Germany lies at the centre of Europe. Its population is the larg- est in the European Union with approximately 80 million inhab- itants. It shares a border with nine neighbours: Denmark to the north, the Netherlands and Belgium to the northwest, France and Luxem bourg to the west, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and the Czech Republic and Poland to the east.
Germany is one of the European Union’s founding members and works to promote closer integration among the countries of Europe.
Michael:
I’ve been fascinated with Germany ever since I was five. I remember learning that the automobile was invented in Germany. For me, it’s an exciting country – with so many inventions and Nobel Prize winners. But I would have never guessed that Germany was such a beautiful country. I only discovered that once I came here.
Tour of Germany 51
Landscapes and cities
The landscapes of Germany are diverse and beautiful. On the North and Baltic Seas, there are island chains with long sand dune beaches, swaths of heath and moorland. In the low mountains of central Germany – a region praised for its beauty by the English and German Romanticists – medieval castles are situated along forested valleys. And in the south, the Alps with their sparkling lakes rise above the lowlands. This is where the Zugspitze, the highest peak in Germany, towers at almost 3,000 metres above sea level.
Almost half of Germany’s inhabitants live in 76 cities with popula- tions over 100,000. The largest German cities are Berlin (3.3 mil- lion), Hamburg (1.7 million) and Munich (1.3 million).
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
38 landmarks and historic locations in Germany have been distinguished as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include:
■ The cathedrals in Aachen, Cologne, Speyer and Trier
■ Roman-period buildings, e.g. the limes
■ Historic city centres, e.g. Bamberg, Lübeck, Regensburg, Stralsund and Wismar
■ Castles and parks, e.g. Brühl, Dessau, Potsdam and Würzburg
■ Former industrial complexes, e.g. the Zeche Zollverein in Essen and the Völklingen Ironworks
■ The Bauhaus sites in Weimar and Dessau, the Luther memorial sites in Eisleben and Wittenberg, and the classical Weimar of Goethe and Schiller
■ Entire landscapes, e.g. the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and the Wadden Sea along the North Sea
For a complete list of UNESCO sites in Germany see www.unesco.de/ welterbe-deutschland.
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Metropolitan cities are not the only places worth visiting. Re gard less of size, univer- sity towns throughout Ger - many possess a rich history which is often reflected in their archi tec ture. Historic city cen -
tres and ancient city walls date back to the Middle Ages. Many towns have well-preserved half-timbered houses and long boule- vards lined with spacious villas built during the Gründerzeit, the 19th-century period of German industrial expansion.
No matter where you end up studying, you will find an abundance of cultural highlights in your town – exhibitions, concerts, festivals, performances, trade fairs, sporting events, etc. (see pp. 120–130).
Politics
The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was founded in 1949 as a parliamentary democracy. Its constitution guarantees basic rights to all people, such as freedom of religion, freedom of expression and equality before the law (see p. 160). Following the reunifica- tion of East Germany (GDR) and West Germany (FRG) in October 1990, Berlin became the capital.
Germany is comprised of 16 states (see map on p. 182). Each state has its own political sphere of jurisdiction, for example, in matters of culture and education.
Germany’s educational system is decentralised. All 16 states have their own university regulations and guidelines. The universities themselves are largely independent which explains why study regu la tions vary so often. Consequently, students should always ask about the specific study regulations at their university.
City portraits
The German cities where most international students choose to live and study are presented in detail at www.study-in.de/towns.
54 Destination Germany
Economic strength
Germany’s economy is the largest in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. In 2011 German companies exported goods valued at one trillion euros.
Germany’s main exports are electro-technology, mechatronics, heavy machinery, automobiles, environmental technology, pharma- ceuticals and chemicals. Consumers around the world regard the label “Made in Germany” as a seal of quality. Germany is home to many trusted and renowned market leaders, such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Bayer, Siemens, and many others.
In the same way Germany fosters trade relations with partners around the world, German companies also work hard to promote international exchange of qualified professionals.
Innovation and creativity
Innovative ideas have strongly shaped Germany’s past and will surely continue to do so in the future. Germany has produced a long list of revolutionary inventions, such as the automobile, the airbag, X-ray technology, Aspirin, the computer, the chip card and the MP3 data compression format.
Science and research have a long tradition in Germany and are still highly valued today. The oldest German university was found- ed in Heidelberg in 1386.
The list of German Nobel Prize recipients is quite impressive. There are almost 70 German laureates in the natural sciences and medicine alone. They include Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, Robert Koch, Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Harald zur Hausen.
56 Destination Germany
And Germany isn’t called the “land of poets and thinkers” for noth- ing. In addition to such illustrious figures as Kant, Hegel, Adorno, Goethe, Heine, Brecht, Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, many con- temporary German designers, artists, actors, musicians and ath- letes are famous around the world.
Cosmopolitan
Millions of immigrants have chosen to settle in Germany since the 1960s. Today Germany is home to 6.9 million people of im migrant descent, approximately 8.5 percent of the total population. Most of them have come from Turkey, Italy and Poland. People from all nations, cultures and religions live together in peace ful coexist-
ence. Germany is a tol erant and cosmopolitan country. More information:
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www.facts-about- germany.deLand of Ideas
“Germany – Land of Ideas” is a programme initiated by the federal government that promotes the creative and innovative advance- ments by German institutions in the fields of science, business, art and culture. Visit the Land of Ideas at www.land-of-ideas.org.