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German Language & Culture

The German language, mainly spoken in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, is one of the older Germanic languages. It is spoken by approximately 95 million native speakers and about 83 million language learners. Due to its roots, it is a highly inflected language, which makes it difficult to learn and understand. Once it is acquired and learned, the German language enables language learners to understand other Germanic languages as well.

The following lists will provide insight into the German language and its cultural conditions. Germany is widely known for its sportsmen, technical achievements, history and food, but there are also other facts that you might be interested in while learning this language.

Literature:

• http://www.xlibris.de/
  This website informs students, scientists and language learners about the literature of the German language. Important authors of all times and their works, such as Goethe, Schiller and Brecht, are introduced, abstracts can be read, and different epochs chronologically summarize Germany's literature.
• http://www.sewanee.edu/german/Literatur/literatur.html
  Since Germany has long been famous for its writers and literature, many different websites list their most famous authors. On this particular website you can browse through the list of authors and their works. Important information and individual backgrounds are also provided.

Sports:

• http://www.sport.de/cms/index.html
  Michael Schumacher, Jürgen Klinsmann, Dirk Nowitzki or Steffi Graf - almost everyone has probably heard of at least one German sportsman (or sportswoman!). To get the latest news about sports events, this website offers a great variety of the different sports played in Germany.
• http://www.sport1.de/
  If you're interested in sports from all around the world, you might find this website quite interesting. There are German articles that inform about world-wide sports events and backgrounds, and the statistics and rankings are currently updated.
• http://www.dosb.de/
  If you want to know more about Germany's athlete of the year, the Olympic teams or other German sports, this website is definitely worth a look.

Culture and Traditions:

• http://www.deutsche-kultur-international.de/
  Germany consists of a rich culture that cannot be summarized in a few words. The best way to get to know Germany is to experience it by living somewhere in the country. This website gives you a good idea of what can be expected from German culture.
• http://www.deutschland.de/
  The official German website informs you about events happening in Germany. You can also browse through different cultural information that you might not have known before.
• http://www.deutsche-lebensart.de/45.html
  Germany has lots of traditions, which it is known for - Oktoberfest, Christmas and other festive events. Here you can find regional and traditional events, but also interesting facts about the German lifestyle.

Food and Drinks:

• http://www.chefkoch.de/rezeptsammlung/808210/Deutsches-Essen.html
  Sauerkraut and Kasseler, or rather a typical German Bratwurst? This is by far not everything the German cuisine has to offer, so if you want to get to know different menus, or even try some of the recipes yourself, browse through this website!

History:

• http://www.deutschegeschichten.de/
  The website provides an unlimited amount of articles about German history. The articles are summarized and chronologically arranged up until 2005. Witnesses and older politicians give their impressions and discuss what they have gone through.
•  http://www.diedeutschen.zdf.de/
  If you wish to watch a documentary about German history, this link is great to use. You can jump into any time span you want to know more about. Visual aids and animated geographical maps help you to understand what kind of events have caused and built German history.

Music and Film:

• http://www.deutsche-filme.de/
  This website provides a list of important German movies that have made their way to the cinemas.
• http://www.filmportal.de/df/index.html
  The Filmportal provides information about familiar German movies, actors and themes. You can read through several plots, and you are even able to access the English version of the website.
• http://www.musuma.de/
  If you know the title of a song but not the interpreter, this website is great for obtaining the information you are looking for. It also supplies you with important facts and free downloads of German music.

Education:

• https://www.deutsche-bildung.de/?et_cid=11&et_lid=16
  Any information you might be looking for concerning the German educational system can be found here.
• http://www.bildungsxperten.net/wissen/das-schulsystem-in-deutschland-funktionen-und-aufgaben/
  Germany has a different school system compared to other countries in the world. This website provides information about how it is arranged, the advantages and disadvantages of Germany's school system, and you can even read through the guidebook of German education.

Politics:

• http://www.bundestag.de/
  The latest news in politics, debates and important information about German politics are summarized on this government-related website. You also get an overview about how the political system is arranged and who contributes to it besides Angela Merkel.