German Culture
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Discover all the facets of Germany.
2,000 years of cultural history have left their mark. Almost no other country offers so many unique natural and cultural attractions so close together. UNESCO has even placed 36 of them under the protection of international conventions as World Heritage Sites of “outstanding universal value”. Some 600 art museums with top-class collections guarantee an exceptional museum landscape. Great cuisine and fine wines, relaxing in fascinating nature, festivals and celebrations, vacation, design and fashion, inspiring architecture. Germany has plenty of all to offer.
Cultural Ties
Cultural ties between Germany and Australia enjoy a long tradition. Germans were among the first European settlers in Australia and have made significant contributions to the discovery and development of the Fifth Continent. In areas with particularly high German immigration (example: Barossa Valley in South Australia) the German heritage is again proudly preserved these days. Numerous German societies (primarily choral - and rifle associations) are spread all over the country.
Bilateral cultural realtions
German is the language with the highest number of native speakers in the EU. 90 million people grow up with it, and 50 million learn it as a foreign language. German is alive, it is changing, it picks up trends and fashions, and plays with them.
Do you want to be part of this? Want to know and understand more that "Oktoberfest" and "Bier"?
Go on then, discover German for yourself and see how great it is to speak a language that plays a major role in Europe!
Why learn German and where ?
There is a number of exchange programmes between both countries. Most of them originated from initiatives of private organisations and individuals, who care about German-Australian friendship.
School students and youth exchange
Germany's two-track vocational training system is quite special internationally speaking. On completing school, some 60 percent of young people in Germany move on to learn one of the 350 officially recognized vocations included in the Two-Track System. This entry into professional life differs from vocational training based only in colleges such is customary in many other countries. The practical part of the course takes place on 3 or 4 days of the week in a company; the other 1 or 2 days are spent with specialist theoretical instruction in a vocational school. The courses take 2-3 years.
Vocational and further training
There are a lot of long standing traditions in Germany. Karneval, Oktoberfest, Easter and Christmas, just to mention a few.
Customs, traditions, festivals
What do Germans eat - sausages and pork nuckles?
Do they like cooking? Germany - a nation of gourmets ? Here is a selection of topics related to Germans and their food.
When one speaks of German drinks, beer comes immediately to mind. People think of Oktoberfest where the golden fluid made according to the German purity law flows.
But - Germany is also a major producer of wines. Their tastes varies according to area and soil. Australia owes a great deal of her successful and expanding wine industry to the skill of early German settlers.
German Food, Beer, Wine - Culinary surprises
