German Culture

Contents
Getting Out - Ausgehen .......................................................................................................................... 3
At the caf/restaurant - Im Caf/Restaurant...................................................................................... 3
Mealtimes Mahlzeiten ................................................................................................................. 3
German 'pubs' Kneipen ................................................................................................................ 3
Tipping Trinkgeld .......................................................................................................................... 3
Foreign food - Auslndisches Essen ................................................................................................ 3
Types of beer Biersorten .............................................................................................................. 4
Dner Kebab ................................................................................................................................... 4
German cuisine - Deutsche Kche .................................................................................................. 4
Buying food - Lebensmittel einkaufen ................................................................................................ 6
Bread - Brot ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Vegetarians - Vegetarier ................................................................................................................. 6
Drinking water - Trinkwasser .......................................................................................................... 6
Organic food - Bio-Lebensmittel ..................................................................................................... 7
German wines - Deutsche Weine ................................................................................................... 7
Curry flavoured sausage - ............................................................................................................... 7
Shopping Einkaufen ......................................................................................................................... 8
Pedestrian precinct - Fugngerzonen ........................................................................................... 8
Presents - Geschenke ...................................................................................................................... 8
Health- Gesundheit ......................................................................................................................... 8
Health insurance - Krankenversicherung ........................................................................................ 8
On the move - Unterwegs ....................................................................................................................... 9
Travelling - Reisen ............................................................................................................................... 9
ICE trains - ICE-Zge ........................................................................................................................ 9
German Railways - Deutsche Bahn AG ........................................................................................... 9
Tourism in Germany - Tourismus in Deutschland ......................................................................... 10
Industrial Fairs and Exhibitions - Industriemessen und -ausstellungen ....................................... 10
Motorways - Autobahnen ............................................................................................................. 10
Reporting an incident and making a complaint- Einen Vorfall melden und eine Beschwerde
vorbringen......................................................................................................................................... 12
The German Police - Die Polizei in Deutschland ........................................................................... 12
Emergency numbers - Notrufe...................................................................................................... 12

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Breakdown Services - Pannendienste ........................................................................................... 12

Relaxing - Erholung ............................................................................................................................... 13
Leisure time - Freizeit........................................................................................................................ 13
Favorite sports in Germany - Lieblingssportarten in Deutschland ............................................... 13
Cinema in Germany - Kino in Deutschland ................................................................................... 13
Frankfurt book fair - Frankfurter Buchmesse ............................................................................... 14
Private and state-owned broadcasting corporation - Private und ffentliche Rundfunkanstalten
...................................................................................................................................................... 14
Social involvement - Soziales Engagement .................................................................................. 14
The theatre in Germany - Die Theaterwelt in Deutschland .......................................................... 15
Holiday time - Urlaub ........................................................................................................................ 16
Public tansport - ffentliche Verkehrsmittel ................................................................................ 16
Religious holidays - Religise Feiertage ........................................................................................ 16
Statutory holidays - Gesetzliche Feiertage ................................................................................... 17
National parks Nationalparks ..................................................................................................... 17

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Getting Out - Ausgehen

At the caf/restaurant - Im Caf/Restaurant
Mealtimes Mahlzeiten
Mealtimes in Germany tend to be early as the working day begins early. Breakfast in a hotel is
generally served from 6.30am onwards. Many employees have a second breakfast or mid-morning
snack between 9am and 10am. Lunch starts at noon. The traditional German supper, - das
Abendbrot, generally cold with sausage and cheese, is around 6 pm. Eating habits are becoming
more varied nowadays.

German 'pubs' Kneipen

A Kneipe is the German equivalent of a pub. There are many
Studentenkneipen in university towns; there and in other Kneipen
frequented by young people, it is normal to address and be addressed by
waiters and waitresses with the informal du, whereas in a restaurant the
formal address Sie is used.

Tipping Trinkgeld
The German for tip is das Trinkgeld. The service is normally included in German restaurants.

In a caf it is common to round up your bill to the nearest Euro, possibly adding 50 cents or another
Euro on top.

In restaurants, service is generally included and an extra 5%

would be regarded as a reasonable tip. It is best to give the tip to
the waiter or waitress with the money for the meal rather than
leaving it on the table.

When travelling by taxi, it is usual to give a 10% tip.

Foreign food - Auslndisches Essen

Some immigrants to Germany have established their own restaurants and shops, and through these
many Germans have come to enjoy food from other countries and cultures.

Others have grown familiar with food from an area in which they have chosen to spend a vacation.
Italian, Greek, Spanish and Turkish food is particularly well represented in the restaurants of German
towns and cities. More recently these have been joined by Thai, Indian and Chinese restaurants.

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Types of beer Biersorten

The range of German types and brands of beer is enormous. There are estimated to be between
5,000 and 6,000 beer products in Germany.

Every year in Germany more than 127 litres of beer are consumed per capita of the population. This
is exceeded only by the Czechs. Within Germany the Bavarians drink the most and the North
Germans drink the least, Bavaria has the most breweries and the most beer festivals. Best known is
the Oktoberfest which, despite its name, takes place in Munich in September.

Most German beer is still brewed according to strict traditional guidelines, even though the ancient
Reinheitsgebot (Purity Law) was lifted by the European Court of Justice in 1987.

Dner Kebab
The Dner kebab, literally "rotating roast", first made its appearance in Germany in 1971. Its
inventor was Mehmet Aygn who, in his uncle's restaurant in Berlin, had the idea of packing the
crispy pieces of lamb together with vegetables and sauce into a white bread roll.

Although sceptical at first, the Germans got used to Turkish food and throughout the 70s and 80s the
rotary spit dominated the West German snack market. After unification the Dner Kebab became
just as successful in the former East.

German cuisine - Deutsche Kche

There is no such thing as standard "German cuisine", but rather a number of regional specialities
ranging from smoked sprats from Kiel to white sausage with sweet mustard from Munich.

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Regional cuisine is also very important for Germany's top chefs. In 2008 the Michelin Guide awarded
more than 200 German restaurants one or more of its coveted stars. The highest concentration of
Michelin stars is in the Black forest community of Baiersbronn.

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Buying food - Lebensmittel einkaufen

Bread - Brot
Bread constitutes a significant part of the German diet; there are some 150 different varieties from
which to choose, and so the Bckermeister (Master Baker) is still an important person in Germany.
Sliced bread (Schnittbrot) does exist, but is nowhere near as popular as it is in Britain. It is used
mainly as a toasting loaf (Toastbrot).

Vegetarians - Vegetarier
Traditionally meat has played a very important role in the German diet, and although the German
League of Vegetarians was founded well over a century ago, vegetarians were until relatively
recently few and far between. In the 1980s British students who were vegetarians and wished to
spend their year abroad in the then German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische
Republik) had to take food supplies with them, because it would have been impossible to remain
healthy on an East German diet with the meat
removed.

Since the 1990s there has been a considerable change

in attitudes to meat and there is now a sizeable group
of Germans who are either vegetarian or who eat meat
only rarely.

Drinking water - Trinkwasser

Drinking water in Germany meets the highest quality monitored by the stringent
Drinking Water Ordinance guidelines. It is two-thirds sourced direct from the
groundwater, with one third coming indirectly from surface water.

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Organic food - Bio-Lebensmittel

Organic agriculture is becoming ever more popular among

German farmers. Between 1996 and 2007, the number of
farms working according to organic criteria soared from
7,353 to 17,557. More than 40,000 products on sale in
German supermarkets and health food shops bear the state
seal for goods produced organically. There are strict criteria
governing the classification 'organic': Foodstuffs may not be
treated with chemical pesticides or be genetically modified
and may only be produced from animals that have been
kept in an appropriate manner.

German wines - Deutsche Weine

German wines are produced in 13 wine-growing areas in which
around 65,000 vineyards produce a wide variety of typical
regional wines. Apart from Saxony and Saale-Unstrut in the
East, the German wine-growing areas are concentrated in the
southwest and south of the country. Although almost 140
types of vine are planted, only two dozen, primarily the white
wines Riesling and Mller-Thurgau, have any real market
significance. Of the wine produced in Germany 65 percent is
white and 35 percent red. About a quarter of the nine million
hectoliters produced annually is exported, in particular to the
USA, Great Britain and the Netherlands.

Curry flavoured sausage -

Germans eat more than 800 million currywurst a year. To celebrate the country's 60-year love affair
with the sausage doused in ketchup and spices, the currywurst now has its very own museum.
Tucked away behind the infamous Checkpoint Charlie border crossing that marked the beginning of
the Soviet-sector in occupied Berlin, the city's newest museum dedicates its 600 square meters
(6,460 square feet) to the currywurst.

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Shopping Einkaufen

Pedestrian precinct - Fugngerzonen

Most German towns have a pedestrianised area
(Fugngerzone) as do a good number of towns in Britain.
Towns such as Freiburg led the way in this environmentally and
pedestrian-friendly approach.

There are wide-spread Park-and-Ride facilities and in general

there is good provision for car parking in Parkhuser, so that car
owners can take full advantage of the pedestrianised areas.

Presents - Geschenke
In Germany it is common practice for sales assistants to enquire whether
purchases are intended as presents (Geschenke) or for customers to
indicate that this is so; the item is then gift-wrapped at no additional
cost.

Health- Gesundheit
Germans are, on the whole, very health-conscious. There is very good
provision for dealing with illnesses both by conventional medicine
(Schulmedizin) and by alternative medicine (Alternativmedizin). The
latter has gained increasing recognition in recent years, to the extent
that many treatments and remedies are now available through the
health insurance schemes (Krankenkassen). There is a long tradition of
herbal remedies in Germany. Some, such as the treatment of depression
by St. John's Wort (Johanniskraut), have gained recognition by
conventional medicine. Every small town has its herbal remedy and
health food store.

Health insurance - Krankenversicherung

Almost all citizens in Germany have health insurance, whether as a compulsory member of the
statutory health insurance scheme (88%) or a private health insurance scheme (almost 12%). The
health insurance companies or Krankenkassen cover the cost of medical treatment, medication,
hospitalization and preventive health care. Contributions to the health insurance scheme are made
by employees and employers. Non-employed family members of those in a compulsory health
insurance scheme do not pay any contributions.

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On the move - Unterwegs

Travelling - Reisen
ICE trains - ICE-Zge
ICEs are the Intercity Express trains run by the German federal railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB).
The trains travel at up to 200 miles per hour and have been in service since 1989; they offer
travellers comfort as well as speed. Internet access and enhanced mobile phone reception are on
offer in many ICE trains. Quiet compartments are also available. Travel on TCEs is subject to a
supplementary charge (zuschlagspflichtig).

IC trains are InterCity trains without the Express but are still pretty fast, while ECtrains, or EuroCity
trains, connect main cities to neighbouring European countries

PKW and LKW - PKW und LKWPKW is the abbreviation for Personenkraftwagen and means 'private
car'. LKW stands for Lastkraftwagen and refers to a heavy goods vehicle. Both are rarely used in
spoken language and are mainly found on public notices such as car parking signs.

German Railways - Deutsche Bahn AG

In 1994 the Deutsche Bundesbahn and the Deutsche Reichsbahn (the railway of the former GDR)
were merged and privatised to form Deutsche Bahn AG. The long term plan to modernise the
railway network, introduce high-speed routes for the ICE trains and update railway stations is well
advanced, despite delays through a lack of sufficient funds.

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At the local level attractive services have been introduced to induce motorists to switch over to
public transport. Light rail transit networks have been linked with underground, tram and bus
systems to form 'transport grids' in nearly all conurbations. Passengers may switch from one system
to the other using the same ticket.

Tourism in Germany - Tourismus in Deutschland

Nearly half of all Germans spend a holiday in their native land and approximately 12 millions
foreigners visit Germany each year. Hence the tourism industry in Germany is an important
economic factor.

There are nearly 100 'tourist routes', such as the 'German fairy-tale route', the 'Romanesque route'
or the 'German wine route'. There are countless regional and town fairs, wine festivals and other
traditional festivals.

Accommodation available for the visitor ranges from inexpensive rooms on a family farm, in a
private home or in a guesthouse to luxury holiday parks and top-class international hotels. Germany
is a cyclist friendly country with many specially constructed bicycle paths. Hiking and walking is also
well catered for in Germany.

Industrial Fairs and Exhibitions - Industriemessen und -ausstellungen

German trade fairs have a long tradition. They developed in the early Middle Ages out of markets
where people came to trade their wares. Germany's importance as a location for international fairs
is known throughout the world. The main fair venues are Berlin, Cologne, Dsseldorf, Essen,
Frankfurt, Friedrichshafen, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig, Munich,

Nuremberg and Stuttgart. Several of the world's largest fairs are held in Germany. Here are just
three of them: The CeBIT fair in Hanover is the largest and most influential of all IT and
telecommunications trade fairs. The world's largest travel fair, the ITB, is held in Berlin each year,
and the Frankfurt International Book Fair is the world's largest trade fair for books.

Motorways - Autobahnen

The German Autobahn (motorway) is known throughout the world for its sophisticated engineering
and for being fast with sections having no speed limits. Unlike in many other countries the German
Autobahns are also completely toll-free.

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The first ever motorway was built in 1929, between Cologne and Bonn. During the opening
ceremony in 1932, Konrad Adenauer, then mayor of Cologne, proclaimed: "This is how the roads of
the future will look". Adenauer supported the autobahn project partly as a way to create jobs during
hard economic times. Today the Autobahn network is approximately 12,500kms long.

Autobahns have names that consist of an 'A' followed by up to three digits. As a rule of thumb, even-
numbered roads connect East to West destinations, whereas odd numbers indicate mainly a North
to South direction. Road signs on the Autobahn are similar to those in the UK with blue and white
text signs. On the other hand 'B' roads, referring to Bundesstrassen, have orange and black text
signs.

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Reporting an incident and making a complaint- Einen Vorfall melden und eine
Beschwerde vorbringen

The German Police - Die Polizei in Deutschland

In Germany the task of maintaining public security and order is carried out by both the states
(Lnder)and the Federation (Bund). The police are for the most part under the jurisdiction of the
states, so there are 16 individual police forces in Germany. The Federal Border Guard (BGS), which is
responsible as its name indicates for border control, is under the authority of the Federal Ministry of
the Interior. The BGS is also called upon during natural disasters and major accidents.

In case of a road accident the police must always be called regardless of whether injuries have
occurred or not.

Emergency numbers - Notrufe

To call the police in an emergency, dial 110. The number is the same throughout
Germany and is free from public telephone booths. There are also emergency
phones at railway stations, in the streets and on the autobahns.

The number to call for the fire service or an ambulance/emergency doctor is 112
throughout Germany.

Breakdown Services - Pannendienste

The ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V) is Germany's and Europe's largest
automobile club. Moreover it is still today the largest motorcyclist association in the world with 1.5
million members.

The ADAC operates a large fleet of mobile mechanics in yellow cars that assist motorists in trouble.
In addition to this, it provides helicopters for urgent medical rescues in Germany and air ambulance
jets are used by the ADAC to rescue their members with a "PLUS" membership or customers who
own an ADAC international travel insurance from any location worldwide in the case of accident or
extreme sickness.

Breakdown services are also offered by the AvD (Automobilclub von Deutschland) and the ACE (Auto
Club Europa).

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Relaxing - Erholung
Leisure time - Freizeit
Favorite sports in Germany - Lieblingssportarten in Deutschland
Football is Germany's no. 1 sport with more than 6.5 million people in 26,000 clubs (Fuballvereine).
The DFB, the German Football Association, is the world's largest sports association. And it is
especially young people who are active: more than 2.3 million boys and girls play football in the 21
state federations. The best-loved leisure time sports are, other than
football, gymnastics, tennis, shooting, athletics, and handball. More than 40
percent of all Germans regularly play a sport, and sport is one of their
preferred hobbies. Among the favourite sports played that do not involve
clubs are cycling, jogging, swimming, fitness training and Nordic walking.

One particular German sports success story is the Deutsches

Sportabzeichen, the German Sports Award: each year almost one million
people of different age groups seek to pass this voluntary fitness test and
prove their endurance, speed and power in a variety of disciplines.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games the German team was placed 5th
among the more than 200 nations taking part. Over 800 leading German athletes are currently
enjoying government support and benefiting from professional training conditions, for example in
one of the country's 20 special Olympic training centres.

Cinema in Germany - Kino in Deutschland

German national film productions have clearly picked up at the box offices of late. And there are
now once again magnetic stars pulling the crowds into the movie theaters: Alexandra Maria Lara,
Martina Gedeck, Julia Jentsch, Daniel Brhl and Moritz Bleibtreu.

The industry's greater self-confidence is reflected in the

German Film Academy, founded in 2003, which now awards
German Oscars once a year: the Lolas. New German films have
also scored successes internationally: The second Oscar in five
years for a German production went in 2007 to Florian Henckel
von Donnersmarck for "The Life of Others".

Film Festival in Berlin (2006) Das Leben der Anderen (The Life of Others)

In 2007, Fatih Akin won the prize for best filmscript at the International Film Festival in Cannes and
the European Parliament's LUX film prize for his film "The Edge of Heaven".

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Frankfurt book fair - Frankfurter Buchmesse

The International Frankfurt Book Fair has taken place every autumn since 1949
and is the outstanding annual international book trade get-together. The
highpoint of every book fair is the award-giving ceremony for the Peace Prize
of the German Book Trade, which has been won by the likes of Vclav Havel, Jorge Semprn. Susan
Sontag and Anselm Kiefer. Since 2005, to mark the beginning of the Book Fair, the German Book
Prize is presented for the best novel written in German.

Private and state-owned broadcasting corporation - Private und ffentliche

Rundfunkanstalten
In Germany, there are in principle two different forms of TV and radio as well as of financing for
them. The private stations exist almost exclusively from advertising - the public stations are financed
mainly by license fees but with some income from advertising they are duty-bound to uphold a
programming agenda set out in law.

There are nine regional public stations: They are structured by state and all come under the aegis of
the ARD, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Rundfunkanstalten in Deutschland. Together, they are
responsible for programming by das Erste Deutsche Fernsehen (Das Erste), but also broadcast their
own TV and radio programs. ZDF, das Zweite Deutsche Fernsehen, is the second public German TV
company. It has its own nationwide channel and it also operates either individually or with partners
a number of TV channels, such as arte, 3sat and KIKA, the children's channel. The Deutschlandfunk
radio station and Deutsche Welle TV station broadcast worldwide.

Social involvement - Soziales Engagement

Social commitment among young people in Germany is
gratifyingly high. Indeed, 36 per cent of young people in the 14-24
year age bracket do voluntary work. They are active on behalf of
sports, leisure time, school, cultural and church affairs or in the
emergency services. The proportion of young people in some
areas is so high that without their commitment the services would
collapse - for example in the field of sports. Half of all young
people are members of clubs, and a quarter are involved in large
social organizations, especially the churches.

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The theatre in Germany - Die Theaterwelt in Deutschland

In Germany plays are staged everywhere, not only in the major cities, but also in the smaller towns.
With 120 public theatres including more than 750 stages and 185 private theatres, Germany is a
theatre giant. The best-known venues include the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, the Berlin Ensemble
and Munich's Kammerspiele.

Berliner Ensemble

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Holiday time - Urlaub

Public tansport - ffentliche Verkehrsmittel
Major cities in Germany have an integrated transport system combining a fast metropolitan rail
network - die S-Bahn, bus - der Autobus, often trams - die Straenbahn, and in many cases an
underground - die U-Bahn. All these modes of transport run to a strict timetable, and outlying areas
are well-served by bus connections to overground services.

Before you travel on public transport in Germany, buy your ticket either from a machine, labelled
Fahrausweise, or from a ticket desk - der Fahrkartenschalter, to avoid incurring a heavy fine. Your
ticket is only valid if you have stamped it before you start your journey. The stamping machine is
called der Entwerter.

Taxis are usually cream-coloured and plentiful and can be hailed in the street or hired at one of the
many taxi ranks - der Taxistand; a tip of 10% is normally given on top of the fare.

Religious holidays - Religise Feiertage

In Germany there are more religious festivals and bank holidays than in the UK. It is not only
Christmas and Easter that are celebrated but also other festivals such as Whitsun and the Magi or
Three Kings. In Catholic areas the number of religious holidays is particularly numerous.

Fasching in South Germany or Karneval in North Germany was originally a religious festival and a
celebration before the beginning of Lent, traditionally the period of fasting for Christians.

On Rose Monday or Shrove Tuesday, the two days before Ash Wednesday (which is 46 days before
Easter Sunday), processions are held in which the participants wear fancy dress costumes and masks.

Although Easter is an important date in the Christian calendar it is also closely associated with the
beginning of Spring. For this reason shop windows are decorated with Easter flowers, Easter eggs

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and baby chicks. At home people often make an Osterbaum (Easter tree) out of sprouting twigs and
decorate it with 12 brightly painted eggs which some say represent the 12 Apostles and others the
12 months of the year.

In southern Germany, particularly Bavaria, 'Kirchweih', literally 'church consecration', is celebrated

every year, in some cases on the actual day on which a given church was consecrated, sometimes on
the name day of the church's patron saint and sometimes on the third Sunday in October. Nowadays
the religious origins play a less important role. Many towns have a fun fair and other festivities at
Kirchweih.

Statutory holidays - Gesetzliche Feiertage

Except for the national holiday Tag der deutschen Einheit (German Unity Day) on 3rd October,
statutory public holidays in Germany are determined by the federal states and can vary from
between 9 and 13 days.

National parks Nationalparks

To a large extent the 14 national parks in Germany are located in the northern half of the country.
They are all noteworthy for their unique natural landscape and serve to preserve the natural
diversity of rare plants and animals. The largest is the Schleswig-Holstein Mud Flats National Park
Wattenmeer, with a surface area of 441,000 hectares. The smallest, Jasmund National Park on the
Isle of Rgen, with its famous white cliffs, is only 3,003 hectares in area. There are two National
Parks in the South: the Bavarian Forest (Bayerischer Wald) and Berchtesgarden in the Alps.

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