German Cultural Overview

Germans are the people of Germany, a Central and Western European nation.

Geography

Germany sits at the heart of Europe, bordered by nine other nations. Its northern coast transitions from low-lying plains to rolling forests and riverlands. These lead into the rugged Alps, which divide its southern border with Austria, Switzerland, and France. While the interior tends to experience cold, snowy winters, Germany’s coastal areas see a warmer, more maritime climate.

• Climate: Temperate and maritime

• Capital: Berlin

• Total Population: 80,457,737 (2018 est.)

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History

Germany as a modern nation-state is a relatively new concept. Before the 19th century, the region was made up of many semi-autonomous regions under the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire developed in the wake of Rome, founded in the 9th and 10th centuries by Christian Franks like Charlemagne and Otto I. Prior to their conversion to Christianity, the Germanic peoples of the region had acted as the adversaries of Rome, halting its advance into Central Europe and sacking the city on several occasions.

During the Middle Ages, the region that would become Germany saw several notable developments. In the 12th century, a union of trading cities known as the Hanseatic League set the stage for later European mercantilism. Around 1440, a goldsmith from Mainz named Johannes Gutenberg introduced the movable-type printing press to Europe. His invention would make possible the Protestant Reformation, begun by fellow German Martin Luther, as well as the Renaissance and scientific revolution that followed. These advances, along with Prussia’s military prowess, allowed Imperial Germany to unify into one of the foremost powers of early modern Europe.

The German Empire came to an end after a costly defeat in World War I. Weakened and struggling economically, the nation transitioned to a constitutional republic known as the Weimar Republic. By the 1930s, however, Germany had fallen under the sway of authoritarian leader Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. His reign saw a second defeat in World War II and the genocidal Holocaust. Germany was subsequently divided along Cold War lines and reunified in 1990. It has since recovered to become a global economic power and a leader in technology.

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Daily Life

Lifestyles in Germany have historically been as diverse as its city-states and their territories. Its traditional cuisines and costumes all vary from region to region. For the most part, however, the average German person in history lived and worked as a farmer. They raised grain crops and vegetables and lived in small, thatched cottages, which they often shared with their livestock. Landowners and the nobility were more likely to consume meat and live in timber-framed houses. Those in urban centers might have access to other careers as craftsmen, merchants, and scholars, a trend that has continued to the present day.

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Society

Under the Holy Roman Empire, the city-states of Germany developed many experimental forms of government. While some operated along feudal lines, complete with knights and serfs, others functioned as merchant cities or oligarchies. The independent cities of the empire came to be known as free imperial cities. They were, however, only a small part of the complex imperial structure.

Political unity within the empire grew more complicated during the Protestant Reformation, with northern territories more likely to embrace Protestantism. As the empire weakened, powerful states like Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, and Saxony rose to prominence. With the exception of Austria, they unified under Prussia’s Wilhelm I in 1871. The 20th century saw multiple governments come and go in Germany, including an authoritarian regime and the division of the nation into capitalist and communist states. These events eventually led to its modern parliamentary republic. Today, Germany is known for its high standard of living and robust social programs.

• Major Languages: German

• Urban Population: 77.3% (2018 est.)

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Economy

Like other parts of Europe, the basic economy of medieval Germany relied on . Most foreign trade was conducted by the elite, who exported goods in bulk to pay for finer luxury items. Over time, the merchant cities of the empire organized into trade guilds and larger commercial powers like the Hanseatic League. This flowed naturally into industrialization, which occurred most visibly in a region known as the Ruhr. Germany’s economic growth was interrupted by the World Wars and the partition of the nation into two separate economic systems. While West Germany, aided by the Marshall Plan, recovered quickly, East Germany lagged behind. Today, the reunified nation represents the largest economy in Europe and the fifth-largest in the world.

• Major Industries: Manufacturing, energy, technology, automobiles

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Beliefs

The peoples who inhabited Germany before its conversion to Christianity practiced a range of polytheistic faiths, mainly rooted in Celtic and Germanic belief systems. In 496, Frankish King Clovis I converted to Christianity. On Christmas Day, 800, Charlemagne famously received his crown from Pope Leo III in Rome.

While the Holy Roman Empire had many disagreements with Rome, even leading to armed conflicts, it remained staunchly Catholic until the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation began when German scholar Martin Luther published a private list of grievances with the Catholic Church. His attempts at gentle reform would kick off sweeping social changes in Europe. In Germany, the Reformation led to the devastating Thirty Years’ War, which lasted from 1618 to 1648. Modern Germany is home to people of all faiths, including large populations of Catholics, Protestants, and non-believers.

Religious Demographics:

• None: 37%

• Roman Catholic: 28.2%

• Protestant: 26%

• Muslim: 5%

• Orthodox: 1.9%

• Other Christian: 1.1%

• Other: .9% (2017 est.)

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Arts & Music

Germany is especially well known for its contributions to music, film, and literature. Among its most famous composers are Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Wilhelm Richard Wagner. The nation is similarly home to famous authors like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Herman Hesse. Widespread access to the printing press made not only books but other works of art more available. Woodcuts and engravings, exemplified best by Albrecht Dürer, were widely popular and could be distributed en masse. Today, German artists explore any number of themes across all media.

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References

Bernstein, Eckhard. Culture and Customs of Germany. Greenwood Press. 2004.

Fullbrook, Mary. A Concise History of Germany. Cambridge University Press. 2004.

Sidgwick, Cecily Ullman. Home Life in Germany. MacMillan Company. 1912.

The Cambridge Companion to Modern German Culture. Eva Kolinsky and Wilfried van der Will, eds. Cambridge University Press. 2004.

“The World Factbook: Germany.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 15 May 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html.

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