An Overview Of German Culture
The culture of any particular community or people of a given country is predicated on their traditions, language, and the people themselves. Germany is one of the most popular and influential countries in the world, and most people consider it a country of thinkers and poets. Their culture has been influenced by the country’s rich history and used to be an essential part of the Holy Roman Empire. Even though all English-speaking countries call the country Germany, the people in the country refer to it as Deutschland. It is worth noting that there are many stereotypes about Germans. However, in this discussion, the focus will be on German culture, and the things that will be considered include their language, clothing, religion, literature, music, and art among many other important features that define their culture.
The Germans are perceived as one of the leading people in the world in terms of reading. The country has cultivated a reading culture, in both the old and young generation. The German publishers release about ninety-four new books every year. In addition, the international Frankfurt Book Fair, which is one of the most reputable book events in the world is usually conducted in Germany. Historically, scholars have argued that the first magazine, as well as the first book, was printed in German, which is an indication of how the country and in particular its people value learning or reading. There is a research carried out by Allensbach Media Market Analysis which shows that about 44 percent of the country’s population reads a book at least once every week. The same study showed that Germans purchase at least one book annually. Therefore, Germans can be regarded as people who enjoy reading. It is not surprising that the country has produced some of the most famous philosophers such as Immanuel Kant, Engels, and Marx. These are notable German philosophers who have influenced how modern people view the world. The other aspect of the German people's culture that has made them so popular around the world is their renowned classical composers, who is greatly credited for transitioning the music between romantic and classical to western classical music such as Beethoven and Bach. There are other popular German music composers such as Telemann, Handel, Schubert, and Brahms. This can partly explain why the country is home to a number of music festivals, ranging from rock and roll to hip-hop. However, it is worth pointing out that the largest music festival in the country is the Rock and Ring festival and can gather performers and artists as well as music fans from around the world. In addition to music, Germany, as a country, has various opera houses that serve as attraction sites for tourists.
Architecture is another distinguishing feature about German culture and has transformed over the years, thus creating quite a diverse and rich architecture. The country has Roman bridges, spas, and amphitheaters which form part of ancient civilization as well as modern German. In regard to the pre-Romanesque architecture, it comprises churches like the Abbey Church of Saint Michael which is estimated to have been built in the 10th century. Most of the cathedrals that were put up during the period have survived to this day. There is also the Cologne Cathedral, which was put up during the Gothic era and has survived to this day. The other period is the Renaissance, which lasted from 15th to 17th centuries and was characterized by the creation of palaces and castles such as the ducal Landshut residence or the Heidelberg Castle. In the 18th century, Germany started embracing the Baroque architecture and many of the buildings that were built during the time, like the Augustusburg and Wurzburg Residence, was constructed based on the Baroque architecture. They all have survived until today and continue to attract tourists due to their historical value.
In terms of artwork, the German artwork has played a pivotal role in shaping and developing western art, particularly the Ottonian art, Carolingian art, and even Celtic art. In addition, the Germans, like many other Europeans, used to paint and create sculptures in the Gothic style. In the 15th century, the Germans started designing altarpieces. The other artwork that the Germans showed skills in include, but is not limited to Rococo style, Baroque and Neoclassicism. German art also includes Romanticism.
Statistics show that more than 95 percent of the people of Germany use the German language in communication and writing. However, it is worth noting that there are other minority groups and language in Germany which have been recognized by the country. They include the Danish, the Saterland and North Frisian, the lower and upper Sorbian and lastly, the last ones are the Romani. The high number of immigrations has introduced new people and languages in the country such the Turkish, Polish, Russian, Kurdish and lastly, there is also the Greek.
The other cultural aspect of the residents of German or its citizens is clothing or rather how they dress. Most Germans dress like any other person in western countries. In a business context, for instance, both males and females wear suits with shirts. On the other hand, when it comes to traditional costumes, every region of the country has its clothing which is unique from one another. An excellent example is to consider the state of Bavaria, whose men wear leather trousers as their traditional costume and their women wear a dress with a blouse, a bodice, an apron, and a full skirt. The traditional attire is often put on in festivals.
The dominant religion in Germany is Christianity since about 60 to 70 percent of its population consider themselves Christians and, in this figure, about 29 percent are Catholics. Muslims represent about 4. 4 percent, which implies that they are the minority group. There is also about 36 percent of the population who are not affiliated with any religion or do not consider themselves as either Muslim or Christian. These figures show that the country is quite religious since about 70 percent of the population belongs to a religious group.
Overall, the discussion has illustrated the German culture which is diverse and rich with history. In particular, most Germans are religious and have cultivated a culture of reading. The other thing about the Germans is that they like music and composing songs. Their artwork involves painting and has architectural designs or buildings which date back to the 10th century. The other feature of the German people is that they have traditional clothes, but generally embrace the western style of dressing. The majority of the population also speaks the German language. In the end, Germany is one the most culturally diverse countries in the world and is important to the modern world today.
