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Dû bist mîn ich bin dîn: A Coming-of-Age Drama in Middle High German

Imagine diving into 14th-century southern Germany—not with modern dialogue, but with authentic Middle High German. The short film Dû bist mîn ich bin dîn by director Tim Gerbert is a gem that blends history, emotion, and linguistic heritage. Even if you’re a German language enthusiast who doesn’t fully grasp the medieval tongue, you’ll adore it. The subtitles help, and the sound alone revives the roots of our modern language in a captivating way.

Germany: Das Land der Dichter und Denker, Where the Braniacs Roamed—and Roamed Off

Welcome to the Hall of Threadbare Geniuses

Germans have a particular fondness for calling their homeland “das Land der Dichter und Denker,” a phrase that rolls off the tongue with just enough theatrical flair to impress both tourists and locals. “Land of Poets and Thinkers” graces everything from airport billboards to school book covers. Names like Goethe and Schiller are conjured with reverence—as if contemporary teenagers, between TikTok scrolls and existential sighs, are secretly scratching out the next Faust instead of WhatsApp memes.

Hidden German Words in English: Surprising Linguistic Journeys

English is a language with a remarkable appetite for borrowing. Over centuries it has taken in words from French, Latin, Greek, and dozens of other languages. German, known for its long compound words and precise vocabulary, has gifted English with a surprising number of terms as well. Some of them are obvious and still feel distinctly German. Others have been so thoroughly naturalized that most English speakers would never guess where they originated. Exploring these hidden German words reveals fascinating cultural exchanges and surprising journeys across borders.

«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.