German Heritage Month
By Manfred Reysser
German Heritage Month is in October - no, I didn’t know that, either. This article is intended to give you a glimpse (really, just a glimpse) of Germany, its culture, and maybe a few things you were not aware of.
When Americans think about Germany, they think of good cars – Mercedes Benz, Porsche, BMW – and the Autobahn, Oktoberfest, and yes, a tuition-free university system. That is right, there is no tuition for Germany universities. Mind you, attending university is still not cheap, with (usually) having to live in a different city, paying rent and buying books, and so on, however, there is no tuition. Qualifying for university is not exactly easy, either, and it’s simply not for everybody.
Germany as a country is very environmentally conscientious. For many years now, household waste has been sorted into plastic, paper, metal, glass, biodegradable and “regular” trash and the respective trash containers are everywhere in public. Recycling is a way of life with an extensive return system in place for plastic bottles and multi-use beer bottles, sold in six-packs and cases of 20 or 24. The bottle deposit is returned as a coupon for a future purchase. In the automotive industry, electric vehicles are gaining in popularity and there are almost 29,000 vehicle charging stations available countrywide.
There are many acclaimed scientists, writers, composers and poets who hail from Germany. Germans are widely considered to be a stoic people, serious, and somewhat reserved. It is true, it can take some time to really make friends with a German, however, that person will be a friend for life. And if you think that Germans don’t know how to party or how to have fun, think again. Go stop by at the Oktoberfest in Munich or even at a smaller town in Bavaria or at any wine or beer fair at any town in Germany. Chances are, you will change your opinion very quickly. If you’re still in doubt, watch the country’s favorite New Year’s Eve movie “Dinner for One."
Here is a recipe for fun: rent a BMW in Germany, get on the Autobahn – pick a section without a speed limit – floor it, then park it in Munich, and walk to Oktoberfest.
Rinse.
Repeat.
