Tell me something about your country or your language that people always get wrong

Well, one thing that surprises me as a German is that many people from abroad perceive the German language as very aggressive, harsh, barked, dry or military.

I suspect it’s because they know the language mainly from comedy sketches or films in which a very exaggerated form of German is spoken or no real words at all, but only a mock language. 😄

In reality, it depends very much on the dialect and the individual speaker how aggressive someone comes across.

Many of these impressions were or are still associated with Germany’s historical past. The biggest part of this comes from the National Socialist period during World War Two. Many associated the endless hate speeches of Adolf Hitler or the propaganda speeches of Joseph Goebbels and many others with the German language. 😢

But if you go back a little further in time, you would eventually stumble upon the unofficial title of Germany - “Germany - The Land of Poets and Thinkers”. I’m thinking of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach or the musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and their world-famous works.

But also German car manufacturers such as BMW, Audi or Mercedes, who have always been a testament to innovation.

“Poets and Thinkers” - In my opinion if the language had been or was supposed to be so aggressive, harsh, barked, dry or military, such memorable things would never have been created. 🙂

Tell me something you would recommend a tourist to try in your country or city

I personally live in Düsseldorf and when it comes to the city itself, I would say that everyone should take a look at the so-called “Rheinturm” (eng. Rhine Tower) from up close as it is a landmark of the city. You can’t really miss it as it is the tallest building in it. 😄 The best way to get to the tower is to walk along the “Rheinuferpromenade” (eng. Rhine riverside promenade), where you can sample Rhine-ish cuisine in the many restaurants and watch the hustle and bustle on the riverside road. It is also the venue for a number of annual events such as the Düsseldorf Marathon or the big fireworks display at the Düsseldorfer Kirmes (eng. Düsseldorf Funfair).

When it comes to locations that are further away and that almost everyone around the world knows, then I would of course highly recommend visiting the annual “Oktoberfest” in Munich. Beer, food, great music, nice people and the traditional Bavarian costume all in one place… but be warned that a lot of the fun costs quite a lot. 🍻 🙂

For those for whom money is no object, there is another very cool stop in the city of Oberhausen, not so far from Düsseldorf. You might not believe it, but Oberhausen is home to the largest shopping and leisure centre in Europe, the “Westfield Centro”, with 250 international shops and around 120,000 square metres of retail space on two levels.

It really does have everything you need for a successful shopping day. So enjoy your visit. 🤩

Recommend me a song in your language

When it comes to music, many german people probably think of the female singer “Nena” with “99 Luftballons”, but on an international level a lot of people of course also immediately think about the band “Rammstein” with “Feuer Frei!”, for example.🤘

Or older bands such as “Scorpions” and “Modern Talking” and their many albums. 🎶

But I have to admit that I’ve only heard maybe 1 or 2 songs from the latter. 😅

Recommend me a movie in your language

There are many German films that I’d recommend. Pretty much all of them are comedies… uhm before you might ask… yes, we Germans actually have a sense of humour… 😄 Here are some of my personal picks.

1. Der Schuh des Manitu (2001) #
2. (T)Raumschiff Surprise – Periode 1 (2004) #
3. Otto – Der Film (1985) #
4. Fack ju Göhte (2013) #
5. 7 Zwerge – Männer allein im Wald (2004) #

Recommend me a book in your language

Just to be frank I haven’t really read many books as I’m more of a gamer. 😊
But before my time as a gamer, for example, I read all the works and volumes by “J. R. R. Tolkien”, including “The Silmarillion”, “The Hobbit” and of course “The Lord of the Rings” and all the Harry Potter books by “J.K. Rowling”.

But when I think of German books, classics like

• “Faust” (1829) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe or
• “Die unendliche Geschichte” (1979) eng. “The Neverending Story” by Michael Ende. I would recommend these to others 👍

Recommend me a website or a blog from your country (in your language or in English)

I only came across the following website a few months ago but it seems to be really helpful for young start-up companies by offering them support in the form of connections to investors or other big companies like IBM, Daimler, Klarna, Facebook, Telekom and many more. It is even said that Bill Gates has already made investments there. 😲 But take a look and see for yourself. 😄

Here you go: https://www.siliconallee.com/

What’s your current phone or computer wallpaper? Does it have a particular meaning?

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a gamer. I buy almost all my hardware from the brand “Corsair”. And since I’m the type of person who likes everything to harmonise with each other as much as possible, I decided on a wallpaper like this. 🙂

: So set sail and get into the game, landlubbers! 🏴‍☠️ ⌨️ 🔥

Send me a representative photo for your country or language

The most difficult question comes at the end. Only a single picture is representative of a country and its language, hmm. 🤔
I think many would expect something like the “Brandenburg Gate” in Berlin, the “Cologne Cathedral” in Cologne or perhaps the parliament building. 🥱

But I think the following picture summarises almost everything that makes up Germany and its language: breathtaking landscapes, out of a fairy tale looking castles, great traditions, beautiful art, wealth of ideas and prosperity… all that in one word: Schloss Neuschwanstein in the south-west of Bavaria. 😍

Phew 😫 … are we done now?… I think that was it, wasn’t it?
Is anyone still reading this by the way?
Sheesh Friend, get a life! 😃

Well, I gotta admit that was a long fucking text for short answers but we Germans put a lot of emphasis on details. 😇

I hope I was able to give all readers out there a better understanding of Germany and its language. 🙂

Thanks for this opportunity Andrei. 🤝 👍 🫶

Danke schön! 👋