GERMANY or DEUTSCHLAND FACTS
24 Oct, 2024
- +20,000 castles. The majority of them are over a century old and have been converted into museums, hotels, or cultural centre.
- Germany has the largest economy in the European Union.
- German is the world’s 3rd most widely taught language.
- There are 35 dialects of German: High German, Bavarian, Middle German, Low German, Frisian, Alemannic … the most popular dialects.
- In Bavaria, beer is considered food.
- Germany has +7,000 different types of beer.
- Germany is home to the biggest Beer Festival in the world, Oktoberfest in Munich, where the standard glass of beer is a whole litre!
- Germany is the 2nd largest beer consumer in Europe – Germans drink around 2.55 billion gallons per year.
- Berlin has the largest train station in Europe.
- Berlin is 09 times bigger than Paris.
- Have +1,000 different types of bangers / sausages.
- Have +3000 varieties of bread.
- The Christmas tree tradition originated in Germany. Germany invented the first Christmas tree or Tannenbaum. In the 19th Century, German royals spread the tradition throughout the country and neighbouring areas. Then the custom was brought to America by German immigrants.
- 33% of Germany is covered by +90 billion trees. Spruce trees are the most commonly planted, followed by Pine, Beech, and Oak.
- Germany has one of the most institutionalized Green Movements in the world. The country aims to be carbon neutral by 2045.
- Germany has been called the “Land of Poets and Thinkers.” Germans are famous in all forms of art, but particularly classical music. Germany’s famous composers include Bach, Brahms, Schumann, Wagner and Beethoven.
- Germany is one of the world’s largest automobile producers: Germany’s automotive industry is among the best in the world. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen are the best-selling German car brands.
- The 2nd World War left surprising legacies like the Volkswagen Beetle and Fanta
- The world’s narrowest street measures only 31cm wide. The alleyway is located in Reutlingen, Germany.
- 65% of highways (Autobahn) have no speed limit.
- There are +400 registered zoos. The Berlin Zoological Garden is the world’s largest zoo.
- It took 632 years to build the Cologne Cathedral.
- Cologne has an entire museum entirely dedicated to chocolate!
- Germany was the first country to implement daylight saving time.
- Baby names must be approved by the Standesamt or the German civil registration office. If the name is rejected, it must be changed or the decision must be appealed.
- Discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community is illegal.
- Hamburger derives its name from the seaport city of Hamburg. It is believed that the sailors brought back some uncooked shredded beef after returning from trading in the Baltic regions. An unknown German chef then prepared the shredded beef, and thus the hamburger was born.
- Germany is most famous for Currywurst, sausages, pretzels and Black Forest Gateau. More than 800 million currywurst sausages are eaten every year in Germany. The snack is so popular that there’s even a museum dedicated to it in Berlin
- Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft is the longest word to be published – it’s 79 letters long!
