Germany Isn’t Bayern
Our German Bus just got back from traveling from Jackson, Mississippi to Washington, DC. During the two week trip, they asked Americans throughout what comes to mind first when they think of Germany. Time and again, they heard enthusiastic answers about bayerish favorites--beer, pretzels, and Oktoberfest.
We LOVE that Americans have positive associations with Germany and we would love to build upon that image and highlight the wide variety of food, events, sites, and cities of Germany.
To kick that off, we asked Germans here at the Embassy what first comes to mind for THEM when they think of their home country, Germany.
KARNIVAL
Think of Karnival as the Mardi Gras of Germany. The yearly celebration comes by many different names including Fasching and Fastnacht, but all of them include costumes and come to a peak in the days leading up to Ash Wedneday.
DÖNER
Found at nearly every shopping mall, train station, or town center--Doener is a beloved street food in Germany. It is essentially a pita pocket full of shaved meat, veggies, and sauce. It even comes with a self deprecating catch phrase, “Doener macht schoener” meaning “Doener makes you more beautiful”.
HIGH SPEED TRAINS
For many Germans, catching the train isn’t left just for special occasions. Though the really speedy ones like ICE are for long distance rides, many can be used to get to-and-from work or school.
SOCCER
Soccer is like the football of Germany. It is a language and culture in and of itself.
BAKED GOODS
From croissants to Brötchen to Schwarzbrot to Baumkuchen, Germany is full of beautifully made baked goods that can be picked up fresh from the corner bakery.
NORTH AND BALTIC SEA
Not many Americans think of the beach when they think of Germany, but many Germans have been to the Nordsee on family vacations or school trips. Here you can lounge in a trademark Strandkorb (beach chair), hike, or walk in the sand. Same goes for the Baltic Sea!
CHRISTMAS MARKETS
If you have not spent an evening holding hot wine under the twinkling lights of a Christmas market, you have not lived. A Christmas market is the place to be during the months leading up to Christmas and act equally as meeting place, bar, restaurant, amusement park, and shopping center.
SCHLAGERMUSIK
Germans have a love/hate relationship with Schlagermusik. Its American equivalent would be the last song played on a dance floor at a wedding. You know all the lyrics, it’s pretty outdated, and you cannot help but sing along.
BODILY FREEDOM
Germans are far from prudish. Bodily freedom doesn’t have to mean a nude beach or FKK (Freikörperkultur), but rather just generally not shaming or getting squeamish around nudity live, in ads, or on television.
SCHREBERGÄRTEN
Schrebergärten almost look like a neighborhood of tiny houses. They are close to it. Germans buy plots of land separate from their house to garden in, which normally have a small shack on them. Some families spend their summer months almost exclusively at their garden plot.
WEINFESTE
Beer isn’t a false symbol of Germany to have, but less known is Germany’s wine country. Germany has about 102,000 hectares of vineyards and some of the most famous wine in the world. These wines are celebrated during annual Weinfeste which typically take place after the harvest of the grapes.
REGIONAL PRIDE
Germany contrasts the U.S. in that one seldom sees the German flag hung outside of the World Cup. This is due to a lot of historical reasons. What Germans do openly take pride in is the region they come from. Be it dialect, surname, sport team, or festivals, Germans are quick to identify themselves by region and expressed their wish that more regions were represented in American’s view of Germany.