Teutonista – Your German Journey

«Don’t forget us!»—Julie Wolfthorn: An Artist’s Journey

Julie Wolfthorn, born Julie Wolf on January 8, 1864, in Thorn, West Prussia (now Toruń, Poland), was the youngest of five children in a Jewish family. Her birthplace held such significance for her that she incorporated it into her surname, becoming Julie Wolfthorn. Tragically, her father passed away shortly before her birth, and her mother died when Julie was just six years old. Following these losses, she and her sisters were raised by their grandmother, who relocated the family to Berlin in 1883.

A Brief History of Berlin, Briefly

Rome is respectfully called The Eternal City, and Prague is known as The Golden City. New York, though not a capital, is affectionately referred to as The Big Apple. Copenhagen is simply The City, while the Dutch have a fond nickname for Amsterdam—Damsko. The Spanish humorously call Madrid Madriz, and the Swiss refer to Bern as the Sleeping Pill. Paris is celebrated as both the City of Fashion and the City of Light. Berlin, however, has many nicknames, most of them unflattering but largely accurate—the Gray City, the Scarred City, the Failed City, to name but a few.

Downfall — The Last Days of the Stasi

On February 8, 1950, the People’s Chamber of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) enacted one of the shortest laws in German legal history. Without prior discussion, the law was rubber-stamped within minutes. It consisted of just two succinct paragraphs:

Paragraph 1:

«The Head Office for the Protection of the National Economy, previously under the Ministry of the Interior, shall be transformed into an independent Ministry for State Security. The Law of 7 October 1949 on the Provisional Government of the German Democratic Republic (Law Gazette p. 2) is amended accordingly.»

Paragraph 2:

«This act shall come into effect on the date of its promulgation.»

Thus, the Stasi was created.

Roots of Power: The Three German-American Presidents Who Shaped U.S. History

More than half of all U.S. presidents have Irish ancestry, while only three of the 45 presidents to date have or had German roots. These three—whose ancestors all came from the Electoral Palatinate, one of the main sources of German emigration to the U.S.—had little to no close connection with their ancestral homeland.

Chaos, Comedy, and You: Embracing the Lotterleben

There are certain words in German that defy easy translation. Schadenfreude, for instance, has become the international shorthand for cackling at someone else’s misfortune. Wanderlust makes us imagine bohemian daydreamers striding through airports with scarves fluttering in the breeze. But then there is Lotterleben. Literally, it drags behind it all kinds of tragic weight—misery, dissolution, questionable morals. In the dictionary, it is described as shabby and indulgent, existing one missed rent payment away from collapse. But much like life itself, the dictionary often misses the joke.

They Don’t Mince Their Words: The Brutally Honest Art of Berlin Communication

Welcome to Berlin, the city where «politeness» is just another word for cowardice, and where the weather isn’t the only thing that’s cold. Fancy a chat? Prepare for a clinical dissection of your motives. Craving a little kindness with your morning coffee? Dream on. If cities had spirit animals, Berlin’s would be a grumpy, half-plucked street pigeon—unimpressed, slightly threatening, and suspicious of good intentions.

Courting the Devil – The Witches of Berlin

Belief in witchcraft stretches back to the dawn of human history, shaping cultures and sparking both fascination and fear. In the world of ancient Germanic tribes, long before Christianity’s spread, sorceresses and seers were woven into the fabric of everyday life. Magic was considered a real and potent force, not just idle superstition. These early beliefs laid the foundations for later ideas about witchcraft and reshaped how society perceived magic’s role, transforming it from a respected tradition to something dark and dangerous.

Tracing Roots Across the Atlantic: Join the American Journey to Discover Your German Ancestors

Genealogy is undergoing a spectacular renaissance across the United States. No longer confined to dusty shelves or curious families in distant lands, the search for German ancestors, lost friends, and relatives is capturing the imagination of Americans from every walk of life. Whether in small Midwestern towns or busy cities, millions of Americans are joining the journey to understand the stories behind their surnames—and discovering that their own family saga is closely woven into the fabric of America itself.

Hohenzollernküchlein—A Little Known Pastry

The House of Hohenzollern is one of the most prominent royal families in European history, with origins dating back to the medieval era. The family, which emerged in the 11th century in what is now Germany, rose to prominence within the Holy Roman Empire. The family name is derived from Hohenzollern Castle, their ancestral seat, located atop the 855-meter-high Hohenzollern Mountain in Swabia.

I Don’t Know What Gave Them the Idea to Put a City in the Middle of All This Sand

«Before God, all people are actually Berliners.»–Theodor
Fontane

An ‹Ur-Berliner› is someone who was born in Berlin. Ideally, their parents were also Berliners—and their grandparents too. Even better if you can trace your ancestors back to a local mammoth hunter clad in a bearskin. Back when Berlin actually belonged to the Berliners, and people knew their neighbors. Of course, the place wasn’t yet called Berlin.