CULTURE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
The following two links will take you to two new internet resources about German culture.
http://www.germanculture.com.ua/
The website above is a page about specific cultural facts from Germany. Here, you can find recipes, traditions, history, fun facts, and many more aspects of the German culture. This site is a good resource for people who want to learn a little more detail about Germany because it provides fun aspects of the culture and allows for people to experience the nation from home. This is an incredibly valuable resource because it allows you to experience Germany, as well as learn more interesting parts of their culture, from their computer.
http://www.livescience.com/44007-german-culture.html
This webpage provides a broader description for Germany's culture than the one above. While the website above shows you pieces of the culture, this website gives us a more general understanding of the culture within Germany. Features such as a description of the language, religion, and business culture are given on this webpage. This website is very valuable because it gives people at home a better understanding of Germany as a whole, instead of little facts and information.
http://www.germanculture.com.ua/
The website above is a page about specific cultural facts from Germany. Here, you can find recipes, traditions, history, fun facts, and many more aspects of the German culture. This site is a good resource for people who want to learn a little more detail about Germany because it provides fun aspects of the culture and allows for people to experience the nation from home. This is an incredibly valuable resource because it allows you to experience Germany, as well as learn more interesting parts of their culture, from their computer.
http://www.livescience.com/44007-german-culture.html
This webpage provides a broader description for Germany's culture than the one above. While the website above shows you pieces of the culture, this website gives us a more general understanding of the culture within Germany. Features such as a description of the language, religion, and business culture are given on this webpage. This website is very valuable because it gives people at home a better understanding of Germany as a whole, instead of little facts and information.
The map above shows the different breweries in Germany and how many are in each area. A major tourist attraction and product of Germany is beer; the product brings in a lot of tourists and money. Cultural events, such as Oktoberfest, are centered around beer that is produced in the country and is therefore a very large part of the culture. This cultural aspect falls under the cultural universal of economics and production, because this product brings in so much money. The map supports beer as an element of the culture by depicting just how many breweries there really are in Germany.
Breweries in Germany. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=5297#
Breweries in Germany. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=5297#
FUN FACTS:
- 99% of the population is literate.
- The average age for women to give birth is about 29.2 years old.
- 68% of the population is Christian.
- Germany ranks 59th in the world for adult obesity.
- Germany ranks 10th in the world for electricity production; they produce 526.6 k Wh every year.
- They have 539 airports; Germany is ranked number 13 for most airports in a country.
These two maps look at the cultural aspects of nuclear energy in Germany. As you can see in 1960, Germany had also no nuclear resources. This time period was the dawn of the nuclear era, countries around the world were just beginning to harness nuclear energy. In the years to come, it would be increasingly more popular. By 2000, Germany is harnessing nuclear energy. They are currently ranked number 21 in the world for the use of nuclear energy. This means that they are now one of the leading nations in using nuclear energy and producing it. Germany is very self sufficient in producing their own energy and these images display one of the ways that they are able to do so.
The two maps above show the cultural aspect of population and teen pregnancies. Between 1980 and 2010 the teen pregnancy rates in Germany declined significantly. A large factor that could have caused the decrease could have been increased development of the country. Germany in 1980 was still going through the cold war. In 2010, Germany is one of the leading nations of the world and continues to build as a country. The birth rate has also been decreasing since 1980 so that could be why the teenage pregnancy rate is so low for the year 2010.
What do these maps indicate?
Both of these maps clearly indicate the development of Germany. Whether it is through energy, becoming more energy efficient, or lower rate of teen pregnancy, Germany is become a more developed nation. Teenage pregnancy typically suggests that a country has a higher school drop out rate for children as well as an overall power country. Germany having a decreasing teen pregnancy rate implies that, as a nation, they are becoming wealthier and more developed. The huge increase that you see in the use and production of nuclear energy between the years of 1960 and 2000 shows us that Germany is becoming more self-sufficient. A nation that has always struggled with being united as well as free from a dictatorship and communism, is now beginning to be more developed. When nations are able to spend more money on researching and implementing new energy uses, the
Religions in Germany:
The above image is a map of the world. Each country is shaded in a different color to symbolize what religion primarily dominates the nation. There is a hand drawn arrow pointing to Germany. As you can see, Germany is shaded in purple; the key says that purple means the nation is predominately Christianity. Therefore, according to this map, Germany is primarily Christian.
Source:
Major religious groups. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups
Source:
Major religious groups. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups
The above image is of the Cologne Cathedral, as mentioned in the essay on religions in Germany.
Source:
The Cologne Cathedral | www.cologne.de. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://www.cologne.de/what-to-do/the-cologne-cathedral.html
Source:
The Cologne Cathedral | www.cologne.de. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://www.cologne.de/what-to-do/the-cologne-cathedral.html
The image on the left is one of the most horrifying photographs I have ever seen. This is a picture of victims of the Holocaust. You can clearly see how thin they are, due to the starvation they were forced into. They are also all wearing rags; their possessions had been confiscated. The Holocaust stands as one of the worst examples of religious prosecution in the world.
Source:
Holocaust Remembrance, Sanctuary, and Tribute to Survivors. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://isurvived.org
Source:
Holocaust Remembrance, Sanctuary, and Tribute to Survivors. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://isurvived.org
The image on the right is of Adolf Hitler. He was the leader that had encouraged Germany to blame their negative repercussions on the Jewish population. He led one of the greatest religious prosecutions in world history.
Source: Adolf Hitler | biography - dictator of Germany. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/267992/Adolf-Hitler |
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
The image on the left shows just a small piece of the horror from the Holocaust. Eleven million people were killed in an effort to eliminate cultural diversity. This image shows the piles of dead bodies that were all over Germany; facilities couldn't dispose of the bodies fast enough and caused for mass piles of people.
Source: Anti-semitism and National Socialism - Moishe Postone. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from https://libcom.org/library/anti-semitism-national-socialism-moishe-postone |
The image on the right illustrates the cultural brutality that the Jewish culture underwent. One of the most commonly known anti-semitic laws was the one depicted on the left. The Jews were required to wear the Star of David on their clothes so people would know they were of the "lesser" race of people. This stands as an example of cultural brutality.
Sources: Sixty-eight years after Auschwitz: Why we still remember. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/01/27/sixty-eight-years-after-auschwitz-why-we-still-remember/ |
The map on the left depicts all of the concentration camps in Germany and nations occupied by Germany. Here, the area was cleansed of any culture that wasn't the Aryan, Christian culture. This map depicts the huge loss of cultural diversity in Germany by showing us where many citizens were executed.
Sources: Rosenberg, J. (n.d.). Holocaust Map of Concentration and Death Camps. Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/ss/Camps-Map.htm |
CULTURE AND FOOD
I have put images of food that are popular in Germany below. The foods featured are potatoes, pretzels, dumplings, pastries, bread, sausage, and beer. The Germans also enjoy soups, stews, eggs, cold meats, poultry, pork, and beef. As a western country, Germany prefers filling foods and take pride in their warm wholesome food. Potatoes have been a popular dish in Germany for a long time; each section makes their potatoes a little differently by using their own local ingredients such as pears. Dumplings are a popular German food and are typically used as a side dish. The Germans specialize in making 600 different kinds of bread and 1200 types of pastries; Germans typically eat bread with every meal. The German sausage is flavored by the region and is one of Germany's most iconic foods. By far the most famous food in Germany is their beer! There are hundreds of local breweries that attract tourists every year.
Recipe for a popular dish:
Possibly Germany's most famous cake is the Schwarzwaler Kirschtorte, also known as a Black Forest Cherry Cake. The cake is named after the Black Forest region in southeastern Germany. Even the appearance of the cake appears to mimic the way women dressed when the cake was first created in the 1800's. Women wore brown skirts, a white shirt, and hats with red balls on top in this region. No one knows who invented it because many people have claimed that they have. The cake rose to popularity in 1949 in countries across Europe. No country aside from Germany has kept true to the original recipe. The cake is now only made on German soil and there are guidelines that must be followed such as the cake must have kirsch. The cake must also consist of at least three percent cocoa or chocolate otherwise it isn't genuine.
Source for this recipe:
Germany: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cherry Cake). (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.europeancuisines.com/German-Schwarzwalder-Kirschtorte-Recipe-Black-Forest-Cake-Cherry-Kirsch
Germany: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cherry Cake). (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.europeancuisines.com/German-Schwarzwalder-Kirschtorte-Recipe-Black-Forest-Cake-Cherry-Kirsch
Religion and Food:
The dominant religion in Germany is Christianity. There are no foods that directly tie religion and German food together. Religious boundaries on food in Christianity do include not eating meat on Fridays. In addition to that, certain foods are eaten on Christian holidays such as fish for Christmas Eve and lamb for Easter. German's also will put a pickle on their Christmas trees. Other than that, Germany hasn't based it's foods off of the religions.
The dominant religion in Germany is Christianity. There are no foods that directly tie religion and German food together. Religious boundaries on food in Christianity do include not eating meat on Fridays. In addition to that, certain foods are eaten on Christian holidays such as fish for Christmas Eve and lamb for Easter. German's also will put a pickle on their Christmas trees. Other than that, Germany hasn't based it's foods off of the religions.
Where does food come from?
Over 80% of Germany's land is used for agriculture. Primarily, Germany produces milk, poultry, beef, pork, wheat, potatoes, cereal, sugar beats, cabbages, and barley. Agriculture varies throughout the regions but is important to the nation. The agriculture that Germany produces is the food they eat the most of and are featured in the most recipes. Food is also imported into Germany, although their most popular foods are grown within the country. There are no influences on Germany's agriculture from other cultures. In the same way that Americans change foreign food, such as Chinese or Italian, to taste better to their culture, Germany adds their alterations to cultural food. Primarily, the most dominant foods served in Germany consist of ingredients that are raised or cultivated within their country.
Over 80% of Germany's land is used for agriculture. Primarily, Germany produces milk, poultry, beef, pork, wheat, potatoes, cereal, sugar beats, cabbages, and barley. Agriculture varies throughout the regions but is important to the nation. The agriculture that Germany produces is the food they eat the most of and are featured in the most recipes. Food is also imported into Germany, although their most popular foods are grown within the country. There are no influences on Germany's agriculture from other cultures. In the same way that Americans change foreign food, such as Chinese or Italian, to taste better to their culture, Germany adds their alterations to cultural food. Primarily, the most dominant foods served in Germany consist of ingredients that are raised or cultivated within their country.