Did You Know

Interesting Facts about Germany

Trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits about Germany.

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Did You Know?

18 curious facts about Germany.

Nearly half of all Germans are fluent in English, but only 3% of Germans speak French fluently.
Most Germans take environmental issues seriously. Public recycling bins can be found in all towns and cities. This attitude is also reflected in the policies of the Green Party, a political party that stresses environmental issues.
The Hanseatic League was established in northern Germany in the 14th century by trading companies (hansas) to combat piracy in the North and Baltic Seas. Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck are still known as Hanseatic cities.
Germans value punctuality. In Germany, if guests are invited for dinner at 8 p.m., they will arrive at 8 p.m., whereas in Canada it is considered polite to arrive a few minutes after the hour.

Germans wear their wedding rings on their right hands, not on the left as Canadians do.
Chimney sweeps can still be seen in Germany, dressed in the traditional black suit and black top hat.
Germans have played an important role in the world of fashion and design, not only because of designers such as Hugo Boss, Karl Lagerfeld, Wolfgang Joop and Jil Sander, but also in the work of photographer Helmut Newton and model Claudia Schiffer.
Michael Schumacher, the German racer for the Ferrari team, recently revived interest in Formula One racing when he won the World Championship two years in a row.
The Romans were the first to enjoy Germany's hot springs. They built baths which people used to cure arthritis and rheumatism. These baths are still used today in towns such as Trier and Baden-Baden.
Göttingen is the headquarters of the Max Planck Institute, named in honour of the discoverer of quantum theory, who lived in the town