own, depending on what kind of license you have: Fully automatic weapons are banned for all, while semiautomatic firearms are banned for anything other than hunting or competitive shooting.

Under the reforms passed in the wake of a 2009 mass shooting, gun owners are also subject to continued monitoring by the government with officials able to ask gun owners at any time to enter their private property and check that they are properly storing their weapons.

But even given Germany’s strict gun policies, the country was still home to the fourth-highest number of legal guns per capita in 2013, falling behind just the United States, Switzerland and Finland.

About 2 million people own more than 5.5 million legal guns in Germany for a population of more than 80 million.

On top of that, police unions have estimated that there are up to 20 million more illegally-owned guns in Germany – this would mean roughly 30 guns for every group of 100 people.

But even given the relatively high amount of guns in the country, Germany has one of the lowest rates of gun-related deaths each year, according to international GunPolicy.org research by the University of Sydney.

Over the past 20 years, “crimes against life” – which include murder as well as negligent manslaughter – that involve guns have dropped from 783 in 1995 to 130 in 2015, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). Of those crimes in 2015, just 57 were intentional murders.

Several mass shootings within the past two decades have had a great impact on gun control policy. Since those mass shootings, there has also been drop-off in gun violence. In 2009 when Winnenden happened, there were 179 crimes against life that involved guns being fired, compared to the 130 such crimes in 2015.

There are two kinds of firearms carry permits in Germany:

1. Firearms carry permits (Waffenschein) entitle licensees to publicly carry legally owned weapons, whether concealed or not. A mandatory legal and safety class and shooting proficiency tests are required to obtain such a permit. Carry permits are usually only issued to persons with a particular need for carrying a firearm. This includes some private security personnel and persons living under a raised threat level like celebrities and politicians. They are valid up to three years and can be extended. Carrying at public events is prohibited. Licensed hunters do not need a permit to carry loaded weapons while hunting, and unloaded weapons while directly traveling to and from such an activity.

2. A small firearms carry permit (Kleiner Waffenschein) was introduced in 2002. It can be obtained without having to demonstrate expert knowledge, necessity or a mandatory insurance. The only requirements are that the applicant be of legal age, trustworthy and personally adequate. It entitles the licensee to publicly carry gas pistols (both of the blank and irritant kind) and flare guns. These types of firearms are freely available to adults; only the actual carrying on public property requires the permit. Similar to the full permit, carrying at public events is prohibited.

Firearms that are prohibited in Germany may not be owned by anyone except with a special license from the Federal Criminal Police Office, which is only given to manufacturers, exporters, and, on rare occasions, collectors. The most important ones are:

  • Firearms defined as “war weapons” by the law (tanks, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns)
  • Fully automatic firearms
  • Pump-action shotguns, if
    • the stock has been replaced by a pistol grip or
    • the overall length is less than 95 cm, or
    • the barrel length is less than 45 cm.
  • Firearms designed to look like an everyday object in order to conceal their nature
  • Handguns made after January 1, 1970 that fire ammunition with a caliber of less than 6.3mm, except those for rimfire ammunition.




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Small Talk in Germany

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Photo credit Michael Blann/Getty Images

Germans are said to be rather serious, dour, and even humorless. While this is not entirely true, German people do indeed need some time to warm up and keep a polite distance when dealing with strangers. While it might be customary in some countries to address people by their first name, Germans like to stick to formalities. At the same time, their blunt direct way of communicating might put some people off and even appear rude. On the upside, once you’ve cracked a German’s hard shell, they will warm up quickly. This is also when you will find out that Germans are indeed funny and like to joke around a lot. Compliments are given rarely, but if so, then they are sincere.

Our gestures, facial expressions and voice tone say a lot more about us that the actual words we are saying. In Germany, lots of physical distance and a calm, moderate tome are appropriate in most situations. Hugging another person, patting their back, kissing their cheek and generally touching another person is reserved for close friends and relatives. Yelling, screaming and shouting are considered incredibly rude. That being said, Germans do talk with a blunt directness that may sound arrogant to other people. Such frankness and assertiveness are perfectly normal most of the time. It is not intended to offend you.

When it comes to small talk, Germans rarely chat about personal matters at first. Instead, they focus on sports, traveling, movies or cooking. You should avoid potentially controversial topics like politics or religion, reserving them for good friends only. Allusions to the country’s Nazi past and its role in the World Wars are taboo.

One of the many clichés about Germany and the Germans says that they act in a not very friendly or even rude manner towards strangers. But what is often interpreted as rude manners, is more like a basic inability of Germans to small talk – they simply are not used to it.

In fact, it comes more from another behavior often observed on Germans: They are said to be very direct and trying to be effective in what they are doing – that’s why most of them don’t think it is necessary to small talk as it costs time without producing measurable results. For them, it’s simply a waste of time. Next time you are trying to small talk with a German just say to yourself: They’re not rude, they’re just effective.

It’s said that it’s not too easy to make German friends, but once you’ve managed to befriend one, he or she will be a “real” and loyal friend. I don’t need to tell you that not all Germans are the same and especially young people are very open towards foreigners. It might be due to the fact that they are able to communicate better in English than the older Germans. It is more a basic cultural difference that becomes obvious in daily situations with strangers.




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The Thousand-year Rose of Hildesheim

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The Rose of Hildesheim climbs on the wall of Hildesheim Cathedral By Stefan Schäfer, Lich – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

The Thousand-year Rose (Tausendjähriger Rosenstock) is also known as the Rose of Hildesheim. It grows on a wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral, a Catholic cathedral in Hildesheim, Germany, that is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. The cathedral and the adjacent St. Michael’s Church have been on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1985.

The rose that climbs on the wall of the cathedral’s apse is believed to be the oldest living rose in the world. A Rosa canina, commonly known as a wild dog rose, grows against the eastern apse of the cathedral, which is around 21 m (69 ft) high and 9 m (30 ft) wide. The rose bush reaches a height of around 10 m (33 ft) and documentation verifies its age at approximately 700 years. Slight variations arise in the tale of the establishment of the diocese by King Louis the Pious at Hildesheim in 815 but the rose bush is a common theme in all versions. The Cathedral was destroyed by Allied bombers in 1945 during the Second World War, but the roots of the rose bush survived and it blossomed again among the ruins. According to legend, while the rose bush flourishes, Hildesheim will prosper.

A poem about the rose was published in 1896. In the early twentieth century, after visiting the Cathedral and seeing the rose, author Mabel Wagnalls was inspired to write a book, which went on to form the basis of a silent film.

Inspiration for the book entitled The Rose-bush of a Thousand Years came from the rose at Hildesheim. Written by Mabel Wagnalls and published in 1918, it is a tale about a young girl abandoning her baby to the care of a convent. The mother later gains notoriety, has a “spiritual transformation” and rekindles a relationship with her child. The story went on to form the basis for the 1924 silent film Revelation. The ninety-minute film starred Viola Dana, Monte Blue and Lew Cody. It was written and directed by George D. Baker.

Old postcard with the rose, possibly around 1905–1909

The rose at Hildesheim is a Rosa canina, also called a dog rose. According to the legend, it dates back to the establishment of the diocese of Hildesheim, around 815. The buildings were constructed around the area in which the rose was growing.

In 1909, in his book Romantic Germany, Robert Schauffler tells the legend of the rose. In 815 Emperor Louis the Pious (778–840), son of Charlemagne, was hunting in the Hercynian Forest. While he was hunting a white buck, he became separated from his fellow hunters and lost his game and horse. He tried to summon help with his hunting-horn, but nobody answered the call. Disoriented and alone, he swam across the Innerste river then walked all day until he arrived at a mound covered with a wild rose, the symbol of the old Saxon goddess Hulda. The Emperor had a reliquary containing relics of the Virgin Mary over which he prayed for rescue until he fell asleep.

An illustration of the rose in the German journal Die Gartenlaube (The Garden Arbor), 1883, p. 700

When he woke up, the mound was covered with glittering white snow despite it being the middle of summer. The bush was in full bloom, the grass was lush and the trees were covered in leaves. He looked for his reliquary and saw it was covered in ice between the branches of the rose-bush. The Emperor’s interpretation of this miracle was that the goddess was sending him a sign by “shaking her bed” that the Virgin should in future be venerated instead of her. Hulda is depicted as a maiden in snow-white clothes – she is the protector of women’s crafts but also associated with wilderness and winter – when it snows, it is said that Hulda is shaking out her feather pillow. When his followers finally found the Emperor he pledged that he would construct a cathedral to honor the Virgin where the mound with the rose was. He did spare the rose, and built the cathedral in a way that the rose is growing now behind the altar in the apse. After more than a thousand years, the same rose bush still blossoms.

According to a different version of the legend, the German emperor Louis the Pious lost his cherished reliquary while chasing game and promised that he would erect a chapel wherever it was discovered. The reliquary was found on the branches of a wild rose and the Emperor constructed the sanctuary beside the rose, with the altar close to the site where the rose was growing.

The Rose of Hildesheim in bloom

Another slight variation to the legend is given in Fundatio Ecclesiae Hildensemens, an 11th-century publication. The Emperor had taken the reliquary to use when he stopped to say Mass while out hunting. The artefact was placed in a tree while the sermon was undertaken but not retrieved when the hunt resumed. Later a chaplain was unable to remove the reliquary from the branches. Believing this to be a symbol of God’s will, the Emperor had a church constructed there instead of as originally planned at Elze.




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15 Curious Facts about Germany

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Every country and culture is based on different habits and behavior. Here are some fun facts about Germany and Germans that you definitely need to know.

1. Germany is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe.

Yes, the country has a staggering population size of 82,790,000 people, and counting! And, even though Germany is a rather large country, that still means there’s 231 people per sq km!

2. One third of Germany is still covered in forest and woodland.

Despite the population density, a good proportion of Germany is actually still covered in foliage. And, it sure is spectacular. Our little tip? If you’re a fan of the Brother’s Grimm fairy tales, you might just want to pay a visit to the Black Forest… the setting of many of their stories.

3. Berlin is 9 times bigger than Paris and has more bridges than Venice

Dating back to the 13th century, the city spans a whopping 891.8 km², plenty of room for those 1700 bridges within the city. Berlin is over 9 times the size of Paris, butit only has 1/5 of Paris’ density (4K inhabitants per sq km as opposed to 21K inhabitants per sq km in Paris). That’s why Berlin feels so airy and spacious! So much so that sometimes you feel like you have a whole park for yourself.

4. During JFK’s famous declaration of “Ich bin ein Berliner” he actually likened himself to a jam doughnut.

What he should have said is “Ich bin Berliner” meaning “I am a citizen of Berlin”. A Berliner is actually a type of jelly donut made in Berlin., so “Ich bin ein Berliner” can actually be translated to “I am a jelly doughnut.”

5. Germany’s Capital City has shifted 7 times!

From Aachen (during the Carolingian Empire) to Regensburg, Frankfurt-am-Main, Nuremberg, Berlin, Weimar (unofficially, during unrest in Berlin), Bonn (and East Berlin), and, since 1990, Berlin again!

6. Germany is sometimes known as the land of poets and thinkers.

German writers and poets have won 13 Nobel Prizes in Literature and Germany is home to world-renowned writers such as Friedrich Schiller, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Günter Grass, Hermann Hesse and Herta Müller.

7. Germany is Europe’s second largest beer consumer.

Just behind the Czech Republic, the German’s are known to consume a fair amount of the ‘liquid gold’. But, given the Bavarians even consider beer to be a basic food, and drink on average of 150 liters per person, per year, we think they’re giving the Czechs a run for their money.

8. The longest word published in the German language is Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft.

Loosely translating to Danube steamboat shipping electricity main engine facility building sub clerk association. The word Rindfleischetikettierungsueberwachungsaufgabenuebertragungsgesetz, a law delegating beef label monitoring, was removed from the German language in 2014.

9. The German Football team is the second most successful football team in the world!

The beautiful game, a British sport and a hard fought rivalry in the football world. But, we have to hand it to Germany on this one, falling just behind Brazil, winning four world cups and three European championships, they certainly can play us at our own game.

10. The first book to ever be printed was the Bible by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1450s in Germany.

The first mass produced printed book was the Latin Bible and was originally published in February 23, 1455 in Mainz.

11. According to German law, a person’s gender must be obvious by first name. So the civil registration office, or Standesamt, can refuse names that don’t comply. Re-applying can be a costly process, so that’s why many parents go for traditional names like Michael and Maria.

12. In 2014, Germany officially abolished college tuition fees, even for international students.

13. In Germany, there’s no punishment for a prisoner who tries to escape from jail because it is a basic human instinct to be free.

14. During WWI, the King of England, the Tsar of Russia, and the Emperor of Germany were all first cousins.

15. Some 5,500 WWII bombs are discovered in Germany every year and defused, an average of 15 per day.




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