Germany Today

When someone mentions the word "Germany," the first thing that springs to mind for many people is a jovial man drinking beer from a very large receptacle made for this express purpose, with which to wash down his hearty meal of sausages, sauerkraut, and pretzels. This man is invariably dressed in short pants held up by suspenders, funny patches just beneath his knees, and a quaint, green hat with a feather stuck in it. All the while he is yodelling between sips of beer and bites of bratwurst.

While it is true that you could encounter such a person in Germany, it would most likely be at a traditional festival in Bavaria, Germany's largest state. Nevertheless most Germans, Bavarians included, do not regularly dress in the aforementioned manner without occasion. To assume so would be equivalent to thinking that most Texans wear ten-gallon hats and cowboy boots on a daily basis.

The modern nation of Germany is a federal republic, organized much as the U.S. is. Its sixteen states all fit into a space about the size of the American state of Montana. Approximately 82 million people live in Germany, making it populationally the largest country in Europe.

Germany is also the economic powerhouse of the European Union, somewhat owing to this large population. Many of Germany's inhabitants originally came from other countries. These Gastarbeiter, or "guest workers," were immigrants from countries such as Turkey and Italy during Germany's famed "economic miracle," the post-World War II period in which it experienced labor shortages due to rapid economic growth. Today Germany ranks second in world trade after the United States. It has the third largest economy in the world, after those of America and Japan.

Germans are well-known for their love of travel. This is partially because of the fact that they have between five and six weeks of vacation per year. They tend to favor going to Italy, Spain, and the United States.

The foreign languages Germans learn in school help them in their travels. All children are required to learn English, usually starting in fifth grade. Children attending academic high schools, i.e. as opposed to vocational ones, must also choose a second foreign language, either Latin or French.

When they're not travelling, Germans love to watch and play soccer, hike, swim, ski (both nordic and alpine styles), cycle, and just about any other activity that involves being outdoors.

Germany itself is a spectacular travel destination. Its beautiful medieval cities and towns dot the varied landscape from the magnificent Alps to the Rhine River, from the North and Baltic Seas to the famous Black Forest. It is not uncommon for Germans to travel in their own country for vacations, despite its relatively small geographical area. This is especially true now that reunification has occured, because Germans from the former East Germany now have the freedom to travel outside of their former boundaries.

The copyright of the article Germany Today in Germanic Culture is owned by Colleen Thomas Ryor. Permission to republish Germany Today in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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