Category: German Culture

Since Brexit happened and everything has been firmed up, UK nationals who live in Germany require a residence permit. That process is surprisingly straightforward: studying in Germany is possible and requires a student visa. The same applies to vocational training. If you want to set up a business, either self-employed or incorporate a business, you […]

The Duden is the authoritative source for correct spelling, grammar and pronunciation in German. It is what the Oxford English Dictionary is to English. It was first published in 1880, comprising 27,000 entries. The latest 27th edition has just been published with 145,000 entries, 5,000 more than in the previous edition. New words are mainly […]

When doing business in Germany, you will probably at some point need to attend meetings and spend time in the offices of your German colleagues. To avoid making a faux pas, you should familiarise yourself with the business etiquette in Germany. Most important is to have a working knowledge of the language, particularly your business […]

It is a great idea to learn German if you intend to spend time in Germany, and we offer German courses here in London in the comfort of your workplace or home. But could it have been the case that you might have needed to speak German when travelling to America? A myth persists that a proposal […]

It is a little known fact that actor Bruce Willis is German. He was born as Walter Bruce Willis in 1955 in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany and, although his father was an American soldier serving in Germany, his mother, Marlene, was German. His father, David, moved the family to New Jersey, America on his discharge from […]

Unbeknown to many, a German served as the 56th Secretary of State from 1973-1977 – Henry Kissinger. Although he became a well-known face in politics, he came from humble beginnings in Bavaria, Germany. His father was a teacher and his mother a home-maker. They were German Jews, and in 1938 had to flee to the safety […]

Almost 40,000 Germans are living in London. More than Winston Churchill would ever have envisaged. In contrast to other nationalities, Germans living in London keep a low profile; they do not dominate the high street with schnitzel restaurants or sausage shops. Instead of finances permitting, many young professionals opt to live in Wimbledon, Chelsea, Kensington, Highgate, […]

Russia German is a term describing Germans who migrated to Russia from the start of the 13th century to the end of the 19th century. They are also known as German Russians or Soviet Germans. Tsarina Catherine II, herself of German descent, introduced an open immigration policy for Russia. Many Germans used the opportunity to […]

What do Germans really understand when the English talk to them? The English language has many subtleties that do not exist in German. The German language is very literal and & as a result, Germans may come across as rude or off-hand to the English speaker. Of course, Germans are not rude at all. When […]

Although in some regions of Germany, the start of the Christmas season is heralded as early as 11 November on St Martin’s Day, it officially begins on the first Sunday of Advent, which this year fell on 1 December. German children, like British ones, open the first window on their Adventskalender on this day. Still, […]

Saint Nicholas Day, Nickolaus Tag, celebrated just three weeks before Christmas, has to be one of the most joyful events in the German calendar. This festival for the patron saint of children falls on 6 December, when he is said to have performed many miracles. Children write letters on the day before the festival and leave […]

Continuing our series of blogs on influential Germans this week, we look at the life and work of the poet, historian, philosopher and playwright Friedrich Schiller.  Schiller was born in November 1759 and received his early grounding in language through the Greek and Latin tuition he received as a boy. He is considered Germany’s most […]

In our last blog we looked at the work of the Goethe Institute in promoting the study of German around the world. This week, we  explore something of the life and work of the man after whom the institute is named, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Goethe was a hugely influential writer, philosopher and politician. Born […]

Germans are proud of ”made in Germany” as a synonym for quality and reliability. In business meetings, Germans are rather formal, detail-oriented and direct. They tend to say exactly what they want and mean. They are decision making and problem solving oriented, although these processes can take quite some time to complete, especially considering the […]

I often get asked during German lessons what the proper business etiquette in Germany is. Here is a little synopsis about meeting German business partners for the first time: When meeting with business partners for the first time in person, make sure you are on time, dressed appropriately and armed with ample business cards. Your business […]

Learning to tell the time in German  One of the first things you will learn in your German language classes is numbers. It will help you say what floor you need in a lift, or on railway concourse, or in an office block. It will also enable you to tell the time. Timekeeping, for all […]

How should you address business associates in Germany? As a newcomer to German, one of the first topics you’re likely to cover is the personal pronouns: ich, du, er, sie, es, meaning I, you, he, she, it and so on. Suppose you’ve already started learning the language. In that case, you’ll know that there are […]

So you have been taking German lessons for a while? Or even an intensive German course? And now you would like to go a little further and experience German outside your classes? Because language learning is not all about grammar or vocabulary, sometimes it just helps to get a taste of Germany to achieve fluency and proficiency in […]