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Other Germanic peoples of Central Europe (Austrians, Liechtensteiners, Swiss Germans) Scandinavian peoples (Swedes, Norwegians, Danish), Dutch and Anglo-Saxons |
The Germans (German: Deutsche) are a West Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe, sharing a common German ancestry and culture.
The German ethnicity can be decided on a couple factors: ranging from ancestry itself, national and ethnic affiliation, to native speakers of the German language. The last factor can conflict, as there are countries with German-speaking majorities (Austria, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein) whose people do not consider themselves ethnically German, despite natively speaking the language.
For much of its history, the German nation was not unified, as Central Europe was home to several German-speaking nations. The German national identity is either thought to have originated within the Kingdom of Germany, Holy Roman Empire (to which the Kingdom of Germany formed the core of), and after Prussian military leader Otto von Bismarck united the German-speaking states of Central Europe to form the German Empire, which would dominate as one of the world's great powers, as it became a haven of advancement and progress.
In addition, there are millions more of people with German descent, partial or full, living in the United States, Argentina, Canada, Russia and Kazakhstan making the German ethnicity contain one of the biggest diaspora populations.
German culture and influence is considered one of the great civilizations of the world, having far-reaching influences beyond Germany proper. In addition to German-speaking Central European nations outside of Germany, countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Croatia, Russia and Bulgaria were at one point, under heavy German influence - be it political or cultural. In the historical Russian and British Empires, as well as the late Kingdom of Bulgaria, Germans formed the upper echelons of society, such as the military, economy and even the nobility as their nobilities (post-Catherine the Great) tended to be of German heritage. In the United States, most Americans of European descent are of German descent, making it the largest ancestry - partial or full. South America's nations too, experienced high German migration who also were deeply involved in all facets of their society.
History
Early History
The Germans are native to central Europe from group of tribes known as the Germanic people at the time. The real emergence of a German ethnicity that is bind together by a common language was formed during the Dark Ages, spanning land that is now Germany and Austria. The central Germanic tribes that eventually became the Germans were annexed by the Roman Empire in the province known as Germania, a multi-ethnic kingdom, that was made of many European and non-European ethnic states, such as Latinic, Greek and even Arab states.
In the Roman Empire "Germania"
Roman historian Tacitus
Migrations dominated the Germanic-speaking realm around the third century B.C. The Romans and Germanic tribes made their earliest contacts around the second century B.C., when members of the Cimbri and Teutoni tribes crossed into Southern Europe. Modern-day knowledge of the ancient Germanic tribes can be owed to the Roman historian Tacitus, in his book Germania. In this work, Tacitus describes the various Germanic tribes, their locations as well as their relations with the Romans. The Germanic tribes dominated much of the Roman Legion, the elite military forces of the Roman Republic. Settling around the west bank of the Rhine River, then a Roman province known as Germania Inferior, the tribes of Menapii, Batavi, Condrusi, Atuataci and Eburones resided. On the other side, on the around the eastern banks of the Rhine where the Frisii, Chaucii, Istavones, Sicambrii, Marsii, Cattii, and the Ubii. The Ubii contributed to the Roman army, providing them with much-needed cavalry. In the south of Germania Superior dwelled the Triboci, Rauraci, Nemetes, Caracates, Sequani amd Helvetti. Across the Rhenus and farther east along the Danube was the home of the Marvingii, Nariscii, Burgundiones, Hermundurii, Seubii and the Cheruscii. Between 166 and 180 AD Marcus Aurelius battled the Marcomanni and Quadi tribes around the Danube River.[8]
The Frankish Kingdom 481-843 A.D.
The people known as the Franks originated from the tribes of Germania Inferior. They would form what would be referred to as the Frankish Kingdom (Latin: Regnum Francorum). The Franks were a warring people. In 358 A.D., the Romans and Franks signed a treaty which allowed the Franks to settle in Roman-controlled territory between the Meuse and Schelde Rivers. In return, the Franks would provide the Romans with military support, such as recruits. The result was growing Frankish influence within the empire, with the formation of an autonomous Frankish state.
Merovingian Dynasty
Artist's rendering of King Clovis
The Salians were the tribe that dominated the Frankish peoples. They were later referred to as Merovingians, taken from their ancestor Merovech. According to Frankish folklore, Merovech was of divine descent. The Salians were known for uniting the Frankish tribes during the 5th century.
The Franks/Merovingians ascended to glory under the reign of Clovis. A fierce ruler, Clovis not only defeated rivalling Frankish kings but he also defeated Roman Emperor Syagrius. In doing so, Clovis had defeated and conquered the last remains of the Western Roman Empire. IN 496 A.D., Clovis defeated the Alemanni, in which the tribe's name would become one of the namesakes of the German people. His queen consort, Clotilda influenced and eventually goaded him into converting to Roman Catholicism rather than the rivalling Arian Christian section the other Germanic tribes followed.
Clovis conquered Aquitaine (today located in modern-day France) in 507 A.D. Clovis later became appointed as a Consul of the Eastern Roman Empire. This gave the Frankish even more power and political influence and prestige. After Clovis died in 511 A.D., each of his four sons ruled a portion of the kingdom. Up until 531 A.D., the Merovingian realm underwent a period of civil war. Beginning 531 A.D., the Franks continued to once-more conquer large swaths of territory, defeating and conquering the Burgunidians by 534, Ostrogoths and Province by 537 and exerted influence over the Bavarians.
The divisions between the Merovingians themselves spawned three independant Frankish states, namely Nuestria, Austrasia and Burgundy. The split was exploited by the conquered Germanic peoples in an attempt to wage war against the Frankish rulers. After Frankish king of Austrasia Dagobert I died in 639 A.D., the Thuringians achieved their independance. Brtianny, Bavaria and Alemannia soon followed.
Carolingian Dynasty
Frankish power was restored under the reign of Charles Martel, who after the fall of the Merovingians, ruled under the next ruling dynasty: the Carolingians. In 732 A.D., the Franks fought back an Arab invasion. Under Carolingian rule, the Franks re-conquered some of their lost territory, namely Bavaria, Thuringia and Alemannia in 744 A.D. They also conquered the Balearic Islands (located in modern-day Spain).
In 751 A.D., Charles' father-in-law Pepin the Short overthrew the last Merovingian king. In 771 A.D., Charlemagne became the undisputed ruler of the Franks. In 774 A.D., he conquered the Kingdom of Italy and integrated it into his empire. From 772 to 804, Charlemegne subjagated the Saxons to his rule, through brute force and fear tactics.
In 844, Charlemagne died. Like most empires after the deaths of conquerers, the Frankish Empire was divided into fueding states.[9]
Holy Roman Empire
A German statue of Otto I
The Holy Roman Empire (Latin: Sacrum Romanum Imperium) spawned amid the waning days of the Carolingian dynasty. It also formed a foundation for modern-day Germany, as well as other countries in Central Europe. In 800, Charlemagne was crowned the Emperor of the Roman Empire by the Pope. The Pope, having faced threats from Germanic tribes in the Italian Peninsula often relied on Germanic miitary leaders, as the previous Roman Empire before it had done.
In 962, a Otto I the Great (German: Otto I der Große) is appointed Holy Emperor by Pope John XII. Otto I would continue his father's mission of uniting all of the Germanic-speaking peoples of Central Europe into a single nation. In 955, Otto I fended off a Hungarian invasion, which was known to have ended the Hungarian incursions into Western Europe.[10] As the Hungarian armies were pagans at the time, Otto I was known as a savior to Christianity in Western Europe. He conquered Italy in 962. This earned him his coronation as Holy Emperor in 962.
Otto I's line of descendants would continue to rule the Holy Roman Empire for nearly eight centuries, known as Ottonian dynasty (German: Ottonen). In 967, Otto I made his son, Otto II the co-emperor to consolidate their rule.
Distinctly, Otto I and his descendants also worked to control the papacy through rulers, rather than vice versa. This policy then creates a rift between the monarchy and the papacy. In 1046, three popes had been relinquished under the rule of Henry III. Pope Nicholas II attempted to address the problems and in 1059, decided that the Pope would be elected by religious authorities, rather than the monarchy. This was rejected by the imperial-appointed bishops of Germany in 1061.[11]
Map of the Holy Roman Empire at its greatest extent
In 1075, the monarchy had been stripped of their sacral status, seperating the church and state into two different responsibilities. In 1125, the last Salian king Henry V died. His descendants however, did not inherit the throne and instead, princes of the empire chose Lothair, the Duke of Saxony. In 1138, the process repeated, Lothair died and his descendants did not inherit the throne. Rather, Conrad III of the Hohenstaufen dynasty was chosen as the next emperor.
Frederick Barbarossa, nephew of Conrad III ascended the throne in 1152, and made peace with the rivalling Welf dynasty. He even returned Henry, his cousin, his possessions which had been seized by Conrad III from the Welfs. Under the Hohenstaufen dynasty, the rulers embarked on a mission to unifiy and spread peace throughout the empire. This included ending tribal fueds between dukes. They also introduced a criminal justice system of persecuting those who commit public crimes. This would provide a precedant for today's "rule of law".
Building projects of cities were also characteristic of this era of rule, which spawned the cities of Munich and Freiburg. In 1155, Frederick ascended the throne. Under the rule of Emperor Frederick, he began to re-introduce old Roman constitutional law and focused on reviving the Roman culture of the empire. The empire would extend its reaches easterward, with the migration of Germans into modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic. These lands were either inhabited by Slavs, or uninhabited. Nonetheless, Germans would intermingle with the native Slavic peoples of these lands.
Under the rule of Henry VI, the Holy Roman Empire annexed the Kingdom of Sicily. During the 13th century, the Holy Roman Empire became split into territories that would precede many modern-states in Central Europe. The Holy Roman Empire would slowly crumble as the 1400s through 1600s progressed, with kings and rulers putting their own interests over the empire, and relying soleley on the lands they ruled. Additionally, the Catholic Church was also facing internal struggles of papal succession, and was event being challenged. This would pave for the way for the Reformation.
The Holy Roman Empire finally ended during the Napoleonic Wars, under the hands of French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Austerlitz. In 1806, the last Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II abdicated the throne.
Protestant Reformation
Amid the waning days of the Holy Roman Empire, the Catholic Church was being attacked and challenged for their corruption. Bible translations were also becoming more accessible than before. Opponents of the Catholic Church used of theologian Augustine of Hippo's teachings as a basis of their arguments. Augustine, a native of North Africa, preached that the Bible is the final source of authority, not church officials. Augustine also emphasized that only God can give salvation, humans can't give themselves salvation. The Catholic church preached otherwise, that pleasing God through good works could get one to Heaven. Martin Luther, a theologian from Saxony emulated Augustine's teachings. Luther would lead the crusade against the Catholic Church. One of the most infamous acts of the Catholic Church
Artist's rendering of the 95 Thesis nailing
was the selling of indulgences, which would allow sinners to buy their way into Heaven. Despite being banned in Germany, the selling of indulgences continued. In 1517, Johann Tetzel, a friar sold indulgences in Germany to help renovate St. Peter's Basilica, today located in the Vatican City. Basing his teachings solely on salvation, Luther argued and fought against the church. He wrote the "Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," more commonly known as the "The 95 Theses," a list of grievances. In an act of defiance, he nailed a copy of it to the Wittenberg Castle church's door on October 31, 1517.
On January 3, 1521, the Catholic Church excommunicated Martin Luther and labelled him a heretic.[12]
Classical Era of Music
Main Article: Top Classical Composers on About.com
Spanning seventy years, the classical period is a time when composers began pulling in the reigns of the many baroque period musical styles by creating strict compositional "rules and regulations." Yet within their rigidity, great composers like Haydn and Mozart were able to create some of the greatest classical music the world has ever known, though they weren't the only composers responsible for superb classical period music. This classical era of music was mostly dominated by German and other Central European composers of people such as Wolfgang Mozart and Ludwig Von Beethoven.
Kingdom of Prussia 1525-1871
The Kingdom of Prussia (German: Königreich Preußen) was not part of the Holy Roman Empire. The kingdom was found and ruled by members of the Hohenzollern family. Many of its rulers bore the name "Frederick William". The kingdom was found by Frederick III, the grandson of a Prussian military leader by the Frederick William also known as the "Great Elector" who saved Brandenburg from collapse by absorbing other kingdoms before they could invade it.
Frederick William got Prussia involved in the Great Northern War, fought between the Russian Empire and the Swedish Empire at the threat of an invasion. Frederick wanted to make an example out of Prussia, and prove its military abilities in order discourage foreign invasions. With the defeat of the Swedish Empire, Prussia gained the territory of Pomerania. Initially, Williams' decision to get Prussia involved in the war elevated it, along with the Russian Empire as new military powers.[13]
In 1740 under the rule of King Frederick II, the Prussians invaded and annexed Silesia, going against Austria's wishes. This caused the Austrians to join France, while the Prussians joined Great Britain in their war against France. King Frederick would wage the Severn Years-War in 1756-1757. In 1760, he nearly lost against a coalition that consisted of Russia, Sweden, Austria and France. However, Empress Elizabeth of Russia died, the succeeding emperor Peter III was a fan of Prussian culture and influence, and Sweden exited the war.
After the Prussians defeated the Austrians at Burkersdorf, the kingdom officially was regarded as a military power. In 1772, Frederick initiated the Partition of Poland to prevent Russian domination and influence of Europe. Much of western Poland was annexed and absorbed into the Prussian Empire.
In 1787, the Prussians invaded Holland to fight the democratic rebels that challenged their authority. Victorious, the Prussians restored their "Orange stadholder", a position similar to a head of state.
During the 14-year Napoleonic Wars, the Prussian army joined the coalition that consisted of British, Russian and Austrian armies to fight Napoleon's near-unstoppable army. The Prussians were amongst the victors during the Battle of Waterloo, in which marked Napoleon's final defeat and exile. Afterwards, the Prussians regained territory it had lost to French forces, including Polish territory, as well as new territory in the Rhineland and Westphalia.
In 1858, King Frederick William married Princess Victoria of Britain.[14]
Modern Prussian glory came under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck, who was appointed as the Chancellor by King Frederick William. Upon his role as chancellor, Otto swayed the monarchy under his influence, to achieve his goals. A manipulative leader, Otto often provoked disputes, disagreements and enmity with the sole intent of starting wars to conquer and unifiy the German-speaking states. In 1864, Otto von Bismarck attacked the Danish kingdom to gain control of its German-speaking communities, and in 1866 fought the Austro-Prussian War, in which he pushed the Austrian emperor to go to war. The Prussians ended up victorious under Otto von Bismarck's leadership.
Russian Empire - beginning 1762
In the Russian Empire, Germans were heavily involved in all facets of the elite society and were very-involved in the history of the Russian Empire. By the time Peter the Great became emperor, Moscow already has a German settlement, which many thoerize influenced Peter to western the Russian Empire.
In 1762, the Russian Empire was ruled by a German empress, crowned by the regnal name Catherine II (Russian: Екатерина II) who ascended to power thanks to her marriage to Peter III. It is during the reign of Catherine the Great that Germans and their influence began to take over much of the Russian Empire's politics, military, society and even the nobility, as many of the Emperors of Russia married German princesses to be their Empress-Consorts.
Catherine the Great openly encouraged western migration to Russia, and she granted them rights, privilegous and autonomy that almost them the most elite class in the Russian Empire. Although Orhodoxy was the Russian Empire's state religious, Catherine's policies allowed entire communities of Germans to thrive, who followed their own respective churches, namely Lutheranism, Calvanism, the Mennonites and even Evangelical Baptism. However, they were forebidden from attempting to convert Orthodox Christians.
The two heaviest regions concentration where the Baltics and the Volga. The latter, already having an established Baltic German nobility. The latter recieving the heaviest of German immigrants. Many fled en masse during the Napoleonic Wars, until 1863 when skilled laborers were brought in, thanks to Emperor Alexander II's abolition of serfdom.
Outside of Catherine the Great however, the various Russian conquests of the Baltics utilized the Baltic German nobility, who came dominate the upper echelons of the Imperial Russian military. Regarded with autonomy, the Baltic Germans followed Teutonic traditions, long-predating Russian rule. Some of the most prominent Baltic Germans were Baron Ferdinand von Wrangel, the 6th Governor of Russian America (Alaska),
During the Russian Civil War, the Baltic Germans were monarchists but were torn between those who wanted to become part of the rivaling German Empire, or remain in service to the Tsar. Prince Anatol von Lieven, Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg and Edler Paul von Rennenkampff fought for the Tsar.
The Struve family were reputed as being the "astronomer" family of the Russian Empire, via Otto von Struve, whose family members also served in the White Army.
The Baltic Germans were known for their manorial system, where the Rennenkampff family was among one of the most powerful landowners of the Baltics.
Many Baltic Germans however, especially those in the mainland, ended up marrying Russian women and becoming Orthodox. They would give birth to Russian lines.
In the 1905 revolution, the Baltic Germans fell victim agrarianist rebels, losing their properties and manors.
German Empire 1871-1918
Bismarck initiated enmity between France and the German states during the Franco-Prussian War fought in 1870 and 1871. After annexing Alsace and Lorreine, Emperor William was crowned as the undisputed ruler of a new and unified German Empire (German: Deutsches Reich).
In the 1880s, Bismarck set aside his conservative stances, setting up the first welfare state. He introduced national healthcare, old age pension and accident insurance.[15] This in-turn, helped the German Empire became a haven of progressivism and modernism.
Bismarck also dedicated his career to unifgying the German nation, as the Protestants and Lutherans were considered the wealthier than their Catholic counterparts. The Catholics had their own autonomous politics, and were under the control of Papal authoerities, which would suffer under Bismarck's policies. This caused a clash between German and Papal authorities known as the kultrkampf.
However, one of the everlasting legacies of Otto von Bismarck was his social reforms and the creation of the welfare state, a model that is still practiced in modern-day German and the European Union. German industrialists and the working class were attracted to Bismarck's policies, and his high tarriffs also protected German industry from American foreign competition.
Bismarck, in spite of nationalistic pan-German views, also favored peace, accepted that Austria-Hungary would remain outside the German state, rejecting anymore territorial ambitions and putting his prime focus in the internal situation in Germany.
In the 1890s however, he was forced to resign his position as Imperial Chancellor due to political disagreements, mostly concerning his careful approach to global politics in Europe. However, he was given the title Colonel-General with the Dignity of Field Marshal of the German Army.
World War I 1914-1918
German troops in a dug-out trench
The early decades of the 1900s were marked by countries' thirsts for global domination. In Europe, countries such as Britain, France, Germany and Russia were amassing armies and navies. It also saw the use extensive use of machines in the military for the first time in history by the large countries, those mentioned above. The smaller countries were still using cavalries. Following the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Austro-Hungarians attacked Serbia, an ally of the Russian Empire since the militants responsible were Serbs. The Imperial Russians attacked the Austro-Hungarians, which was a German ally which in turn caused the Germans to retaliate against the Russians. Despite early failures, the Germans were able to capitalize against the Russians, who were not as advanced and lacked unity due to a communist revolution that was taking place. The Germans also invaded France and Belgium which resulted in the other Allied powers such as Britain and France to retaliate. The Germans also urged Mexico to join its side, and sunk innocent and un-armed American ships in the Atlantic Ocean, which led to American intervention. The arrival of American soldiers turned the tides for the allies. Germany was eventually defeated and forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles, a treaty that blamed Germany for the war and forced it to agree paying large war reparations that was destined to last until 1975. The Treaty of Versailles created a deadly turmoil for the Germans. Their economy was completely devastated, let alone having to pay large, expensive and nearly unaffordable war reparations to the allies. Germany's army was also reduced to no more than 100,000 men and were no longer allowed tanks and planes.
The last German king, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated the throne in 1918 amid an anti-monarchy revolution. The last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II was executed a year earlier. The Baltic German nobility suffered even more, in the now-independent republics of Estonia and Latvia, established in the former Russian Governorates of Estonia and Livonia, the Baltic Germans suffered massive confiscations of all their properties.
Weimar Republic 1918-1933
A 1922 photo of German children using stacks of the near-worthless marks to play a game
Across the country, angered German citizens began to side with democratic and socialist ideals, favoring the overthrowing of the monarchy. They initiated a political revolution resembling the ones that took place in Russia. However, the German socialist revolution was non-violent. In 1918, a Constitutional Assembly was held in the city of Weimar, which would become the common unofficial namesake for the succeeding German nation known as the Weimar Republic (German: Weimarer Republik). Life in the post-World War I Weimar Republic was very miserable. With its military sources depleted, and its once-powerful military restricted and shrunk to simply a force resembling a national police, Germany also lost most of its territories and colonies. In addition, its economy was ravaged due to the harsh sanctions and embargoes that the victorious Allies imposed on Germany, one of these being the near-impossible war reparations which Germany was expected to keep paying up to
Hundreds of cabarets like this one, the Europahaus, dotted Berlin, photo from 1931.
the 1970s. The German marks, the nation's currency suffered mass inflation, making the money near-worthless.[16] An entire wheelbarrow filled with German mark banknotes would be able to buy a person a half-loaf of bread at best. The value of the German marks was so low, that the banknotes were eventually used for non-monetary purposes, like being used as writing paper or for games.
However, in spite of this, culture and arts blossomed and flourised in the Weimar Republic. Berlin became a popular tourist destination for intellectuals all around the world. During this era, German artists engaged in a new style of art known as the New Objectivity, in which they defied the strict set of rules set forth by German Expressionism. The era is known as "Weimar culture" to its distinct footnote in German history.
One of the strongest areas of art was the theater and cinema industries as well as cabaret culture. Germany's theater industry and culture was only rivalled in its prestige by those in France. Cinema in Germany focused on Expressionist and Silent Film styles, and often portrayed marriages between political and social issues.
Nazi Germany 1933-1945
Adolf Hitler, an Austrian revolutionary, siezed power after he became Chancellor of Germany in 1933. His aspiration was to un-do the Treaty of Versailles, unite the German people and conquer Europe to re-settle it with Germans after eliminating the non-German races. Nationalist Socialist Workers' Party of Germany, also known by its abbreviation the "Nazis" to dominate Germany. The Nazi uprising soon turned violent, resorting to politcal terror to help bring it to power, via the "Brown Shirts", the paramilitary wing of the Nazis.
Although promoting socialism, Nazi socialism was opposed to Soviet socialism, which it viewed as a Jewish creation, and communists were also targets of the Nazis. Under Hitler, Germans lived under an economic model hybrid of free-market and command - admittingly, improving Germany's economy. In spite of earlier being supported by some German nobility, Hitler did not return the Hohonzollerns into imperial crownship, and instead become a lone dictator.
World War II 1939-1945
The German nation enjoyed a economic and mass military growth under Hitler. In addition to the amassed German military (known as the Wehrmacht), Hitler also established a powerful paramilitary group known as the Schutzstaffel, or by its better-known acronym, the SS. The SS had full military capabilities in both training and equipment, and more often-not, aided and fought alongside the Wehrmacht in the battlefield. The SS primarily handled the Holocaust of the non-Aryans, while the Wehrmacht operated on the battlefields, though both groups often intertwined their activities. Henreich Himmler was the commander of the SS, and would become one of Germany's most powerful men below Hitler. European nations resorted to
German march to Paris
diplomatic solutions to stop the threat of Hitler's conquest, to no avail. The Germans swept through Europe and had a successful beginning, defeating most of the resistance, knocking out even nominal threats such as the French and Soviet forces.
As much of a dictator as he was, Hitler had allowed his generals freedoms in making war decisions, leading to the rise of many infamous generals. Erwin Rommel, Hitler's best general - became a big driving force in the Germans' domination of North Africa. The French defeat shocked, stunned and devastated the allies. Heinz Guderian, one of the generals involved in the invasion of the Soviet Union championed the idea of panzer (tank) and mechanized formations and championing the idea of the infamous blitzkrieg, concurrent use of ground, mechanized and aerial attacks. Erwin Rommel was finally defeated during the Battle of El Alamein in Egypt by the British and American forces, and after the Allied D-Day invasion of Normandy. The German invasion of the Soviet Union was halted after their defeat in Stalingrad in 1943.
Facing a two-front war, the Third Reich had the seeds to its downfall, and Hitler's plan for a third German superstate never came to fruition. Unfortunately, the horrors of war came full-face against German civilians, who were subject to war crimes such as rape by vengeful Soviet soldiers.[17]
Cold War 1945-1990
After World War II, most Germans in the Soviet Union faced various persecutions and deportations under the Stalinist regime. Nazi leaders were also tried as war criminals in the Nuremberg Trials. Germans were now faced living in post-war conditions. German peoples survived via economic, medical and food via the Marshall Plan, however the Soviet Union blocked these efforts, in order to maintain "their portion" of the former Reich.
The Soviet victory in Berlin led to Germany's partition between the Soviet Union and the western powers. As the Cold War progressed after World War II, Germany became divided, in the east, the German Democratic Republic (German: Deutsche Demokratische Republik) was established, and was under the Soviet Union's control. To the west was the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) and was under NATO's (western power) control. Joseph Stalin wanted a weakened and subjagated Germany, similar to its post-World War I state but the west wanted a strongly-rebuilt nation. Stalin blockaded East Germany's roads and tunnels against western vehicles. The United States responded by sending Berlin Airlift, dropping supplies and food via airplanes to Berlin.
In 1961, the height of cold hosilities between the United States and the Soviet Union, the East German government constructed the "Berlin Wall", a concret barrier that separated the Soviet zone of Berlin and pervented East Germans from travelling to West Germany. This was made to curtail and address the issue of East Germans migrating and travelling to the NATO zone.
In the 1980s, Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev initiated Perestroika, in an effort to liberalize the Soviet economy. Many Soviet Germans took this as an oppurtunity to emigrate back to their homeland.
Tearing of the Berlin Wall - 1989
In 1989, a series of revolutions and protests in communist countries began to take hold, marking the beginning of the demise of communism in Europe. These protests spilled into East Germany, where East Germans protested for the right to travel to West Germany. On November 9, 1989, the East German government finally allowed its citizens to travel to West Germany.
This was marked by the symbolic tearing down of the Berlin Wall in which both East and West German citizens chipped the wall piece by piece. This would pave the way for Germany's reunification.
Re-Unification and Modern-Day 1990-present day
West Germany and East Germany reunited on October 3, 1990. The German Democratic Republic ceased to exist, and the Federal Republic of Germany took control of the entire country. As a result, Germany as a whole became a Westernized nation, and a member of NATO. The Soviet Union dissoluted two years later in 1991. Shortly after, many more Germans living in the former Soviet Union migrated to Germany, in which the German communities of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan practically disappeared.
Today, Germany enjoys status a power in Europe, with high standards of living. Its rich history contributes to its powerful tourism industry. Germany is also well known in the technology industry, particularily the automobile industry, and is one of the largest exporters and producers of automobiles.
Language
The German language belongs to the western subfamily of the Germanic languages, a close relative of the English and Dutch languages. German is a world major language and has some 120,000,000 native speakers. German is the national languages of Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. It is an official language in Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg. However, outside of Germany, the people of the mentioned countries do not consider themselves to be Germans, either by ethnic or national affiliation, and have developed their own national identities despite being native speakers of German.
German is spoken as a minority language in Poland, Russia, Denmark, Italy and Kazakhstan. The language has its own unique version of the Latin script, that distinguishes it from other languages that use the Latin script.
Most of the people in German diaspora do not speak German, and speak ther respective languages of the country they live in. Most German Americans or German Canadians speak only English and most of German diaspora in Latin America know only Spanish or Portuguese, those in the former Soviet Union may only know Russian. There is a group native to Germany known as the Bavarians, who make large contributions to mainstream German culture. They speak their own language, which is a Germanic language known as Bavarian, which has 13,000,000 speakers. The Amish community of the United States speaks various German dialects, particularly Pennsylvania German.
There is also a dialect known as Judeo-German or Yiddish which is spoken by Jewish Germans living in Russia, as well as the rest of the former Soviet Union, most of Eastern and Central Europe and the northeastern parts of the United States. The Yiddish language is written in the Hebrew script since Hebrew is Judaism's liturgical language. The Yiddish language contains some 1,000,800 native speakers. However despite being culturally associated with Germany, Central Europe and Eastern Europe Yiddish-speakers do not consider themselves of the German or Russian ethnicities, favoring a distinct Jewish ethnic identity.
Religion
The religion of the German people show a reflection of their history. The Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant churches both have their foundations in Germany, and are the two largest denominations of the German people as a whole. Many Germans are Roman Catholics, since the territory inhabited by the German-speaking peoples were under occupation of the Holy Roman Empire. The Catholic church also helped the emergence of an ethnic identity in the area now known as Germany. Additionally, the German diaspora living in Latin American countries such as Argentina and Brazil are Roman Catholic. After Martin Luther criticized and left the Catholic church, the descendants of those Germans who followed Luther's teachings follow the Protestant churches. In contrast to the German diaspora in Latin America, those living in the English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia are mostly Protestant. Protestantism in of itself, would eventually branch into sections, or even off-shoots, especially in Anglosphere. Most of German Protestants follow the Lutheran section of the Protestant church. However, religion has become a dwindling importance within Germany. Despite being Catholic or Protestants by affiliation, many Germans are actually agnostic and atheistic in practice.
Amish Anabaptists
In the United States and Canada, there is a community known as the Amish (German: Amische), who came from Swiss German background. They speak their own unique dialects of German, most notably Pennsylvania German (or Pennsylvania Dutch, which is a misleading term), where they are referred to as Amisch. The Amish follow a very conservative off-shoot of Protestantism known as Anabaptism. Anabaptists, like other Baptist Christians believe that "baptism" cannot be achieved by sprinkling or pouring water on someone's head, but by immersion - a literal ritual bath.
The Amish live a lifestyle of seclusion from non-Amish, and often-not only use technology if it is needed.
Most of the Amish live in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana in the United States, and the southern portions of the province of Ontario in Canada.
Architecture
The Ulm Cathedral
German architecture is renowned for its diverse influence that reflects its history, integrating Roman, Baroque, Gothic and Neoclassical architecture. The rich architectural heritage makes Germany very attractive to tourists. The Porta Nigra (Latin for "black gate", located in the city of Trier is one the largest and most famous ancient Roman city gates in Germany. The fort, made of grey sandstone was built around the third through fourth centuries A.D. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Churches and cathedrals dominate the German and Central European landscape, due the importance of the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches in German history. The city of Frankfurt contains many landmarks and structure that tells of Germany's history. The Frankfurt Cathedral and the Römer serve as two of Germany's many jewels of Gothic architecture. The Frankfurt Cathedral, although its function does not live up to its name, is a large collegiate church that the Merovingians elected their kings in. The Römer (lit. German for "Roman") is a three-story complex in Frankfurt. It features several plazas and facades. During the Cold War era, the architecture of eastern Germany declined. Most of it became dominated by military bases and prison camps, resulting in an age of dullness and depression in German architecture. It was not all bad however, the Reichstag was built of Baroque influence, and is a historical landmark of German architecture. The Reichstag is also renowned for its high decore, which defied the dull architecture of its time. Today, is has been modified and added with modern features such as a glass dome. It was raided by Soviet soldiers upon the siege of Berlin in 1945
The Reichstag
and reconstruction followed. The Ulm Cathedral is one of Germany and the world's famous cathedrals. Located in the city of Ulm, it is considered one of the earliest and first "skyscrapers". The highest point of the Ulm Cathdral is 530 ft! The Berlin Wall was built during Nikita Kruschev's era in the Soviet Union, which is the main example of the dullness in architecture that the Germans experienced during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall divided Berlin into a east-west section, showing a literal represenation of the enmity between the Soviet Union and NATO. The wall was torn down in 1989, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union which resulted in the reunification of the German people.
Cuisine
Bratwurst and sauerkraut
German cuisine is a world famous cuisine that is renowned for its high use in grinded and ground meats. It shares similarities with other European cusines, such as Austrian and Swiss, and has largely influenced the cuisines of the United States and Poland. The main meats and poultries used in German cooking is pork, beef, chicken (the most common), duck, goose and turkey. Game is also used in German cooking, such meats include rabbits and venison. Goat and lamb are found in Germany, but they are not very popular with the German people. Sausages and sausage-making are one of the most important traditions of German cuisine. They are known as wurst in Germany, where more than 1,500 types of sausages and varieties are made. Causings are usually made from the intestines of pigs, sheep or lamb. Bratwurst is a popular sausage within German food. It usually is made of cow products like beef and veal, though pork bratwurst are also made. Bratwurst can also be eaten as a sandwich. Wiener is made from either pork, beef or a mixture, and cooked by boiling. Along with frankfurter (sausages from Frankfurt, Germany), these two sausages later influenced the creation of the hot dog, a popular American food that is commonly served on a bun and eaten during sporting events. Blutwurst, also known as schwarzwurst are blood sausages. Sauerkraut is a sour sauce which can be used a topping for dishes or eaten by itself. Breads and pastries are another the big staple ingredients of German cuisine. Popular breads such as pumpernickel originated from Germany. The original German style is made sourdough as opposed to the other sweet versions found throughout the world. Cakes are popular German dessert, schwarzwälder sirschtortes is a black forest cherry cake. German style doughnuts do not have holes and they contain jam or yeast inside. Out of all Germany, Bavarian cuisine is the most famous regional out of all. The Oktoberfest is a sixteen-day celebration in Bavaria, where beer is the central element.
Notable Germans of People of German Origin
Heads of States, Rulers, Nobility, Politicians
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Otto the Great  |
East Francian king, who as the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 962 to 973, he was known via stretgic marriages for annulling the powers of the other German rulers by placing members of his family as their dukes, as well as controlling the Roman Catholic Church from within, he also quashed a rebellion and defeated the Magyars (a pagan civilization) at the Battle of Lechfeld, and also conquered Italy in 961. |
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Frederick I  |
Also known by Frederick Barbarossa, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1155 to 1190 A.D., considered one of the greatest medieval Holy Roman emperors, he was known for his Italian campaigns, his "superman strength" and abilities, particularily being able to fight and lead skillfully with little to no sleep, made him a central figure in legends comparing him to the links of King Arthur and Bran the Blessed, the contervoursial German invasion the Soviet Union "Operation Barbarossa" was code-named fater him. |
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Elizabeth of Hungary  |
A princess of the Kingdom of Hungary (ruled by German nobility), who was later canonized as a Saint of the Catholic Church in 1235 for charitable activities, using her money to build a hospital, she is honored as a patroness of the Third Order of St. Francis |
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Sigismund of Luxembourg  |
Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 to 1437, who was also the King of Hungary, King of Croatia, King of Germany and King of Bohemia prior to becoming Holy Roman Emperor, the last living male descendent of the House of Luxembourg, he led the Crusade of Nicopolis also ended up in a defeat against the Ottomans and later found the Order of the Dragon, meant at fighting the Turks, and was a driving force behind the Council of Constance that ended the schism within the Catholic clergy, and defeated the radical factions of the Hussites (anti-Catholic Christian militants) in the Hussite War |
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Frederick III  |
Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1492 to 1493 A.D., the founder of the House of Habsburg, he was the longest-ruling German monarch, for 53 years and laid the foundations for the Habsburg Empire, although during his time he was not well-liked, today he is recorded as one of the Holy Roman Empire's most effective rulers. |
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Frederick the Great  |
King of Prussia from 1740 to 1772, he is known for his role in the Silesian Wars, where the Prussians defeated a coalition of the Habsburg, Saxony, Russia and France, as well as the First Partition of Poland where the former Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth was divided between Prussia, Austria and Russia, bringing Prussia to become a great power, he also implemented Enlightenment and liberal ideas into Prussia, had a love of music and the arts, ending oppression against minorities and immigrants. |
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Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz  |
Queen of Prussia from 1797 to 1810, and the wife of King Frederick WIlliam III, she is most well-known from her 1807 eeting with Napolein I to negotiate Prussian matters after their loss in the Napoleonic Wars, already well-loved by her subjects, the Order of Louise was created in her memory by Frederick William III, the pro-monarchist Queen Louise League was also found in her memory in the 1920s in the Weimar Republic. |
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Otto Von Bismarck  |
A Prussian statesman and military leaders, who dominated politics in Prussia, Germany and Central Euroep from 1860s to 1890s. He unified the German states, into creating the German Empire, in which he emerged as the first Imperial Chancellor of the German Empire, despite being a conservative, he also created one of the first welfare states, and insituted a social system still used in modern-day Germany and the European Union. |
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Ludwig II of Bavaria  |
King of Bavaria from 1864 to 1886, who also was Count Palatin of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Fraconia and Duke in Swabia, although failing to to become the Kaiser of the new German Empire, his role saw Bavaria attaining great autonomy but his legacy comes from his great building projects, which today stand some of Bavaria's most important tourist attractions. |
Catherine the Great
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Born as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, Empress or "tsarina" of Russia from 1762 to 1796, she is the longest-ruling female ruler in the history of Russia, and is renowned for having transformed Russia into a major power, conquering vast swaths of territory. She was born in Prussia, into German nobility and ascended to the throne upon the abdication and assassination of her husband, Tsar Peter III. She admired Peter the Great, and continued to modernize and westernize Russia, in which many towns and cities were found. Her rule is considered one of the "golden ages" of the Russian Empire. |
Alexander of Battenberg
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Hessian prince, who was elected the first prince or knyaz of Bulgaria, ruling as its prince from 1879 to 1886 after parts of Ottoman-Bulgarian lands became independent or autonomous, he is also credit for uniting the Princpality of Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia (another former Ottomans province of ethnic Bulgarians), recieving recognition in 1885. However his policies led to negative rifts in Bulgarian-Russian relations, and after being ousted by pro-Russian officers in 1886, he abdicated and became an Austrian army general |
Paul von Hindenberg
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German statesman and military leader who was the President of the Weimar Republic from 1925 to 1934, known for his world in World War I, prior he was a highly-skilled military commander, who first saw combat in the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars, but his rise to prominence came during World War I for leading the Germans to victory in the Battle of Tannenberg against the Russians, followed by more crushing victories against the Russians, making him a national hero. However, as the President of Germany, he was pressured into supporting the rise of Hitler. |
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Nestor Kirchner  |
An Argentine politician who became Argentina's president from 2003 and 2007, he also served as the governer of Santa Cruz from 1991 to 2003 and as president of the Justicialist Party from 2008 to 2001. He is of German-Swiss descent from his father and of Croatian origin from his mother |
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Dwight D. Eisenhower  |
An American politician and military general who served as the 34th president of the United States, he is well-known for leading Americans to the Allied D-Day Invasion in Normandy, and known for his role in the Cold War by aiding anti-communists in proxy wars, however he was also known for his stance against massive military spendings |
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Donald Trump  |
An American politician, who was the 44th president of the United States, prior to being a politician he was a real-estate mogul and bussinessman, considered by Forbes to be one of the world's 500 richest billionaries, and is known for co-hosting the reality television show The Apprentice from 2004 to 2015, in the 2016 Presidential Elections, he was the candidate for the Republican Party and won the election in a surprise electoral victory against the highly-favored Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but lost against Joe Biden in the 2020 elections. |
Artists, Musicians, Poets, Philosaphers, Fashion
Sciences, Technology and Inventors
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Wilhelm Röntgen  |
German mechanical engineer and physicist, who in 1895, produced and detected X-rays, earning him the inaugaral Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901, because of his achievement in 2004, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry named element 111 the "roentgenium", another unit of measurment, the roentgen, was named after him. |
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Karl Benz  |
A German designer and engineer who invented gasoline-powered automobiles and co-found the Marcedez-Benz car company, His Benz Patent Motorcar from 1885 is considered the first practical motorcar. He received a patent for the Motorcar on January 29, 1886. |
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Wernher von Braun  |
A German-American aerospace engineer who is known for developing rocket technology. He began his career in NAzi Germany, developing rocket weaponry for the Germans, particularily the V-2 rocket and the Peenemünde, after World War II he was secretly taken to the United States where he worked as part of the ICMB development program and helped develop the rockets that launched the first U.S. space satellite, the Explorer-1 in 1958. |
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Ivan Stranski  |
A Bulgarian chemist he founder of the Bulgarian school of physical chemistry, Stranski is considered the father of crystal growth research. Stranski headed the departments of physical chemistry at Sofia University and the Technical University of Berlin, of which he was also rector. The Stranski-Krastanov growth and the Kossel-Stranski model have been named after Ivan Stranski., born to an ethnic German mother from the Baltics and a Bulgarian father |
Athletes & World Competitors
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Honus Wagner  |
A German professional baseball player, known by "The Flying Dutchman" thanks to his speed and German hertiage, played 21 seasons with the American Major League Baseball (MLB) with most being for the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the World Series in 1909, winning eight batting titles, a recrod that remains unbroken, led the league in slugging and stolen bases five times, he was one of the first members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and his baseball card is the rarest in existence. |
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Franz Beckenbauer  |
German football manager and professional football player himself, known as "Der Kaiser" or "The Emperor", who earned his accolades when he played as a central defender, and emerged to become one of the greatest players of the sport, he is a 2x European Footballer of the Year, played in 3 FIFA WOrld Cups, won 2 European Chamionships, and is one of three men to have won the World Cub as both a player and manager, also winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1967, and 3 European Cups with Bayern Munich, he named World Team of the 20th Century in 1998, FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002, Ballon d'Or Dream Team in 2020 and the FIF 100 world's greatest living players in 2004. |
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Katarina Witt  |
German former figure skater, she is a 2-time Olympic champion for Germany, 4-time Gold World Chmapion and 2-time Silver World Champion, 6-time European Gold champion, and one-time European Silver Champion, her accolades along with her athleticism and glamour has mader one of the greatest living female singles skaters of all time. |
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Steffi Graf  |
German former professional tennis player. Known for her ability to play across all playing surfaces, footwork, amd forehand drive, she enjoyed the rank of No. 1 in the world for 377 weeks, and on 22 major singles titles, trailing only Margaret Court and Serene Williams, and the longest for any tennis player, she won 107 WTA singles titles, the only player other than Margaret Court to win three major championships in a year for five times, she was named the female tennis player for the 20th centry by sports analysts for the Associated Press, along with Boris Becker she played an instrumetnal role in popularizing tennis in Germany. |
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Dirk Nowitzki  |
A German former professional basketball player who is best known for his time with the Dallas Mavericks of the American National Basketball Association (NBA) where he played his entire career with and currently works as a special advisor for, he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in basketball history, leading the Mavericks to 15 playoff appearances and two NBA Finals appearances (2006 and 2011), winning the NBA Championship in 2011 and the Finals MVP |
Oliver Kahn
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German former professional soccer player, he played as a goalkeeper, he played his entire professional career with Bayern Munich and established himself as one of the most successful German players of the sport, winning eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals, the UEFA Cup in 1996, and in 2001 he won both the UEFA Champions League and the International Cup, he is a receipiant of the Golden Ball Award |
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Gabriel Heinze  |
An Argentine football (soccer) player who is the current manager of the Argentine soccer club the Argentinos Juniors, he also played for Paris Saint-Germain, Newell's Old Boys, Manchester United and Real Madrid, winning four traphies with the latter two teams, and represented Argentina's national soccer team in international competitions |
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Brock Lesnar  |
American-Canadian professional wrestler of German descent, and former mixed-martial artist who is currently signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He is the current WWE Champion, in his 6th-reign and is well-known for his in-ring and real-life business relationship with manager Paul Heyman. In the past, he was also signed with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he one the UFC Championship and later the undisputed UFC Champion, but had to retire from diverticulitis, he has also wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and the Inoke Genome Federation where he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, becoming the only person to win championships in the UFC, WWE, NJPW and IGFW, and a very short-lived stint with the Minnesota VIkings of the National Football League (NFL). He has represented both the United States and Canada. |
Religious Leaders
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Albertus Magnus
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A German Dominican friar, bishop, scientist and philosapher, considered one of the greates Medieval theologians, he is considered one of the 36 Doctors of the Church, known for his variuos works in alchemy, astronomy, matter and form, music, metaphyics, natural law and friendships, his works inspired the tympanum and archivolts of the Strasbourg Cathedral |
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Martin Luther  |
A German religious reformer who rejected the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, he refused to renounce his writings and was therefore labeled a heretic by the Roman Catholic Church and an outlaw by the emperor, he also translated the Bible into the vernacular German toungue rather than Latin, making it accessible for the working class, influencing English translations, his teachings led to the formation of the Protestant church |
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Katharina von Bora  |
Also known by "The Lutheress" or "die Lutherin", the wife of Martin Luther, who despite the ambiguity of information about her, was one of the most important figures of the Reformation namely in that she successfully advocated for Protestant clergy to be abe able to marry, setting the defintions for Protestant family life |
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George Müller  |
A Prussian Christian evanglist, who worked in England for the majority of his life, he held the positions of director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren and the leader of the Open Brethren, he was able to care for 10,024 oprhans and provided them with educational oppurtunities, establishing 117 schools offering Christian education, his activities put him at odds with British elitists |
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Clemens August Graf von Galen  |
German Catholic cardinal known for his anti-Nazi works - although he was a German patriot and a nationalized who opposed the Treaty of Versailles, and his denunciation of the practice of ethanasia, he also condemned the Nazi ideology of race, his sermons were illegally circulated and a source of inspiration for German anti-Nazi groups, such as the White Rose. |
Military
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Business & Economics
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Eike Batista  |
A Brazilian bussiness magnate who is the current chairman of the Brazilian conglomerate EBX Group, he is known for both making and losing riches from mining and explorations in gas and oil, in a time-span of two years, coming from being one of the world's richest men, to bankruptcy and having a negative net worth |
Miscellaneous
Sources
- ↑ http://www.ukessays.com/essays/history/the-emergence-of-a-german-ethnic-identity-history-essay.php
- ↑ http://factfinder2.census.gov/legacy/aff_sunset.html?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2008_1YR_G00_DP2&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2008_1YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-format=
- ↑ http://www.brazil.org.uk/resources/documents/bs-primary03.pdf
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Argentine
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_2011_Census
- ↑ http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/allemagne/presentation-de-l-allemagne/
- ↑ http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/allemagne/presentation-de-l-allemagne/
- ↑ http://www.unrv.com/provinces/germania.php
- ↑ http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atlas/francia.htm
- ↑ Reuter 1991, p. 254.
- ↑ http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=emh
- ↑ http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-and-the-95-theses
- ↑ Shennan, Margaret. The Rise of Brandenburg-Prussia. London: Routledge, 1995
- ↑ http://www.timelines.ws/countries/PRUSSIA.HTML
- ↑ http://www.history.com/topics/otto-von-bismarck
- ↑ http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/classes/33d/projects/1920s/Econ20s.htm
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/may/01/news.features11