German Food: The Humble Knödel Posted by Constanze on Nov 30, 2014
Today I’d like to devote some time to the wonderful German/Austrian food that is the Knödel! Also called Kloße in some parts of Germany, the Knödel is a dumpling that is synonymous for me with Bavaria. Ever since I was a child, I looked forward to eating the delicious Knödel made by my Oma (grandma)…
Untranslatable German Coffee: Kaffeeklatsch and Kaffeefahrt Posted by Constanze on Nov 21, 2014
Today I’m talking about two words centred around one of my favourite things – coffee! Coffee in German is Kaffee. Just the mere mention of this word brings a smile to my face. I’m sure you’ve heard of the German Kaffee und Kuchen Kultur (‘coffee and cake culture’) – they’re absolutely mad for it. So…
“Liebe Mauer” and debate: Are films effective language learning aids? Posted by Constanze on Nov 14, 2014
Hallo! Wie geht’s? 🙂 Inspired by the recent events in Berlin, I’d like to recommend a German film I watched a while back. It is called Liebe Mauer. PLOT OUTLINE Liebe Mauer (“Beloved Wall” in English) is set in Berlin in 1989, shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The story is about a…
Berlin to release glowing ‘Balloon Wall’ into night sky for 25 year anniversary Posted by Constanze on Nov 9, 2014
Today, the 9th November 2014, is a historic day for Germany. It marks the 25 year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (Die Berliner Mauer in German). For 28 years (1961-1989 inclusive), Germany was divided into East (Deutsche Demokratische Republik or DDR in German; German Democratic Republic or GDR in English) and West…
Forced adoption in the GDR Posted by Sandra Rösner on Nov 5, 2014
It is still an unscripted chapter in history books: Zwangsadoptionen (forced adoptions) in the GDR. Unofficially it is known – officially it is supposed – that children in the GDR were systematically alienated from their parents and, hence, fell victims to forced adoptions. None of the responsible masterminds and operators have ever confessed this practice…
What is Halloween like in Germany? Posted by Constanze on Oct 26, 2014
In some ways, Hallowe’en is the same in Germany as it is in the UK or the USA. You can expect nightclubs offering Halloween themed nights for adults, horror movies shown on TV, children dressing up and going trick or treating (although this aspect of Hallowe’en is not as common in Germany as it is…
Du kannst mich!! 11 ways to express anger in German Posted by Constanze on Oct 22, 2014
You ever have one of those days where you just want to tell everyone to go to hell? Let’s do that now – in German. How is this useful, I hear you ask? Well, maybe the next time a co-worker irritates you, you can scream your desired comeback at them in German (since German is…