As progressive as we Germans are, I’m sure we seem a bit foreign to the average traveler. So, I’ll help you figure out the simple nuances of eating like a German — even if you’re not eating traditional German cuisine.

Your first test is when you arrive at the eatery. You’re going to have to find your own seat (exceptions apply). Second, it’s not unheard of some stranger to come sit with you if the restaurant’s crowded — it’s an efficient use of space.

Don’t worry about making small talk — that’s definitely not the German way. Just eat your food and be on your merry way.

Next, see that basket of bread on the table? First rule of Economics applies here — no such thing as a free Mittagessen (that’s lunch in German), so chances are you’ll have to pay for what you ate. Just ask if you’re not sure.

You’ll even pay for condiments (ketchup, mustard, etc.) in fast-food joints. Although traditional fast-food in Germany is the Döner Kebap (served in a pita) — and never once have I seen ketchup on it. So eat that — and you’ll be fine.

All right, your food’s arrived, now what? Um, good manners say that you don’t eat until everyone has their food. Also, eating with your fingers — use forks & knives to eat pizza, will you?

It’s not bad form to eat “American-style” (that’s with the fork in your right hand, cutting with the right while switching the fork to the left) — it’s just not the most efficient way to eat.

And we know how much that makes a Kraut crazy, right? ;-)

Want to see a German get really indignant? Ask for a glass of tap water with or before your meal. You’d think you had just sprouted a third eye and a turned purple. Actually, I think that would garner less of a reaction. Do yourself a favor, if you want water drink Mineralwasser (sparkling water like Pellegrino or Perrier).

You’re fed. You’ve got your drink. Now it’s time to pay the bill. I sure hope you’ve asked if the restaurant took plastic beforehand. That’s right, even the best restaurants don’t always take your Master, Visa, or AMEX card.

And, never, never, never, leave your tip on the table for your server. It’s customary to round up your bill (usually 5-10%), telling your waitress or waiter what you’ll pay, then give it to them.

Just don’t ask ‘em to wrap up your leftovers in a Doggy-bag. That’s almost as bad as asking for that tap water. ;-)

What makes 2012 so remarkable is that this year’s highlight is music, so many events and programs have taken this into account.

The year of music kicked off just right in Erfurt where the new year’s events started with a choir concert at St. Thomas’ Church.

It’s all right if you missed it (lucky if you got to go). Here’s a listing of other events for the rest of the year so you don’t miss anymore.

In Eisenach at the Bach House there’s a special exhibit on the Book of Songs from Feb 25–Nov 11. Not running quite as long, the Thuringian Bach Weeks (March 30–April 22) is one of the largest music festivals in the country — special church services will also be taking place throughout the month.

Also in Eisenach there’s a grand birthday celebration for Martin’s 528th birthday on November 10. Oh sorry, I jumped ahead there. ;-)

For almost a full year at the Wartburg Castle (May 4, 2012–March 31, 2013) all sorts of exhibitions are going on where Luther translated the New Testament into German. The room in which he accomplished this task looks pretty much like it did 500 years ago.

October 31 marks Reformation Day (Reformationstag) and celebrate with the Reformation Festival. There will be plenty of special services throughout Thuringia on the day that Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the church door; an event that started a revolution.

From November 29,2012 to January 30, 2013 at the Heinrich-Schütz-Haus in Bad Köstritz you’ll be treated to a special exhibit on Martin Luther and Christmas.

Stay tuned. I’ll certainly keep you updated for the upcoming 2013 Reformation & Tolerance, the 2014 Reformation & Politics, and the 2015 Reformation Art & the Bible yearly events. Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? :-)

No need to look like a tourist if you don’t have to. ;-)

Epiphany (Dreikönigstag) Jan 6
Known as Little Christmas, and where you’ll see children singing carols. Everyone’s welcome to eat some Dreikönigskuchen — but it’s supposed to be good luck to whomever eats the lucky object inside.

Candlemas (Mariä Lichtmess) Feb 2
Folks from the U.S. know it as Groundhog Day, but us Germans know this day falls right between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Celebrated exactly 40 days after Christmas, it’s all about the light. That’s why candle blessings are traditionally done.

Carnival (Karneval/Fasching) Feb/Mar
Here’s where things get tricky. The Carnival Season really kicks off on November 11th at 11:11 in the city of Cologne (and the Rhineland) — except during Advent and Christmas. Traditionally, everyone associates the lead-up to the Lenten season within a week of Ash Wednesday (40 days before Easter).

If you’re in the Catholic regions of Germany (generally the South & West of the country), you’re more for partying in a masquerade style parade festival (with lots of drinking); while the Protestant (North & East) are known for a more subdued affair eating Berliners (donuts) and other sweet treats.

Good Friday/Easter (Karfreitag/Ostern) Mar/Apr
Good Friday is a solemn affair in Germany, often without any public performances or even church bells ringing in the town squares. Most people are off work or school at this time (and traditionally not eating any meat but fish), and only true touristy places are even open.

Holy Saturday (the day before Easter) is a lively event (compared to the relative quiet the day before) with Easter bonfires and Easter Markets taking place. Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag) and Easter Monday (Ostermontag) are even more festive, with folks heading off to church and eating a hearty lamb dinner, and presenting kids with the play of searching Easter eggs and gifts (in the garden, living room, etc.).

Walpurgis Night/May Day (Walpurgisnacht/Mayfeiertag) April 30/May 1
Walpurgis Night is said to be the day that witches wait for Spring — but you’ll find plenty of Germans just dancing their hearts out by the bonfires. Hmm, maybe this is why the traditional saying is “Tanz in den Mai,” or Dance into May!

Assumption Day (Mariä Himmelfahrt) Aug 15
Technically this mid-August date isn’t a “public” holiday (except Bavaria and the Saarland), but it’s common for people to head to church AND pick herbs out in the gardens.

Reformation Day (Reformationstag) Oct 31
Sure, it’s Halloween — but it’s also a special date on the Lutheran calendar. It’s a public holiday in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, celebrated with the Feast of the Protestant Reformation.

Advent (4 weeks prior to Christmas Day)
Almost every German city, town, village, and hamlet have Advent markets, bazaars, and concerts to ring in the joyous season of Christmas. These Christmas/Advent events are legendary — bringing people from all over the world to experience them.

And certainly a terrific way to end a year of celebrations.

You may want to bookmark this page as our holidays are scheduled to stay. ;-)

Her love of the dance means she doesn’t care where she sees it (New York, Paris, London); all she knows is she wants to go.

So, if you’re like her, and you’re going to be in Hamburg, why not check out this upcoming season’s fantastic ballets? A truly cultured activity for a truly cultured city, if I do say so myself.

Here’s just a few of the ballets playing at the Hamburg Ballet:

Nutcracker (Dec 14, 15, 23 (2 shows), 28, and 29, 2011)

Peter Tchaikovsky will forever be remembered as the composer for this Christmas ballet extravaganza, where a Sugar Plum Fairy and a Nutcracker come to life. Besides Scrooge, this is a Christmas Season must-see. Don’t worry if you don’t make this year’s performances—there’s always next year.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Jan 14, 20; May 16, 18, 19, 27; Jun 20, 2012)

A classic ballet (choreographed by none other than Balanchine himself) based on a classic comedy by William Shakespeare. Graceful is always the best adjective to describe one of the best ballets ever.

Death in Venice (March 6 & 9, 2012)

This isn’t your typical ballet by any stretch of the imagination. It’s based on Thomas Mann’s novella about a writer with writer’s block who heads off to the beach in search of inspiration. What he finds is a boy that captures his… uh, imagination.

A Streetcar Named Desire (April 18, 23, and 27, 2012)

Choreographed by John Neumeier, there’s no Marlon Brando screaming “Stella” in this ballet based on the Tennessee Williams play. Even so, the tragic story of Blanche transcends any media format.

The Little Mermaid (Apr 21, 25, 28, May 9, 12, Jun 22)

John Neumeier does his own adaptation of Danish writer Hans Christian Anderson’s tale. This ain’t no Disney version, that’s for sure. The “underwater” scenes are truly dramatic for us landlubbers.

In case you’re not a fan of ballet, or never seen one before—we do recommend watching Mr. Baryshinikov in White Knights or The Turning Point (with Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine)—it did it for my friend.

And if you’re interested, here’s the calendar of the Hamburg Ballet.

No, I’m not talking about movies shown at the annual Berlin International Film Festival, either. I’m talking about movies that center around a country’s capital.

You’d think that all the movies about Berlin would be about its separation into East and West Berlin during a divided Germany. They weren’t all Cold War spy films, though; and neither were they all about World War II (that’s another blog post, altogether).

I also decided not to add Berlin Express (1948) to this list, because it already made the Top 10 for the best World War II films, ever.

So, here’s my pick for the best flicks taking place in Berlin.

A Foreign Affair

Directed by Billy Wilder, A Foreign Affair stars German actress Marlene Dietrich in this romantic comedy from 1948.

Grand Hotel

There’s still something truly special about this 1932 Academy Award winning film, Grand Hotel, even after 70 years.

Kuhle Wampe

Kuhle Wampe is one of the best films taking place in Berlin that doesn’t have to do with World War II, Cold War intrigue, or anything else—it’s about a family struggling to get by during the Great Depression.

The Big Lift

Sure, The Big Lift is about the Berlin Airlift, but this 1950 film stars Montgomery Clift. Ain’t that enough for you ladies?

Octopussy

James Bond makes his appearance in Berlin during this 1993 flick Octopussy staring Roger Moore as the title character. Sorry, Mr. Sean Connery—Roger was great as the dapper and dashing British spy.

Rosenstrasse

Don’t you just love movies that are total flashbacks? I do; and the Rosenstrasse film takes a look at the Rosenstrasse Protest that took place in Berlin from February to March 1943.

The Bourne Supremacy

Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne in 2004 trying to escape the U.S. Government. I swear it’s not German politics at play in The Bourne Supremacy, my personal top favorite of all ten here. ;-)

Dr. M.

A 1990 whodunit film on a number of deaths that looked like suicides. Yeah, I enjoy a good spy thriller, but I sure like trying to figure out who did it, too.

Valkyrie

Yeah, this 2004 Tom Cruise film had some controversy before and during its making; and although I didn’t add it to the World War II list, it does deserve an honorable mention somewhere.

I bet you were expecting a “Top 10″ list, but I’m leaving it at just nine—this way you can add your favorite.

OK OK, I just thought of another one…

Gotcha!

The 1985 Anthony Edwards film titled Gotcha!; it’s a comedic look into a poor college kid who’s suckered into bringing a package over to East Berlin from a girl he met in Czechoslovakia (it wasn’t nowadays’ Czech Republic back then).

Yeah, make that my 10th pick for the best films of Berlin—you can add number 11, OK?

Words like Medieval, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo can easily get thrown around; and without any clear understanding of when these artistic and architectural styles were popular, it can make no sense of what you’re looking at.

I guess we’d all just be standing around some church or castle saying, “Darn, that’s just old.” ;-)

Germany is filled with many towns that were created during the Middle Ages, with defense walls (called Stadtmauern in German), churches, and castles. That’s all part of their charm, isn’t it?

But, did you know that the Middle Ages encompassed a time long before many of the 11th and 12th century churches and castles were built? The period known as medieval started back in the 500s ending around the 16th century.

That’s just about a thousand years.

Too bad not many buildings and sites are still standing from the Early Middle Ages. As the Middle Ages progressed into the 10th (right up to the 13th centuries), the popular architectural style became known as Romanesque.

Gothic architecture and art followed the Romanesque period. This is where you’ll find churches with “flying buttresses,” stained glass windows, and gargoyles adorning many buildings. The Gothic period finally ended as the Renaissance swept through Europe.

Following the enlightenment of the Renaissance, a two hundred year period from the 15th to 17th centuries, the magnificently opulent era of the Baroque and Rococo came to be popular in Germany.

Technically, the Baroque period started in the year 1600, lasting until around 1830; while Rococo was ushered in around 1650, and not lasting as long—ending right before the start of the 19th century.

Ha, which is funny, because the 19th century centered around Neo-Romanesque and Gothic Revival architecture.

I guess it was so popular the first time around, why not do it again?

Throughout the reigning years of the Third Reich, Germany’s Jewish population suffered and many of their buildings were destroyed.

But, I’m here to tell you that Germany’s Jewish population is again on the rise (just over a hundred-thousand people)—and many of the country’s big cities have enough to see if you’re looking for a Jewish Germany.

Let’s start at the capital, shall we?

Berlin

In what was once part of East Berlin you can see the Old Jewish Quarter and the New Synagogue Museum (the synagogue is thought to be one of the most beautiful in the country). Also in Berlin is the German History Museum with an entire Hitler exhibit—and the city is home to the Berggruen Museum, an art museum filled with works donated by a Jewish art collector.

Frankfurt

Frankfurt’s Jewish community lived in a ghetto-like area known as Judengasse from around the mid-15th century. Its West End Synagogue is one of the very few to have survived the anti-Jewish Kristallnacht in November 1938. At the Old Jewish Cemetery you’ll find the names of every Jewish Frankfurter deported; and the Jüdisches Museum highlights the history of the Jewish community from medieval times right up to the 20th century.

Heidelberg

Yes, Heidelberg was once a hotbed of Nazi activity. However, the city was home to a Jewish community since medieval times. 13th century scholar, Rabbi Meir came to live here. Today you can see one of the best preserved Jewish Quarters on the European Continent.

Worms

Ah, the city of Worms—this is home to Germany’s oldest synagogue (which is also known as Rashi’s Chapel), built in 1034. It did have to be rebuilt a few times over the last millennia—the last being after it was destroyed on November 10, 1938.

Dresden

Dresden’s New Synagogue was built using parts of the original 19th century Semper Synagogue—that was left in ruins after the infamous Night of the Broken Glass.

Augsburg

The Swabian town of Augsburg has a beautiful Art Nouveau Synagogue and its own Jewish Museum.

Munich

There’s a whole lot of Jewish history in the big city chic of Munich, and part of a visit to it means heading towards the city of Dachau, and the infamous Dachau Concentration Camp. Guided tours are available of the camp 9am-5pm, Tuesdays through Sundays.

Within Munich itself, its synagogue finally reopened sixty-eight years to the day after the original was destroyed by the Nazis. You’ll even find Jewish manuscripts in the State Library—and a place that serves a kosher Weisswurst.

Hey, after all this touring around a new Jewish Germany—you’ve got to be hungry, right?

In this case, I’ve decided to give you an all-time list of Best World War II movies. Stay tuned though, I’m pretty sure that I’ll bringing up other movie lists that center around Germany in the future.

Berlin Express

Receiving both criticism and cinematic acclaim, Berlin Express is a 1948 film that shows real-life footage of a post World War II Frankfurt and Berlin. The real plot, however, is a sort-of whodunit on a train where a diplomat is “killed;” and you never quite can guess who really is who they say they are.

Black Book

Filmed in Dutch with English subtitles, the Black Book movie is raw and graphic (to a point). And unlike most European films, it surprisingly has a sort-of happy ending.

Das Boot

Released in 1981 by West Germany and the Bavarian Film Studio, the Das Boot movie centers around the U-96 with an embittered crew and a war correspondent onboard. You can feel the crew’s low morale, high hopes, and fear as they try to get to a safe haven for Christmas. Movie creators used real-life U-boat officers as consultants to give the movie true brilliance.

Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 tale of an alternate universe to assassinate Adolf Hitler is sheer genius. Actually, I think it was Christoph Waltz’s character as a Nazi SS Officer that did it for me—and the acclaim of his peers with an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Notorious

Alfred Hitchcock does it again and again, this time in a partial love and espionage tale with Claude Rains, Ingrid Bergman, and Cary Grant in Notorious. I think the war is secondary to the kissing scene (quite scandalous in 1946) between two of the three characters in this love triangle.

Saving Private Ryan

This film’s first 25 minutes opening sequence of the chaos of the Normandy landing alone could earn this film a spot on this list. Add in the heartfelt journey to return home a mom’s only surviving son in this war drama; and you’ve got one of the best World War II movies ever made.

Schindler’s List

Filmed in black & white, Steven Spielberg brought the nitty-gritty of the war to center stage when he filmed this 1993 flick, Schindler’s List. Ralph Fiennes’s portrayal of Amon Göth is both chilling and cinematic genius. And you got to hand it to Liam Neeson who couldn’t play the lead character of war-profiteer and womanizer Oskar Schindler any better than he did.

Sink the Bismarck

The 1960 Sink the Bismarck film centers around the search for the infamous Nazi Battleship named for the esteemed statesman Otto von Bismarck; and shows how the Germans started an era of sea superiority—that is, until the Bismarck is sunk by British destroyers.

Sophie’s Choice

Meryl Streep won an Academy Award for her 1982 Sophie’s Choice character as a Polish mother forced to make the ultimate sacrifice, one of her children at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Sad. Poignant. Brilliant.

The Colditz Story

Based on the 1955 book by British Officer, P.R. Ried, the The Colditz Story movie deals with the escape of British, French, Dutch, and Polish POWs at the infamous Colditz Castle in Saxony. Fantastic.

While some of these films might be controversial, they’re certainly a conversation starter.

Care to add some of your favorites?

This is all about superstitions and Old Wives’ Tales from Germany that have something to do with everything from cleaning to warding off the Devil. And I have to thank D. L. Ashliman for providing us with a great list of Superstitions from Germany.

One disclaimer though, some of these might seem downright sexist or plain odd, but I got a good chuckle out of ‘em… and a few I do myself, without ever understanding why. Until now. ;-)

One is that it’s not good to kill spiders, which I do not do, because spiders eat other bugs—so by killing them, you’re increasing other creepy-crawly critters. (Well, thinking about it, it’s actually not a superstition… it’s a fact; so let’s cancel that one.)

Another states that if a stork builds a nest on your roof (or chimney) it’s an omen for a long, wealthy life.

Uh, can someone coax a stork to do that on my house, please? ;-)

And while people seem to think that just touching a chimney sweep is good luck, Germans know you actually got to shake hands with him for the luck to rub off on you.

One superstition that has to do with your home is to bring bread and salt as a housewarming gift so that the owners will never go hungry. How thoughtful.

Here’s a creepy one… Rainwater from a tombstone removes freckles. Since I don’t have freckles, I haven’t tried it to see if it works. Another creepy one is to wash the clothes of the recently deceased—otherwise they won’t rest in peace.

While some superstitions are meant to bring luck, some are meant to keep bad luck from happening.

Guys, whatever you do, don’t walk between two old women in the morning—it’s supposed to make your whole day be sour with bad luck.

And Ladies, if you’ve given birth in the last six weeks—you’re not to be left alone; because this is when the Devil has the most power over you. Also, you’re not supposed to answer any question a witch might ask you—it’s said she’ll take something from you.

With any good luck, she’ll take away any bad luck you’ve got. ;-)

Bottom line with all those superstitions? For me, if you believe that a certain superstition is true, then it is true for you. And if you don’t believe in them then they’re not true for you.

Each year leading up to the epic event has all sorts of symposiums, festivals, movies, and other events in villages and towns that were important places in the life Martin Luther. A most remarkable man, if I do say so myself.

What is also remarkable are the folks who’ve created this decade long event, have even implemented theme years; each with their own special events. Stat tuned with me, I’ll keep you posted about many of the events throughout the upcoming years.

If you’re going to make your way through many of the towns that were instrumental in the Protestant Reformation sweeping Germany, you better make sure you’re here for a while.

I would start in the town of Wittenberg, where it all started. It was here in Wittenberg at the Castle Church that Martin nailed his 95-theses to the door looking for, well, reform of the Catholic Church.

No, scratch that. I guess it all started in Eisleben where he was born. Then again, Erfurt is where he lived as a monk, so here’s a town that was instrumental in the shaping of Luther’s life.

Some other places in the life of Luther weren’t so much as important in his work, as in his early life. He went to school in Magdeburg and lived in Mansfeld for a time.

Whichever route you choose to follow, like (but not limited to) the Lutherweg or the Luther Pilgerweg, it doesn’t really matter because the Center for Spiritual Tourism in Thuringia (it opened on July 3, 2011) is here to help you along the way.

I don’t think you need to be on some spiritual quest to enjoy the events of the Luther Decade. No, even if all you do is enjoy it for history’s sake; you’ll certainly learn quite a bit about the man who changed history and influenced the lives of millions of people.

So, in honor of All Hallow’s Eve (or Halloween)—although barely celebrated in Germany—I’m about to give you skinny on the creepiest, scariest, hair-raising sites in all of Germany.

If you’re faint of heart you might choose to change to another page on The Germany Blog. If not, then don’t say I didn’t warn you. ;-)

In case you’re wondering, yes Frankenstein Castle has made the list. And, this is only a fraction of the haunted places found throughout the country.

Berlin’s Pfauen Insel Park has been said to be haunted by a black ghost with glowing red eyes. Yikes, I’m scared already.

Over at the old Nazi Hospital (at the Conn Barracks in Schweinfurt) it’s been said that the ghost of a Nazi soldier has haunted the area for years.

Heidelberg’s Amphitheater and Hexenturm also said to be visited by strange noises and ghostly apparitions, especially on moonless nights.

Yeah, I know none of these places is a haunted castle — don’t worry, I’m getting to them right now.

One of the biggest haunted sites in Germany is Eltz Castle, where the spirits of medieval Knights have been known to roam. The castle closes for the winter season on November 1st, but at least it’s open for the scariest of all the holidays.

Hmm, it’s time for the most famous name in scary stories — Frankenstein Castle. No, there isn’t some large guy with bolts sticking out his neck here; it’s said to be the ghost of Johann Dippel.

The ghost at Friedland Castle is thought to be the daughter of a former resident, who was “cursed” by her own dad. Wow, that’s a scary thought.

I think Reichenstein Castle would be scarier than Burg Frankenstein or Friedland Castle. Why? Because it is said to be haunted by the ghosts of not one, not two, not even five ghosts — but ten! Just so you know, they’re believed to be the spirits of robber baron Dietrich von Hohenfels and his nine sons.

If you’ve come across any super creepy sites within Germany, let me know so I can come back to visit them next Halloween.

So, I started to think how many other famous (or not so famous) German folks have changed the world of engineering, science, art, music, sports, and politics.

Just so you know, Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, and Ferdinand Porsche have made the list. What would be the point in mentioning two of the best automobile companies in the world if they didn’t?

It wouldn’t be fair to leave out Rudolf Diesel. Name sound familiar? Sure it does — he’s the inventor of the diesel engine.

For any of you out there who do accounting work, thank a German. Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468) to be exact, he’s the father of modern accounting.

Like your jeans? That would be Levi Strauss. Your coveted ADIDAS sneakers were the brain child of Adi Dassler, another German. Brand names are great; and German natives Hugo Boss (my favorite, born in Metzingen) and Karl Lagerfeld (born in Hamburg) deserve to be mentioned.

Designer clothes deserve to be worn and German supermodel beauties Heidi Klum (born in Bergisch Gladbach) and Claudia Schiffer (born in Rheinberg) know all about it.

Ever seen the space shuttle lift off? That’s all the hard work of rocket scientist Wernher von Braun. But long before there was space exploration ordinary men went to the skies in regular old airplanes; men like Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen of World War I fame.

Who else came from Germany? A long list of composers, that’s for sure! You’ve heard of Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, I’m sure. Then you’ve got Richard Wagner, Strauss, and Händel.

Traveling around Germany on the German Fairy Tale Road, then you’ve heard of the Brothers Grimm. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller, right?

I’m sure I’ve missed just about a bazillion other famous Germans. But, maybe the next time you see a Benz or a Porsche — you’ll think about the three great inventors behind the engines.

No rainy weather for me, so until the mercury drops to a preferred level I’ll have to live vicariously by writing about the cold temperature season. ;-)

Now some of you might prefer the warmer weather, so consider this a jump on your Christmas shopping list.

And anyway, the Christmas season starts about a month before the actual date of Christmas — so I’m only two months ahead of myself, instead of three.

With over 2,000 Christmas Markets in Germany, it might take a while to figure out which ones you’ll want to go to. Plan ahead, that’s my motto!

Chances are whatever Christmas market you’re going to will have all the traditional fixings of a proper German Christmas (or just a dandy good time).

You’ll certainly eat great since there’s everything from German sausages to fresh baked bread, and the delicious Glühwein to drink. In most places you can keep the glass as a souvenir, or clean it out & re-gift it.

Oh, I can’t believe I suggested such a thing… never mind!

Weihnachtsmärkte bring out the very best craftsmen (and women) and artists to sell their wares. You’ll have no trouble at all finding the most unique and original gifts for your family and friends back home.

And fruitcakes are really popular in Germany — not so much in America. Maybe you’re better off bringing home Lebkuchen (gingerbread cookies) or Plätzchen, which are traditional Christmas cookies.

I really love the Christstollen, which looks like a loaf of bread but is filled with raisins and marzipan. Top it with powdered sugar, and you can feel your teeth hurt. It’s so yummy, so it’s worth it.

That’s it. I really like the cold weather with the Christmas markets, the traditional food and romantic white snow that come with the season.

Merry Christmas, three months early!

However, because I’m a greenhorn when it comes to the topic of history (who would’ve believed that… but my favorites in school were Mathematics, English, Geography and Sport), I had to ask our history buff and German History expert, Lisa Keller, in terms of what could be an accurate answer to Harald’s question.

So here it comes… Harald’s question first, Lisa’s response next, and then some final thoughts from yours truly…

Here’s something for you to pick up on, or keep in mind. I’ve been searching for many years for the origins of the prowess you talk about in “German Engineering Is A Leading Engine In Our World.”

Studying the origins of civilization in general is a bit of a hobby of mine, as is early German history. Of course, German history is rather swamped by more recent events, and I get the idea few Germans like to spend a lot of time thinking about the past.

There seem to be several black holes — between the Völkerwanderungen and the rise of the Frankish Empire and during the Dark ages. What events may have contributed to the intense “can-do” National pride that put the Germans among the top technical innovators — and kept them there for longer than any other nation?

Having learned that Germans are at least as much a mixture of races as any other country, I certainly don’t buy Hitler’s Ayrian superiority concept.

How did we get from a bunch of feuding Barbarian tribes to a nation that refuses to play second fiddle to any other nation in innovation and engineering?

If you have any suggestions of where I could find such information, I would appreciate that too. (And yes, I can read German, though with a bit of a struggle when it gets technical.)

Again, excellent question. Here’s Lisa’s response…

I’ve thought long & hard about this question–and you’re probably better able to answer some things better than I could.

But, from a historical standpoint, Germany wasn’t really a technological leader until around the mid-19th century. The country had been in the midst of wars (Peasants’, 30 Years, even the Reformation itself for that matter for the better part of two centuries).

What Germany did have was location, location, location. The country was located on some old major trade routes, it had resources (silver, etc), rivers for navigating around to trade with other countries. And it had food, as much of the country was used for agriculture.

If you ain’t worried about eating–you got time to think about other things, right?

Too bad the church hierarchy and the “guilds” wielded too much power for the common man to change much of the status quo. It wasn’t until Wilhelm II came to power, and wanted to at least be on par with countries like England–wanting to build a navy like the Brits–and a chance to get away from the bureaucratic way of thinking of his father, grandfather, and Otto von Bismarck. He kicked off much of the industrialization that propelled Germany into a technological marvel.

Of course, education comes in to play. Men like Copernicus & Kepler are only two of the brilliant minds that came from Germany educating its population–plus the 20 year battle of the French Revolution helped to bring around changes of equality and liberty to the people–even though all this took place before Wilhelm’s day.

Women were another resource, they made great strides for themselves in the Weimar Republic–until the Nazis came to power, that is.

The Nazis might have used the phrase “Aryan superiority”, but they ostrasized many brilliant minds–forcing the likes of Einstein and others to flee the country. So, no–I don’t “buy” into that either.

My opinion there wasn’t one catalyst event that caused German to become a technological leader. It was (and still is) a combination of events, people, education, and location that leads (and led) Germany from barbaric tribes to all the technological advances it’s made and will continue to do so.

I hope this helps!

Thank you very much, Lisa!

Thinking about it myself, four characteristics usually come up in my mind that could explain how we Germans are and why, and be reasons for the prowess of German Engineering — in addition to what Lisa said above…

Perfectionism — Probably a prime reason, we have a distinct sense and desire for perfectionism. We simply go an important step further and discover and fix flaws where others give up or think it would be “good enough.” It’s not. It’s never good enough.

Discipline — Discipline helps us focus and stay on track. I’m not sure where our tendency towards discipline stems from. Perhaps due to all the wars we had and the “trainings,” “camps” and “drills” we went through and experienced?

Seriousness — Yeah sure, after all those wars (and we really don’t want any other war anymore, ever!) we lost happiness and joy and now go through live in a serious manner — looking down on earth when walking. Kidding aside, our seriousness helps us “get down to business” and focus on the task at hand (rather than get sidetracked by distractions or delayed by dull chatter).

Climate — Germany is ideally located in Central Europe. The climate is not as warm or hot as in, say, Greece or Portugal, nor is it as cold as in Island or Canada. This, too, helps us focus and concentrate to deliver top (and perfected? ;-) products.

A possible fifth reason just popped up in my mind… Silence. We love silence and a quiet environment that helps us relax, enjoy, think, consider, contemplate, focus (again), and concentrate.

70% of our population lives in smaller (& quieter) towns and villages with less than 100,000 inhabitants. With 82 Million people living in 14,000 German towns, they are scattered all over the country — something rare in our world. And these smaller towns and municipalities provide a quieter environment which, again, helps us focus and concentrate on what’s important.

And focus and concentration ultimately leads to better performance, productivity, and products.

(This does not mean Germans don’t love to party. Yet still…)

And speaking of silence, ever noticed that windows in our houses are usually so thick and insulated, they eliminate noise from the outside almost completely?

Again, thank you very much for this excellent question, Harald. Really something to chew on… (although my own response was probably more about the current state rather than historical roots… ;-)

—Marcus

Maybe this is why we love museums so much; where everything is categorized, labeled, and methodically documented. “Sniff-sniff,” it’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it?

Germany’s got a museum for just about everything and anything under the stars. Don’t want to be stuck indoors on a fine weather afternoon? No big deal, there are outdoor museum scattered all over the country, including the Winsen Museum Farm and the Hagen Westphalian Open-Air Museum.

Got a penchant for following military and war history? Check out the German Tank Museum, Königstein Fortress, and the Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr.

It might seem a bit odd to come all the way to Germany go see mummies. Both the cities of Bonn and Berlin house fantastic mummy exhibits at their respective museums.

Yeah, I’d think that the religious museums like the Lorsch Abbey and Michaelstein Abbey, and the Maulbronn Monastery seem a more likely choice to be found within the country.

But, I did say we like museums — so never mind.

Honestly, the land that IS modern day Germany has been around a lot longer than people, so no wonder we got all sorts of natural history museums. The State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart is fantastic, as is the Lower Saxony State Museum.

Oh, I didn’t even add in our two volcano museums which can be found in the Eifel Region — the German Volcano Museum Mendig a.k.a. Lava-Dome in Mendig and the Eifel Volcano Museum Daun in Daun. That counts as natural history, does it not?

And speaking of people, OF COURSE we’ve got museums dedicated to the best of the best of our homegrown sons and daughters. The Goethe House in Frankfurt am Main and the Karl Marx House in Trier are only two of the many museums that are all about famous Germans.

I was a bit stunned to see Shakespeare’s Globe Theater for sale on eBay a while back. Not the real Globe Theater in England, but a full-size replica at the famous Babelsberg Studios just outside of Berlin.

The best part? It would’ve only cost you 11.50 Euro to buy it. The down side? It would’ve cost you about 50,000 Euro to have it dismantled and carried away.

You really didn’t think they’d ship it to you in Some Small Town, USA, did you?

Still, would you’ve been interested?

The Babelsberg’s Globe Theater can actually seat 700 people; and is worth an estimated half a million Euro (approx. $716,000 USD). I can just imagine what the neighbors would say if you tried to put this out in your backyard.

It was a gift to the Shakespeare Company Berlin from the German-born director Roland Emmerich (he directed Independence Day with Will Smith) after he made the movie Anonymous.

The studio where this Shakespeare’s Globe sits is pretty historical in its own right; it’s the oldest theater in the world, ready to celebrate its 100th birthday next year.

Did you know that The Blue Angel (the movie that catapulted Marlene Dietrich to stardom) was made here in 1930, and Fritz Lang’s movie Metropolis was also made in the studio’s lot in 1927.

More modern movies have been made at Babelsberg Studios (all under the watchful eye of the Globe), including Valkyrie, The Reader (with Academy Award winner Kate Winslet), The Pianist, Inglorious Basterds, and The Ghost Writer.

Not to mention, the approximately 1000 movies made by Joseph Goebbels between 1933 and 1945. OK, they were propaganda films, but in terms of number of movies that’s still a whole lot being made.

If amazing pieces of cinematic art like the Globe Theater (or the closest you’ll get to the real one) were for sale on eBay, I guess it is true; you can buy anything on the internet.

Good thing Germany’s news understand this, so over at the TheLocal.de you’ll get plenty of local Deutschland news in English.

Believe it or not, one recent article is all about the US of A. Kind of makes no sense since I just said that it’s all about Germany, huh?

But, hear me out. Did you know that almost a quarter of million soldiers in this “War of Northern Aggression” (that’s what the South called it) were German?

And you don’t have to go all the way to Virginia, Pennsylvania, or some other United State to see a Civil War reenactment. Nope, you can do it within an hour north of Berlin at the El Dorado theme park in Templin.

How cool is that?

Who can resist a whole interactive theater-type extravaganza with hundreds of folks all dolled up in period garb? All right, some of the uniforms might look a little out of place considering you’ll even find some soldiers dating to the American Revolution.

How fitting to bring this up now, since July 4th is the day America celebrates its war for independence, and it was 150 years ago this year that the American Civil War erupted at Fort Sumter.

Sure, some have said (and I quote) “in Germany, its taboo to glorify anything military-related since World War II,” but I say why not? Civil War reenactments have been going on for years in the American South who were for secession and pro-slavery.

Now don’t give me any flack for saying it like that, but this is very much a part of German history as it is an American one. Remember the number of soldiers who fought were German?

Whether you know how or it turns out or not, I just wouldn’t expect TheLocal.de to report the outcome of a different winner.

—Marcus

In fact, Germany has a long history of making classic films. If you have never seen any movies from our wonderful country, the following list will help you get started with a few recommendations. The popcorn, however, is up to you. ;-)

Nosferatu (1922)
Directed by F.W. Murnau

One of the first Dracula movies, Nosferatu is still regarded as a classic horror film almost a century after it was made. It starred Max Schreck as that dark creature of the night in a creepy performance of this well-known literary character.

But why do we call him Nosferatu rather than his better-known appellation of Count Dracula? Well, at the last minute, the studio realized that it couldn’t obtain the rights to the novel, so they couldn’t use the famous name, Dracula.

Count Dracula was changed to Count Orlok, while the word “vampire” became Nosferatu. However, a rose by any other name is still a rose, and Nosferatu remains one of the most iconic incarnations of this demon-man.

Metropolis (1927)
Directed by Fritz Lang

While Nosferatu brought Germany a horror classic, just five years later the science fiction epic, Metropolis, was released. It has the distinction of bring the most expensive silent film ever made. In fact, it almost bankrupted its movie studio, proving that big budget blockbusters do not only happen in Hollywood!

This futuristic film shows humans in a deeply divided society where an upper-class lives an idyllic life, unknowingly dependent on a group of underground slaves who must keep the other society functioning.

Of course, a man of the utopian society falls in love with a woman worker who becomes a prophet for her people.

Das Boot (1981)
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen

This war movie became another classic gem of the German cinema. In English, by the way, this translates as “The Boat” and not “The Boot” as many may think.

Das Boot tells the story of a group of men on a U-boat during the time of the Second World War. The movie manages to skillfully show the alternating highs and lows of life at sea in wartime. The men live through the excitement and terror of sea battles mixed with the unrelenting boredom that occurs in between.

—Marcus

These days, International Women’s Day is treated almost as a second Valentine’s Day, a time to smother your favorite gal with love, flowers or candy.

But the holiday actually began as a Socialist tradition and was even instrumental in ushering in Communism in early twentieth century Russia. With the fall of communism and the end of East Germany, International Women’s Day isn’t widely celebrated by Germans these days but this is the country where it all started.

Clara Zetkin, who was a leader in the Social Democratic Party in Germany, helped to bring it all about.

In Copenhagen at the second International Conference of Working Women, she spoke about the need for a special day to mark the struggles of women everywhere. This would be the day where, in each country, women could step forward and demand their equal rights, air any grievances and work together to make the world a better place for themselves. The other participants at the conference agreed unanimously and so, International Women’s Day was born.

March 19 was the day chosen for the first holiday, but it was March 25 that ended up as the day to remember. While the original holiday came and went without much fanfare, the tragedy that hit just six days after would do much more to illustrate the plight of women. On that day, a terrible fire broke out in New York City.

The “Triangle Fire” claimed the lives of more than 140 women workers, the majority of whom were poor immigrants of Jewish and Italian descent. Only in the face of such senseless loss did the squalid working conditions and deplorable labor practices come to light.

Later, in 1917, the holiday would again garner worldwide attention. This time, women were picketing for “bread and peace” in Russia, distraught over the high death toll of the First World War. The women’s strike was one nail in the coffin of imperial Russia, and soon the Bolsheviks seized on the moment to depose the tsar and begin the reign of Communism.

While this was less than ideal for the citizens who lived under the regime for more than seventy years, it shows the power that the holiday could command.

In modern times, the day is used for much more peaceful purposes, but still as a way to showcase wrongs and crimes against women. It is an official holiday in countries like China, Russia and Vietnam when men will give small gifts to their wives, mothers, female friends and colleagues.

So while these small gestures are always appreciated, there are larger issues that are still not resolved for the women of the world. This is a day to appreciate the women in your own life, while trying to make a better life for those all around the world.

—Marcus

This year, the Crazy Days of Carnival take place from Thursday, March 3th until Tuesday, March 8th, with the peak being on March 7th with the Rosenmontag (Rose Monday).

Most Germans will tell you that if you want to experience the true Carnival spirit, you must go to Cologne. As one of the oldest cities in Germany, Cologne certainly has the longest tradition and the biggest parties of the holiday.

But, don’t despair if you aren’t in the city limits during the “crazy days” of Carnival. There are a handful of other German cities, mostly in the Rhineland, that throw a pretty decent party as well (ex., Mainz, Düsseldorf).

If you’re not a religious person, you might be a bit confused about the fuss surrounding the Carnival season. Just what exactly is it and why do people celebrate?

Well, not that anyone needs an excuse to throw a party, but the excess that comes with Carnival is all a lead up to the forty days of Lent, when Christians usually follow the example of Jesus Christ and give up something they love. To compensate for the month of deprivation, they eat, drink and party to excess in the days that come before.

There are many wonderful traditions that you can see each and every year at Carnival. One of these is the Triumvirate, the Jungfrau, Prinz, and Bauer, that is a virgin, a prince and a farmer. It is the highest honor of the Carnival to be named the Prince. He is the one in charge of the festivities and appears in all the big parades during the week.

You’ll be able to pick him out by the peacock tail crown, purple jacket and a glittery girdle. In his arms, he carries a royal scepter as well as a slapstick. This is a sign of the village fool but also a strong fertility symbol. The farmer is the solemn and serious keeper of the city. He wears the key to the city on his waist. And the “virgin” — who is typically portrayed by a man in drag — is clad in a crown and holds a mirror in her hand.

Arm yourself with the phrase “Kölle Alaaf!” or “Cologne alive!” This is the customary greeting during these crazed days.

Each year, you are certain to see colorful costumes (don’t leave without one!), experience bars that never close and view a fair amount of festive parades.

Again, the culmination comes on Rosenmontag, or Rose Monday, on March 7th this year. The parade on Rose Monday is one for the record books. It boasts a length of six kilometers (3.7 miles), over 10,000 participants, several hundred horses and over a hundred musical bands.

And the party revelers come with their fair share of festive accessories. Over 140 tons of candy, sweets and flowers are brought to the parade and thrown to the crowd, including 700,000 chocolate bars, another 220,000 boxes of chocolate, 300,000 flowers, and thousands of stuffed toys.

So I hope you can collect bags full of sweets, but do “protect” yourself well to not get one of those edgy chocolate bars thrown on your head! ;-)

—Marcus

His birth was greeted with much rejoicing by both family and the Prussian people as two previous heirs had died at young ages. As the son of the Soldier-King, Frederick William I, young Frederick naturally rebelled against his strict, aggressive father, even attempting to run away.

However, as the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Frederick II, upon becoming king, soon became feared and famous for his own war-like nature after a string of successful attacks on Austria and Silesia.

But this war-hardened king also had a softer side. He was a talented musician who played the flute and composed over one hundred sonatas for his favorite instrument. He was a polyglot who spoke Spanish, French, English, Italian and Portuguese, and dabbled in ancient Latin, Greek and Hebrew.

His love for the arts is apparent in many of the buildings that he commissioned, which are a great way for the casual traveler to appreciate his impressive legacy.

We begin at the Berlin State Opera on the famous street of Unter den Linden and designed by the famed Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorf. Next is the Royal Library, which today is no longer royal, simply the State Library of Berlin. St. Hedwig’s Cathedral is another of his famous creations. This eye-catching building with its distinctive light blue dome is a landmark Roman Catholic Church on the Bebelplatz. And then there’s Prince Henry’s Palace, now the site of Humboldt University, the oldest in Berlin.

But the best and finest example of what came to be known as “Frederician Rococo” style architecture is surely the masterpiece at Sanssouci Palace. You’ll have to travel a bit outside the capital city to visit this palace and garden, situated in the nearby suburb of Potsdam. (This is still easily reached from Berlin using the fabulous public transportation system. Just hop aboard tram number 7!)

Sanssouci is the French word for “without worries.” Frederick meant this place to be a refuge and sanctuary from the rigors and responsibilities of governance. The result is a not-to-be-missed tourist attraction that features terraced gardens, wonderful fountains, and numerous fantastic “follies.” A folly is the architectural term for an extravagant garden decoration.

At Sanssouci, you’ll see a Turkish mosque and minaret, a Chinese tea garden, a few obelisks, Roman baths and temples.

You may find yourself believing you’ve stepped into a carefree fantasy world filled with these amazing follies, an abundance of fruit trees and hedge-lined walkways. If so, then Frederick’s greatest legacy — creating a worry-free garden that transports you to a different world — has been accomplished. ;-)

—Marcus

The Flying Dutchman was one of his first operas, although these days it is better known as one of the pirate ships in the Johnny Depp movies! Wagner claimed that the idea was inspired by a rather turbulent journey he took from modern-day Estonia’s capital city of Riga to that well-known British metropolis, London.

Other aspects of the story were derived from an earlier work of Heinrich Heine. This beautiful tale of love and redemption set among the stormy seas helped establish Wagner as a promising composer.

You can feel the essence of this opera by visiting the Semper Opera in Dresden, where the opera had its debut.

Tannhäuser is another of Wagner’s best-known works. This magical tale was based on the singing contests of the Castle Wartburg and the romantic hero, Tannhäuser, who falls under a spell by none other than the famous goddess of love, Venus. For a glimpse of this Wagner epic, there’s no better place to visit than the site of the famous song competition, the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach. The castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was a one-time refuge for religious exile Martin Luther.

Lohengrin is perhaps the most famous of all of Wagner’s operatic works. First of all, the opening song, the Bridal Chorus, is better known as the Wedding March, or Here Comes the Bride, played at millions of weddings around the western world.

And if that weren’t enough, let’s not forget about the heroic saga paintings of Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau at the German Alps. But, we need to step back in time just a little to explain the connection.

King Ludwig of Bavaria — who is famously, if somewhat unfairly, known as the “Mad King” — became enchanted with the works of Wagner. Since his childhood, the king had been a great fan but with his new-found powers as monarch, he was finally able to do something about it. Wagner had gotten himself into considerable trouble with debts and other issues. Once the king settled his accounts, Wagner was able to devote his time to his work again rather than dealing with political problems.

There is no better place to see this patronage with your own eyes than at the castle of Neuschwanstein. This palace already looks as if it were plucked out of a fairy tale from its exquisite exterior, but the interior paintings match this fantastical theme to a tee. On the walls, you will see many of Wagner’s famous characters portrayed in vivid color and paint. The tales of Lohengrin and Tristan and Isolde come to life in a series of wonderful frescoes.

Wagner’s operas can, of course, still be seen in Germany and around the world. But if you really want to experience the mythical creations of this great composer in his own country, you now have a list of where to begin.

Happy travels! :-)

—Marcus

While their stories are well-known throughout the world, the life of these intriguing men is still a mystery to many.

Born in the small town of Hanau, the brothers lived an “idyllic” childhood in the glorious countryside. Their father worked for the Prince of Hesse and the boys enjoyed many luxuries, like proximity to the local magistrate’s estate.

Grimm lost his father at the age of 15. The boys and their mother were soon forced to abandon their perfect life in the country for a cramped, unpleasant one in the city. Many scholars speculate that this is the reason why the Grimm’s tales feature so many stories of wicked mothers and abandoned children!

Although he began his career as a lawyer, Jakob realized his love for the old tales of history after becoming acquainted with Friedrich Karl von Savigny and his lectures on Roman law. Grimm moved to Paris at von Savigny’s invitation and was soon perusing medieval literature rather than giving legal advice.

In 1808, following his mother’s death, Jakob Grimm received a job from Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, the youngest brother of General Napoleon Bonaparte himself, who was the King of Westphalia. Jakob began his work as the superintendent of the king’s private library.

The eldest Grimm brother enjoyed the fair winds of good political fortune for some time, getting promoted and obtaining other enviable positions. However, his good luck came to an end when he, along with brother Wilhelm, signed a protest letter against the King of Hanover, who had annulled their constitution. The Grimm brothers were unceremoniously banished from the kingdom.

Before this unfortunate event in 1837, the Grimms had been ensuring their place in the history books through more than just their famous collection of fairy tales. Jakob wrote about what is now known as “Grimm’s Law” in his book, Deutsche Grammatik. This theory explained the linguistic phenomenon of the sound shifts in modern language.

After their banishment, both Jakob and Wilhelm returned to Kassel, which presently is the home of the Brothers Grimm Museum, until the King of Prussia invited them to Berlin. They received professorships and together, the brothers also published a dictionary.

Of course, the Brothers Grimm are best known for their amazing fairy tales, which have survived the test of time and reached all corners of the globe. The daring fans of the Brothers Grimm can embark on the German Fairy Tale Road and experience the hometowns of the brothers first-hand, like the town of Hanau or Kassel.

They can also see the real-life inspiration behind many of their darkest and weirdest stories. Visit Schwalmstadt with its red-hooded little girls, or venture to the Rapunzel tower in Trendelburg. And of course, don’t leave out those most famous cities of Hamelin (of Pied Piper fame) and the musical town of Bremen!

—Marcus

During his life, Luther spent much time researching, translating and moving about while trying to avoid the wrath of the Catholic Church. You can easily find Martin Luther-themed tours online that will take you to some of these most historic and significant places.

Begin your journey here with us today as we discover the highlights of the Martin Luther Trail. :-)

Eisleben, 1483

We begin in the Saxon-Anhalt city of Eisleben, which is Luther’s birthplace, as well as the site of his death in 1546. You can visit the reformer’s childhood home and learn about what life was like in those old times. Or, for those who prefer a more macabre tour, take a look at where he drew his final breath and where his death mask is on display.

While in Eisleben, you can also view the churches connected to Luther. Peter and Paul Church was the site of his baptism and Andreas Church was where he delivered his last sermon. And finally, snap a picture of the Lutherdenkmal (Luther Monument) in Old Town.

Erfurt, 1501

Our next stop brings us to Erfurt in Thuringia. Much of Luther’s religious beginnings can be traced to this city. Erfurt is where he entered an Augustinian monastery and also where he became an ordained priest at the famed Cathedral in 1507.

Wittenberg, 1512

If you can only visit one Lutheran city during your time here, then Wittenberg should be at the top of the list. The town is officially named Lutherstadt Wittenberg because of its strong ties with Luther. This is the birthplace of the Reformation, where Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Church, as you know.

When you’ve finished your tour of the Castle Church and its famous door, you can check out the Luther Museum and take your picture with one of the several statues of Luther.

Augsburg, 1518

Augsburg is important in the life of Luther because it is where he was confronted by the Cardinal who demanded that he submit to the Catholic Pope and recant his new theories. Luther’s famous refusal set the stage for his life as a religious outlaw.

Worms, 1521

Luther further refuted the will of the Catholic Church here during the Imperial Diet of Worms. He spoke those immortal words, “Here I stand, I can do no other.” After this, he was officially proclaimed a heretic and an outlaw. His immediate arrest and/or assassination was ordered. It became a crime to offer him any food, shelter or other assistance.

Wartburg Castle, 1522

Wartburg Castle defied the Catholic Church by providing sanctuary for Luther for about one year. He spent his time in solitude, translating the Bible into German for the first time, and living under the assumed identity of “Knight George.”

The castle still showcases its Luther Room with its large hole behind the stove. This is, according to legend, where Luther threw an ink pot at the devil.

Veste Coburg, 1530

Luther remained here under the protection of Elector John the Steadfast while his emissary Melanchthon attended the Diet of Augsburg. The document he brought with him, known as the Augsburg Confession, was denied by the Catholic diet, but has become the statement of faith for Lutheran Christians all over the world.

—Marcus

Firstly, New Year’s Eve is called Silvester here, as the feast day of Saint Silvester. Silvester was a legendary character, who served as pope and reputedly baptized the famous Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great. He is also said to have cured lepers and have met with members of Jesus Christ’s family — the only pope to have done so.

Silvester gets the honor of having the New Year’s celebrations named after him because his feast day was always marked on December 31. When the calendar was modified all the way back in 1582, this date became fixed as the final day of the year. And so, the holiday of Silvester — New Year’s Eve — took its name from this ancient saint.

Bleigießen is one of the more traditional German New Year’s customs. Bleigießen is fortune-telling with cold water and molten lead. The lead is poured into the liquid, and whatever shape it forms gives an idea of what your future holds.

For example, a ring shape could mean a wedding, or a pig meant a plentiful amount of food in the coming year. A ball means good luck in the coming year, while an anchor means help is needed. A cross can signify death. (Of course, be careful if you choose to celebrate this custom on your own. Lead can be poisonous and you won’t need a molten lead shape to tell you you are in danger if you have too much exposure to this toxic substance!)

There are alternative forms of divination on this holiday as well. You can try out the Bibelstechen, where you open the Bible at random and close your eyes as you point to the words on the page. Whatever verse your finger landed on is said to have some worthwhile advise for the next year.

Then there is the pendulum game. You use some type of pendulous device, a necklace or a chain for example, then ask a yes-or-no question. If the pendulum swings in a circle, the answer is yes. Vertical swings mean no, while a horizontal one signifies uncertainty.

Noise is also an essential part of the Silvester celebrations. While it is a natural by-product of large gatherings of people and fireworks, there is a reason why we Germans have embraced the cacophony of this holiday. Loud sounds were believed to frighten away any evil spirits. And fireworks not only added sound but also an alternative light. The ancients believed that this was the day when the sun stopped moving and so created their own forms of light with wheels and cudgels set ablaze with fire. These were the precursors to our modern-day pyrotechnics.

Warm wishes for luck in the New Year are shared among friends with the cry of Guten Rutsch! (spelled Goo-ten Rootsh!). It is traditional to give your loved ones small good luck charms on this day, like horseshoes, four-leaf clovers, pigs and ladybugs.

If you’re visiting at this time, be sure to have some of the typical holiday fare. It is considered lucky to eat carp or herring on this day, washed down with a glass of champagne. If you’re hoping for more money in the new year, then it’s traditional to eat cabbage or carrots. Lentil and pea soup are also very popular at the holiday.

It’s also customary to share meat or a cheese fondue with your closest family and friends. But watch out for the doughnuts! You may find yourself the victim of a holiday prank if you don’t look inside before you bite into a jelly doughnut. Sometimes you will find them filled with mustard as a fun holiday joke.

But what New Year’s is mostly about these days is the party! Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate hosts one of Germany’s biggest events, but Germans all over the country partake in the festivities. Fireworks, alcohol, kissing and shouts of Frohes Neues Jahr! are all ways of celebrating once the clock strikes midnight. :-)

—Marcus

Düsseldorf is the city that lays claim to Heinrich Heine. You can begin an exploration of the life of this German poet by visiting his house, the Heine-Haus on Bolker Straße. The former birthplace and home of Heine is now a bookstore set amongst a series of noisy nightclubs. The bricks of the original structure can be seen at the pedestal of Heine’s bust here. As you view his statue, you can contemplate what the poet would think about how much his former childhood home has changed in just over two centuries!

Heine is most famous for his lyrical poetry and captured the imagination of his own countrymen, as well as those abroad. The great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote in his book Ecce Homo that “The highest conception of the lyric poet was given to me by Heinrich Heine. I seek in vain in all the realms of millennia for an equally sweet and passionate music. He possessed that divine malice without which I cannot imagine perfection!”

Born into a secular Jewish family, Heine later converted to Christianity in order to obtain a civil service job, from which Jews were barred at the time. His life has stirred up much debate among Jewish scholars, particularly in Israel. Some consider him an important and great figure of Jewish descent, while others consider him a traitor to his faith.

Heine was among those whose books were burned during the Nazi regime. Rather prophetically, Heine once wrote in his play, Almansor, that “…where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people.” (“…dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen.“)

And Heine even has connections to that other hated “ism” of the 20th century, Communism. He was a friend of Karl Marx, the very man who penned “The Communist Manifesto.” They met in Paris where Heine had emigrated and lived as a foreign correspondent. Although the two were quite close friends at first, gradually, Heine’s growing distaste for his friend’s political philosophy — and Marx’s expulsion from Paris — led to their growing apart.

These days, it is still possible to appreciate the life and works of Heinrich Heine. Many of his poems have been put to music by some of the world’s greatest composers, including Brahms, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Strauss and Wagner. One of his most famous poems, Die Lorelai, was adapted to song by Friedrich Silcher in 1847.

“I do not know what haunts me,
What saddened my mind all day;
An age-old tale confounds me,
A spell I cannot allay.”

—Marcus

But it isn’t always ancient artifacts, religious treasuries or modern paintings that you can see. The following is a list of some of Germany’s most unusual museums and galleries. If you crave a unique and memorable experience, then check out these places!

Zeche Hannover and Kiddies Colliery in Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia

The Zeche Hannover, known to English speakers simply as the Hanover Coal Mine (Günnigfelder Straße) was the last coal mine to be closed in Bochum, back in 1973. It has been preserved and expertly restored as a heritage site for Bochum’s industrial history.

If you want to know more about the dirty history of coal, a once-important resource, then look no further! The Kiddies Colliery is a fun place to bring the children (or the young-at-heart) to find out all about the inner workings of the coal mine. Bring your hard hat

Chocolate Museum in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia

This museum is a dream come true for the chocoholics of the world! The Schokoladenmusem (Am Schokoladenmuseum 1a) at the Rhine River in Cologne features the fascinating history of chocolate-making where you can learn all about how this beloved substance gained its popularity. The best part is, after the tour, you can sample some of this delicious treat at the Cafe or the Beach Terrace. Yum!

German Cookbook Museum in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia

Whether you love cooking or eating, the German Cookbook Museum (Deutsches Kochbuchmuseum, An der Buschmühle 1) in Dortmund is sure to please. There is a fine collection of delicious recipes, most courtesy of the 19th century German cook Henriette Davidis.

In addition, the museum features an interesting exhibit about the role of women in this time, and the evolution of cooking technology through the 1960s. It’s the perfect place to whet your appetite for an authentic German meal.

Giraffe Museum in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia

We have another entry from the city of Dortmund with this interesting museum that is the perfect place for lovers of these long-necked animals. This private collection (Wickeder Hellweg 25) is a strange gathering of all things giraffe — from giraffe-shaped sculptures to giraffe-adorned teapots — make this a one-of-a-kind museum.

Don’t forget to make a reservation in advance.

German Hygiene Museum in Dresden, Lower Saxony

If you’re in the mood for a more off-beat location then head to the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden (Lingnerplatz 1). You won’t see celebrated paintings or famous sculptures here, but you will see an intriguing collection of antique grooming and ophthalmology equipment.

Some items on display include old dressing tables, razors, powder boxes and wig stands. The ophthalmology exhibit shows some fascinating old examination equipment and antique spectacles.

Museum of Inland Navigation in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia

As the site of an inland port, Duisburg is the natural place for a Museum of Inland Navigation (Apostelstraße 84). This Duisburg museum was actually once an indoor swimming pool but was renovated and is now presented in an Art Nouveau design. The museum offers an idea of the life of a sailor. Inside you’ll find model ships as well as real ones.

Don’t overlook the highlights of any trip to this museum! The Oscar Huber, a paddle steamer from 1921, and the Minden, a bucket dredger from 1882, are both docked within a few minutes walk of the museum. If you have your heart set on visiting these interesting ships, be sure to check the weather.

In very cold and icy conditions, the boats are closed to the public.

Mustard Museum in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia

This Düsseldorf museum is a place you won’t find just anywhere but Germany. Of course, our country is famous for its delicious mustard. The Mustard Museum (Berger Straße 29) opened in 2004 and has since been offering visitors information on this wonderful condiment that is such an important part of German cuisine.

Bring your own bratwurst. ;-)

Dialogue Museum in Frankfurt, Hesse

For a “slightly different” kind of museum experience — one with nothing to see — head over to the Dialogue Museum in Frankfurt am Main (Hanauer Landstrasse 139-145). The blind museum offers a pitch-black exhibit in which visitors must rely on their other senses to “see” them through.

This sensual museum will leave you with an experience you’ll never forget.

Miniature Wonderland in Hamburg

Our last unusual museum brings us to Hamburg. Miniature Wonderland (Kehrwieder 2-4) features model railways, trains and scenery. It made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the world’s largest computerized model railway.

This impressive display boasts 250,000 miniature trees, 15,000 m (almost 50,000 ft) of tracks with 15,000 carriages and 5,000 houses and bridges. The whole complex encompasses an area of 4,000 square meters (13,000 square feet)!

—Marcus

Citizens of both West and East Germany were overjoyed, and rushed to the hated Berlin Wall to make these once-impossible crossings. But for those of you whose German history is a bit rusty, or who can’t remember this historic event, let me present a nutshell version of this darkly fascinating time in our past!

Most people will remember from their old history classes that Germany (and the capital city of Berlin) was divided into partitions after the loss of the Second World War. Each of the four Allied countries — the USA, France, Britain and the USSR — maintained control over one part each.

The trouble began when the Soviet Union tried to consolidate their power and worked against its former allies. Ultimately, they blockaded the city of West Berlin. The Berlin airlift, one of the greatest diplomatic interventions of recent times, followed and brought food and other necessary items into a troubled city.

As East Germany and East Berlin became more and more repressive, naturally, people began fleeing these harsh conditions. The Soviets realized that this “brain drain,” the loss of its best and brightest citizens, could no longer be tolerated. In the early morning of Sunday, August 13, 1961 the border between West and East was closed entirely and the construction of the Wall began.

While the Wall is symbolic of some of the darkest times in our country, it also was a time of great heroism and sacrifice. The dire situation of East Germany led some to risk their lives in order to cross over into the west.

One of the most famous and tragic of these stories is the tale of Peter Fechter. This 18-year-old boy tried to escape with his friend, Helmut Kulbeik in August 1962, by jumping out of the window of a tall building that sat right on the border of the wall, and then running across the “death strip” to scale the Wall on the other side.

While Fechter’s friend managed to evade the bullets of the East German border police, Fechter was not so lucky. He was shot in the pelvis in this “no-man’s land” between the two borders. Even though his shooting was witnessed by many bystanders in the West, no one could help him, for fear that they themselves could also be shot by entering the death strip.

And so, the tragic life of Peter Fechter ended with him slowly bleeding to death, screaming for help in plain sight of both Western and Eastern German guards who both could not and did not haid him. He died one hour later.

The cruelty of Fechter’s death was a wake-up call to the rest of the world, who could see clearly now just how repressive the East had become. It would take another 37 years for the Wall to come tumbling down.

While most of the Wall was dismantled during the months following this time, there are still sections of it remaining, left as a memorial. When you visit Berlin, be sure to take a walk along the last remaining segments, like the East Side Gallery at Mühlenstraße, or the more authentic Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Straße to see for yourself where freedom triumphed.

—Marcus

Halloween may have its origins with the ancient Celts’ celebration of Samhain, the harvest festival. Because this time of year was half in the light (summer) and half in the dark (winter), the border between the real world and the spirit world was at its thinnest. So, the spirits could move freely between the two worlds.

Costumes and masks were worn by the Celts as a way to protect themselves from evil spirits. They also made lanterns of hollowed-out turnips to keep away these harmful ghosts.

A variation of Samhain celebrations were brought to America in the early 1900s with Irish and Scottish immigrants. The popularization of the holiday may have been spread by American culture and movies, but the idea was not totally foreign for Germany.

Although Halloween is not as popular and as much celebrated as in other countries, there is already a very Halloween-y German holiday called Walpurgisnacht, or Walpurgis Night — the Night of the Witches. From April 30 to May 1, the witches are said to gather on the Brocken, the highest mountain peak of the Harz Mountains, and wait for the arrival of spring.

Goethe wrote about this night in his famous story of Faust. So the idea of an American holiday of witches, werewolves and monsters wasn’t all that strange. ;-)

But the time around Halloween is a real holiday for Germans. The days from October 30 to November 9 are called Seelenwoche, or All Souls Week. This is the holiday for remembering family and friends who have died, with visits to their grave sited and lighting candles. During the week of All Souls, it is a custom to keep all the knives in the house out of sight. With so many spirits in the air, the danger is that one of them may be cut with a knife that is left out carelessly.

There is also an Austrian holiday that also recalls some of the traditional Halloween activities. Some Germans may have been familiar with this day. The town of Retz outside of Vienna held a pumpkin festival called Kürbisfest. Of course, for Halloween, the custom of the Jack O’Lantern, carving a face in a pumpkin and placing a candle within, is an ever-popular activity.

We Germans have embraced Halloween and all its fun traditions. There are costume parties and parades for the “cool” kids, teenagers and maybe a few adults at the nightclubs. Others will watch horror movies or visit a local graveyard. Some kids will even partake in that much beloved Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating. Children dress in costumes and visit their neighbors with the call of “trick-or-treat!” If their neighbor gives them candy (the “treat”), then there is no need for a “trick,” which is when the children can get into trouble.

Germany has many places that are perfect for celebrating Halloween. One of the most famous is Frankenstein Castle. This old mansion in Darmstadt is one of the most famous haunted houses in the country. However, these haunted parties are not just fun Halloween celebrations.

Some other German castles may hold Halloween parties during the season, notably the Satzvey Castle. Burg Satzvey, its German name, will host a nighttime event called the Haunted Castle. The grounds are decorated in a creepy fashion with ghosts and other monsters. Then there is a labyrinth of terror and other scary events to get your heart pounding for this spooky holiday. ;-)

—Marcus

Kaltenberg Knights’ Tournament

The Kaltenberg Castle in the municipality of Geltendorf (Landsberg District, Upper Bavaria) has been holding its Knights’ Tournament for close to four decades now! The event is hosted by Prince Luitpold and Princess Beatrix of Bavaria, as they invite you to witness a rousing, thrilling jousting tournament.

While the jousting is the main draw, the Castle also boasts a vibrant medieval market as well as a fun-filled parade. The 13th century Kaltenberg Castle is located in the tiny village of the same name, which is just about 45 km (30 mi) west of Munich.

The fun begins every year in July. Get all the pertinent info here.

Medieval Knight Market, Angelbachtal

The venue for this next medieval fair is Eichtersheim Castle in charming Angelbachtal (Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg). Its Mittelalterlicher Rittermarkt, or Medieval Knight Market, is one of Germany’s largest medieval fairs and takes place each year in August (plus, there are a variety of events that occur throughout the year). The festival has expanded and improved each year since its inception in 1994. One of the newer features is an exotic Arab-Jewish section that offers camel rides.

Knights’ Festival at Satzvey Castle

Satzvey Castle is well-known for its special events throughout the year. One of the highlights is their yearly Knights’ Festival. In the town of Mechernich-Satzvey in the Euskirchen District (North Rhine-Westphalia), the Count and Countess Beissel von Gymnich are happy to invite you to their 14th-century home, Burg Satzvey, for a fun, historical festival. The Knights’ Festival features jousting tournaments and a medieval market. If you’re visiting Cologne, Satzvey is an easy 30-45 minute journey.

Visit the castle web site to further plan your trip here.

Medieval Market Ebernburg

This German medieval fair proclaims itself one of the largest, most beautiful and oldest festivals around. With over one hundred booths filled with handicrafts, lively taverns and an assortment of motley medieval characters wandering the grounds, you’re sure to find something to keep you interested at the Medieval Market Ebernburg.

There’s a bath house where you can pamper yourself with the finest, ancient remedies as you await the knights’ tournaments. Other entertainment includes juggling performances, javelin throws, archery competition and historical puppets.

The medieval fun takes place on the third weekend in September. And Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg is located in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Tucher Knight Games, Nuremberg

For those seeking to discover the city of Nuremberg’s medieval history, come in August to attend the Tucher Knight Games (Tucher Ritterspiele). This large medieval fair features — of course — knight tournaments. You’ll also see entertainers dressed in costume as traveling minstrels, witches, merchants, handmaidens and other assorted medieval characters during the three-day extravaganza.

See Tucher Spectaculum (German) for more info.

—Marcus

In other countries, national unity and independence days are massive holidays. In Germany, our Unity Day is a quieter affair. Berlin usually has some small celebrations, of course, as a part of its duty as our capital. A rotating list of regional capitals also take turns hosting annual celebrations.

Why no big deal over the holiday, you say? Some of the quietness comes from mixed emotions around unification. If this seems shocking to you — after all, who could really want to go back to the Berlin Wall? — remember that unification was a life-changing event for millions of people (me included).

If you lived in East Germany, the unification meant more opportunities for work and travel, but it also marked an end to the established ways of life. Citizens of West Germany rejoiced at the Wall coming down, but resented the monies that were spent on economic stimulus for East Germany and all the new competitors for open jobs. Both sides also associate unification with a new 5.5% solidarity tax (due in West Germany) which was levied to fund the economic development efforts in the East.

Still, I don’t want to give the impression that the majority would be wandering around complaining about the unification of Germany. Quite the opposite! Most people, unless they are deep into ostalgie, consider the German reunification to be a wonderful moment in German history (me included). We just don’t spend the holiday in loud celebrations. With the day off from work and shops closed, we use the day to spend time with family and friends.

This year, however, due to the 20th anniversary, the celebrations will be a tad louder. :-)

As a visitor in Germany on Unity Day, to see celebrations you will want to be in Berlin or in this year’s regional host, Bremen. Berlin’s festivities will be centered around the Brandenburg Gate and the Straße des 17. Juni with a parade, some live music, and numerous ceremonies here and there. In Bremen, there will be a city-wide festival or Bürgerfest, with ceremonial moments happening throughout the city.

If you stay in, note that the television program schedules are full of retrospectives, and many German media outlets are in a reflective mode for this 20th anniversary. Though it is a quieter event than in other parts of the world, Germany’s Unity Day is still being observed on many fronts. Plus, this year’s round of celebrations are going to be larger than most, so take the time to enjoy them! :-)

And of course, if you can’t make it this time, simply enjoy the quadlingual live stream television broadcast DW-TV over at DW World, my preferred TV program for when I’m not in my beloved home country.

—Marcus

The 2010 World Giving Index has been released by the Charities Aid Foundation. The organization used hard numbers from the Gallup Corporation to determine which world nations were the most charitable overall.

Donating money to charitable causes, performing volunteer work, and being willing to help a stranger or someone you didn’t know were the main points going into the World Giving Index. However, the Charities Aid Foundation also looked at the breakdown between men and women, old and young, and happiness of the country as a whole when they were figuring their numbers.

Germany did very well in the poll. We are ranked 18th worldwide for our generous spirits. Out of 153 countries, that’s doing pretty good!

Some of the other interesting points that the report had to make about Germany were that 49% of us are giving money each month to a charitable cause. Men volunteer just slightly more hours per month than women, but almost 30% of the population of Germany volunteers time every month. An amazing 56% of us will help a stranger, one of the highest scores of any of the European nations.

According to the report, one of the main drivers of giving in all countries was happiness instead of wealth. The more a nation was giving, the happier and more satisfied with life were its citizens. I think this also reflects very well on Germany, don’t you?

Really, the report is just a nice bit of proof to back up what most people will experience when they come to Germany. All of the fairs, festivals, and special events that we are famous for depend on the charitable giving and volunteer hours put in by the hosting towns.

From the massive regional volunteer effort that it takes to put on something like Oktoberfest — starting this Saturday! — to the focused local effort it takes to put on something like the Oberammergau Passion Play, Germany runs on the goodwill and kind hearts of its people.

I know it, and you know it, too, if you’ve been here.

Thanks to this survey, now the whole world can know! ;-)

—Marcus

Naturally, it’s all wrong, since wurst is correctly pronounced with a hard “v” sound, but while the jokes may be terrible, the sausage is still legendary.

In fact, one type of wurst is considered by so many to be the best that now it has its own museum near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Currywurst, a spicy snack popular throughout the country, is being elevated to its own special cultural attraction in a building on Schützenstraße 70 called Deutsches Currywurst Museum, open from 10 am to 10 pm daily with an entrance cost of 11 euros ($14 USD).

Shockingly, we Germans are taking down an estimated 1,500 of these currywursts per minute. I’m not kidding — that’s 800 million currywursts consumed annually, and I pull down my fair share.

Most currywursts are sold on the streets, with the largest concentration of currywurst vendors located in Berlin. Many also believe that the formulation for the special tomato curry sauce was invented by a Berliner, Herta Heuwer. This makes it no wonder that the German Currywurst Museum is located at the very heart of the city.

Inside the museum, visitors are greeted by displays dedicated to all of the many varieties of currywurst. You can see displays of the different meal combinations, such as sliced sausage drenched in sauce with a bit of potato salad, or a hefty currywurst hot dog jutting out from its deliciously soggy bun.

You will also find that you are very hungry as you pass through the exhibits, because the museum has something for all of your senses. There is an audio track of sizzling sausages echoing overhead, and a scent machine infuses the air with the odor of fresh currywurst.

It’s all a bit over the top, which is why you absolutely have to see it all to believe its real. Go, see, buy a snack, and be sure to send me a copy when you get your photo taken in the life size currywurst truck in the final element of the museum!

—Marcus

Germany’s underground dining scene is growing. In fact, worldwide, pop up restaurants, supper clubs, and invitation only private dining events are becoming more and more popular. Locals and travelers alike enjoy a bit of novelty and of course, really good food.

In the spirit of keeping you all informed, I’d like to share a few more of the secret supper clubs I’ve found operating around Germany:

• In Düsseldorf, there is Sunday’s Dinner Party. It is hosted from 7 – 10 pm on the first Sunday of each month, in a restored 19th century farmhouse. The suggested contribution is 20 euros, and you need to confirm your reservation 48 hours in advance.
• In Berlin, the Loteria Supper Club held its first dinner in February 2010. They are now holding weekly dinners, with a limit of 12 guests per table, near Boxhagener Platz. Of course, they launched with a feature in the iHeartBerlin dining pages, so they are not so terribly secret, but the food is reported as very tasty! Suggested donation for dinner is 50 euros.
• Also in Berlin, in the Friedrichshain area, is the Palisaden Supper Club. The dinners there are held once a month in the middle of the month, and you reserve through email. Suggested dinner price is 25 euro, and they have been operating since February of 2009, so a bit more organized than some.
• For less formal events and pop up restaurants in Germany, you can check the listings at Tafel Zeit (German), which operates mainly in Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg.

There are also a number of Germans with Ghetto Gourmet sites, leveraging the American started underground dining community format, meaning that those willing to do a bit of research will be sure to uncover a great meal and a truly memorable experience.

—Marcus

Enrolling in a German language course in Germany makes learning German a fun and memorable experience. You have two main options when it comes to coursework. You can come for an extended stay in German and take a course from a university, or you can come for a few weeks to a month and enroll in an intensive German language camp, which I recommend.

Either way, you have plenty of choices. There are more than 116 registered language programs scattered throughout the country. Prices vary, and many are concentrated in Germany’s bigger cities, with Berlin, Munich, and Frankfort serving as popular study destinations, especially for formal language study and intensive German courses.

However, there are also a number of programs in smaller cities. For example, Regensburg has a very famous language program with year round courses.

The key is to determine what you want to use your German for. If you are coming to Germany to start a business or live full time, you will want to take a more formal course. If you just want to be able to make very basic conversations on your vacation, a month-long intensive program may be sufficient.

Naturally, you may also want to consider your region. Learning High German is good for communicating all over Germany, but you may also want to study your local dialect if you are interested in living in Germany long term.

However much you learn, don’t be afraid to use your German whenever you can. Even after you go to a language school, only with practice will you be able to keep up your skills.

So practice, practice, practice . . . I want to be able to chat with you someday! :-)

—Marcus

I know you may think that if you learned German in school or did some language tapes you speak the right language, but this is not always true. Formally taught German may be understood throughout Germany, but it is not the only kind of German to know!

Germany is full of many different well-developed dialects — some estimate that there may be as many as 250 dialects scattered throughout the country! This is because Germany has historically been many different kingdoms and principalities, encouraging the development of local and regional dialects.

Although for a time there was a push to standardize the German language, now there is a very strong movement to preserve all of Germany’s dialects. This is partly a response to the growing prevalence of English in German life, and partly a desire to retain all of Germany’s rich culture. The movement is publicly led by Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who refuses to use any English at his press conferences in Germany. ;-)

Thus, as you travel around Germany, you will hear and see many different kinds of German being used. Here are the major types:

• High German, Hochdeutsch, is what is taught as standard German in classrooms. It was originally spoken in central and southern Germany but was adopted as the official standard form by the government after the turn of the 20th century.
• Low German, Plattdeutsch, is mainly spoken in the Northern parts of Germany. It was the main language spoken by the Hanseatic League, and you can watch programing in Low German on the North German Broadcasting Network, Norddeutscher Rundfunk.
• Bavarian – Austrian, Bayerisch-Österreichisch, is spoken in Southern Germany and parts of Austria, since for many years this area was united as one large kingdom.
• Frankish, Fränkisch, is spoken in central Germany along the Main river. Some related forms are spoken along the Moselle river, too.

There are many other dialects and variations that you can experience in your travels — such as Baden (Badisch), Swabian (Schwäbisch), Saxon (Sächsisch) — but being aware of the main forms will help you smile and adapt to all the German that you hear!

—Marcus

Today is not merely the first of April. Today is also April Fool’s Day, so be on guard against pranksters and tricksters roaming around looking for gullible types. April Fool’s Day is quite popular throughout Germany, so you can’t relax anywhere!

Part of the reason that April Fool’s Day is so popular in Germany is that according to some, the holiday originated here. However, there are multiple stories about its birth.

One of the oldest stories traces the holiday back to Augsburg in 1530. There, a group of lawmakers was supposed to be meeting on April 1st to discuss a number of financial projects. However, the meeting didn’t happen. As a result, many speculators lost money, earning them the title of “April Fools.”

According to another story, April Fool’s Day was started in Darmstadt by Gabriel Hoffman. No one is sure of his motivation, but there is no doubt that the holiday has certainly caught on around the country.

You can’t even trust the news on April 1st. Many of the national and local papers put out a special April Fool’s Day edition. This has caused some international sensations as multi-national syndicates pick up the stories without realizing they’re fake.

Some of the 2009 national hoaxes included the announcement of women’s only parking spaces, magnetic towing on BMW cars, and the banning of lederhosen sales.

For 2010, the pranks are anyone’s guess. . . keep your eyes and ears open! ;-)

To see some of the great April Fool’s Day hoaxes from Germany’s history, you can look at the archives at the Museum of Hoaxes. Also, don’t be shy about sharing the hoaxes you think should have been included in the list!

Traditionally, pranks are supposed to be played before noon, although the national pranks tend to go on all day or even for a couple of days.

However long your April Fool’s Day experience lasts, enjoy!

—Marcus

This time the news comes in the form of a special lifestyle feature out of Amsterdam. The piece focuses in on artists and other creative types who are leaving their homes to move to a new creative capital — Berlin.

Berlin has served as a creative capital of Europe before, and insiders know that the museums, theaters, and concerts are second to none.

In this time of economic uncertainty, however, Berlin’s numerous cultural charms are being seconded by the financial realities.

Berlin is cheap.

Don’t scoff! Compared to many other cities in Europe, the cost of living in Berlin is surprisingly low. Artists and others who make their living in creative fields can find reasonably priced homes and apartments throughout the capital. The stable real estate market in Germany helps keep prices from fluctuating wildly, making it easy for artistic types to survive and thrive in the capital.

Another factor in many artists decision to move to the city is the overall economy in Germany. Unlike other countries in Europe, Germany’s economy is strong and stable. Both the government and the average person have money to spend on artistic items, such as museum visits, tickets to performances, paintings, sculpture, or other things for the home.

Though many people want to believe in art for art’s sake, the truth is that artists need a market of buyers in order to survive, and in Germany that market is vibrant!

Though other places in Europe may be crying over their lost artists, Berlin is happy to see new arrivals and support their work. With a low cost of living, strong market for artistic goods, and strong arts culture, it is no wonder artists favor Berlin over other European capitals.

Naturally, what is good for artists is also good for anyone interested in living in Berlin. Even visitors will benefit from all the new artistic activity coming to the capital, so be sure to save a few days for Berlin in your next vacation! ;-)

—Marcus

For me, it has certainly been enjoyable to see Germany’s shining performance in the Winter Olympic games again. True, Germany has traditionally done well at winter sports, thanks to our honorable attitude, many mountain ranges, excellent skiing opportunities, and the exemplary national support, but we were not always a medals leader.

During these games, however, German athletes certainly seemed to be going for the win again. You can see from our final standings just how well we did in the overall medals count. In both team and individual sports, Germany’s Olympic champions gave their all to earn recognition for their event and their country.

Besides, in the all time Winter Olympics medals count we are, with 358 medals thereunder 128 gold medals, a convincing number one. :-)

Germany’s strong showing at the 2010 games has broader implications than just enhancing our national pride. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we have an upcoming bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. Munich has put in an official bid for the games, with the theme Die Spiele im Herzen, meaning “The Games in the Heart.”

If Munich wins the bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, it would become the first location in the world to have hosted both the Summer and the Winter Games. It would also be the first Olympic Games hosted in Germany since the reunification, which would be meaningful for many Germans.

The bid has an environmentally conscious bent, promoting the use of existing winter sports facilities near Munich, like the ski jump courses at Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the bobsled, luge, and skeleton tracks at Schönau am Königssee in the kingly Berchtesgadener Land. It is also being promoted by Katarina Witt, one of Germany’s most famous (and gorgeous ;-) Winter Olympic champions.

By doing so well in the 2010 Winter Games, Germany enhances its chances of getting the bid for the 2018 Olympics. Our strong performance testifies to the high quality of our training sites and competition grounds as well as exemplifying our commitment to sports excellence.

Keep your fingers crossed that we win the bid, and I’ll save you a seat next to me at the 2018 Winter Olympic games! :-)

—Marcus

However, if you are without a date for Valentine’s Day it can be a little depressing. Fortunately, there are many ways to meet single people in Germany. One method that is growing in popularity in Germany is online dating.

There are several different types of online dating sites in Germany. The biggest four German dating sites, based on paid membership models, are listed below. You can register for free and browse listings, but you need to pay a subscription to actually talk and/or connect with dates:

1. FriendScout24
2. iLove.de
3. Neu.de
4. Parship.de

Neu.de is also good for listings across Europe and around the world, as it is affiliated with Meetic, a global dating network.

If your budget is tight, you can also try some of the popular free sites. Two popular free German dating sites are Freenet Singles, and Single.de. You can meet good, interesting people on the free sites, but you will need to have more patience than with the paid German dating sites as you will find there are more ads, junk, and poor matches to look through.

There is also one up and coming site for dating German academics, which is ElitePartner. They promise fast matches based on a scientific matching system, though I haven’t tried this for myself yet.

I have personally tried many of the other sites — after all, I met my wife online! ;-) So I can tell you truly that you can meet a wonderful date for Valentine’s Day in Germany by registering with the German dating site of your choice. Millions of my single countrymen (and women!) are waiting to meet you. And rest assured that your soul mate DOES exist!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

—Marcus