German Culture

1. Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport in Germany. The German Football Association is the largest sports organization in the world with over 6.3 million members. The most popular professional league in Germany is the Bundesliga. It attracts the second most average attendance in the world. Germany has typically performed well in international sporting events, winning the FIFA World Cup 3 times, the European Football Championship 3 times, and ranks third in the all time Olympic medal count. Some popular athletes include Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Jürgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthäus, and Oliver Kahn. Other popular sports in Germany include: handball, volleyball, basketball, hockey, and tennis.

2. Some of the greatest composers of all time have come from Germany. Bach and Beethoven are two of the most well-known composers. Germany has the largest music market in Europe and the third largest across the globe. In the past, Germany has had a strong influence on techno and rock music, and even created trance music. Multiple music festivals are hosted in Germany every year and the Rock am Ring festival, the largest in Germany, is one of the world's largest festivals.

3. Pork, beef, and chicken are the most common meats consumed in Germany, with pork being the most popular. Schweinshaxe (braised pork) and Saumagen (pork stomach) are two traditional dishes. Meat is generally consumed in sausage form and over 1,500 different types of sausage are produced every year. Germany has a popular saying "breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king, and dine like a beggar."Bread is also very popular and over 300 types are sold across the country. The national alcoholic beverage in Germany is beer and consumption per year is ranks among the most in the world. Some popular beers include Alt, Bock, Lager, Malzbier, and many more.

4. 64.1% of Germans are affiliated with Christianity of some form. 32.7% are Protestant, while 31.4% are Roman Catholic. The North and East are mostly Protestant and the West and South Catholic. Germany was a major part of the Catholic Holy Roman Empire, but was also the home of famous reformer Martin Luther. Judaism and Muslims are also prevalent. There is a non-religious majority in most of the former East German states.

5. Germany celebrates many of the traditional Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas. The only federal holiday is German Unification Day on October 3 which celebrates the reuniting of East and West Germany. Although not a national holiday, Oktoberfest is a celebrated tradition that originated in 1810. The beer fest begins on a Saturday in September and usually lasts between 16 and 18 days, ending on the first Sunday of October.

6. Germany has a solid past and has achieved recognition by the American academy for several movies. The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film went to Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum) in 1979, to Nowhere in Africa in 2002, and to Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) in 2007. Some of the most famous German actors include Marlene Dietrich, Klaus Kinski, Hanna Schygulla, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Jürgen Prochnow, Thomas Kretschmann, Til Schweiger and Christoph Waltz. The Berlin Film festival has been active since 1951 and is one of the most famous in the world. The European Film Awards are held in Berlin every other year.

7. http://www.spiegel.de/- News source similar to the New York Times.
https://www.deutschland.de/de- Magazine with topics of culture, politics, business, and science.
http://www.thelocal.de/- Provides all the latest news of events in Germany.
http://www.dw.de/- Broadcasting station that provides top stories, press releases, and analysis of current events.

8. http://www.alloexpat.com/moving_to_germany_forum/germany-general-talks-news-germany-tips-f3.html?sid=b2cd3d3eddc7840c513c8a5ea2b84d22- Forum with general tips on living in Germany.
http://www.alloexpat.com/moving_to_germany_forum/germany-dating-get-together-meet-germany-friends-f9.html?sid=b2cd3d3eddc7840c513c8a5ea2b84d22- Forum that provides advice about dating and making friends in Germany.
http://www.alloexpat.com/moving_to_germany_forum/germany-entertainment-nightlife-dining-shopping-in-germany-f7.html?sid=b2cd3d3eddc7840c513c8a5ea2b84d22- Forum that describes the things people can do in Germany.

9. Germany is a federal, parliamentary, representative democracy republic. The president is the head of the state and is elected by the Bundesversammlung (federal convention). an institution consisting of the members of the Bundestag and an equal number of state delegates. The second most powerful official is the Bundestagspräsident (President of the Bundestag). The third most powerful official is the Chancellor and is the head of government. Germany has two main political parties, the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Germany. Joachim Guak is the current president of Germany, Norbet Lammert is the President of the Bundestag, and Angela Merkel is the Chancellor.