Germany is one of the most culturally significant nations in the world. The country has one of the leading economies in the world and is the most populous nation in the European Union.
But Germany is much more than money and power. The country has been home to some of the most influential scientists, inventors, and people in history and has produced a huge cornucopia of stuff that we use in our everyday, plus a few strange items we’ve never seen. Let’s take a look at some of the things that Germany gave the world.
1. Cuckoo clocks
You may have a 1-day cuckoo clock sitting in your home somewhere without even realizing the great German clock making traditions that went into its creation. German cuckoo clocks are an amazing show of the country’s blend of craftsmanship and mechanical prowess. The first cuckoo clocks were constructed in the 1600s, comprising all wood parts and gears save for stones used as the weight mechanism.
Crude is putting it lightly, but over the years, clockmakers in the ominous-sounding-but-actually-beautiful Black Forest improved the design and function, adding in proper gears and plenty of amazing accents and finesse. Black Forest cuckoo clocks remain the crème de la crème of horology, prized by antique collectors the world over.
2. Gummy bears
A classic favorite, whether you’re watching a movie or spending many a late night writing papers, gummy bears just hit the spot. Gummy bears are popularly known in Germany as gummibär or gummibärchen, which translates to “little rubber bear.” These classic treats were invented by Hans Riegel, Sr., a candy maker from Bonn who started Haribo in 1920.
In 1922, Riegel invented the Dancing Bear, a fruity, bear-shaped gum. Seeing the popularity of the gum, the German Willy Wonka eventually created a gummy version of the Dancing Bear, leading to Haribo’s trademark product and a sweet treat that would influence uncounted gummi candies, loosely inspire a popular Disney cartoon, and give moms everywhere an easy way to motivate kids to take their vitamins.
3. The Brothers Grimm
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm developed an intense interest in German folklore after attending the University of Marsburg. The brothers collected a wide range of folk tales, eventually publishing Children’s and Household Tales—more commonly known simply as Grimms’ Fairy Tales—in 1812. The first collection contained 86 stories, but by the seventh edition, the tome held an amazing 211 fairy tales, most notably Cinderella, Snow White, The Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, and Rapunzel.
Despite the fact that they were called “children’s tales,” the stories that the Grimms collected were hardly suitable for children. Sexual references were eventually removed through the editions, but violence, particularly when it involved punishing villains, was actually increased. Fortunately, Walt Disney left out the part in Cinderella where the step-sisters cut off parts of their heels and toes to try to fit into the glass slipper, and while Aschenputtel does marry the prince at the end, the sisters get their eyes pecked out by doves. Family fun!
4. Bratwurst
Nothing brings people together like meat grilled over flame. Bratwurst gets its name from the joining of brat, meaning finely chopped meat—usually beef, pork, or veal—and wurst, meaning sausage. These days, however, Germans associate brat with “braten,” the German verb for pan fry or roast.
Bratwurst can be grilled, pan fried, or cooked in beer and comes in reportedly 40 different varieties with an intense tradition that spans from Franconia to Thuringia and all adjacent areas. Placed between two buns or served in a mix of vinegar, onions, white wine, and spices, bratwurst can do no wrong. More like brat-best, am I right?
5. Wieners
Speaking of that, sausages are a large part of the German diet thanks in part to Johann Georg Lahner. Lahner, who came from a poor family, moved to Frankfurt, where he worked as a butcher. He eventually made his way to Vienna where he combined pork and beef in a casing to create the Frankfurter, which became the “Wiener” sausage.
That turned into what we know now as the good ole American hot dog. Buns and barbecues were never the same again.
6. Lederhosen
Lederhosen is to Germany as the kilt is to Scotland or the cowboy hat is to the United States. Simply translated to “leather breeches,” lederhosen are, as you might imagine, breeches made of leather and can be short or kneelength.
While many assume that lederhosen are a traditional German costume, it’s actually more a piece of workwear or leisurewear for working class men. Think of them like a pair of Levi’s for construction workers and steel millers.
Lederhosen aren’t globally popular, but they are still worn in certain regions of Germany, particularly Bavaria, where they are associated with manliness and virility.
7. Ludwig van Beethoven
Potentially one of the most influential composers and pianists in all of music, Beethoven played a crucial role in the transition from Classical to Romantic periods in music. His huge oeuvre includes 5 concertos for piano, 9 symphonies, 32 piano sonatas, 16 string quartets, one opera, and countless arias, duets, and song cycles. Kanye’s got nothing on Beethoven.
Beethoven is famously known for being deaf but, contrary to some reports, he was not born deaf and instead slowly lost his hearing over the course of his career, eventually losing it completely by 1814. His musicality didn’t falter, and his deafness gave way to a huge collection of conversation books—friends wrote in a book and Beethoven would respond orally or in the book—which became an extensive historical and biographical resource.
8. Albert Einstein
Scientist, theoretical physicist, and all-around cool dude, Albert Einstein is so famous and well-known that his very name is used as a synonym for genius. Einstein’s foremost discovery was the general theory of relativity, which provided a description of gravity as a geometric property of time and space. Heady stuff, I know, but Einstein’s theory of relativity worked in conjunction with quantum mechanics to become the foundation of modern physics.
He won the Nobel Prize in physics and helped the U.S. develop nuclear weapons—though he outright denounced the use of them—but above all, Einstein showed that there was nothing wrong with being a smart, humble guy who could get away with saying cool things like, “The hardest thing in the world to understand is income taxes.”
9. Mp3s
The now universal format for sound that lets you carry your entire music collection wherever you want, mp3s were developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits. The researchers discovered, “Hey, there are a lot of sounds that people can’t hear,” and so eliminated the frequencies that the human ear can’t perceive. By cutting the fat but keeping the juicy, guitar-y bits, mp3s actually shrink music files to a twelfth of their original size.
Of course, that eventually gave way to Napster and music pirating, but let’s chalk mp3s up as a general win for the world.
10. Small format cameras
In 1925, Oskar Barnack developed the pocket camera, changing the face of photography for years to come. Before Barnack’s invention, cameras were large, heavy, bulky boxes that needed tripods and printed photographs on huge plates, none of which was great for a guy like Barnack, who loved photography but also suffered from asthma.
Barnack thought, “You know, these plates show more detail than I really need,” and so developed the smaller 35mm film format, which he could then enlarge in a darkroom.
Barnack truly paved the way for modern photography. Without him, who knows if selfies would even be possible?
11. Beer
Okay, beer was technically invented by the ancient Egyptians, but back then, “beer” was brewed using everything from snake root to pitch to ox bile. Not exactly the brew you’re used to.
It wasn’t until April 23, 1516, that the Ducal brothers Ludwig X and Wilhelm IV issued the Reinheitsgebot, which translates to “purity order.” What is now known as the Purity Law dictated that beer could only be made using barley, hops, and water, and the regulation still holds true today, which is why you can enjoy a brew with your friends without worrying about drinking ox bile.
12. Heidi Klum
‘Nuff said.
So there you have it. Twelve things the Germans gave us. Danke, Germany!
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