Culture
Main article: Culture of GermanyCulture in German states has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both religious and
secular. Historically, Germany has been called
Das Land der Dichter und Denker ("the land of poets and thinkers"),
[262] because of the major role its
writers and
philosophers have played in the development of Western thought.
[263]Germany is well known for such folk festival traditions as
Oktoberfest and
Christmas customs, which include
Advent wreaths,
Christmas pageants,
Christmas trees,
Stollen cakes, and other practices.
[264][265] As of 2016
UNESCOinscribed
41 properties in Germany on the World Heritage List.
[266] There are a number of
public holidays in Germany determined by each state; 3 October has been a
national day of Germany since 1990, celebrated as the
Tag der Deutschen Einheit (
German Unity Day).
[267] Prior to reunification, the day was celebrated on 17 June, in honour of the
Uprising of 1953 in East Germany which was brutally suppressed on that date.
[268]In the 21st century
Berlin has emerged as a major international creative centre.
[269] According to the Anholt–GfK Nation Brands Index, in 2014 Germany was the world's most respected nation among 50 countries (ahead of US, UK, and France).
[270][271][272] A global opinion poll for the
BBC revealed that Germany is recognised for having the most positive influence in the world in 2013 and 2014.
[273][274] Music
Main article: Music of GermanyGerman
classical music includes works by some of the world's most well-known composers.
Dieterich Buxtehude composed oratorios for organ, which influenced the later work of
Johann Sebastian Bach and
Georg Friedrich Händel; these men were influential composers of the
Baroque period. During his tenure as violinist and teacher at the Salzburg cathedral, Augsburg-born composer
Leopold Mozart mentored one of the most noted musicians of all time:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Ludwig van Beethoven was a crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and
Romantic eras.
Carl Maria von Weber and
Felix Mendelssohn were important in the early Romantic period.
Robert Schumann and
Johannes Brahms composed in the Romantic idiom.
Richard Wagner was known for his operas.
Richard Strauss was a leading composer of the late Romantic and early
modern eras.
Karlheinz Stockhausen and
Hans Zimmer are important composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries.
[275]Germany is the second largest music market in Europe, and fourth largest in the world.
[276] German popular music of the 20th and 21st centuries includes the movements of
Neue Deutsche Welle,
pop,
Ostrock,
heavy metal/
rock,
punk,
pop rock,
indie and
schlager pop. German
electronic music gained global influence, with
Kraftwerk and
Tangerine Dream pioneering in this genre.
[277] DJs and artists of the
techno and
house music scenes of Germany have become well known (e.g.
Paul van Dyk,
Paul Kalkbrenner, and
Scooter).
[278] Art
Main article: German art
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German painters have influenced
western art.
Albrecht Dürer,
Hans Holbein the Younger,
Matthias Grünewald and
Lucas Cranach the Elder were important German artists of the
Renaissance,
Peter Paul Rubens and
Johann Baptist Zimmermann of the
Baroque,
Caspar David Friedrich and
Carl Spitzweg of
Romanticism,
Max Liebermann of
Impressionism and
Max Ernst of
Surrealism.
[279] Such German sculptors as
Otto Schmidt-Hofer,
Franz Iffland, and
Julius Schmidt-Felling made important contributions to German art history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
[280][281]Several German art groups formed in the 20th century, such as the
November Group or
Die Brücke (The Bridge) and
Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), by the Russian-born
Wassily Kandinsky, influenced the development of
Expressionism in Munich and Berlin. The
New Objectivity arose as a counter-style to it during the
Weimar Republic. Post-World War II art trends in Germany can broadly be divided into
Neo-expressionism,
performance art and
Conceptualism. Especially notable neo-expressionists include
Georg Baselitz,
Anselm Kiefer,
Jörg Immendorff,
A. R. Penck,
Markus Lüpertz,
Peter Robert Keil and
Rainer Fetting. Other notable artists who work with traditional media or figurative imagery include
Martin Kippenberger,
Gerhard Richter,
Sigmar Polke, and
Neo Rauch. Leading German conceptual artists include or included
Bernd and Hilla Becher,
Hanne Darboven,
Hans-Peter Feldmann,
Hans Haacke,
Joseph Beuys,
HA Schult,
Aris Kalaizis,
Neo Rauch (
New Leipzig School) and
Andreas Gursky (photography). Major art exhibitions and festivals in Germany are the
documenta, the
Berlin Biennale,
transmediale and
Art Cologne.
[279] Architecture
Main article: Architecture of GermanyArchitectural contributions from Germany include the
Carolingian and
Ottonian styles, which were precursors of
Romanesque.
Brick Gothic is a distinctive medieval style that evolved in Germany. Also in
Renaissance and
Baroqueart, regional and typically German elements evolved (e.g.
Weser Renaissance and
Dresden Baroque). Among many renowned Baroque masters were
Pöppelmann,
Balthasar Neumann,
Knobelsdorff and the
Asam brothers. The
Wessobrunner School exerted a decisive influence on, and at times even dominated, the art of stucco in southern Germany in the 18th century. The
Upper Swabian Baroque Route offers a baroque-themed tourist route that highlights the contributions of such artists and craftsmen as the sculptor and plasterer
Johann Michael Feuchtmayer, one of the foremost members of the
Feuchtmayer family and the brothers
Johann Baptist Zimmermann and
Dominikus Zimmermann.
[282] Vernacular architecture in Germany is often identified by its
timber framing (
Fachwerk) traditions and varies across regions, and among carpentry styles.
[283][284]When industrialisation spread across Europe,
Classicism and a distinctive style of
historism developed in Germany, sometimes referred to as
Gründerzeit style, due to the economical boom years at the end of the 19th century. Regional historicist styles include the
Hanover School,
Nuremberg Style and Dresden's
Semper-Nicolai School. Among the most famous of German buildings, the
Schloss Neuschwanstein represents
Romanesque Revival. Notable sub-styles that evolved since the 18th century are the
German spa and
seaside resort architecture. German artists, writers and gallerists like
Siegfried Bing,
Georg Hirth and
Bruno Möhring also contributed to the development of
Art Nouveau at the turn of the 20th century, known as
Jugendstil in German.
[285]Expressionist architecture developed in the 1910s in Germany and influenced
Art Deco and other modern styles, with e.g.
Fritz Höger,
Erich Mendelsohn,
Dominikus Böhm, and
Fritz Schumacher being influential architects. Germany was particularly important in the early
modernist movement: it is the home of
Werkbund initiated by
Hermann Muthesius (
New Objectivity), and of the
Bauhaus movement founded by
Walter Gropius. Consequently, Germany is often considered the cradle of modern architecture and design.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe became one of the world's most renowned architects in the second half of the 20th century. He conceived of the glass façade
skyscraper.
[286] Renowned contemporary
architects and offices include
Hans Kollhoff,
Sergei Tchoban,
KK Architekten,
Helmut Jahn,
Behnisch,
GMP,
Ole Scheeren,
J. Mayer H.,
OM Ungers,
Gottfried Böhm and
Frei Otto (the last two being
Pritzker Prize winners).
[287] Literature and philosophy
Main articles: German literature and German philosophyGerman literature can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the works of writers such as
Walther von der Vogelweide and
Wolfram von Eschenbach. Well-known German authors include
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
Friedrich Schiller,
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and
Theodor Fontane. The collections of folk tales published by the
Brothers Grimm popularised
German folklore on an international level.
[288] The Grimms also gathered and codified regional variants of the German language, grounding their work in historical principles; their
Deutsches Wörterbuch, or German Dictionary, sometimes called the Grimm dictionary, was begun in 1838 and the first volumes published in 1854.
[289]Influential authors of the 20th century include
Gerhart Hauptmann,
Thomas Mann,
Hermann Hesse,
Heinrich Böll and
Günter Grass.
[290] The German book market is the third largest in the world, after the United States and China.
[291] The
Frankfurt Book Fair is the most important in the world for international deals and trading, with a tradition spanning over 500 years.
[292] The
Leipzig Book Fair also retains a major position in Europe.
[293]German philosophy is historically significant:
Gottfried Leibniz's contributions to
rationalism; the
enlightenment philosophy by
Immanuel Kant; the establishment of classical
German idealism by
Johann Gottlieb Fichte,
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling;
Arthur Schopenhauer's composition of metaphysical pessimism; the formulation of
communist theory by
Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels;
Friedrich Nietzsche's development of
perspectivism;
Gottlob Frege's contributions to the dawn of
analytic philosophy;
Martin Heidegger's works on Being;
Oswald Spengler's historical philosophy; the development of the
Frankfurt School by
Max Horkheimer,
Theodor Adorno,
Herbert Marcuse and
Jürgen Habermas have been particularly influential.
[294] Media
Main article: Media of GermanyThe largest internationally operating
media companies in Germany are the
Bertelsmann enterprise,
Axel Springer SE and
ProSiebenSat.1 Media. The
German Press Agency DPA is also significant.
Germany's television market is the largest in Europe, with some 38 million TV households.
[295] Around 90% of German households have cable or satellite TV, with a variety of
free-to-view public and
commercial channels.
[296] There are more than 500 public and private
radio stations in Germany, with the public
Deutsche Welle being the main German radio and television broadcaster in foreign languages.
[297] Germany's national radio network is the
Deutschlandradio while
ARD stations are covering local services.
Many of Europe's best-selling
newspapers and
magazines are produced in Germany. The papers (and internet portals) with the highest circulation are
Bild (a
tabloid),
Die Zeit,
Süddeutsche Zeitung,
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and
Die Welt, the largest magazines include
Der Spiegel,
Stern and
Focus.
[298]The
German video gaming market is one of the largest in the world.
[299] The
Gamescom in Cologne is the world's leading gaming convention.
[300] Popular game series from Germany include
Turrican, the
Anno series,
The Settlers series, the
Gothic series,
SpellForce, the
FIFA Manager series,
Far Cry and
Crysis. Relevant game developers and publishers are
Blue Byte,
Crytek,
Deep Silver,
Kalypso Media,
Piranha Bytes,
Yager Development, and some of the largest
social network game companies like
Bigpoint,
Gameforge,
Goodgame and
Wooga.
[301] Cinema
Main article: Cinema of GermanyGerman cinema has made major technical and artistic contributions to film. The first works of the
Skladanowsky Brothers were shown to an audience in 1895. The renowned
Babelsberg Studio in
Potsdam was established in 1912, thus being the first large-scale film studio in the world (today it is Europe's second largest studio after
Cinecittà in
Rome,
Italy).
[302][303] Other early and still active studios include
UFA and
Bavaria Film. Early German cinema was particularly influential with
German expressionists such as
Robert Wiene and
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau. Director
Fritz Lang's
Metropolis (1927) is referred to as the first major science-fiction film.
[304] In 1930
Josef von Sternberg directed
The Blue Angel, the first major German
sound film, with
Marlene Dietrich.
[305] Films of
Leni Riefenstahl set new artistic standards, in particular
Triumph of the Will.
[306]After 1945, many of the films of the immediate post-war period can be characterised as
Trümmerfilm (rubble film). Such films included
Wolfgang Staudte's
Die Mörder sind unter uns (The Murderers are among us, 1946) and
Irgendwo in Berlin (Somewhere in Berlin, 1946) by
Werner Krien. The state-owned East German film studio
DEFA produced notable films including
Ehe im Schatten (Marriage in the Shadows) by
Kurt Maetzig (1947),
Der Untertan(1951);
Die Geschichte vom kleinen Muck (The Story of Little Muck, 1953),
Konrad Wolf's
Der geteilte Himmel (Divided Heaven) (1964) and
Frank Beyer's
Jacob the Liar (1975). The defining film genre in West Germany of the 1950s was arguably the
Heimatfilm ("homeland film"); these films depicted the beauty of the land and the moral integrity of the people living in it.
[307] Characteristic for the films of the 1960s were genre films including
Edgar Wallaceand
Karl May adaptations. One of the most successful German movie series of the 1970s included the
sex reports called
Schulmädchen-Report (Schoolgirl Report). During the 1970s and 1980s,
New German Cinema directors such as
Volker Schlöndorff,
Werner Herzog,
Wim Wenders, and
Rainer Werner Fassbinder brought West German auteur cinema to critical acclaim.
Among the box office hits, there were films such as
Chariots of the Gods (1970),
Das Boot (The Boat, 1981),
The Never Ending Story (1984),
Otto – The Movie (1985),
Run Lola Run (1998),
Manitou's Shoe (2001), the
Resident Evilseries (2002–2016),
Good Bye, Lenin! (2003),
Head On (2004),
The White Ribbon (2009),
Animals United (2010), and
Cloud Atlas (2012). The
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film ("Oscar") went to the German production
Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum) in 1979, to
Nirgendwo in Afrika (Nowhere in Africa) in 2002, and to
Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) in 2007.
Various Germans won an "Oscar" award for their performances in other films.
[308]The annual
European Film Awards ceremony is held every other year in Berlin, home of the
European Film Academy. The
Berlin International Film Festival, known as "Berlinale", awarding the "
Golden Bear" and held annually since 1951, is one of the world's leading
film festivals.
[309] The "Lolas" are annually awarded in Berlin, at the
German Film Awards, that have been presented since 1951.
[310] Cuisine
Main article: German cuisineGerman cuisine varies from region to region and often neighbouring regions share some culinary similarities (e.g. the southern regions of
Bavaria and
Swabia share some traditions with Switzerland and Austria). International varieties such as
pizza,
sushi,
Chinese food,
Greek food,
Indian cuisine and
doner kebab are also popular.
Bratwurst, one of the most popular foods in Germany Bread is a significant part of German cuisine and German bakeries produce about 600 main types of bread and 1,200 different types of pastries and rolls (
Brötchen). German
cheesesaccount for about a third of all cheese produced in Europe.
[311] In 2012 over 99% of all meat produced in Germany was either pork, chicken or beef. Germans produce their ubiquitous sausages in almost 1,500 varieties, including
Bratwursts and
Weisswursts.
[312] In 2012,
organic foods accounted for 3.9% of total food sales.
[313]Although
wine is becoming more popular in many parts of Germany, especially close to
German wine regions,
[314] the national alcoholic drink is
beer. German beer consumption per person stands at 110 litres (24 imp gal; 29 US gal) in 2013 and remains among the
highest in the world.
[315] German beer purity regulations date back to the 15th century.
[316]The 2015
Michelin Guide awarded eleven restaurants in Germany
three stars, the highest designation, while 38 more received two stars and 233 one star.
[317] German restaurants have become the world's second-most decorated after France.
[318][319] Sports
Main article: Sport in GermanyTwenty-seven million Germans are members of a sports club and an additional twelve million pursue sports individually.
[320] Association football is the most popular sport. With more than 6.3 million official members, the
German Football Association (
Deutscher Fußball-Bund) is the largest sports organisation of its kind worldwide, and the German top league, the
Bundesliga, attracts the second highest
average attendance of all professional sports leagues in the world.
[320] The
German men's national football team won the
FIFA World Cup in 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014, the
UEFA European Championship in 1972, 1980 and 1996, and the
FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017. Germany hosted the
FIFA World Cup in 1974 and
2006 and the UEFA European Championship in
1988.
Other popular spectator sports include
winter sports,
boxing,
basketball,
handball,
volleyball,
ice hockey,
tennis,
horse riding and
golf.
Water sports like
sailing,
rowing, and
swimming are popular in Germany as well.
[320]Germany is one of the leading
motor sports countries in the world. Constructors like
BMW and
Mercedes are prominent manufacturers in motor sport.
Porsche has won the
24 Hours of Le Mans race 19 times, and
Audi 13 times (as of 2017). The driver
Michael Schumacher has set many motor sport records during his career, having won seven
Formula One World Drivers' Championships, more than any other. He is one of the highest paid sportsmen in history.
[321] Sebastian Vettel is also among the top five most successful Formula One drivers of all time.
[322] Also
Nico Rosberg won the Formula One World Championship.
Historically,
German athletes have been successful contenders in the
Olympic Games, ranking third in an
all-time Olympic Games medal count (when combining East and West German medals). Germany was the last country to host both the summer and winter games in the same year, in 1936 the Berlin
Summer Games and the
Winter Games in
Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
[323] In
Munich it hosted the Summer Games of
1972.
[324] Fashion and design
Main article: German fashionGerman designers became early leaders of modern
product design, with the
Bauhaus designers like
Mies van der Rohe, and
Dieter Rams of
Braun being essential pioneers.
[325]Germany is a leading country in the
fashion industry. The German textile industry consisted of about 1,300 companies with more than 130,000 employees in 2010, which generated a revenue of 28 billion Euro. Almost 44 per cent of the products are exported.
[326] The
Berlin Fashion Week and the fashion trade fair
Bread & Butter are held twice a year.
[327]Munich, Hamburg, Cologne and Düsseldorf are also important design, production and trade hubs of the domestic fashion industry, among smaller towns.
[328] Renowned fashion designers from Germany include
Karl Lagerfeld,
Jil Sander,
Wolfgang Joop,
Philipp Plein and
Michael Michalsky. Important brands include
Hugo Boss,
Escada,
Adidas,
Puma,
Esprit and
Triumph. The German
supermodels Claudia Schiffer,
Heidi Klum,
Tatjana Patitz,
Nadja Auermann and
Toni Garrn,
among others, have come to international fame.
[329]See also