Germany is historically called “Das Land der Dichter und Denker” (the land of poets and thinkers). Since 2006 it has called itself the land of ideas. German culture can be traced back long before the rise of Germany as a nation-state and it spanned the entire German-speaking world. From the beginning, culture in Germany has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both secular and religious. As a result, it is difficult to identify and seperate German culture and tradition from the larger framework of European high culture.
Germany can lay claim to some of the world’s most renowned classical composers, including “Ludwig van Beethoven”, “Johann Sebastian Bach”, “Johannes Brahms” and “Richard Wagner”. As of 2006, Germany is the fifth largest music market in the world and has influenced pop and rock music through artists such as “Kraftwerk”, “Scorpions”, “Rammstein” and “Tokio Hotel”.
In addition Germany has many historical sights, top-quality concerts, art exhibitions, theaters as well as major international sports events, not to mention street festivals and atmospheric Christmas markets which are a few of the attractions that bring the visitors flocking. The Germans love to celebrate, and never miss an opportunity to do so. Many festivals such as Munich’s renowned Oktoberfest, Christopher Street Day in Cologne, the Carnival of the Cultures in Berlin, Fastnacht in Mainz and Carnival in Cologne have long become an international synonym for high spirits and a cosmopolitan atmosphere.
There are many sides to cultural life in Germany: From North to South there are around 300 theaters and 130 professional orchestras. The museums are of almost unparalleled quality – featuring 500 art museums with diverse internationally renowned collections. Young German painting is equally vibrant, and is long since part of the international scene. And Germany is one of the major book nations, with around 95,000 new books and re-editions each year. The 350 dailies and thousands of magazines are fine examples of how lively the German media world is. Moreover, German films are once again a great success at home and abroad.