German is the language of Luther, Goethe, Einstein, Kafka, Hegel, Mozart, Bach, Freud, Beethoven and many more influential authors and artists. Knowing German helps better understand their work. 18% of all books published in the world are in German. The German company Bertelsmann is the world’s largest book publisher, and the Frankfurter Book Fair is the world’s largest book fair.

There are more than 480 music festivals in Germany each year and the “Berlinale” is one of the most important international film-festivals. Germany is home to 6,200 museums (630 of them art museums), 820 theaters (including musical theaters and opera houses), 130 professional orchestras, and 8,800 libraries.

Berlin was the first in Europe to be recognized as a UNESCO “City of Design”. It is home to 6,000 visual artists, 2,700 architects, 400 photographers and 1,300 design studios. 33 of the UNESCO-selected monuments to our World Cultural and Natural Heritage are in Germany.

Culture
Why German?

Passionate about culture and history? Just Add German.

Discover the fascinating events and personalities of the German-speaking world!

Could you imagine yourself being there—whether “there” is a German cabaret during the Weimar Republic or a Berlin art studio right now?
Learning languages is a direct way to satisfy your curiosity about European history and culture, and taking German lets you explore new worlds:

You’ll start to learn about the amazing cultural contributions of the German-speaking world to music, art, theater, dance, and more—from the middle ages to the present day.
History will take on new significance as you practice reading historical texts in their original language, dreaming of someday heading to libraries and archives in Europe.
Your dreams of studying and living abroad will become that much closer—and when you get there, you’ll be able to communicate and understand the culture in a whole new way.

Facts & Figures

Videos

Beyond the classics such as Beethoven and his 9th Symphony there are many famous German musicians like Jan Delay, Seed, Cro and Die Fantastischen Vier.

Filmstill: Not just Bach — Just Add German © Goethe-Institut USA

Animation
Not just Bach — Just Add German

German music is well-known all over the world. Beyond the classics such as Beethoven and his 9th Symphony there are many famous German musicians.

Germany has a unique and deep culture and you can visit castles such as Sansoucci in Potsdam, Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Student Testimonial
Culture — Just Add German

Germany has a unique and deep culture. There is so much so see, like Sansoucci in Potsdam, Schloss Neuschwanstein or cities such as Munich and Cologne.

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