German Culture

Party Like a German

December 14, 2017 By germanculture

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 won’t win you any friends east of the Rhine.

2. Know where your coat is. The first thing you’ll do when you arrive is take off your coat. But make sure you remember where you left it – it’s likely to be one of 100 identical ones lingering around the host’s house during the bitter German winter.

3. Take your shoes off. Tracking dirt all through your host’s beautifully-kept home is a big no-no in Germany. In most cases, you’ll be asked to take your shoes off somewhere close to the front door.

4. Be well-groomed. Turning up looking like a yeti with bed-head isn’t an option in Germany. Make sure you look presentable to the outside world before gathering if you don’t want to be shunned by more orderly folk.

5. Drink like a professional. There’s no doubt that Germans drink a lot when they set their minds to it. But have you ever seen a German really, truly blind drunk? Germans start drinking in their mid-teens and know how to handle it – pacing yourself is a must. But you should also know how to open a beer bottle with anything from your cigarette lighter to your shoes.

6. Ignore the bad music. Germans love the 90s pop, old one-hit wonders from the Anglosphere, and Schlager (if you don’t know it, count yourself lucky). You’ll need to be a great conversationalist to blot out the awfulness.

7. Don’t be coy. In Germany, it’s not rude to look at people (although staring is to be avoided). Where in other countries you might glance and look away, if you’re interested in someone here you should look straight at them (and go and talk to them soon after, or it quickly gets weird). When you’re talking, be direct and say what you mean – and don’t take offense when others do the same.

8. Recycle your bottles. Almost all glass bottles are recycled in Germany, and if you’re at a party then the host will likely be collecting them somewhere. Don’t throw them away and try not to break them – they’re worth a few coins and it’s good for the environment!

9. Respect “quiet time”. While German parties may last into the wee hours, you should be careful that you aren’t disturbing your neighbors on the way home. Germans are serious about their “Ruhezeit” – which in many places includes all day on Sunday – and won’t take kindly to rowdy partygoers interrupting their rest.

Health Care Providers in Germany

November 16, 2017 By germanculture

Germany’s principal health care providers are its physicians, dentists, and three types of hospitals (public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit). The health industry also includes large pharmaceutical companies and the manufacturers of various kinds of medical supplies. Public health departments, which are operated by the Länder, are not an important part of German health care. The public health clinics in the new Länder are being phased out during the integration of the two medical systems.

Germany’s supply of physicians is high. Students who meet academic requirements have a constitutionally guaranteed right to study medicine. This fact, plus an excellent and inexpensive university system, has resulted in the country’s educating physicians at a much higher per capita rate than the United States. Between 1970 and 1990, the number of physicians in the former West Germany more than doubled, and in 1991 the country had 3.2 physicians per 1,000 population, a higher ratio than most other members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (In 1990 the United States rate was 2.3 per 1,000.) With 11.5 physician visits per person per year in 1988, West Germans and Italians went to a doctor more frequently than other Europeans. (In 1989 the United States rate was 5.3 visits per person per year.) Even so, expenditures to physicians per capita amounted to less than half (US$193) of those in the United States (US$414).

German physicians have good incomes (dentists earn even more), although their average earnings have declined from six to three times the average wage since efforts at cost containment began in the 1970s. The high number of physicians could reduce physicians’ earnings still further. In addition, many young physicians face unemployment. The GSG of 1993, for example, mandates a reduction in the number of office-based physicians who treat GKV patients (generally about 90 percent of physicians join the association that allows them this practice). The law also has the long-term goal of limiting the number of specialists in geographic areas where they are overrepresented.

German health care makes a sharp distinction between physicians who provide office-based or ambulatory care and physicians who work in hospitals. Office-based physicians are fee-for-service entrepreneurs whose incomes depend on the amount and kinds of medical care they provide. In contrast, hospital physicians are salaried employees of the hospitals in which they work. Very few hospital physicians are permitted to bill their patients. Until recent health reform legislation, the two types of physicians did not work together. Once an ambulatory-care physician decided that a patient should enter a hospital (only in emergencies could a patient go directly to a hospital), the patient’s care was entirely taken over by a hospital-based physician. When a patient left the hospital, by law he or she again came under the care of an office-based physician. Since the late 1970s, hospital-based physicians have outnumbered ambulatory-care physicians. In 1990 there were about 96,000 of the former and 75,000 of the latter in the old Länder.

The GRG aimed at encouraging a better integration of office and hospital care, but little progress was made. The GSG of 1993 intended to lessen the traditional division by, among other reforms, making it possible for hospital-based physicians to see their patients after their release from the hospital. It is expected that lessening the separation of the types of medical care will reduce overall health care costs, but as of mid-1995 no marked successes in achieving this goal had been noticed. Additionally, new budgeting rules that go into effect in 1996 may cause outpatient surgery, still unusual in Germany, to become more common by making it more profitable for hospitals.

The ownership of hospitals (there were a total of about 3,100 hospitals in the early 1990s) is the outcome of historical development and regional traditions rather than conscious policy and has resulted in three types of hospitals: public, nonprofit, and private for-profit. Each type accounts for about one-third of the hospitals. Public-sector hospitals are mostly owned by the Länder, municipalities, and counties and provide about 50 percent of all hospital beds. Nonprofit hospitals, typically run by Catholic or Protestant organizations, provide about 35 percent of the beds, and for-profit hospitals account for 15 percent.

Germany has too many hospital resources. In 1988 the ratio of 10.9 patient beds per 1,000 population in the former West Germany was higher than the OECD average. The number of admissions as a percentage of the total German population was 21.5 percent, significantly above the OECD average of 16.1 percent. The average length of stay of 16.6 days was below the OECD average but quite high by United States standards. Germany’s inpatient occupancy rate was 86.5 percent, also fairly high by international standards.

The average length of hospital stay in Germany has decreased in recent years from 14 days to 9 days, still considerably longer than average stays in the United States (5 to 6 days). Part of the difference is that the chief consideration for hospital reimbursement is the number of hospital days as opposed to procedures or diagnosis. Drug costs have increased substantially, rising nearly 60% from 1991 through 2005. Despite attempts to contain costs, overall health care expenditures rose to 10.7% of GDP in 2005, comparable to other western European nations, but substantially less than that spent in the U.S. (nearly 16% of GDP)

Between 1972 and 1986, the federal government and the Länder were jointly responsible for hospital policy making, but in 1986 the Land governments once again assumed sole responsibility. Länder own and partially finance medical school hospitals and accredited teaching hospitals. They enforce accreditation and licensing of health facilities and of health professionals working in social services. The Länder are responsible for policy development and implementation of social and nursing services, social assistance, youth services, and social work. Most important, the Länder remain responsible for the effective and efficient allocation and distribution of hospital resources.

According to the statistics Germany has the highest number of dentists in Europe – 64,287 in 2015.

Schultüte (School Cone)

August 4, 2016 By germanculture

A “Schultüte” (or School Cone, even though the word “Tüte” translates more as “bag” from German), is a paper or plastic bag in form of a big cone.

When children in Germany, Czech Republic, close to the borders with Germany, parts of Poland (Greater Poland, Upper Silesia, Warmia), Austria, and parts of Switzerland set off for their first day in school upon entering first grade, their parents and/or grandparents present them with a big cardboard cone, prettily decorated and filled with toys, chocolate, candies, school supplies, and various other goodies. It is given to children to make this anxiously awaited first day of school a little bit sweeter.

The tradition of the “Schultüte” leads back to approximately 1810, to Saxony and Thuringia in Germany. The first documented report of the cone-shaped Schultüte comes from the city of Jena in 1817, closely followed by reports from Dresden (1820) and Leipzig (1836). It started in the bigger cities but spread quickly to the small towns and villages, soon becoming an institution all over Germany.

At first the practice of the school cone, which did not spread to other parts of Germany at this time, was to not give the bag to the kids directly. Marked with the students’ names, they were taken to the school by grandparents or godparents and in a ritual, reminiscent of the Mexican piñata, hung on a metal “Schultüten-Baum” (School cone tree) from which each child had to pick his or her cone, without breaking it. The story told to the children goes, that there is a Schultütenbaum growing at the school, and if the fruits (the Schultüten) are ripe and big enough to pick, it’s time to go to school for the first time.

The only custom that has changed in the latter half of the 20th century is that fewer sweets seem to appear in the Schultüte, with more practical gifts such as crayons and pencils, small toys, CDs, books and even articles of clothing replacing the traditional chocolates and candies. These are traditionally given by grandparents who also take the child out to dinner the evening before school begins.

Frühschoppen

May 14, 2016 By germanculture

Frühschoppen might sound like a much-loved female activity (namely, shopping) reserved for early during the day, but in fact it’s not. It is a traditional, German and Austrian equivalent of brunch, i.e. a combined breakfast and lunch normally eaten in the mid- to late morning. Usually it takes place on Sundays. You meet friends and family at around 11am for some Weizen (wheat beer), Weißwurst (white sausage) with sweet mustard and Brezeln (pretzels) and eat, drink and chat. It’s a nice social event.

Frühschoppen began in rural areas taking place on Sundays in a German tavern (Wirtshaus) at the perpetually reserved table “Stammtisch”. During Frühschoppen, folk may discuss everyday life and politics. In the corner of the tavern or Festzelt during Frühschoppen there is typically a band playing folk music. Nowadays some places have pop, rock, and jazz bands during Frühschoppen.

German Sense of Humor

March 11, 2016 By germanculture

German humor style is often a hasty rude satire. Popular German cabarets of pre-war period are worldwide famous for their nipping jokes.

The traditions of German political satire are rather old and conservative, especially in Eastern Germany. In most large cities there were cabarets financed by the government. Texts went through the obligatory censor, the jokes making a mock of West were welcomed. Barbed remarks concerning country’s life were also permitted. Horsebacks were a canonic element in the comics’ shows, adding some cunning features to the performance, because one could here something dangerous any moment.

Germans feel the foolishness at once, their rational life perception is able to exclude even very interesting ideas. For example, the providing of the law concerning sexual minorities is just a reason for barbed remarks.

German humor is hard to translate into other languages, because the original text is always more bright and sarcastic. Most of the translated German jokes do not seem funny at all. A person studying German has an opportunity to find a great humor segment reflecting all the spheres of German culture.

German humor depends directly on a situation. There is always time and place for jokes and laughter. But the discipline (Ordnung) dictates that humor is not allowed at work. It is not recommended to joke with a boss (though it is not forbidden to trifle with colleagues), to try to advance the sale of goods by means of cracks or to add some tricks to a lecture. Irony is not their strongest point, it could be treated as sarcasm or even mockery.

German humor is always concrete. One will not throw a creamy cake in someone’s face. Though Germans never miss an opportunity to trifle with someone, their self-assurance does not allow any kind of self-irony. Germans don’t presume jokes towards the foreigners; they began to goof on Eastern Germans only after the unification. As a rule the main objects of German humor are the distinctive peculiarities of particular German regions’ citizens (for example, the primness of Prussia natives, Bavarian uppity and carelessness, foolishness of Eastern Germans, Berliners’ foxery, Saxons’ cunning). Bavarians consider a joke to be the best appropriate weapon to retaliate upon their old enemies – Prussians. Swabians do not think that their prudence is a laughing matter.

Germans are always eager to explain a joke in details if a foreigner does not understand it.
If a German tries to make you laugh, you can easily miss all your meetings or other planned events.

In Germany there is a special time for humor. A good example is a splendid tradition of the Carnival, extremely popular in the Rhine area. The holiday begins on a strictly determined day and time (11.11). During the Carnival the mess is officially allowed and even encouraged. To avoid serious disorders there are definite rules. During the official speeches (a selection of jokes, anecdotes and funny fables) every trick is followed by the orchestra so that nobody could laugh in an inappropriate place.

From our Guest Author MARINA

‘Viel Spass’ on German Spas!

January 28, 2016 By germanculture

German spa culture is an adopted tradition taken from the Romans. During the time of Roman Empire bathing was used by soldiers returning from battle as a form of hydrotherapy. The word spa itself is a Latin acronym meaning ‘health by water’ or sanus per aquam. Mineral sources were particularly soothing remedies then as now.

Today, Germany has one of the most comprehensive spa cultures in Europe, with the support of the German federal health care system to boot! The German equivalent for spa is Heilbad or ‘healing bath’ or Kurort which literally mean ‘cure place’. Any town in Germany can qualify and choose to use the prefix ‘Bad’ or bath before their town name i.e. Bad Soden. Those towns that qualify have met the strictest air and water quality standards and have been able to establish the necessary medical staff and infrastructure to cater to those seeking treatment.

German spas are not simply a generic collection of saunas and mineral baths. There are several distinctions in the ranking of cure towns.

Germany differentiates between:
1. Kneipp spas, adhering to hydrotherapeutic healing methods developed by Sebastian Kneipp
2. Mineral spas, subscribing to using mineral-based healing methods
3. Marsh or Moor spas, using marsh-based healing techniques and products
4. Sea spas, focusing the healing methods of the surrounding environment or seascape
5. Salt water spas, using salt-based hydrotherapeutic healing methods

Germans are very particular when it comes to spa etiquette and if you want to blend in easily make sure you pay attention to certain unwritten rules. Swimsuits are worn in many of the areas and in the pool but in the saunas, steam baths and massage areas it is typically “towel only” or as it is more commonly referred to in German “Freikörperkultur” or FKK. Europeans have a very casual attitude toward the human body; baring all is not seen as shameful or embarrassing. Showering before you enter the pools, saunas and steam baths is expected. Hang up your bathing suit on the hooks provided as you enter the designated “towel only” areas. Your flip-flops or bathing shoes are left outside of the saunas but can be worn in the steam baths. Always enter the sauna quickly and close the door well to ensure minimal heat loss. Sit or lie on your towel with every body part on it. Germans are very particular about not water-staining the wooden benches.

Real Germans and Weddings and Funerals

January 22, 2016 By germanculture

By guest author WEISSDORN

WEDDINGS
For Real Germans, except for an occassional sentimental Christmas Mass visit, there was no reason to visit the Church, unless the day comes where the Real German woman has decided to round up Mr. Right. The Real German Mr. Right usually does not decide to marry in the Church. If it was left up to him, he would rather get married in Barbados in Bermuda Shorts, or in Vegas, or even sky-diving out of an airplane, but in the Church, na ja, it’s kind of stuffy for him.

Real Mrs. German-to-be, however, has already contacted her mother and future mother-in-law about two days after Mr. German Right popped the question. With an absolute planning that is equivalent to Rudi Voeller’s strategy for the World Soccer Club, the three Real German Women have planned the Church Wedding down to a T. Of course not without tons of discussions, phone calls and scabbling. With three Real German Women, they will inevitably have five opinions of how to do the church wedding right. As a female guest to a Real German Wedding, I can only suggest a pant-suit for Catholic Weddings, and a dress for Protestant weddings. The pant-suit is for Catholic Weddings for the extra gymnastics you will be required to perform, so you don’t rip your nylons. The sport program is eliminated in the Protestant Weddings. Drink coffee before you go to the Protestant Weddings, because the Pastor usually has a lot to say, which may not be all that interesting. At any rate, because it lasts a little longer, they have chairs at the alter for bride and groom.

Real German Country Weddings have the bride and groom in traditional costumes, and they play this great hide-and-seek game after the stuffy wedding ceremony. Old boy friends of the bride or the groom’s Verein (Real German Club) Buddies kidnap his bride and the groom has to go from bar to bar or restaurant and look for his bride. It is recommended that the groom has the American Express Gold Card in his wallet, because everywhere he goes he has to spend a free drink for everyone sitting around in the bar.

It’s then no wonder that there are always a number of concerned (and thirsty) people who leave the bar with groom to help him look in the next bar for his bride. My husband once attended a wedding where the bride and her friends had an extraordinary sense of humor. Her old boyfriend kidnapped her and took her to Ibiza. After two weeks, when her newly-wed husband hadn’t made his way from bar to bar all the way down to Ibiza (in Spain), she decided that she would call off the fun, flew home, and to her amazement found the papers filing for divorce in her mailbox.

FUNERALS
The last occassion, and saddest that a REAL German attends church as a guest of honor. Needless to say that at this point, the Real German could care less – but actually it’s all for the benefit of the relatives. Depending on the situation caused by the death, it is either a solemn quiet ceremony, or a painful quiet ceremony. For the usual case, death caused by old age, the ceremony can even be planned in advance, and funeral parlors can be consulted. In some cases the guest of honor has even done some of his own planning, because Real Germans can and do purchase Death Insurance.

Death Insurance is a policy to help pay for the exorbanent costs of a coffin. Being Real Germans, most of them are Christian – especially if they are older and getting closer to death – and do not want to be cremated, but would rather be buried. “Cremation would be too painful” they say. The actual burial services are free – sort of a last present from the state for decades for faithfully paying Church taxes. Non-Christians have to pay for being buried in a Church graveyard – an issue that is being debating in the German Supreme Court. Showing too much emotion at a funeral is embarrassing for Real Germans. They, like other Europeans wear black or dark colors (if they have them), and bring flowers, and wear sunglasses. Usually they do not have open-coffin ceremonies, and tend to have simple coffins. The last gesture that the guests have to perform is to throw a handful of dirt on the coffin together with the flowers they brought on the coffin, which has been lowered into the ground.

Afterwards, the main surviving relatives have arranged a dinner party in a nearby restaurant, and if the person died of old age, the guests usually try to cheer each other up be telling amusing stories or embarrassing antidocts from the life of the deceased person.
A few days later, the eligant, but often very simple and tasteful granit gravestone is put into place, along with the appropriate bordering. The next of kin have to sign a rental contract for the grave plot, and promise to keep it well-attended, tasteful and attractive, which means that someone always has to be around to make sure the proper flowers, candles, etc. are there, and the shrubs they may have planted do not become larger then the grave itself or the headstone.

As always, there are extensive rules governing how to tend the grave-plot. Needless to say, there are the graveyard police (the Real Germans who seem to be waiting to die) who patrol the graveyard, visiting their deceased spouses and making sure that everyone else’s grave is well-attended. For people who cannot keep up with this work, fortunately there are gardener services, who will take over this chore for a price. And after 25 years of this tedious immaculate weeding of the graveyard plot, the bulldozer comes along and digs up the graveyard plot, so that it can be used by the new dead.

Related articles:
Real Germans and Religion
Real Germans and Multi-Culturalism, Private and Group Discussions
Real Germans and cleanliness
Real Germans’ habits
Real Germans and Political Correctness

Real Germans and Multi-Culturalism

January 22, 2016 By germanculture

Real Germans and Multiculturalism, Private and Group Discussions
By guest author WEISSDORN

Multiculturalism

Hand-in-hand with the political correctness, real Germans profess a profound interest in almost any culture other than their own. Trendy real Germans worship native cultures and are the first to condemn other Western nations for “ruining” original cultures. Popular with the real Germans is their everlasting faith that the Native American Indian Culture was pure noble and pristine.

Real Germans will be the first to criticize the Americans for destroying this heritage. This often may seem strange when you consider that 60% of the European immigrants that migrated to North America in the last 200 years were of German descent. Equally strange is the common real German notion that the Native American Culture was pure and innocent and did not know crime or deceit until the event of the intrusion of the White Man. Discussions can prove to be rather interesting when questioning the views of real German’s attitudes of original cultures. On the one hand, they feel that is absolutely necessary to leave the culture intact, that is to maintain it’s purity. On the other they will argue in the same breath, that they have to impose their own social standards upon this culture, e.g. they are opposed to the native culture not respecting women, abusing children for labor, and believe that the culture should be forced to accept a social plan, and have state medical insurance services made available to them. Paradox, huh?

Private and Group Discussions

In this case I shall break it down by gender, although you cannot always judge with subjects real Germans will pick based on their gender:

What Real German Men Like to Talk About:

1. Sports & Hobbies
2. Politics
3. Money
4. Job
5. Automobiles or technical machines, devices, etc., house improvements
6. Jokes
7. Where they spent their last vacation and what they did and/or where could they go next time
8. Future plans
9. Eating and cooking and where to go out
10. Horrid accidents, sickness caused by alcohol consume, defecation.

Notice that women are not mentioned? I don’t know why, but they just don’t bother to talk about women or sex. For real German men, it’s simply understood that real German men don’t have problems, so they don’t talk about women – alles klar?! This is completely different with other sex.

What Real German Women Like to Talk About:

1. Intimate relationships in fine detail
2. Non-intimate relationships in fine detail
3. Sex, including the mechanics and all details
4. Family life and relationships and/or pets, and cooking
5. Gossip and rumors
6. Television shows, particularly talk shows and reality TV shows
7. Fashion, make-up, decorating and shopping
8. Job – not just the work, but also the colleague relationships
9. Politics or Community Initiatives
10. Sickness and suffering.

Some of the German women reading this will say, that this unfair, because they also like talking about other subjects, so I will also include this category:

What Real German Other* People Like to Talk About:

*Intellectuals, Homosexuals, Childless Single/Married Adults and Other Professionals:

1. News and cultural trends
2. History, art, literature and culture
3. Travel
4. Science, medicine and technology
5. Business trends, and money matters
6. Politics and community interests
7. Film, museums, theatre
8. Job and career
9. Dining and cuisine
10. Sports and fitness (wellness)

Related articles:
Real Germans and Religion
Real Germans and Weddings and Funerals
Real Germans and cleanliness
Real Germans’ habits
Real Germans and Political Correctness

Real Germans and cleanliness, education, Hausordnung, holidays, and Vereine

January 21, 2016 By germanculture

By guest author WEISSDORN

Real Germans are cleanliness fanatics. Usually they can only relax and stop worrying when they use their toilet at home, because then they are absolutely 100% sure that it was cleaned properly, because they did this themselves, after the cleaning lady cleaned it first. The chemical industry profits from this obsession, because the Germans are European leaders in the number of cleaning agents, powders and soaps that are purchased annually.

Real Germans consider holiday (vacation) time a God-given right, and sometimes I have the feeling that some of them are convinced that it has been incorporated into the German Constitution, if not the Holy Bible (Thou shalt have 30 days paid vacation time), instead of the civil working laws. The excuse is that without vacation time the working professional cannot regain physical and mental strength to maintain the productivity, is only an excuse. People who actually admit that they spent it riding their bicycle around the neighborhood, or even going to a cabin at the lake are considered by their peers as inferior. Real Germans have to have a trendy vacation, such as hiking in the Himalayas, sailing in the Mediterranean, or mountain biking in Cambodia, or the Australian Outback. If you don’t want to be disregarded by your German colleagues altogether, then at least the all-inclusive hotel on Mallorca, Tenerife, or Ibiza.

Real Germans believe in the soundness of the education system. The fact that they rank No. 25 in the list of developed countries is simply considered as irrelevant, although they are doing what they can to prove that this statistic is based on poor testing results not from real German children, but from immigrants from other countries.

Real Germans believe that traditional German cuisine is superior, and will be the first to tell you that Rheinischer Sauerbraten is superior to Chateau Briand or Filet Mignon. Although France may have more types of cheese; Germany has more kinds of bread and preserved meats (sausage). No real German would ever admit that the Roulade is a dish they stole from the French.

Real Germans prefer minor rules that regulate daily life, such as the Hausordnung. The Hausordnung is the set of rules that governs the daily life in uncounted apartment houses. The Hausordnung tells the Germans when they can make noise or music, when they have to be quiet. Who has to clean the stairwell, take out the trash or shovel snow. It even tells them how often they are allowed to have a party. Although it would seem a contradiction. As much as they like making these rules, they also like to break them, and then the others seem to enjoy lecturing the ones who broke the rules that they have done something absolutely impossible, and they must be punished for this. No, I don’t understand it! The courts are full of cases based on petty neighbor squabbles.

Real Germans love clubs. Clubs (Vereine) in Germany even have a special financial tax-free status (e.V. – eingetragenes Verein). There are clubs for everything from bowling to knitting, singing and rowing, for animal lovers of all kinds, even clubs for people who have been abducted by aliens. You name it – they have a club for it somewhere in Germany. I used to think the only purpose for these clubs was joining together people who had a common interest. But there is a secondary purpose. The clubs have to have strict rules, and generally it is the duty of the older club members to make sure that the younger club members strictly follow the rules. If this starts to get on your nerves – there is only one solution as a real German – form your own club and make up your own rules!

Transportation Future

December 6, 2015 By germanculture

Transportation Means of the Future
… comes from the past!

Not far south of Berlin one can see a fantastic-movie picture: a giant building is standing and sparkling in the sun. This is a hangar where CargoLifter AG produces dirigibles, majestic airships that came into life as Zeppelins, named after their inventor, Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin.

The dimensions let us get the idea of how really huge the hangar is. It is 360 m long, 210 m wide, 107 m tall, and contains 5.5 million cubic meters of air. The picture of the full-size hangar can be taken at the distance of no less than one kilometer away from it.

Top-down: Joey, Charly, CL 75 AC

The company has already built three airships – Joey, Charly, and CL 75 AirCrane. Unlike their hydrogen-filled predecessors, these airships are filled with the non-flammable gas helium, which makes this “lighter-than-air” transport safe. The target of CargoLifter is CL 160 which will be able to carry loads with a volume of 3200 cubic meters (50m x 8m x 8m) and weighing up to 160 tons, over a maximum distance of 10000 kilometers. CL 160 belongs to semi-rigid airships, also known as keeled airships.

The envelope is not stretched over the rigid structure (as it was with the Zeppelins) and maintains its shape through its internal pressure. However, the aluminum keel is attached to the bottom of the envelope, which takes on freight and distributes the weight of the payload along the entire length of the envelope. Engines, fuel tanks, flight deck and crew cabin are integrated in the keel.

When it is finished, CL 160 will be 260 m long, 65 m in diameter, 550000 cubic meters in volume, and will be able to fly at the speed of 90 km/h. The key advantage of an airship in the CargoLifter transport system will be its ability to operate as a flying crane without landing. The CL 160 will be able to exchange its cargo from an altitude of about 100 m with the help of specially developed load exchange process.

Thus, CargoLifter is not only an airship project, but rather a logistical innovation. Market studies have shown that the future belongs to airship transportation. It will be especially efficient for transporting large components that usually need to be disassembled and then reassembled after transportation which is very time-consuming and costly. Airships are also super effective in transporting loads to out-of-the-way regions where ground and sea transportation is impossible. CargoLifter will also be active in the humanitarian aid sector.

Photos courtesy of CargoLifter AG

Author – Tatyana Gordeeva

Party Like a German

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