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Culture - History and Traditions

Facts about Germany	A Short History
Some traditions	The Arts

This is a page where you can learn lots of different things about Germany.

Germany and Ireland aren't that far away from each other in Europe

Germany in Europe

Ireland in Europe

Facts about Germany

Population: 82, 797, 408 (July 2000 estimate)
Ethnic groups: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% made up largely of Serbo-Croatian, Italian, Russian, Greek, Polish, Spanish.
Religions: Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 1.7%, unaffiliated or other 26.3%
Official languages: German

A multi-ethnic scene in a German school

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A Short History of Germany

Germany has a very long and varied history. It would be very difficult indeed to tell the whole story of Germany. These are just some key moments of Germany's history in the last 150 years.

1848: Year of Revolutions! Revolt in Berlin, the capital of Prussia. At this time Germany was not united. It was divided into 39 independent states. In May of this year, over 800 delegates met up to draw up a constitution for all of Germany. This didn't work, unfortunately

1862: Otto von Bismarck appointed as prime minister of Prussia, one of the strongest states in Germany. He wished to expand the power of Prussia.

1870: War between Prussia and France.

1871: Germany win war - declaration of the German Empire. German Empire consisted of 25 states. Lots of economic progression, industrial development etc.

1890: Fall of Bismarck - then a selection of prime ministers/chancellors followed.

1914: World War I breaks out. Britain declares war on Germany at midnight on 4th August. Many difficulties and hardships to be faced during war.

1918: Peace Treaties. Germany defeated.

1919: Weimar Republic - democracy in Germany.

1933: Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany.

1939: 1st September - Hitler invades Poland. World War II begins.

1945:Battle of Berlin 19th April -war over in Europe. Germans surrender and are defeated.

1949: Two Germanies created- West Germany and East Germany. Capital of Germany, Berlin, also divided into east and west.

Federal Republic of Germany

(West)

German Democratic Republic

(East)

1961: Berlin Wall created - a wall dividing east and west Berlin. No-one could cross this border.

1990: Berlin Wall knocked down. Two Germanies re-united into Federal Republic of Germany.

Otto von Bismarck

Adolf Hitler

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Some Traditions

Germany is a country full of rich traditions, like any other.

Bavaria is famous for its 'Lederhosen'. This means leather pants! The picture shows the Lederhosen. People don't wear clothes like this every day, just when there is a festival or celebration.

Click above for a larger version

An advertisement for Oktoberfest

There is a festival on every September in Munich. Even though it is on in September, it is called 'Oktoberfest'! It is primarily a beer festival (Germany is famed for its beer) but carnivals also take place during the festival.

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The Arts

Germany is renowned for its diversity of composers of music, writers of literature, directors of films, and so on.

If you would like to find out more about German composers, click on the pictures below

Beethoven

Schubert

Bach

Writers like Ernst Jandl have contributed much to the history of German literature. He wrote many interesting poems. Click here to view a particularly interesting 'Lautgedicht' - poem of sounds.
Search through www.yahooligans.com , www.google.com and www.askjeeves.com to find out more about the German Arts

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