Alpha Idiomas: Cultural Immersion: Berlin (German)

▪ The Country : Germany

Germany, officially Federal Republico of Germany, German Deutschland or Bundesrespublik Deutschland is one of the largest countries on Europe. Germany encompasses a wide variety of landscapes, the tall, sheer mountains of the south, the sandy, rolling plains of the North, the forested hills of the urbanized west and the plains of the agricultural east. The heart of the country is the beautiful east-central city of Berlin. After decades of partition, is the capital of a reunified Germany. (Read more)

▪ Berlin
Berlin, the largest city in Germany is a combo of glamour, history and cutting-edge archictecture. The city lies ate the heart of the North German Plain, athwart east-west commercial and geographic axis that helped make it the capital of the kingdom of Prussia and then, from 1871, of a unified Germany. Berlin’s former glory ended in 1945, but the city survived the destruction of The Second World War. It was rebuilt and came to show amazing economic and growth. (Read more)

▪ Tourist spots

▪ Pergnamon Museum
This palatial three-wing complex unites rich feast of classical sculpture and monumental architecture from Greece, Rome, Babylon and the Middle East, including the radiant-blue Ishtar Gate from Babylon, the Roman Market Gate of Miletus and the Caliph’s Palace of Mshatta. (Read more)

▪ Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial)
Inaugurated in 2005, sixty years after the Second World War and created by the American architect Peter Eisenman, consists of 2711 sarcophagi concrete columns rising in sombre silence from undulating ground.The visitants are free to access this maze at any point and make the individual journey throught it. (Read more)

▪ Neues Museum
Reconstructed by David Chipperfield after the Second World War, the Neues Museum is now the residence of Queen Nefertiti, the showstopper of the Egyptian Museum, which also features mummies, sculptures and sarcophagi. Pride of place ate the Musem of Pre- and Early History in the same building. (Read more)

▪ Berlin Zoo
Known for the extensive collection, the Berlin Zoo was oppened in 1844 by the municipal government of East Berlin in response to public demand. During the devastation of the World War II the zoo was largely dismantled by Allied bombings and only a fraction of the animals remained intact, 91 of more than 3.715 animals survaved the devastation of the World War. The Zoo was able build somethins better out of the tragedy and now is one of the world’s largest animal collections. (Read more)

▪ The Charlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace was for decades the most important place of residence for German royalty. Beautifully restored, the Palace mixing baroque elements with characteristics of the English landscape garden, is also one of the most popular destination for Berliners and tourists, here visistors get a glimpse of the splendor in wich the Prussian Kings and Electors lived. Highlight include the State Dining Room and the 42 meter- long Golden Gallery with is gilded stucco. (Read more)

▪ The Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most important monuments in Berlin. Loosely modeled on the Acropolis in Athens and built for King Frederick Wilhelm II in 1791, this 26-meter-high sandstone monument in the Mitte district’s Pariser Platz was the first Neoclassical structure in Berlin, notable for its four-horse chariot, six large columns on each side forming five passeges use by traffic and the two building used by toll-colectors and guards. (Read more)

▪ Cuisine

▪ Spatzle
Spatzle is one of the most famous German dish. Spatzle are a kind of pasta, but the dough only consist of eggs, flour, salt and a hint of fizzy water (in order to fluff up the dough). Traditionally Spatzle are served as a side dish to meaty dishes or can be a main dish themselves. (Read more)

▪ Schnitzel
The most famous version of Schnitzel is definitely the Wiener Schnitzel, which is a thinly sliced piece of veal-meat, covered with flour, egg and bread crumbs and then deep fried in oil or a lot of butter until it turn golden on the outside. Also very tasty is the Schnitzel Wiener Art, wich is basically the same but with pork meat. (Read more)

▪ Goulasch
Goulasch is not a German invention, but nevertheless the German love their Goulasch and may have taken the original recipes and turned them into som variations of their own. Goulasch is made with thick pieces of beef meat that have been slow cooked in a rich sauce, sometimes made of red wine, wich makes the meat very soft and tender. Goulasch can be eaten as a soup or with some side dishes like Spatzle. (Read more)

▪ Pharisaer Kaffee
More than 1.000 flavors and over 60 acids characterize the unique taste of German coffee. Their careful selection of the coffee grains. Germans are big coffee drinkers. Some Germans like to drink their coffee black, but they also use to drink Kaffeesahne (a type of condensed milk) or Pharisaer Kaffe (coffee with run). (read more https://www.thespruce.com/german-coffee-with-rum-recipe-1446818 )

▪ Currywurst
Currywurst was created by Herta Heuwer, basecally currywurst is composed of German sausage, or wurst, sliced and doused in the ketchup and sprinkled with curry powder you can also add some fries. This is Berlin’s most iconic street food and there is even a museum dedicated to it. (Read more)

▪ Berliner Pfannkuchen
The Berliner Pfannkuchen or just pfannkuchen is a traditional German pastry, it’s also similar to a doughnut filled with marmeladeor jam, usually confected with with sugar on top.Legend has it that on New Year’s Eve, locals will put one mustard-filled dughnut in the pile and the lucky person that finds it gets good luck for the year. (Read more)

▪ Music

▪ Folk Music
Folk music or “Volksmusik” was popularised by cultivation and still today regularly represented in poor and in radio and TV shows, reflected only happy and soudn world. For Young people these song were and still highly unattractive. Folk songs had an important position not only music-wide, but even more as a médium of hidden protest. (Read more)

Song : Mei Muata und mei Vota ( Folk song ) | Band: Goldried Quintett

Song: Fitchl’s Lied | Band: The Woodys

Fitchl’s Lied or Fitchl’s Song is a Schlager and Folk song written by Fred Shreier, Johaan Daansen and Herb Tomar in the 80s. The song was originally recorded by the duo Died Woodys also known by “ The Woodys” and released in 1984 on the álbum “Died Welt der Woodys-Fitchl’s Lied”. Actually the 1980s song that is back, viewed by more than 18 million people around the world.... (Read more)

▪ Climate

Berlin has a continental climate with cold winters, hot sommers and fairly mild autumns and springs. In Summer (June to August) the weather in Berlin is pleasant and sunny, the days are long and the temperatures average 23C. However the Summer months are also uncredictable and the weather can rapidly change and can be fairly humid. (Read more)

Source: www.weather2visit.com

▪ Cost of Living

For visitors and tourists the coast of living in Berlin sounds good. In reality it’s impossible to tell from a quick stay what the coast of living truly looks like, every month and year everything can change, but the truth is that compared to a number of big cities, Berlin is a very affordable place to live. As a student you’re probably look to keep coasts down, wich makes a big difference... (Read more)

Source: www.numbeo.com

▪ Habits

Surprises and humor are not welcomed, everything is carefully planned out and decided upon, with changes rarely ocurring after an agreement is made. Everything is extremely organized. German people embrace the values of thriftiness, hard work and industriousness and there a great emphasis on making sure that “the trains run on time”. Germany also celebrates many of the traditional Christian holidays, including Christmas and Easter. (Read more)

▪ Berlinale

The Berlin Interational Film Festival also called Berlinale is one of the world’s largest film festivals. The incredible festival also offers workshops, parties, art, famous personalities, glamour and business meet. (Read more)

▪ Famous Personalities