Category Archives: German culture
German history goes well beyond oompah bands. In fact, those aren’t German at all – they’re Bavarian. It’s not as simple as it seems, since the country has only existed since 1871 and regional rivalries coupled with two world wars and one Cold War make for a complex historic landscape.
Noise in the modern world—from cacophonous to carefully controlled
It’s that time of year again: The leaf blowers are back! They add to an....
Oct
Are you sure that’s what that sign means?
A sign in a foreign country may look like a word you know. But looks....
2 Comments
May
Aren’t you glad you got the orange car after all?
One thing Germans hate is a dirty car. But there's no escaping the fine dust....
4 Comments
May
The strange cult status of white asparagus
If you are in Munich and see people jostling for a spot in line at....
2 Comments
Apr
Cozy? Let’s sabotage that by opening a window
Once you're comfy and cozy, a German is bound to open the window to air....
Apr
The Superbowl is super in Germany, too
Football may be America's favorite sport, but it's gaining ground fast in Germany, too. I....
7 Comments
Feb
Better than bread: The best excuse to fatten up
Germans are now confronting the fact that Christmas is over but winter is just getting....
2 Comments
Jan
Ring in the New Year and fire the firecrackers
The New Year means more than resolutions. All of Germany sets off firecrackers at midnight....
Dec
‘Twas the Night Before Weihnachten
On a trip to a Christmas market in Munich, I was inspired by The Night....
Dec
Christmas cookies: Good, better, German
I loved Christmas cookies growing up and thought they were pretty good, but have since....
Dec
What happened to Santa Claus?
Santa Claus, St. Nick, or the Christ child? The figure we associate with Christmas takes....
3 Comments
Dec
Hot wine and cold toes
Christmas markets are popping up on every corner in Germany, including the medieval town of....
Dec
The 37 Days of Christmas
Germans don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but they celebrate Christmas half the winter. Starting at the end....
Nov
If this is punctuality, my watch is broken
Germans have a reputation for being punctual, but trains are a different story. During a....
Nov
What happened to my pumpkin pie?
It's not a holiday without pumpkin pie, but what I bake is a far cry....
3 Comments
Nov
Celebrating St. Martin from the comfort of the couch
Americans celebrate fall with Halloween, but Germans have St. Martin. Children carry lit lanterns in....
2 Comments
Nov
The nightmare of motherhood in Germany
School has started, a good moment to consider the burden on mothers with children in....
2 Comments
Oct
The library, the monk, and the sandals
This stunning Baroque library tucked away in a monastery in a Bavarian village is the....
2 Comments
Oct
Germans put the fun in fungi
My experience with mushrooms was confined to cans as a kid. In Germany, collecting them....
Oct
‘Tis the season of the Wiesn: The Oktoberfest for locals and tourists
What some probably don’t realize is that while the Oktoberfest is the biggest folk festival....
4 Comments
Oct
The tiniest stars of the Oktoberfest live in a drawer
The Oktoberfest is synonymous with beer for most people. Yet half of the fairgrounds consists....
2 Comments
Sep
Protesting technology by battling bikes and coning cars
Munich had a run-in with e-bikes once a few years ago. They successfully battled the....
2 Comments
Sep
Not teaching foreign languages will make America more insular
Do you speak English? This question is often answered with “Yes” all around the world.....
4 Comments
Aug
What’s in a name? More than you think
People’s identities are tied up closely with their names. But even when you are careful....
2 Comments
Aug
Germans delight in overengineering, taking helicopter mothering to new heights
Any foreigner in Germany knows all about the country’s love of overengineering. All it takes....
4 Comments
Aug
Munich comes full circle: From putsch to Rabbi Conference
The hand of history has done its work on the city of Munich. Named after....
2 Comments
Jul
Landshuter Hochzeit: The most theatrical wedding this side of the 15th century
Imagine if your wedding were so spectacular that people would want not just to reenact....
Jul
A fortune for footwear, or my kingdom for a sneaker
There was a lot of hullabaloo when Adidas dropped its sponsorship of the rapper Ye....
Jun
Watch out! Augsburg joined forces with the Swedes
Companies sometimes use shady tactics to gain the upper hand in a market. But this....
4 Comments
Jun
One foreigner is not like another – here’s why
Listen to Brenda tell the story There are varying grades of foreigners in Germany, with....
May
Are you sure that’s what that sign means?
Signs are there for the express purpose of helping you find your way. They tell....
1 Comments
May
This cheap ticket is amazing, but I missed my connection
Germany already experimented with a cheap train ticket last summer. People loved it so much....
May
Bring out the Easter eggs – the kids are coming home
Just as I was getting used to not being a mother, my COVID-harassed daughters came....
Apr
When a fight with your mom costs millions: acrimony at Aldi
There are grocery stores, and then there’s Aldi. In the decades since WWII, this discounter....
Feb
The nightmare of motherhood in Germany
Germany has the reputation of having generous social programs, with vivid descriptions such as "cradle-to-grave"....
1 Comments
Look here, U.S. election deniers – Berlin bungled it big time
The press and social media are still abuzz with deniers of the U.S. elections in....
1 Comments
Feb
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