So now on to the good stuff that makes Germany so unique and interesting. Throughout history the Germans made major contributions to society in numerous fields. Ranging from philosophy, science, religion, to the arts. The German people have constantly reformed and furthered human society whilst creating their own unique identity. They've been referred to as a nation of thinkers, never afraid to challenge the status-quo. This rich cultural history has united the German people with a strong pride for their
Deutschland.
Although I have zero German heritage whatsoever I admire all cultures and the past few months have been intrigued by this one. It's not new that I have been fascinated by Germany's culture and history. I suppose it began as a kid with the history books, and has grown into a much deeper understanding through their culture. It's their music, food, art, customs, philosophy, beer, soccer, and proud traditions that make them such an interesting culture worth appreciating.
German Folklore
I suppose the roots of any culture lies within their folklore, mythology, or ancient tales. One of the most well known poets of the middle ages was the
minnesinger,
Walther von der Vogelweide, who infused poetry with musical lyrics (1170 to 1230). Then there were numerous epic poems of the middle ages most notably the
Nibelungenlied, "The Song of the Nibelungs". This classic German story embeds the characters of Norse/Germanic mythological tales into an epic poem. The story later inspired Richard Wagner's masterpiece opera
Der Ring des Nibelungen. It is an essential classic tale of German culture.
The basic synopsis of the "
The Song of the Nibelungs" tells the story of a dragon slayer,
Seigfried, who falls for
King Gunther's sister,
Kriemhild. Yet before Seigfried can enjoy his treasure and new found love he is wooed and manipulated by an Icelandic queen,
Brunhild, the wife of King Gunther. However Seigfried is able to overcome Brunhild's manipulation which upsets her immensely. In order to avoid war, the king's brother
Hagen, murders Seigfried and hides the treasure in the Rhine river. At Seigfried's funeral Brunhild throws herself in the flames to join him in the afterlife. Seigfried's lover, Kriemhild eventually takes revenge with an army of Huns to reclaim her husband's treasure.
The most notable of German folklore comes from the
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, also known as the
Brothers Grimm. From 1812-1857 these academic linguists began a series of collecting, publishing, and popularizing old folktales. Although they cannot take full authorship they did manage to popularize these stories within German culture. Here is a list of their well known publications and fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, most of which have been adapted into American culture by Walt Disney.
- Cinderella
- The Frog Prince
- Hansel and Gretel
- Rapunzel
- Rumpelstiltskin
- Snow White
- Sleeping Beauty
- Pied Piper of Hamelin
German Philosophy, Science, and Religion
When considering the long list of famous German philosophers, inventors, theologians, and scientists, it's clear to understand where the expression the
land of thinkers came from. Germans were at the forefront of the Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment. They were at the focal point of shaping western philosophy and the understanding of life. Their roots of obtaining greater knowledge can be traced back to the middle ages when the church ruled everything.
In 1136 a German abbess nun named
Hildegard of Bingen began to influence the church on many different aspects. She was a polymath, a master of music, composition, philosophy, writing, and theological insight. She founded several monasteries, made great contributions to the arts of music and drama, and especially noted for her spiritual mysticism. She is considered the "Doctor of the Church".
In 1413 German blacksmith
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press that would forever change human understanding. With the mass publications of bibles, Europeans everywhere could read and think for themselves. Many years later came another theological giant named
Martin Luther. In 1517 he completely challenged the church's teachings with new insight, that eventually triggered a grand scale Protestant Reformation. Although he may be considered an enemy to the Catholic Church, his courageous beliefs paved the way for free-thinking.
During the Age of Enlightenment came a renaissance of philosophy with German thinkers leading the way. By the early 1700s, a new movement of
rationalism had unfolded throughout Western Europe. This idea brought forth a more analytic approach of understanding the world. It was made popular by French philosopher Rene Descarte, Dutch philsopher Baruch Spinaoza, and the German philosopher
Gottfriend Wilhelm Leibniz. Leibniz was considered an optimist thinker, using mathematical theory to prove that the world was the best it could be.
Leibniz later influenced two of my all time favorite philosophers,
Immanuel Kant and
Arthur Schopenhauer. In 1781 Immanuel Kant's
Critique of Pure Reason took rational thinking a step further by incorporating theories of experience, aesthetics, and metaphysics. This concept later influenced Schopenhaur's theories of
transcendentalism (as well as American philosophers Thoreau and Walden) and
Friedrich Nietzsche's theories of individual perspective. This philosophical movement was later challenged by German Idealism and notable thinkers such as
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.
By the mid 1800s came new influences of political theories most notably
Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels who challenged the dangers of industrialization with their publications of
Das Kapital and
Communist Manifesto. This lead to political revolutions all throughout Europe for the next 100 years. In the early 1900 German thinkers once again furthered the scope of understanding in the fields of modern physics.
Albert Einstein introduced new theories of relativity while
Max Planck introduced theories of quantum mechanics.
German Music
Dating back to the 16th century German composers played a leading role in shaping Western Classical Music. Many of my favorite classical musicians happen to be German; Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and Richard Wagner are a cut above the rest in my opinion. As a child I was greatly influenced by the movie
Amadeus, Fantasia, and many classical albums my dad would play around the house.
The rise of this classical music came after the Renaissance, from 1600 to 1750 in what is known as the
Baroque Period. Notable German composers such as
Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederick Handel, Georg Telemann, and
Johann Pachelbel introduced tonality through various forms of opera, cantantas. oratarios, sonatas, and concertos.
This was followed by the
Classical Period from 1750 to 1820 led by notable German names such as
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and
Franz Shubert. They introduced new formats of string quartets and symphonies. By this time the Austrian city of Vienna had become the musical capital of the world and these composers were considered superstars. Some musicians did not handle the fame so well, and were turned mad as an affect of their genius, such as in the case of Mozart or Beethoven. However there music has withstood the test of time.
During the
Romantic Period that followed, came a new direction towards musical nationalism from 1815 to 1910. Many countries used music to identify their culture and Germany was once again setting the bar. One of the finest examples of Romantic nationalism is the passionate music of
Richard Wagner. He infused German folklore such as the
Nibelungenlied into powerful operas. His unique style of recurring themes, rhythm, and harmony forever changed music. Other notable German musicians of the Romantic era were
Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Strauss, and
Gustav Mahler.
German Art and Architecture
During the Northern Renaissiance one of the most famous German artists was
Albrecht Durer best known for his engravings and religious paintings. However one of my all time favorite painters is
Caspar David Freidrich from Germany's Romantic Period (
Favorite Painters). Several of his paintings such as the
Wanderer above the Sea of Fog and
The Man and Woman Contemplating the Moon are on my top 25 list. His paintings embody German folklore, culture, incredible landscapes, and national pride. Another influential German artist of the modern age worth mentioning is the surrealist
Max Ernst.
The architecture of Germany is especially unique and a defining element of their cultural landscape. When I think of German architecture I consider the incredible Gothic castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages such as the
Cologne Cathedral. I also think of the classical
Brandenburg Gate of Berlin, built in the late 1700s.
Then there's the magnificent
Neuschwanstein Caslte in the sky, built in the late 1800s as a homage to Richard Wagner. This incredible castle sits on a mountain top in a valley, and it's surreal setting has inspired many fictional settings, most notably Disneyland. Here's a list of some of the very important German landmarks that demonstrate their incredible architecture;
- Old town of Rothenburg (950)
- Heidelberg Castle (1214) Heidelberg
- Cologne Cathedral (1248) Cologne
- Neushwainstein Castle (1892) Bavaria
- Dresden Frauenkirche (1743) Saxony
- Brandenburg Gate (1791) Berlin
German Cuisine
When I think of German Cuisine the first thing that comes to mind is beer, sausage, brats, and sauerkraut. They also are famous for their deserts and pastries such as strudels,
rodgrod pudding, and black forest cake. Their cultural cuisine is best demonstrated at their yearly festival of
Octoberfest where all varieties of local food and beers can be tasted.
The Germans have a rich heritage in brewing with varieties of flavors such as pale lager, wheat beer, ales, dark beers, and sour beers to name a few. Their drinking containers are also very unique and personalized from stone crafted mugs to giant glass boots.
German Futbol
Another thing I really admire about Germany is their strong futbol tradition. Their national
Bundesliga has become one of the most respected professional leagues in Europe, much thanks to successful clubs such as
Bayern Munich and
Borussia Dortmund. They've hosted the Fifa World Cup twice in 1974 and 2006; have been runner-ups four times in 1966, 1982, 1986, and 2002; and have won the World Cup finals three times in 1954, 1974, and 1990. Notable German superstars have been;
- Helmut Rahn (1951-1963)
- Franz Beckenbaeur (1964-1983)
- Gerd Muller (1963-1981)
- Jurgen Klinsmann (1981-1998)
- Oliver Kahn (1987-2008)
- Michael Ballack (1995-2012)
- Miroslav Klose (1997-present)
- Philip Lahm (1999-present)
- Bastian Schweinsteiger (2000-present)
- Lukas Podolski (2003-present)
