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1. Your group has been assigned a cultural category on the Padlet.

2. Go to the Groups tab on Canvas to find your team and use the Group Discussion Board to communicate.

3. Choose a specific topic within your assigned category.

4. With your group, research a specific aspect of German culture (e.g., food, festivals, art, music, architecture, traditions).

5. Write a detailed overview of your topic in English. Include:

What it is

Why it’s important in German and American culture

Any historical background or modern significance (if applicable)

6. Add a visual representation:

Use a relevant photo OR

Create an image using the “Ich kann nicht zeichnen” tool

7. Post your work on Padlet under the correct cultural category.

How to Post on Padlet:

1. Find the column that matches your assigned cultural category (like “Food & Drink” or “Music”).

2. Click the plus (+) button next to the column to add your post.

3. In your post:

Title: Your topic (e.g., “Oktoberfest”)

Text: Paste your group’s overview

Image: Upload your photo or AI-generated image

4. Double-check that everything is included and accurate, then click “Publish” (or the equivalent button).

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A basketball court in a park in Berlin (source: Pixabay)

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Basketball is a team sport that has become increasingly popular in Germany, especially among young people in schools, clubs, and cities with public courts. While soccer is still the biggest sport, basketball holds growing importance in both German and American culture, connecting fans through international leagues and shared stars. Germany's top league is the Basketball-Bundesliga (BBL), with major teams like ALBA Berlin and Bayern Munich competing locally and in the EuroLeague. A major moment in the sport’s history was in 2023, when Germany won the Basketball World Cup for the first time. Famous German players like Dirk Nowitzki, who played for years in the NBA, and Dennis Schröder, a current NBA star, have helped boost the sport’s popularity. Today, more young people in Germany are inspired to play, and basketball receives increasing attention in the media and schools.

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The Brothers Grimm made over 200 distinct fairy tales that have change the movie producers ideas forever. The Brothers Grimm were 2 Brothers who were born in Hanna, Germany. The brothers Grimm were one of the first people who systematically collected folktales that were told by ordinary people which was a big influence in preserving a rich oral tradition, that was at risk of becoming lost. They are very important in American movies and Disney because a lot of the Classic Disney movies that helped make Disney were borrowed from the Grimm Brothers, they were just made less scary so that they would reach a larger audience.

—Charlotte CH. or person A

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In the 16th century, classical music was born, which became very popular in the German culture. They often listened to "the three B's", which included Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Johannes Brahms. Classical music in Germany has been popular and enjoyed for hundreds of years, and continues to do so up to present day. Another popular genre in Germany is folk music. One of the most popular styles of folk music is called Schlager, which dates back to the 20th century. Although, it really gained popularity around the 1960's and 1970's. Schlager is a combination of pop rock and ballad sensibilities that falls under the folk music genre. The music has a more lighthearted theme that often discussed emotions and love. Although, it has been told that you either love it or hate it, due to its consistent theme and style. But Schlager is definitely still popular today.

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After World War 2, one of the symbols of regained economic power for West Germany was the rebuilding of the floors of the KaDeWe. It showed not just Germany, but the rest of the world what post-war Germany was capable of, physically and economically. Nowadays, the KaDeWe group is more well known, consisting of KaDeWe, Alsterhaus in Hamburg, and Oberpollinger in Munich, and has since spread beyond Germany into Vienna, Austria.

Isaiah Withers, Member C

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hello musik und tanz group I really enjoyed reading about the importance and history of dancing and song. So I wanted to ask you with all of the famous composers like Beethoven and Bach what do you think was the most influenced form of music that Germany effected?

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one of the most famous foods in Germany is bratwursts. bratwursts help define the cultural food of Germany it also helped to form food culture in America with the hotdog. bratwursts were an efficient food that was easy to produce so it spread across Germany super fast and helped a lot of people by giving them a different food that was cheap enough to buy and simple enough to even make at home.

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Many famous car manufacturers are actually German. Some of the most notable are BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Audi. These companies have been pushing innovation in the automotive world for years and years. The oldest car company in the world was founded in Germany by Carl Bens, his company would later become Mercedes-Bens. The Germans have made some of the most iconic cars in history. The VolksWagen Beetle for example started production in 1938 and has been in production as recent as 2019. Germany has a large influence on the car industry if not the largest influence on the car industry because 4 out of the top 15 leading car brands come from Germany. (BMW,Mercedes,Audi,Volkswagen) Germany is currently the second highest car brand seller behind japan. Germany is also leading in car the development industy and set to have the biggest growth in sales along with the USA.

(Jackson Ruppel-Lee, Troy Kroek, Maya Robinson, and Brody Enzmann, )

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KaDeWe was started 1907 and was created by Adolf Jandorf and was later taken over by Hermann Tietz in 1927. During World War 2, the building was damaged by bombing and fires due to Hermann having a larger partnership with the jews; after years of reconstruction, the building had its grand opening in 1950. Over 180,000 people visited the store on its first day open. KaDeWe became a symbol of Western prosperity as well as economic power. After the Berlin Wall fell, the department store was visited by 200,000 people daily.

-Kayla Robertson member B

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"An artist's interpretation of a scene from Red Riding Hood/Rotkäppchen (source: Britannica)"

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Description/Introduction (CH)

The Brothers Grimm made over 200 distinct fairy tales that have changed the ideas of movie producers forever. They were 2 brothers who were born in Hanna, Germany. The Brothers Grimm were some of the first people who systematically collected folktales that were told by ordinary people, which was a big influence in preserving a rich oral tradition that was at risk of becoming lost. They have been very important in Disney and other American movies, because a lot of the classic Disney movies that helped make Disney were borrowed from the Grimm Brothers. These stories were very often made less threatening so that they could reach and please a larger audience.

Historical background/Cultural significance (SW)

The Grimm brothers are known for their tales that have provided entertainment to many people over the years. Many think that Romanticism and Nationalism influenced the Grimm Brothers' stories, given the time period being the Romantic era. Other people think that their writing was influenced by the French revolution and the pressure that the French were putting on the German States. These people think they used nationalism as a meaning to create stories and to add some individuality to these stories. The darkness and sadness that was often in their original stories was how they were able to deal with the traumatic experiences during this time. This is why the original stories may seem grim and scary in certain parts, but they also wanted to convey emotions like love. The Grimm brothers were able to add on to their old traditions and make them better through their writing. They might not have created fairy tales, but they invented new versions that saved a long tradition that many still love. Many writers were also influenced by these time periods and by other historical events, it shows that beautiful things can still be created or inspired even in the darkness of times.

Modern relevance/Facts (LS)

The Brothers Grimm were very important during their lifetime, and they still are today. Their names were Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, and they were only a year of age apart. Wilhelm lived from 1786 to 1859 and Jacob lived from 1785 to 1863. The brothers’ reason for re-writing all of these stories was to preserve these longstanding German tales by putting them all together in one book containing 200 fairy tales and 11 legends. These stories were not targeted at a particular audience, but it is very commonly believed that the frequent bad endings or scary factors in these stories were intended to deter children from misbehavior. Sometimes, they even imply that the children’s behavior could affect the outcome of the story. For example, in the original tale of “The Little Mermaid”, Ariel experienced true suffering as a human, but refused to kill the prince in order to become a mermaid again. In this tale, she dies and becomes sea foam, but may get a human soul in 300 years. This story mentions that if the children hearing the story were to misbehave, time may be added onto Ariel’s life as sea foam. These often threatening and violent stories have since been adapted by companies like Disney and other companies as well. The stories have lost many of their original, and often offensive, parts, but this shows how media from hundreds of years ago can still entertain children and people today."

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German Expressionism had a huge influence on world film making, for example film noir which drew its influence from German Expressionism.

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Cinema has been around in Germany since 1906 and has advanced significantly. By 1910, about 1,000 cinemas had opened. Around the 1920s, films were typically based around darker themes due to World War 1 and heavily influenced modern-day horror movies. During World War I and World War II, Germany often produced propaganda films to combat English and other Allied powers' war films. After the wars, Germany simultaneously produced comedies and "noir" films, which were characterized by their dark and gloomy atmospheres. This period, during the 50's and 60's, was a rebuilding of Germany's film industry after the war, and it led to the development of Germany becoming a prominent figure in film. Through visual style, narrative techniques, and thematic explorations, the German film and media industries have had a modern influence on the world film and media industries. The Expressionist movement, through its visual techniques, has had a global impact on the sci-fi, Horror, and film noir genres. Germany has had a big impact on film and media, from expressionism in the early 20th century to its global influence on modern cinema. The history of Germany has also contributed to expressionism through identity or trauma, an example of which could be post-WWII. Today, Germany contributes to the film world through things like directors and the strong influence they have on international media.

(Jadyn "Milo" Bailey, Olivia Cox, Helena Longstreth, and Rory Pacewicz)

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Germany is credited with being the birth place of rocket science. This science has revolutionized our abilities making the idea of jets as well as space ships possible. The first example of rockets being used was originally in China and much later the Napoleanic wars. But in truth there was limited use of either compared to the amount we use today. Many German scientists would, after the second world war, be scooped up by the US or soviets for the space race. Overall if it hadn't been for this idea we really would not be able to do things that happen every day that we barely even think about happening.

-Charles person A (3 person group)

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Germany is a global leader in car manufacturing, known for high-quality engineering and sleek designs. Brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Audi dominate the industry mixing luxury with meticulous craftsmanship. These cars aren't just a business in Germany, but a source of national pride. (Part A by Lauren Turner)

Germany has a long history of car-making, starting in the late 1800s with companies like Mercedes-Benz. These companies became famous for their strong and smart engineering. German cars helped grow the economy and became a big part of the country’s identity. (Part B by Rauhse McQueen)

These cars like the BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz have had a big modern day impact. The cars let us get to places faster, and let us feel the wings of freedom, when driving around. Germany also built older cars like the DKW also known as the little wonder or steampunk car, and the Auto Union AG. Did you know that the Audi was originally named Horch Automobilwerke, and that the word Audi comes from the latin version of August Horch’s surname which means “listen” in german. (Part C by Uriel Mitchell)

Missing Part D.

Posted By: Uriel Mitchell, four person group.

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Germany is implementing several projects to help the environment, including battery recycling, assisting citizens to obtain electric vehicles, and working to expand railways and bike pathways. These are just some of the things Germany does as part of their green city initiatives. Germany is working towards a greener and safer future for its citizens.

This is the summary (part D) for Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit.

-Clara Hyers

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Germany is ready to accept Tesla, as it is advancing towards environment-friendly electric cars.

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Before the industrial revolution, people in Germany relied on walking, carriages/wagons, and horseback riding. Germany’s first horse-drawn locomotive was built in 1816 - but it was too big for the railway, so it was repurposed as a steam engine. When 1835 rolled around, Germany’s first working railway was built, and it evolved into a much larger network, and although many smaller stations have been shut down, people can still have a convenient and reliable transportation system through buses, trams, and subways, along with bike lanes and an advancement towards electric vehicles to support the environment. (This is part B)

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KaDeWe is a department store with much history behind it. KaDeWe used to be owned by a Jewish partnership, but due to the war the partnership had to be transferred to non Jewish owners. KaDeWe is a famous yet it holds so much history and help create the economy we have today.

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While the sport had existed recreationally in Germany since its inception, it was not until 1903 that the German Football Association was formed that the first official championship was held. It saw continued development before World War 1 and the subsequent Weimar Republic. However, World War 2 stopped much of the development of Football as a national sport following the start of the war, and most of the infrastructure was demolished during the war. After the war, West Germany rebuilt most of its destroyed clubs and programs, the same with East Germany. West Germany held the official international team at this time. Meanwhile in East Germany, the DS-Oberliga was formed in 1949, and was renamed Fußball Oberliga DFV in 1958. These teams continued until reunification in 1989. Back in West Germany, Football started rising as a cultural icon given Germany's relative dominance over the sport. In July of 1962, the Bundesliga was formed, modelled off of English football teams, and hence continued growing as a symbol for the nation. This would spur the development of the sport, making widespread and easily accessible, with many different levels of competition. It would also compete later in the 1966 World Cup, losing to England, however still making a name for itself. This continued as the official organization until today. During reunification, the East German Football clubs and leagues were amalgamated into the association.

In 2001, the Fußball Oberliga was under the control of Deutsche Fußball Liga (German Football League), and it continues to this day.

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A vintage postcard showing the celebrations of Oktoberfest, with Bavarian clothing, horses, tents, and joy. 

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Oktoberfest is a largely celebrated German that takes place in Munich and extends for two weeks at the end of each September.

Oktoberfest began in 1810 Munich as a celebration of a royal wedding, evolving into an annual festival by 1819. Historically people would gather people outside the gates of Munich to watch a horse race. Children would wear traditional Bavarian clothing and pay homage to the royal family by reciting poems, gifting flowers and fruits of the land.

An important tradition that began in 1950 was when the mayor of Munich exclaimed the phrase “O’zapft is”, or “it is tapped”, signaling that Oktoberfest has begun and beer stands could begin providing alcohol.

Overtime, the festival has evolved. As modernity came to embrace electricity, bright lights and carousels lit up OktoberFest. Previous small beer tents crescendoed to become large beer tents accompanied by musicians. Business owners would play Bavarian brass music prior to 6 p.m. before switching to party music after. Although horse racing stopped being held on Oktoberfest, they still play a role in the parade today and are seen adorned in colorful accessories and pulling floaties

This iconic event, now spans 16-18 days, attracting millions and celebrating Bavarian culture. Numerous US cities have even created their own version of Oktoberfest.