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Germany from A to Z

| Leisure

The German ABC: From A like Adidas through O like Oktoberfest to Z like Zeppelin

A – Adidas

The famous sports and leisure brand Adidas has been created by the Germans Adolf and Rudolf Dassler. In the 1920s, the brothers founded a shoe manufactory in Herzogenaurach and produced sports shoes that became particularly popular among runners and footballers. After the Second World War they quarreled and Adolf, called "Adi", henceforth led Adidas. The name is composed of his nickname and an abbreviation of his surname by the way. With Puma, Rudolf founded one of the biggest competitors of Adidas. Both still are very successful internationally today.

B – Beethoven and Bach

They are undoubtedly two milestones in music history: the German composers Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Their compositions, such as the Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven) or the Christmas Oratorio (Bach), are known all over the world, still relevant today and important for everything to do with classical music.

C – Chiemsee

Germany has a beautiful and versatile nature - also because of its numerous lakes. The Chiemsee is one of the largest lakes in Bavaria and considered a prime example of the countries distinctive diversity of lakes. Other well-known and popular excursion destinations include Lake Constance, Lake Starnberg and Lake Plön, but even if time and money are only sufficient for a smaller lake near your study city: It is definitely worth a visit!

D – DDR (GDR)

The German Democratic Republic (DDR/GDR) is an essential part of German history. After the Second World War, Germany was divided into West and East in 1949 among the alliance powers. The East (DDR/GDR) was assigned to the then Soviet Union and was isolated from the wealthier part of Germany (BRD/FRG) administered by the USA, France and Great Britain until in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell and Germany was reunited.

E – Einstein

In the early 20th century, the theoretical physicist Albert Einstein changed the current view of the world with his research of the structure of matter, space and time as well as gravitation. His main work is the theory of relativity. The Nobel laureate is also regarded as a peacemaker and a man of international understanding. When Hitler seized power in 1933, the convinced pacifist left Germany and emigrated to the USA. Not only the most famous photograph of him, in which he sticks out his tongue to reporters, is still a beloved motif of pop culture today.

F – Football

Whether on the ball, in front of the TV or at a live open-air screening - Germans love football! The Bundesliga is the football league with the worldwide highest viewer average and internationally known. German footballers such as Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer established an international reputation during the 2014 World Cup at latest. In Germany, football unites the masses and is a popular leisure activity for both men and women. Therefore, the shock was all the harder when Germany was eliminated in the preliminary round of the 2018 World Cup. Now everyone is hoping to be able to continue their old successes at the next European Championship.

G – Grimm

Anyone interested in fairy tales and fantastic stories has certainly heard of the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The stories they collected more than 200 years ago, including "Cinderella" and "Hansel and Gretel", have now been translated into more than 160 languages. Thus, they are considered to be the most widespread works of German cultural history alongside the Luther Bible (see L) and belong to the UNESCO heritage list. The brothers also devoted themselves to the analysis of the German language. They are regarded as the founding fathers of German studies, the science of German language and literature.

H – Helau and Alaaf

This is how it echoes through the streets when one of Germany's favorite festivals takes place: Carnival. At carnival season (mostly February/March) Germans become true party animals and celebrate for all one's worth. Many are even active in carnival clubs, dancing in gardens and other groups. Others visit the numerous processions and celebrations in costume. Probably the most famous carnival parade takes place in Cologne, but Düsseldorf and Mainz are also popular destinations. Here you can drink beer, throw sweets into the crowd, party for days and shout "Kölle Alaaf" (in Cologne) or "Helau" (Düsseldorf and Mainz). 

I – Innovation

Research and innovation play an important role in this country. Germany ranks 7th in the international Innovation Index 2018, even 3rd in 2017. Apart from the statistics, there is also frequent praise and recognition abroad for German research. In particular, Germany is known as a pioneer in areas such as automotive engineering, computer/electronics and mechanical engineering.

J – “Jugendherberge” (Youth Hostel)

“Jugendherbergen”, the predecessors of today's (youth) hostels, go back to a German teacher. At the beginning of the 20th century, he had the idea of creating inexpensive accommodation for young people, youth groups and school classes that would strengthen the sense of community. One of the first youth hostels was located in the castle of his hometown Altena (North Rhine-Westphalia) and still exists today. The concept quickly found favor abroad and was implemented all over the world as "Youth Hostels". The traditional Jugendherberge has dormitories with multiple beds and common rooms as well as a dining room or similar and is a money saving alternative to normal hostels or hotels.

K – “Kirmes” (folk fair)

Every small to large city in Germany organizes a fair – called “Kirmes” in German – once or several times a year. It’s a folk festival, where you can visit rides such as roller coasters or enjoy delicious delicacies at food and drink stalls with friends. A fair usually lasts several days, rarely weeks, and is a popular leisure activity for families as well as young people.

L – Luther

Martin Luther is responsible for the Reformation and the resulting division into Catholic and Protestant Christian Church. He wrote the famous 95 theses, which among other things criticize the sale of indulgences, translated the Bible into German so that every German could understand it, and rebelled against the former image of God as punitive and pitiless. More than 500 years ago, at a time when the power of the Catholic Church in Germany was undeniably enormous and hardly comparable, these actions required special courage.

M – Merkel

Angela Merkel has been German Chancellor for almost 14 years now. As a politician she is, of course, controversial. While some regard her decisions, such as the admission of numerous refugees in 2015, as outstanding actions in service of humanity and a united Europe, others criticize them as irresponsible, naive and short-sighted. Regardless of individual political views, she is not only the first woman to ever be Chancellor, but also among those who stayed in the German Chancellery the longest.

N – Neuschwanstein

Located in the Bavarian Allgäu, neuschwanstein is one of the most famous castles worldwide. It was built in 1869 for the Bavarian King Ludwig II. based on his idealized idea of a medieval knight's castle. Meanwhile, the royal complex served Andy Warhol as well as Disney (for various princess castles in Disneyland California and Paris) as a model. The building, known as a classic fairytale castle and representation of the Romantic epoch, is only one of numerous castles and palaces that adorn Germany. Neuschwanstein is open to visitors almost the entire year and state-owned.

O – Oktoberfest

The Oktoberfest – or d'Wiesn, as the Bavarians call it – is the largest folk festival in the world and the embodiment of clichés about Germans abroad: people in "Dirndls" and leather trousers drinking lots of beer eating sauerkraut. At the fair, which takes place on the “Theresienwiese” in Munich since 1810, the festival tents, in which traditional Bavarian specialties and the higher percentage Oktoberfest beer brewed for this occasion are served for two weeks (approx. end of September - beginning of October), are particularly popular. Oktoberfest-themed parties can be found not only in countless German cities, but also worldwide. Nevertheless, this event represents above all Bavarian traditions and customs – equating it with all of Germany is therefore not really welcomed amongst many non-Bavarians.

P – Punctuality

Speaking of clichés: Germans are always punctual, aren't they? In fact, there are some people notoriously late in Germany as well, but especially at official appointments such as job interviews, meetings or departures for excursions, agreed times are taken very seriously here. If you come too late, you may not get a chance to introduce yourself or to participate in the respective date or excursion. Only the German train doesn't seem to have noticed that yet J 

Q – Quality

Germans are very proud of the quality of such things as their education, training, production and research. However, Germany is also valued in many other countries for its high standards at various levels. For this reason, the label "made in Germany" is of great importance to many. Of course, this does not mean that everything originating in Germany is highest quality, it is more a general claim of wanting to meet these expectations.

R – Riding Bike

The bicycle is becoming an increasingly important way of transportation. More and more people use their bikes on a regular basis and especially among students it is very popular. Cities such as Münster, but also Hamburg or Bremen are already regarded as "bicycle cities". With 38%, Münster even holds 3rd place in a Europe-wide ranking in terms of the proportion of bicycles to total traffic. Nevertheless, many large cities lag behind with the development of cycle paths, especially in comparison with our neighbouring country, the bicycle luminary Netherlands.

S – Somewhere, in the cities of Germany

Germany is a country with many different and interesting cities. In addition to the gigantic business metropolis of Frankfurt (a.M.) with its glittering skyscraper landscape, there are also historical, atmospheric cities such as Munich or Hamburg or the idiosyncratic, diverse Cologne. The city par excellence is of course Berlin - modern, individual, a creative city of culture and therefore especially popular for young people. In addition to these well-known classics, there are also numerous smaller cities worth a visit: the idyllic Rostock by the Baltic Sea, the Mecca of industrial culture Dortmund, the historic Trier, the labyrinthine Bremen, the varied Leipzig and and and.

T – Tolerance

Of course, there are many intolerant people, views and so on in this country. Nevertheless, law prohibits discrimination. All people must be treated equally, no matter what gender, religion, social class or political group they belong to, no matter what they look like, no matter who they love. After all, German society is very diverse, almost 20% have a migration background, same-sex marriage since 2017 is equivalent, and numerous institutions and associations fight against discrimination.

U – University

Studying in Germany is highly respected internationally. German universities such as the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich or the University of Heidelberg regularly achieve top positions in international rankings. In addition, at state universities no tuition fees are charged, but only a small semester fee, which is for instance used to finance a ticket for local public transport. Overall, studying in Germany is considered to be both of high quality and pleasant for students.

V – VW

With brands such as VW (Volkswagen), BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke) or Audi, Germany has earned itself a good reputation in the automotive industry worldwide over time. Even after the so-called diesel gate, which considerably diminished the reputation of VW in particular, German cars are still extremely popular internationally. The automotive industry is also one of the most important and largest components of German economy.

W – Wanderlust

The term "Wanderlust" actually describes – guess what – the joy of hiking, the inner drive to explore the world by foot. In its original form, it was shaped by writers of the epoch of Romanticism, such as Joseph von Eichendorff, and was repeatedly picked up in poems and lyrics. Nowadays, the term is equated less with marching by foot than with travelling the world in general and is a popular term in English, especially in the travel blog scene, to express longing for a journey and the joy of travelling.

X – Xanten

Admittedly, the derivation is somewhat bumpy, but nevertheless: Xanten is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia and known as the supposed birthplace of Siegfried, a hero of the Nibelungenlied. In this myth of heroes famous in both Germanic and Scandinavian regions, Siegfried is a supernaturally strong hero who killed a dragon and became invulnerable by rubbing him with his blood - except for one spot he could not reach. The legend served as a model for numerous artistic adaptations, such as the opera cycle "Der Ring der Nibelungen" by the famous and controversial German composer Richard Wagner.

Y – Y-plate of the “Bundeswehr” (German army)

German license plates indicate by their one to three letter long code on the left where they come from (e.g. "B" = Berlin, "HH" = Hamburg). Vehicles from state authorities carry the abbreviation of their respective federal state (e.g. "NRW" for North Rhine-Westphalia). A Y can only be found on military ("Bundeswehr") vehicles. These are the only ones, which do not at least give a rough idea of where the vehicle comes from. Moreover, unlike normal license plates, they do not reflect in the dark and do not carry an EU, but only a German flag. They are the only vehicles that are not obliged to have their roadworthiness checked regularly at central testing centers.

Z – Zeppelin

Its namesake, the German Ferdinand Count of Zeppelin, invented the first airship in 1900. This revolutionary discovery quickly conquered the skies and was also used in war. The success, however, was preceded by years of work during which nobody was interested in the Count's idea. Unflinchingly, he put all his financial means and time into the realization of his dream. The subsequent era of zeppelins came to an abrupt end, however, when in 1937 the Hindenburg caught fire while landing in New York and killed 36 people. Nevertheless, the invention of the airship is considered one of the most significant of the 20th century.