Tag Archives: history
Black Friday – But Not The One You Think Posted by Sten on Nov 25, 2016
Black Friday is known in the United States as a day of ridiculous discounts and jaw-dropping, long lines at stores. This day was exported to other countries as well, including European countries. Mostly online stores offer great discounts here as well. Black Friday is called “black” for the great profits (the “black numbers) companies make…
The Oldest Brezel Ever Found Posted by Sten on Oct 31, 2016
Who doesn’t know them? Brezel (pretzels) are known worldwide mostly as a Bavarian delicacy. The salty dough product is super popular throughout Germany. As it turns out now, not only its taste is superb, but also its best before date… How old is that oldest pretzel? Read on to find out! Where does the word Brezel even come from? The…
German-American Day Posted by Constanze on Oct 5, 2016
Guten Tag! I’m bringing you this post today in light of a special day tomorrow, October 6th 2016. Tomorrow is German-American Day in the USA! This is a day to celebrate the German heritage in America. Specifically, it commemorates the date in 1683 when 13 German families settled in Philadelphia and subsequently founded Germantown, Pennsylvania…
The German Iron Maiden Posted by Constanze on Jun 16, 2016
Guten Tag! Part of learning a language involves stumbling upon interesting little facts you didn’t know about before. This is what happened to me the other day. I was reading a book that mentioned the Iron Maiden – I had no idea this was a German invention! So I decided to do some reading about…
German Vergangenheitsbewältigung Posted by Constanze on Jun 14, 2016
Guten Tag! Today I’m bringing you another untranslatable word, but it’s a bit more of a ‘serious’ one this time, rather than the light-hearted ones we’re used to! The word of today is die Vergangenheitsbewältigung. This is a very famous German word so perhaps you know about it already – or perhaps you’ve seen it…
German Words Associated With Nazism Posted by Constanze on Mar 1, 2016
Guten Tag! Have you ever said a word or phrase in all innocence, only to receive shocked gasps from those around you, and be told ‘You can’t say that!’? Or be laughed at because the word you’ve used doesn’t mean what you think it does? Language is ever-changing, and words’ meanings can change over time…
The Bratwurst! Posted by Sten on Jan 28, 2016
The Bratwurst is one of the first things you will link to Germany. It designates by itself not a specific sausage, but a more general recipe: meat, minced together with herbs and spices, which is either pressed into a Darm (intestine) of a pig or a lamb, or shaped in hot water. This sausage is then brewed and grilled…