Germany

host families

One of the great things about YFU is that you don’t only get to experience a different school environment during your time abroad, but you will also discover new habits in a new family and local community. As in every exchange country, families are not the same but are really diverse and there exists no such thing as a typical German family. You can be placed anywhere in Germany, since there are host families all over the country. They are excited to have you and to support you whenever needed. It’s important to arrive with an open mind because there will probably be some differences in living and eating habits between you and your host family. Just talk openly with your family about anything and try to participate in their daily life. Don’t take your host family for granted, but show them that you care and that you appreciate what they are doing for you.

An interesting and charming aspect of the German family life includes the tradition to have family members or friends come over in the afternoon for tea or coffee. People like to hang out together with some delicious patisserie, during the weekends or at special occasions. Soon, you’ll be eating your way through heaven!

school

In Germany, students are divided into different grades, depending on their age group. Usually, students don’t wear any uniforms and there are no strict dress codes. After six weeks of summer break, the school year starts again and students can enjoy up to 12 weeks of holidays, including the summer holiday. Most schools start between 7.30 am and 8.15 am and can already finish around 12. However, afternoon classes are quite common in higher grades and can last until 6 pm. About 12 subjects are compulsory, including biology, geography, history, mathematics, music, PE, up to three languages, chemistry, physics, German, religious education, civics/political/social studies and visual arts. Exams usually consist out of essay questions instead of multiple choice ones.

1. Baltic Sea: The North-East of Germany offers beautiful landscapes along the coast with yellow canola fields in spring and wonderful white beaches to relax and take long walks. 

2. Christmas market:  During the Advent season in December, you find Christmas markets in every town. Enjoy the cozy atmosphere, including choirs, gingerbread biscuits and sparkling lights. The most popular one is the Christkindlesmarkt in Nürnberg. 

3. Cologne Cathedral: The magnificent Roman Catholic Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and has been declared a World Heritage Site. 

4. Memorial of the Berlin Wall: This monument commemorates the Berlin Wall that used to divide Berlin and Germany in two parts during the Cold War. The memorial contains the last piece of the wall. 

5. Europa Park: This is the largest theme park in Germany and the second most popular one in Europe. Go have fun while discovering its many wild attractions!

6. Schloss Neuschwanstein: The old town of Füssen, a popular alpine resort and winter sports center, is a good base from which to explore nearby Neuschwanstein Castle. It is one of Europe's most famous royal castles and the inspiration for Walt Disney's famous theme park castles. 

7. Mount Zugspitze and Partnach Gorge in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Go hike one of the most wide-known mountain peaks in the Alps. Tourists from all over the world come here to enjoy the fresh air of this beautiful spot. 

8. Black forest (Baden-Württemberg): This forest has the Rhine Valley to its west border and farmland to its east border. In between, the greatest hills of Germany and medieval towns are located. 

9. Speicherstadt in Hamburg: Hamburg’s Speicherstadt is truly a unique landmark. Built in the late 19th century, it’s the world’s largest integrated complex of warehouses (die Speicher). It can be toured by water, via the network of small canals that connect the so-called Stadt.

10. German Chocolate: Do you love chocolate? Then Germany will be heaven for you!  You will find a huge variety of delicious chocolates and if you want to learn more about it, you can visit one of several chocolate museums.

Although it’s becoming more and more popular for Germans to make a simple breakfast because of their busy lifestyle, people also still eat traditional German breakfasts, especially during the weekends. This breakfast includes fresh bread, with a wide variety of toppings such as butter, honey, jam, a sort of curd cheese, regular cheese and sausage. Other popular dishes are boiled eggs or muesli with yogurt. Usually, people like to drink coffee, tea, juice or cacao. It’s very popular to go to a bakery in the weekends and buy some fresh bread and pastries that you can enjoy with the whole family. 

Although a lot of German families still eat their main meal during the day, between 12 and 2 PM, a lot of other families prefer to eat their warm meal in the evening now. Noodles with stir-fry, fish sticks with mashed potatoes, potato salad with sausage or meat balls and schnitzel with buttered vegetables are considered to be typical lunch meals. If people already ate their warm meals during lunch, they have “Abendbrot” (or “evening bread”) for dinner, mostly eaten between 6 and 7 pm. A typical evening meal might be a whole grain bread, mustards and pickles, deli meats and sausages, and cheeses, typically accompanied by a soup or salad. 

ingredients

6 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 cup sugar 

1/4 cup all-purpose or brown rice flour 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

1 cup heavy cream 

(1) prepared pie crust 

directions

Press the pie crust into the bottom of a deep 9" pie plate. Crimp the edges (if you are feeling fancy) or simply smooth the edges until they are relatively smooth. Whisk together the dry ingredients and sprinkle over the apples in a large mixing bowl. Stir to coat all the pieces and then place the apples into the pie crust. Pour the cream over the apples and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 55-60 minutes. Cool completely before serving. Enjoy! (Source: http://www.barefeetinthekitchen.com/2012/12/german-apple-pie.html)

After the German Revolution in 1918, Germany was declared a republic. However, in 1933, Hitler had been appointed as Chancellor of Germany after his Nazi Party won the special federal election the year before. When Germany eventually invaded Poland in 1939, World War II began as soon as Britain and France declared war on Germany.

After the Second World War, Germany was divided into four occupation zones. During the Cold War, Berlin and the rest of Germany was divided into an East Germany and a West Germany. In 1961, the Berlin Wall was built to prevent East Germans from escaping to the West of Germany. This wall became a symbol of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the West, lasting until 1991. Eventually, the Wall fell in 1989, becoming a symbol of the Fall of Communism and the German Reunification. 

German is not only an official language in Germany but also in Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, South Tyrol, Belgium and Luxembourg. Out of all languages African, English and Dutch are most similar to German. In the European Union, German is the most widely spoken language and it is also one of the most widely taught foreign languages, as well in the EU as in the United States. The German language is also known for its many dialects, with several varieties around Europe, such as high and low German.

Although it’s not obligated to speak German in order to participate in a YFU exchange program, it’s always useful to be able to speak the official language of the country you’re going to. This gesture will be strongly appreciated by your host family and will make it easier to communicate with them. Even when you don’t know any German, you’ll be able to communicate in basic sentences after only three months. Important to remember is that the least you speak in your native language, the fastest you will learn a new one. Go ahead and embrace the opportunity to learn a whole new language by fully immersing yourself in a new culture!

classical music

Have you ever considered listening to classical music some time? German musicians have been very important to the development of this genre. Beethoven, Bach, Wagner and Schubert were German and turned out to be some of the best classical musicians. In the 15th century, von Wolkenstein was the one to revolutionize German classical music. Throughout history, there have been a lot of different sorts and periods of classical music, such as chorale, opera, the baroque period, the classical era, the romantic era and the 20th century, each characterized with different accents. 

folk music

A very traditional German music style is folk music (“Volksmusik”). Multiple regions in Germany have their own folk traditions of dance and music. In the middle of the 20th century, “Volkslieder”, a kind of folk song, were taught to children. The most famous type of folk music known outside of Germany is Bavarian folk music, such as yodeling and schuhplattler. Nevertheless, these are rather stereotyped images of Germany and are not very popular in the country itself. 

Already excited about exploring Germany’s music? During your stay there, you will come across the opportunity of enjoying some amazing music festivals. One that is held every summer is called the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, a classical music festival held throughout Schleswig-Holstein. This is one of the largest festivals for classical music in Germany, founded in 1986. The concerts at this festival don’t take place in usual concert halls, but in magnificent manors, castles, stalls, churches… This festival is considered to be one of the most spectacular international cultural events in the world. Other famous music festivals in Germany are the Hurricane Festival and the Southside Festival, both in June. 

It’s also very fun to get together during a carnival in Germany, which is a Western Christian festive season. Usually, there are public celebrations or parades, masks, circuses and public street parties. During these carnivals, people wear costumes and masks, so that they can surpass their everyday identity and experience a strong sense of social unity.

Germany not only has music festivals but also plenty of film festivals, including the Berlin International Film Festival, CineLatino and Fantasy Film Festival. You can find more information about these film festivals here: http://www.german-films.de/home/.