Germany is a country in Central Europe and has a rich history and culture. It has an area of about 356,910 square kilometers. It has a population of about 82 million people. It is a member of the European Union and the official language of Germany is German.
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History of Germany
The history of Germany goes back to the time when several Germanic tribes occupied the north of today’s Germany. They traveled towards the south and occupied the small kingdoms throughout the Europe. During the 10th century, the central part of the occupied area was formed into a Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, the northern areas came under the influence of Protestant Reformation, while the southern and western areas remained under the influence of Roman Catholic. This Protestant-Catholic division remained in the society ever since. However, during the Napoleonic Wars, most of the Germanic states were united. During the mid of 20th century, the history of Germany developed with the advent of Cold War, when two major states of Germany were formed; namely Eastern Germany and Western Germany. But with the decline of the USSR and the end of Cold War, the two states were united into the present Germany, as we know it.
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Culture of Germany
The culture of Germany is as old as the country itself. It has been a place of great poets and thinkers. It ha excelled in literature, music, philosophy, cinema, sports and architecture.
Let’s take a look at some of the facts about the culture of Germany.
German Language:
The official language of Germany is German (Deutsch). It is one of the official languages of the European Union. The German language has its roots from the Germanic languages. It also has a few words from Latin, Greek, French and also English. Germany has also a few minority native languages; Danish, Sorbian, and Frisian.
German Music:
Germany has made its mark in the field of German music since ancient times. It has produced some of the greatest musicians of their times; Bach, Mozart and Beethoven are to name just a few. They have done some remarkable works during the classical and romantic eras of western classical music. During the modern times, Germans have also excelled in modern rock music and has the fifth largest music market in the world.
German Art:
Germans have a great eye for the visual arts in their German culture as well. Germany has been the land of some of the great painters of their times like Albrecht Altdorfer, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Matthias Grünewald, Hans Holbein the Younger and Albrecht Durer.
German Food:
The Germans have different German foods and eating habits when it comes to their class differences. However, the general middle class of Germany is fond of eating bread at breakfast and supper. Other than that, they are also fond of sausages, cheese and salads. Pork is the favorite meat in the German foods and potato, cabbage, beets and turnips are popular among the vegetables. As for the beverages, they take coffee, beer, brandy, and schnapps in their daily lives.
German Society:
The society speaks mainly of the German culture. Germany is an advanced modern society. They have developed rules and regulations for the people. They believe in equality rights among men and women; and are also strong supporters of disability rights. They welcome immigrants in their country for the development of the politics, tourism and investments.
