German Culture

All about Germany

The Unique Illnesses You can Only Come Down With in German

Known for its precision and clarity of expression, German seems perfect for describing some of the conditions other nations may also be experiencing but couldn't quite put a finger on it enough to give it a specific name. 1. Fernweh "Wanderlust". Fernweh is the opposite of homesickness. It is the longing for travel or the cabin fever, the desire to … [Read more...]

Alexander von Humboldt – German Naturalist and Explorer

Alexander von Humboldt (born Sept. 14, 1769, Berlin—died May 6, 1859, Berlin), a German naturalist and explorer who was a major figure in the classical period of physical geography and biogeography—areas of science now included in the earth sciences and ecology. With his book Kosmos he made a valuable contribution to the popularization of science. … [Read more...]

Common German Acronyms in Texting

Everyone is certainly familiar with short informal words that sprang up relatively recently across the English-speaking web, like LOL ("laugh out loud"), brb ("be right back"), idk ("I don't know"), etc. German-speaking segment has lots of similar acronyms too: 8tung Achtung – watch out ads alles deine Schuld – all your fault akla? alles … [Read more...]

Kartoffelbrot – German Potato Bread

This delicious bread is made from mashed potatoes and flour. The combination may seem a little unusual but the end result is extraordinarily soft and springy bread. Ingredients: 300 g potatoes, peeled, boiled 1 tsp dried fast-action yeast 1 tsp sugar 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing 1 tsp fine sea salt 300g all-purpose flour, plus … [Read more...]

Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)

Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Cologne, Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage … [Read more...]

Essential German Phrases

If there are only a few phrases you are willing to learn before your trip to Germany, it should be these. They could help you out if tight situations. If in a German speaking country the natives will also be more friendly and helpful even when only trying to speak in German. Talk to a person in his own language and you talk to his heart! … [Read more...]

Hochzeitssuppe – German Wedding Soup

Hochzeitssuppe ("wedding soup") is a clear, German soup based on chicken broth, fortified with chicken meat, small meatballs (Fleischklößchen), asparagus heads, noodles and savory egg custard garnish (Eierstich). Sometimes raisins are added as well. Hochzeitssuppe is eaten in Northern Germany and Southern Germany by the bride and groom and guests, … [Read more...]

Der, die, das – German Articles

"Every noun has a gender, and there is no sense or system in the distribution; so the gender of each must be learned separately and by heart. There is no other way. To do this one has to have a memory like a memorandum-book." - Mark Twain, The Awful German Language Indeed, in German, there are two indefinite articles (ein, eine) and three … [Read more...]

German Dog Breeds: Doberman

Doberman  is a medium-large breed of domestic dog originally developed around 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, a tax collector from Germany, for his own protection. Here's how it happened. In 1890, Karl Friedrich Louis Doberman was a tax collector in Apolda, Germany. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t very popular. But luck was on his side: he … [Read more...]