The Wayback Machine - http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com:80/GERMANY
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European Meltdown: Germany's Far Right (VICE on HBO Ep. #4 Extended)
Salafist Surge: Germany faces extremist Islamic threat
Neuschwanstein Castle - Germany - UNESCO world Heritage Site
Germany vs USA - Trains
Studying Engineering in Germany
Escape from East Germany
Germany's home-schooled rebellion
Germany vs USA - Work
Acoustic Session BigFM Germany: Evanescence -
SHESA Germany Golden Jubilee Celebration highlights part 2
Latest World News - Germany faces extremist Islamic threat
Germany vs USA - Religion

Germany

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Some days are just a copy
Of a day you had before
You flash yourself thinking
You can't take it anymore
Never feels more alone
When you're in a crowded room
And bang your head to a wall
You feel nothing at all
Just want to feel the same
Some things will never change
Always knew you'd be a star
Now I know that's what you are
And we cry
To a new beginning
We deny
A new beginning
So let me introduce to you
This favourite play of mine
A comedy called Germany
You may not understand
The funny thing it's about someone
Who's never been alone
Just trying to be a friend

There was a wall constructed inside of my ripping through
my heart
And brick by brick I'll slave to tear it all down
Say goodbye to loneliness the past is finally dead
There is no allegiance the past is finally dead
I felt so trapped a stranger frozen to these streets
With broken bones wounds I swore would never heal
I always hoped for something true but
My emotions were always conflicted, so conflicted
Next stop the Berlin Bridge
I once gave my heart for black hair pale skin and broken
English
My life was always so confined
Like being chained against the flow of the gutter
I had no worth only a hunger for excess to fill the gaps
There was no depth to this abyss
So conflicted
From this day forward
I'll wear my heart on my sleeve
It's ten below outside but it's pale in comparison
To how frozen my judgment used to be
There is no regrets the past is finally dead
The past is finally dead
I have no regrets

Make changes yourself !



European Meltdown: Germany's Far Right (VICE on HBO Ep. #4 Extended)
  • Order:
  • Duration: 3:52
  • Updated: 13 May 2013
At a rally held by the National Democratic Party (NDP), the largest far right party in Germany, we see the NDP and their oppositionists face off. #VICEonHBO ...
  • published: 26 Apr 2013
  • author: vice
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/European Meltdown: Germany's Far Right (VICE on HBO Ep. #4 Extended)
Salafist Surge: Germany faces extremist Islamic threat
  • Order:
  • Duration: 3:27
  • Updated: 08 May 2013
The radical Islamist movement is gaining ground in Germany with immigrants attempting to apply their traditions and laws to their new home. The country's gov...
  • published: 28 Apr 2013
  • views: 11230
  • author: RussiaToday
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Salafist Surge: Germany faces extremist Islamic threat
Neuschwanstein Castle - Germany - UNESCO world Heritage Site
  • Order:
  • Duration: 2:06
  • Updated: 11 May 2013
Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germ...
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Neuschwanstein Castle - Germany - UNESCO world Heritage Site
Germany vs USA - Trains
  • Order:
  • Duration: 7:02
  • Updated: 13 May 2013
Alex and Jim are on the train towards Berlin and talk about the Deutsche Bahn. Enjoy! Subscribe to Germany vs USA on YouTube http://bit.ly/GERvsUSA_Subscribe...
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Germany vs USA - Trains
Studying Engineering in Germany
  • Order:
  • Duration: 3:32
  • Updated: 09 May 2013
Engineers trained at German universities are sought all over the world - degrees "Made in Germany" have an excellent reputation internationally because they ...
  • published: 24 Apr 2013
  • views: 3906
  • author: DAADBonn
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Studying Engineering in Germany
Escape from East Germany
  • Order:
  • Duration: 2:53
  • Updated: 12 May 2013
This is the story of the last harrowing illegal journey from East Germany to West Germany before the Berlin Wall fell. THE 80s: NEW MINI-SERIES premiering Ap...
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Escape from East Germany
Germany's home-schooled rebellion
  • Order:
  • Duration: 2:05
  • Updated: 28 Apr 2013
Parents around the world are turning to home schooling for their children more and more frequently. It requires time and effort - and in some countries, brea...
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Germany's home-schooled rebellion
Germany vs USA - Work
  • Order:
  • Duration: 7:44
  • Updated: 04 May 2013
Talking work - leave a comment with your experiences and your opinion. This is a video we produced a while back, new episodes will be coming this summer! Sub...
  • published: 18 Apr 2013
  • views: 5594
  • author: AlexandJim
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Germany vs USA - Work
Acoustic Session BigFM Germany: Evanescence -
  • Order:
  • Duration: 4:58
  • Updated: 28 Apr 2013
A imagem não é das melhores, mas vale o registro] Trecho do "Acoustic Session BigFM Germany Das kleinste Konzert der Welt Wiesbaden: Evanescence" Ano: 2012 ...
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Acoustic Session BigFM Germany: Evanescence - "Lost In Paradise"
SHESA Germany Golden Jubilee Celebration highlights part 2
  • Order:
  • Duration: 32:41
  • Updated: 01 May 2013
Ex Students of Sacred Heart College (SHESA Germany) Celebrating a Golden jubilee of the Alma Mater TTS/MTDV www.tiptopstars.com.
  • published: 29 Apr 2013
  • views: 73
  • author: MaToDiVi
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/SHESA Germany Golden Jubilee Celebration highlights part 2
Latest World News - Germany faces extremist Islamic threat
  • Order:
  • Duration: 3:27
  • Updated: 28 Apr 2013
http://www.youtube.com/AllNewsPlace All News Place يرجى الاشتراك للحصول على آخر المستجدات مكان الأخبار جميع The radical Islamist movement is gaining ground i...
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Latest World News - Germany faces extremist Islamic threat
Germany vs USA - Religion
  • Order:
  • Duration: 9:36
  • Updated: 10 May 2013
This one is about Religion....we hope you enjoy this. Apologies for the bad sound quality on Alex's microphone. Subscribe to Germany vs USA on YouTube http:/...
  • published: 09 Mar 2013
  • views: 10137
  • author: AlexandJim
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Germany vs USA - Religion
Germany Spring 2013 - Day Three 28.04.2013
  • Order:
  • Duration: 24:20
  • Updated: 29 Apr 2013
Morning service at FEG Church in the city of Bamberg followed by a nice lunch, a car ride to Karlsruhe and an absolutely wonderful night at Jesus Rockt Church.
  • published: 29 Apr 2013
  • author: JILDWI
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/Germany Spring 2013 - Day Three 28.04.2013
How Germany Became Europe's Richest Country
  • Order:
  • Duration: 9:48
  • Updated: 12 May 2013
As European debt crisis negotiations approach the 11th hour on yet another bailout for Greece, Margaret Warner reports on some of the people behind the econo...
  • published: 09 Feb 2012
  • views: 223749
  • author: PBSNewsHour
http://web.archive.org./web/20130515105754/http://wn.com/How Germany Became Europe's Richest Country


At a rally held by the National Democratic Party (NDP), the largest far right party in Germany, we see the NDP and their oppositionists face off. #VICEonHBO ...
  • published: 26 Apr 2013
  • author: vice

3:52
Eu­ro­pean Melt­down: Ger­many's Far Right (VICE on HBO Ep. #4 Ex­tend­ed)
At a rally held by the Na­tion­al Demo­crat­ic Party (NDP), the largest far right party in Ger...
pub­lished: 26 Apr 2013
au­thor: vice
3:27
Salafist Surge: Ger­many faces ex­trem­ist Is­lam­ic threat
The rad­i­cal Is­lamist move­ment is gain­ing ground in Ger­many with im­mi­grants at­tempt­ing to a...
pub­lished: 28 Apr 2013
2:06
Neuschwanstein Cas­tle - Ger­many - UN­ESCO world Her­itage Site
Neuschwanstein Cas­tle is a 19th-cen­tu­ry Ro­manesque Re­vival palace on a rugged hill above t...
pub­lished: 25 Apr 2013
7:02
Ger­many vs USA - Trains
Alex and Jim are on the train to­wards Berlin and talk about the Deutsche Bahn. Enjoy! Subs...
pub­lished: 25 Apr 2013
au­thor: Alexand­Jim
3:32
Study­ing En­gi­neer­ing in Ger­many
En­gi­neers trained at Ger­man uni­ver­si­ties are sought all over the world - de­grees "Made in ...
pub­lished: 24 Apr 2013
au­thor: DAAD­Bonn
2:53
Es­cape from East Ger­many
This is the story of the last har­row­ing il­le­gal jour­ney from East Ger­many to West Ger­many ...
pub­lished: 18 Apr 2013
2:05
Ger­many's home-schooled re­bel­lion
Par­ents around the world are turn­ing to home school­ing for their chil­dren more and more fr...
pub­lished: 24 Apr 2013
7:44
Ger­many vs USA - Work
Talk­ing work - leave a com­ment with your ex­pe­ri­ences and your opin­ion. This is a video we ...
pub­lished: 18 Apr 2013
au­thor: Alexand­Jim
4:58
Acous­tic Ses­sion BigFM Ger­many: Evanes­cence - "Lost In Par­adise"
A im­agem não é das mel­hores, mas vale o reg­istro] Tre­cho do "Acous­tic Ses­sion BigFM Ger­man...
pub­lished: 28 Apr 2013
32:41
SHESA Ger­many Gold­en Ju­bilee Cel­e­bra­tion high­lights part 2
Ex Stu­dents of Sa­cred Heart Col­lege (SHESA Ger­many) Cel­e­brat­ing a Gold­en ju­bilee of the Al...
pub­lished: 29 Apr 2013
au­thor: Ma­To­Di­Vi
3:27
Lat­est World News - Ger­many faces ex­trem­ist Is­lam­ic threat
http://​www.​youtube.​com/​AllNewsPlace All News Place يرجى الاشتراك للحصول على آخر المستجدات ...
pub­lished: 28 Apr 2013
9:36
Ger­many vs USA - Re­li­gion
This one is about Religion....​we hope you enjoy this. Apolo­gies for the bad sound qual­i­ty ...
pub­lished: 09 Mar 2013
au­thor: Alexand­Jim
24:20
Ger­many Spring 2013 - Day Three 28.04.2013
Morn­ing ser­vice at FEG Church in the city of Bam­berg fol­lowed by a nice lunch, a car ride ...
pub­lished: 29 Apr 2013
au­thor: JILD­WI
9:48
How Ger­many Be­came Eu­rope's Rich­est Coun­try
As Eu­ro­pean debt cri­sis ne­go­ti­a­tions ap­proach the 11th hour on yet an­oth­er bailout for Gre...
pub­lished: 09 Feb 2012
au­thor: PB­SNew­sHour
Vimeo results:
2:55
Lam­borgh­i­ni "Aven­ta­dor"
Our lat­est car porn in­tro­duces Lam­borgh­i­ni's new super sports car Aven­ta­dor with its 700 H...
pub­lished: 26 Apr 2011
au­thor: Sehsucht
5:18
The Longest Way 1.0 - walk through China and grow a beard! - TIME­LAPSE
In 2008, I walked through China - one year, more than 4500km. All the while, I let my hair...
pub­lished: 13 May 2009
4:32
555 KUBIK | fa­cade pro­jec­tion
555 KUBIK "How it would be, if a house was dream­ing" The con­cep­tion of this pro­ject consi...
pub­lished: 14 Jul 2009
au­thor: ur­ban­screen
5:39
Afghanistan – touch down in flight
– Up­date: We want to go back to Afghanistan to shoot our first fea­ture doc­u­men­tary "The Ha...
pub­lished: 01 Nov 2011

Youtube results:
4:28
Acous­tic Ses­sion BigFM Ger­many: Evanes­cence - "My Heart Is Bro­ken"
A im­agem não é das mel­hores, mas vale o reg­istro] Tre­cho do "Acous­tic Ses­sion BigFM Ger­man...
pub­lished: 28 Apr 2013
21:50
Berlin, Ger­many - July 2012 (1080 HD)
Mon­tage of video footage taken from around Berlin, Ger­many's cap­i­tal city on warm Sum­mer d...
pub­lished: 09 Jul 2012
au­thor: Stu­art Moss
1:38
Ger­many's air­line work­ers halt work over pay
Em­ploy­ees at Ger­many's biggest air­line Lufthansa are on a 24-hour strike de­mand­ing for a p...
pub­lished: 22 Apr 2013
19:52
Ger­many Spring 2013 - Day Two 27.04.2013
Day two on the Ger­man Tour! We spent the en­tire day at the Stern­fahrt Kuhlm­bach Bike Rally...
pub­lished: 28 Apr 2013
au­thor: JILD­WI
photo: AP / Koji Sasahara
File- Japanese Emperor Akihito, left, speaks with Japanese scientist Sinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University during the annual spring garden party hosted by the emperor and empress in Tokyo Caption here in Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, April 16, 2009. Standing from left are: Osaka Prefectural Gov. Toru Hashimoto and his wife, Noriko, Jaapanese actress Kaori Momoi.
Edit Al Jazeera
14 May 2013
The Japanese military's forced prostitution of Asian women before and during World War II was necessary to "maintain discipline" in the ranks and provide rest for soldiers, an outspoken nationalist mayor has said. The comments made on Monday are already raising anger in neighbouring countries that bore the brunt of Japan's wartime aggression, and that have long complained that Japan has failed to make amends for wartime atrocities ... ....(size: 8.3Kb)
photo: AP / Lens Young Homsi
This citizen journalism image provided by Lens Young Homsi, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a destroyed Syrian tank seen at al-Qossur neighborhood in Homs province, Syria, Monday, May 13, 2013.
Edit WorldNews.com
14 May 2013
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. "If there were dreams to sell, what would you buy?" Thomas Lovell Beddoes. Like bloodthirsty vultures circling overhead above the regional and global Israeli-Syrian Crisis, domino theories and utopian ideologies are again ready to pounce on and gorge themselves with their next victims ... But as domino theories and utopian states end in ruin, eventually, so too may Israel ... South Vietnam....(size: 5.8Kb)
photo: Creative Commons / Takoradee
Fried Insects food stall
Edit Peace FM Online
13 May 2013
Eating more insects could help fight world hunger, according to a new UN report. The report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says that eating insects could help boost nutrition and reduce pollution. It notes than over 2 billion people worldwide already supplement their diet with insects. However it admits that "consumer disgust" remains a large barrier in many Western countries ... Nutritional value ... Delicacies....(size: 2.4Kb)
photo: AP / Health Protection Agency
This undated image released by the British Health Protection Agency shows an electron microscope image of a coronavirus, part of a family of viruses that cause ailments including the common cold and SARS, which was first identified last year in the Middle East.
Edit Novosti
13 May 2013
MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said Sunday it is possible that the novel coronavirus (NCoV) can transmit between people in close contact ... They have spread to Germany, Britain and France, according to the BBC. ....(size: 1.3Kb)
photo: AP / Doug Parker
New Orleans Police investigate shooting at the intersection Frenchman Street at N. Villere on Mother's Day in New Orleans, Sunday May 12, 2013.
Edit Kansas City Star
13 May 2013
NEW ORLEANS — Gunmen opened fire on people marching in a neighborhood Mother's Day parade in New Orleans on Sunday, wounding at least 19. Order Reprints. Doug Parker New Orleans Police investigate shooting at the intersection Frenchman Street at N. Villere on Mother's Day in New Orleans, Sunday May 12, 2013 ... Villere on Mother's Day in New Orleans, Sunday May 12, 2013 ... S ... Villere on Mother's Day in New Orleans, Sunday May 12, 2013 ... ....(size: 8.6Kb)



Edit Newstrack India
15 May 2013
Seeking to obtain a first-hand perspective of the overall energy situation in Germany and the efforts being made for a dramatic shift towards renewable energy, Minister of State for Power Jyotiraditya Scindia recently led a high-level delegation on a visit to Berlin ... The visit is a follow-up to the visit of Prime Minister Dr Singh's to Berlin in April for the second round of Inter-Governmental Consultations between India and Germany....(size: 2.7Kb)
Edit Reuters
15 May 2013
* Germany GDP +0.1 in Q1 after -0.7 pct in Q4. * Germany skirts recession but growth weaker than f'cast ... BERLIN, May 15 (Reuters) - Germany just skirted a recession in the first quarter thanks to a rise in private consumption, leading some economists to cut full-year growth forecasts and underscoring how Europe's largest economy cannot be relied on to drive a regional recovery....(size: 3.1Kb)
Edit noodls
15 May 2013
(Source. Destatis - Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland). WIESBADEN- In 2011, just under half (49%) of the population in Germany lived in families ... These results are based on the microcensus, the largest annual household survey in Germany and Europe ... tel....(size: 1.1Kb)
Edit Sydney Morning Herald
15 May 2013
Germany's ... Germany grew by just 0.1 per cent on the quarter, weaker than expected as a harsh winter prevented a stronger rebound....(size: 0.6Kb)
Edit Orlando Sentinel
15 May 2013
BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) - Germany's economy crept back into growth ......(size: 0.3Kb)
Edit The Times of India
15 May 2013
Germany's economy crept back into growth in the first quarter of the year after a sharp ......(size: 0.5Kb)
Edit noodls
15 May 2013
From now on, Telefónica Germany will manage all marketing as well as service and sales activities across all brands and customer segments ... Both will directly report to René Schuster, CEO Telefónica Germany ... "The growing demand of data tariffs and the increasing spread of LTE are leading to new dynamics within the telecommunications business," says René Schuster, CEO Telefónica Germany ... Germany....(size: 3.5Kb)
Edit Reuters
15 May 2013
* Germany returns to anaemic growth ... BERLIN/PARIS, May 15 (Reuters) - Germany's economy crept back into growth in the first quarter of the year, after a sharp contraction at the end of 2012, while France slipped into recession, data showed on Wednesday. Germany grew by just 0.1 percent on the quarter, weaker than expected as a harsh winter prevented a stronger rebound ... Even Germany will find it difficult to reach take-off speed alone....(size: 3.6Kb)
Edit The Irish Times
15 May 2013
Germany’s economy crept back into growth in the first quarter of the year, after a sharp contraction at the end of 2012, while France slipped into recession, data showed today. Germany grew by just 0.1 per cent on the quarter, weaker than expected as a harsh winter prevented a stronger rebound ... Even Germany will find it difficult to reach take-off speed alone....(size: 3.4Kb)
Edit South China Morning Post
15 May 2013
Germany’s economy crept back into growth in the first quarter of the year, after a sharp contraction at the end of last year, while France slipped into recession, data showed on Wednesday. Germany grew by just 0.1 per cent on the quarter, weaker than expected as a harsh winter prevented a stronger rebound ... Even Germany will find it difficult to reach take-off speed alone....(size: 3.4Kb)
Edit Deutsche Welle
15 May 2013
Germany narrowly escaped recession in the first months of 2013 as Europe's biggest economy eked out meager growth of 0.1 percent. The growth figure is disappointing but still better than neighboring France ... Even though Germany was able to avoid a technical recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction, the figure for the first quarter is less than expected by most economists ... 0.00.00.0.00.00 ... ....(size: 2.2Kb)
Edit Zeenews
15 May 2013
Suspected ring leader of a neo-Nazi gang, Beate Zschaepe, has been indicted at a court in Munich for her alleged involvement in 10 racially-motivated murders committed across Germany over a period of six years. As the regional court in Munich yesterday resumed Germany's biggest neo-Nazi trial after an eight-day adjournment, federal prosecutor Herbert Diemer read out the indictment against Zschaepe and four others....(size: 3.2Kb)
Edit The Independent
15 May 2013
Amazon has some 9,000 employees in Germany and has repeatedly come under fire from Verdi for refusing to ......(size: 0.5Kb)
Federal Republic of Germany
Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: 
National anthem of Germany - U.S. Army 1st Armored Division Band.ogg

The third stanza of Das Lied der Deutschen  
The Song of the Germans

Location of  Germany  (dark green)– in Europe  (green & dark grey)– in the European Union  (green)  —  [Legend]
Location of  Germany  (dark green)

– in Europe  (green & dark grey)
– in the European Union  (green)  —  [Legend]

Capital
(and largest city)
Berlin
52°31′N 13°23′E / 52.517°N 13.383°E / 52.517; 13.383
Official language(s) German[1]
Ethnic groups  Germans 91.5%, Turks 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)[1]
Demonym German
Government Federal parliamentary constitutional republic
 -  President Joachim Gauck
 -  Chancellor Angela Merkel
 -  President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert
 -  President of the Bundesrat Horst Seehofer
Legislature
 -  Upper house Bundesrat
 -  Lower house Bundestag
Formation
 -  Holy Roman Empire 2 February 962 
 -  Unification 18 January 1871 
 -  Federal Republic 23 May 1949 
 -  Reunification 3 October 1990 
Area
 -  Total 357,021 km2 (63rd)
137,847 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 2.416
Population
 -  2010 estimate 81,799,600[2] (16th)
 -  Density 229/km2 (55th)
593/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2011 estimate
 -  Total $3.099 trillion[3] (5th)
 -  Per capita $37,896[3] (18th)
GDP (nominal) 2011 estimate
 -  Total $3.577 trillion[3] (4th)
 -  Per capita $43,741[3] 
Gini (2006) 27 (low
HDI (2011) increase 0.905[4] (very high) (9th)
Currency Euro ()[2](2002 – present)
Swiss franc (de facto in Büsingen) (EUR, CHF)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 -  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Drives on the right
ISO 3166 code DE
Internet TLD .de [3]
Calling code 49
1 ^ Danish, Low German, Sorbian, Romany and Frisian are officially recognised by the ECRML.
2 ^ Before 2002: Deutsche Mark (DEM).
3 ^ Also .eu, shared with European Union member states.

Germany (Listeni/ˈɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)),[5] is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.

A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire.[6] During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since.[7] Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.

Germany was a founding member of the European Community in 1957, which became the EU in 1993. It is part of the Schengen Area and since 1999 a member of the eurozone. Germany is a Great Power and member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G20, the OECD and the Council of Europe, and took a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2011–2012 term.

It has the world's fourth largest economy by nominal GDP and the fifth largest by purchasing power parity. It is the second largest exporter and third largest importer of goods. The country has developed a very high standard of living and a comprehensive system of social security. Germany has been the home of many influential scientists and inventors, and is known for its cultural and political history.

Contents

Etymology[link]

The English word Germany derives from the Latin Germania, which came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it for the peoples east of the Rhine.[8] The German term Deutschland (originally diutisciu land, "the German lands") is derived from deutsch, descended from Old High German diutisc "popular" (i. e., belonging to the diot or diota "people"; originally used to distinguish the language of the common people from Latin and its Romance descendants). This in turn descends from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz "popular" (see also the Latinised form Theodiscus), derived from *þeudō, descended from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂- "people".[9]

History[link]

Germanic tribes and Frankish Empire[link]

Map of the Germania and the Roman Empire

The Germanic tribes are thought to date from the Nordic Bronze Age or the Pre-Roman Iron Age. From southern Scandinavia and north Germany, they expanded south, east and west from the 1st century BC, coming into contact with the Celtic tribes of Gaul as well as Iranian, Baltic, and Slavic tribes in Eastern Europe.[10] Under Augustus, the Roman General Publius Quinctilius Varus began to invade Germania (an area extending roughly from the Rhine to the Ural Mountains). In AD 9, three Roman legions led by Varus were defeated by the Cheruscan leader Arminius. By AD 100, when Tacitus wrote Germania, Germanic tribes had settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the Limes Germanicus), occupying most of the area of modern Germany; Austria, southern Bavaria and the western Rhineland, however, were Roman provinces.[11]

In the 3rd century a number of large West Germanic tribes emerged: Alemanni, Franks, Chatti, Saxons, Frisii, Sicambri, and Thuringii. Around 260, the Germanic peoples broke into Roman-controlled lands.[12] After the invasion of the Huns in 375, and with the decline of Rome from 395, Germanic tribes moved further south-west. Simultaneously several large tribes formed in what is now Germany and displaced the smaller Germanic tribes. Large areas (known since the Merovingian period as Austrasia) were occupied by the Franks, and Northern Germany was ruled by the Saxons and Slavs.[11]

Holy Roman Empire[link]

On 25 December 800, Charlemagne founded the Carolingian Empire, which was divided in 843.[13] The Holy Roman Empire resulted from the eastern portion of this division. Its territory stretched from the Eider River in the north to the Mediterranean coast in the south.[13] Under the reign of the Ottonian emperors (919–1024), several major duchies were consolidated, and the German king was crowned Holy Roman Emperor of these regions in 962. The Holy Roman Empire absorbed northern Italy and Burgundy under the reign of the Salian emperors (1024–1125), although the emperors lost power through the Investiture Controversy.

Under the Hohenstaufen emperors (1138–1254), the German princes increased their influence further south and east into territories inhabited by Slavs, preceding German settlement in these areas and further east (Ostsiedlung). Northern German towns grew prosperous as members of the Hanseatic League.[14] Starting with the Great Famine in 1315, then the Black Death of 1348–50, the population of Germany plummeted.[15] The edict of the Golden Bull in 1356 provided the basic constitution of the empire and codified the election of the emperor by seven prince-electors who ruled some of the most powerful principalities and archbishoprics.[16]

Martin Luther publicised The Ninety-Five Theses in 1517, challenging the Roman Catholic Church and initiating the Protestant Reformation. A separate Lutheran church became the official religion in many German states after 1530. Religious conflict led to the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), which devastated German lands.[17] The population of the German states was reduced by about 30%.[18] The Peace of Westphalia (1648) ended religious warfare among the German states, but the empire was de facto divided into numerous independent principalities. From 1740 onwards, dualism between the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of Prussia dominated German history. In 1806, the Imperium was overrun and dissolved as a result of the Napoleonic Wars.[19]

German Confederation and Empire[link]

Following the fall of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna convened in 1814 and founded the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund), a loose league of 39 sovereign states. Disagreement with restoration politics partly led to the rise of liberal movements, followed by new measures of repression by Austrian statesman Metternich. The Zollverein, a tariff union, furthered economic unity in the German states.[20] National and liberal ideals of the French Revolution gained increasing support among many, especially young, Germans. In the light of a series of revolutionary movements in Europe, which established a republic in France, intellectuals and commoners started the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. King Frederick William IV of Prussia was offered the title of Emperor, but with a loss of power; he rejected the crown and the proposed constitution, leading to a temporary setback for the movement.[21]

Foundation of the German Empire in Versailles, 1871. Bismarck is at the centre in a white uniform.

Conflict between King William I of Prussia and the increasingly liberal parliament erupted over military reforms in 1862, and the king appointed Otto von Bismarck the new Minister President of Prussia. Bismarck successfully waged war on Denmark in 1864. Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 enabled him to create the North German Confederation (Norddeutscher Bund) and to exclude Austria, formerly the leading German state, from the federation's affairs. After the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, the German Empire was proclaimed 1871 in Versailles, uniting all scattered parts of Germany except Austria (Kleindeutschland, or "Lesser Germany"). With almost two thirds of its territory and population, Prussia was the dominating constituent of the new state; the Hohenzollern King of Prussia ruled as its concurrent Emperor, and Berlin became its capital.[21] In the Gründerzeit period following the unification of Germany, Bismarck's foreign policy as Chancellor of Germany under Emperor William I secured Germany's position as a great nation by forging alliances, isolating France by diplomatic means, and avoiding war. Under Wilhelm II, however, Germany, like other European powers, took an imperialistic course leading to friction with neighbouring countries. As a result of the Berlin Conference in 1884 Germany claimed several colonies including German East Africa, German South-West Africa, Togo, and Cameroon.[22] Most alliances in which Germany had previously been involved were not renewed, and new alliances excluded the country.[23]

The assassination of Austria's crown prince on 28 June 1914 triggered World War I. Germany, as part of the Central Powers, suffered defeat against the Allies in one of the bloodiest conflicts of all time. An estimated two million German soldiers died in World War I.[24] The German Revolution broke out in November 1918, and Emperor Wilhelm II and all German ruling princes abdicated. An armistice ended the war on 11 November, and Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. The treaty was perceived in Germany as a humiliating continuation of the war, and is often cited as an influence in the rise of Nazism.[25]

Weimar Republic and Nazi Regime[link]

Adolf Hitler, chancellor and president1 1933–1945
1: office formally vacant from August 1934; Hitler styled himself "Führer und Reichskanzler"[26]

At the beginning of the German Revolution in November 1918, Germany was declared a republic. However, the struggle for power continued, with radical-left communists seizing power in Bavaria. The revolution came to an end on 11 August 1919, when the democratic Weimar Constitution was signed by President Friedrich Ebert.[27] Suffering from the Great Depression of 1929, the harsh peace conditions dictated by the Treaty of Versailles, and a long succession of unstable governments, Germans increasingly lacked identification with the government. This was exacerbated by a widespread right-wing Dolchstoßlegende, or stab-in-the-back legend, which argued that Germany had lost World War I because of those who wanted to overthrow the government. The Weimar government was accused of betraying Germany by signing the Versailles Treaty. By 1932, the German Communist Party and the Nazi Party controlled the majority of parliament, fuelled by discontent with the Weimar government. After a series of unsuccessful cabinets, President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933.[28] On 27 February 1933 the Reichstag building went up in flames, and a consequent emergency decree abrogated basic citizens' rights. An enabling act passed in parliament gave Hitler unrestricted legislative power. Only the Social Democratic Party voted against it, while Communist MPs had already been imprisoned.[29][30] Using his powers to crush any actual or potential resistance, Hitler established a centralised totalitarian state within months. Industry was revitalised with a focus on military rearmament.[31]

In 1935, Germany reacquired control of the Saar and in 1936 military control of the Rhineland, both of which had been lost in the Treaty of Versailles.[32] In 1938, Austria was annexed, and in 1939, Czechoslovakia was brought under German control. The invasion of Poland was prepared through the Molotov–Ribbentrop pact and Operation Himmler. On 1 September 1939 the German Wehrmacht launched a blitzkrieg on Poland, which was swiftly occupied by Germany and by the Soviet Red Army. The UK and France declared war on Germany, marking the beginning of World War II.[33] As the war progressed, Germany and its allies quickly gained control of most of continental Europe and North Africa, though plans to force the United Kingdom to an armistice or surrender failed. On 22 June 1941, Germany broke the Molotov–Ribbentrop pact and invaded the Soviet Union. Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor led Germany to declare war on the United States. The Battle of Stalingrad forced the German army to retreat on the Eastern front.[33] In September 1943, Germany's ally Italy surrendered, and German troops were forced to defend an additional front in Italy. D-Day opened a Western front, as Allied forces advanced towards German territory. On 8 May 1945, the German armed forces surrendered after the Red Army occupied Berlin.[34]

Berlin in ruins after World War II

In what later became known as The Holocaust, the Third Reich regime had enacted policies directly subjugating many dissidents and minorities. Millions of people were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust, including approximately six million Jews, and a sizeable number of Romani people, Jehovah's Witnesses, Poles and other Slavs, Soviet POWs, people with mental and/or physical disabilities, homosexuals, and members of the political and religious opposition.[35] World War II was responsible for more than 40 million dead in Europe.[36] The Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals were held after World War II.[37] The war casualties for Germany are estimated at 5.3 million German soldiers[38] millions of German civilians;[39][40][41][42][43] and losing the war resulted in large territorial losses; the expulsion of about 15 million Germans from the eastern areas of Germany and other countries; mass rape of German women;[44] and the destruction of multiple major cities.

East and West Germany[link]

Occupation zones in Germany, 1947. The territories east of the Oder-Neisse line, under Polish and Soviet de jure administration and de facto annexation, are shown as white as is the detached Saar protectorate.

After the surrender of Germany, the remaining German territory and Berlin were partitioned by the Allies into four military occupation zones. The western sectors, controlled by France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, were merged on 23 May 1949 to form the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland); on 7 October 1949, the Soviet Zone became the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik, or DDR). They were informally known as "West Germany" and "East Germany". East Germany selected East Berlin as its capital, while West Germany chose Bonn as a provisional capital, to emphasise its stance that the two-state solution was an artificial and temporary status quo.[45]

West Germany, established as a federal parliamentary republic with a "social market economy", was allied with the United States, the UK and France. The country enjoyed prolonged economic growth beginning in the early 1950s (Wirtschaftswunder). West Germany joined NATO in 1955 and was a founding member of the European Economic Community in 1957. East Germany was an Eastern bloc state under political and military control by the USSR via the latter's occupation forces and the Warsaw Pact. Though East Germany claimed to be a democracy, political power was exercised solely by leading members (Politbüro) of the communist-controlled Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), supported by the Stasi, an immense secret service,[46] and a variety of sub-organisations controlling every aspect of society. A Soviet-style command economy was set up; the GDR later became a Comecon state.[47] While East German propaganda was based on the benefits of the GDR's social programmes and the alleged constant threat of a West German invasion, many of her citizens looked to the West for freedom and prosperity.[48] The Berlin Wall, built in 1961 to stop East Germans from escaping to West Germany, became a symbol of the Cold War.[21]

The Berlin Wall in front of the Brandenburg Gate shortly before its fall in 1989

Tensions between East and West Germany were reduced in the early 1970s by Chancellor Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik. In summer 1989, Hungary decided to dismantle the Iron Curtain and open the borders, causing the emigration of thousands of East Germans to West Germany via Hungary. This had devastating effects on the GDR, where regular mass demonstrations received increasing support. The East German authorities unexpectedly eased the border restrictions, allowing East German citizens to travel to the West; originally intended to help retain East Germany as a state, the opening of the border actually led to an acceleration of the Wende reform process. This culminated in the Two Plus Four Treaty a year later on 12 September 1990, under which the four occupying powers renounced their rights under the Instrument of Surrender, and Germany regained full sovereignty. This permitted German reunification on 3 October 1990, with the accession of the five re-established states of the former GDR (new states or "neue Länder").[21]

Berlin Republic and the EU[link]

Based on the Berlin/Bonn Act, adopted on 10 March 1994, Berlin once again became the capital of the reunified Germany, while Bonn obtained the unique status of a Bundesstadt (federal city) retaining some federal ministries.[49] The relocation of the government was completed in 1999.[50] Since reunification, Germany has taken a more active role in the European Union and NATO. Germany sent a peacekeeping force to secure stability in the Balkans and sent a force of German troops to Afghanistan as part of a NATO effort to provide security in that country after the ousting of the Taliban.[51] These deployments were controversial since, after the war, Germany was bound by domestic law only to deploy troops for defence roles.[52] In 2005, Angela Merkel became the first female Chancellor of Germany as the leader of a grand coalition.[21]

Geography[link]

Topographic map

Germany is in Western and Central Europe, bordering Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south, France and Luxembourg in the south-west, and Belgium and the Netherlands in the north-west. It lies mostly between latitudes 47° and 55° N (the tip of Sylt is just north of 55°), and longitudes and 16° E. The territory covers 357,021 km2 (137,847 sq mi), consisting of 349,223 km2 (134,836 sq mi) of land and 7,798 km2 (3,011 sq mi) of water. It is the seventh largest country by area in Europe and the 62nd largest in the world.[1]

Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Zugspitze at 2,962 metres / 9,718 feet) in the south to the shores of the North Sea (Nordsee) in the north-west and the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) in the north-east. The forested uplands of central Germany and the lowlands of northern Germany (lowest point: Wilstermarsch at 3.54 metres / 11.6 feet below sea level) are traversed by such major rivers as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe. Glaciers are found in the Alpine region, but are experiencing deglaciation. Significant natural resources are iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, arable land and water.[1]

Climate[link]

Most of Germany has a temperate seasonal climate in which humid westerly winds predominate. The climate is moderated by the North Atlantic Drift, the northern extension of the Gulf Stream. This warmer water affects the areas bordering the North Sea; consequently in the north-west and the north the climate is oceanic. Rainfall occurs year-round, especially in the summer. Winters are mild and summers tend to be cool, though temperatures can exceed 30 °C (86 °F).[53]

The east has a more continental climate; winters can be very cold and summers very warm, and long dry periods are frequent. Central and southern Germany are transition regions which vary from moderately oceanic to continental. In addition to the maritime and continental climates that predominate over most of the country, the Alpine regions in the extreme south and, to a lesser degree, some areas of the Central German Uplands have a mountain climate, characterised by lower temperatures and greater precipitation.[53]

The eagle is a protected bird of prey and the national heraldic animal.

Biodiversity[link]

The territory of Germany can be subdivided into two ecoregions: European-Mediterranean montane mixed forests and Northeast-Atlantic shelf marine.[54] As of 2008 the majority of Germany is covered by either arable land (34%) or forest and woodland (30.1%); only 13.4% of the area consists of permanent pastures, 11.8% is covered by settlements and streets.[55]

Plants and animals are those generally common to middle Europe. Beeches, oaks, and other deciduous trees constitute one third of the forests; conifers are increasing as a result of reforestation. Spruce and fir trees predominate in the upper mountains, while pine and larch are found in sandy soil. There are many species of ferns, flowers, fungi, and mosses. Wild animals include deer, wild boar, mouflon, fox, badger, hare, and small numbers of beavers.[56]

The national parks in Germany include the Wadden Sea National Parks, the Jasmund National Park, the Vorpommern Lagoon Area National Park, the Müritz National Park, the Lower Oder Valley National Park, the Harz National Park, the Saxon Switzerland National Park and the Bavarian Forest National Park. More than 400 registered zoos and animal parks operate in Germany, which is believed to be the largest number in any country.[57] The Zoologische Garten Berlin is the oldest zoo in Germany and presents the most comprehensive collection of species in the world.[58]

Politics[link]

The Reichstag building in Berlin is the site of the German parliament (Bundestag).

Germany is a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic republic. The German political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1949 constitutional document known as the Grundgesetz (Basic Law). Amendments generally require a two-thirds majority of both chambers of parliament; the fundamental principles of the constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the federal structure, and the rule of law are valid in perpetuity.[59]

The president is the head of state and invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers. He is elected by the Bundesversammlung (federal convention), an institution consisting of the members of the Bundestag and an equal number of state delegates. The second-highest official in the German order of precedence is the Bundestagspräsident (President of the Bundestag), who is elected by the Bundestag and responsible for overseeing the daily sessions of the body. The third-highest official and the head of government is the Chancellor, who is appointed by the Bundespräsident after being elected by the Bundestag.[21]

Joachim Gauck, President of Germany

The chancellor, currently Angela Merkel, is the head of government and exercises executive power, similar to the role of a Prime Minister in other parliamentary democracies. Federal legislative power is vested in the parliament consisting of the Bundestag (Federal Diet) and Bundesrat (Federal Council), which together form the legislative body. The Bundestag is elected through direct elections, by proportional representation (mixed-member).[1] The members of the Bundesrat represent the governments of the sixteen federated states and are members of the state cabinets.[21]

Since 1949, the party system has been dominated by the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Germany with all chancellors hitherto being member of either party. However, the smaller liberal Free Democratic Party (which has had members in the Bundestag since 1949) and the Alliance '90/The Greens (which has controlled seats in parliament since 1983) have also played important roles.[60]

Germany has a civil law system based on Roman law with some references to Germanic law. The Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court) is the German Supreme Court responsible for constitutional matters, with power of judicial review.[21][61] Germany's supreme court system, called Oberste Gerichtshöfe des Bundes, is specialised: for civil and criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the inquisitorial Federal Court of Justice, and for other affairs the courts are the Federal Labour Court, the Federal Social Court, the Federal Finance Court and the Federal Administrative Court. The Völkerstrafgesetzbuch regulates the consequences of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes, and gives German courts universal jurisdiction in some circumstances.[62] Criminal and private laws are codified on the national level in the Strafgesetzbuch and the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch respectively. The German penal system is aimed towards rehabilitation of the criminal and the protection of the general public.[63] Except for petty crimes, which are tried before a single professional judge, and serious political crimes, all charges are tried before mixed tribunals on which lay judges (Schöffen) sit side by side with professional judges.[64][65]

Constituent states[link]

Germany comprises sixteen states that are collectively referred to as Länder.[66] Each state has its own state constitution[67] and is largely autonomous in regard to its internal organisation. Due to differences in size and population the subdivision of these states varies, especially between city states (Stadtstaaten) and states with larger territories (Flächenländer). For regional administrative purposes five states, namely Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony, consist of a total of 22 Government Districts (Regierungsbezirke). As of 2009 Germany is divided into 403 districts (Kreise) on municipal level, these consist of 301 rural districts and 102 urban districts.[68]

State Capital Area (km²) Population
Baden-Württemberg Stuttgart 35,752 10,753,880
Bavaria Munich 70,549 12,538,696
Berlin Berlin 892 3,460,725
Brandenburg Potsdam 29,477 2,503,273
Bremen Bremen 404 660,999
Hamburg Hamburg 755 1,786,448
Hesse Wiesbaden 21,115 6,067,021
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Schwerin 23,174 1,642,327
Lower Saxony Hanover 47,618 7,918,293
North Rhine-Westphalia Düsseldorf 34,043 17,845,154
Rhineland-Palatinate Mainz 19,847 4,003,745
Saarland Saarbrücken 2,569 1,017,567
Saxony Dresden 18,416 4,149,477
Saxony-Anhalt Magdeburg 20,445 2,335,006
Schleswig-Holstein Kiel 15,763 2,834,259
Thuringia Erfurt 16,172 2,235,025

Foreign relations[link]

Chancellor Angela Merkel hosting the G8 summit in Heiligendamm

Germany has a network of 229 diplomatic missions abroad and maintains relations with more than 190 countries.[69] As of 2011 it is the largest contributor to the budget of the European Union (providing 20%)[70] and the third largest contributor to the UN (providing 8%).[71] Germany is a member of NATO, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the G8, the G20, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It has played a leading role in the European Union since its inception and has maintained a strong alliance with France since the end of World War II. Germany seeks to advance the creation of a more unified European political, defence, and security apparatus.[72][73]

The development policy of the Federal Republic of Germany is an independent area of German foreign policy. It is formulated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and carried out by the implementing organisations. The German government sees development policy as a joint responsibility of the international community.[74] It is the world's third biggest aid donor after the United States and France.[75][76]

During the Cold War, Germany's partition by the Iron Curtain made it a symbol of East-West tensions and a political battleground in Europe. However, Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik was a key factor in the détente of the 1970s.[77] In 1999, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's government defined a new basis for German foreign policy by taking part in the NATO decisions surrounding the Kosovo War and by sending German troops into combat for the first time since World War II.[78] The governments of Germany and the United States are close political allies.[21] The 1948 Marshall Plan and strong cultural ties have crafted a strong bond between the two countries, although Schröder's vocal opposition to the Iraq War suggested the end of Atlanticism and a relative cooling of German-American relations.[79] The two countries are also economically interdependent: 8.8% of German exports are U.S.-bound and 6.6% of German imports originate from the U.S.[80]

Military[link]

Eurofighter 9803.ogg
The Eurofighter Typhoon is part of the Luftwaffe.

Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, is organized in Heer (Army), Marine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force), Bundeswehr Joint Medical Service and Streitkräftebasis (Joint Support Service) branches. As of 2011, military spending was an estimated 1.3% of the country's GDP, that is low in a ranking of all countries; in absolute terms, German military expenditure is the ninth-highest in the world.[81] In peacetime, the Bundeswehr is commanded by the Minister of Defence. If Germany went to war, which according to the constitution is allowed only for defensive purposes, the Chancellor would become commander in chief of the Bundeswehr.[82]

As of March 2012 the Bundeswehr employs 183,000 professional soldiers and 17,000 volunteers.[83] The German government plans to reduce the number of soldiers to 170,000 professionals and up to 15,000 short-time volunteers (voluntary military service).[84] Reservists are available to the Armed Forces and participate in defence exercises and deployments abroad, a new reserve concept of their future strength and functions was announced 2011.[84] As of April 2011, the German military had about 6,900 troops stationed in foreign countries as part of international peacekeeping forces, including about 4,900 Bundeswehr troops in the NATO-led ISAF force in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, 1,150 German soldiers in Kosovo, and 300 troops with UNIFIL in Lebanon.[85]

Until 2011, military service was compulsory for men at age 18, and conscripts served six-month tours of duty; conscientious objectors could instead opt for an equal length of Zivildienst (civilian service), or a six-year commitment to (voluntary) emergency services like a fire department or the Red Cross. On 1 July 2011 conscription was officially suspended and replaced with a voluntary service.[86][87] Since 2001 women may serve in all functions of service without restriction, but they are not subject to conscription. There are presently some 17,500 women on active duty and a number of female reservists.[88]

Economy[link]

A Mercedes-Benz car. Germany was the world's leading exporter of goods from 2003 to 2008.[89]
Frankfurt am Main is one of Germany's "economic powerhouses" and the main financial cluster in Central Europe.

Germany has a social market economy with a highly qualified labour force, a large capital stock, a low level of corruption,[90] and a high level of innovation.[91] It has the largest national economy in Europe, the fourth largest by nominal GDP in the world,[92] and the fifth largest by PPP[92] in 2009. The service sector contributes approximately 71% of the total GDP, industry 28%, and agriculture 0.9%.[1] The official average national unemployment rate in March 2012 was 7.2%.[93] However, the official average national unemployment rate also includes people with a part-time job that are looking for a full-time job.[94] The unofficial average national unemployment rate in 2011 was 5.7%.[1]

Germany is an advocate of closer European economic and political integration. Its commercial policies are increasingly determined by agreements among European Union (EU) members and by EU legislation. Germany introduced the common European currency, the euro, on 1 January 2002.[95][96] Its monetary policy is set by the European Central Bank. Two decades after German reunification, standards of living and per capita incomes remain significantly higher in the states of the former West Germany than in the former East.[97] The modernisation and integration of the eastern German economy is a long-term process scheduled to last until the year 2019, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $80 billion.[98] In January 2009 the German government approved a €50 billion economic stimulus plan to protect several sectors from a downturn and a subsequent rise in unemployment rates.[99]

Germany is part of a monetary union, the Eurozone (dark blue), and of the EU single market.

Of the world's 500 largest stock-market-listed companies measured by revenue in 2010, the Fortune Global 500, 37 are headquartered in Germany. 30 Germany-based companies are included in the DAX, the German stock market index. Well-known global brands are Mercedes-Benz, BMW, SAP, Siemens, Volkswagen, Adidas, Audi, Allianz, Porsche, Bayer, Bosch, and Nivea.[100] Germany is recognised for its specialised small and medium enterprises. Around 1,000 of these companies are global market leaders in their segment and are labelled hidden champions.[101]

The list includes the largest companies by turnover in 2009. Unranked are the largest bank and the largest insurance company in 2007:

Rank[102] Name Headquarters Revenue
(Mil. €)
Profit
(Mil. €)
Employees
(World)
1 Volkswagen AG Wolfsburg 108,897 4,120 329,305
2 Daimler AG Stuttgart 99,399 3,985 272,382
3 Siemens AG Munich/Berlin 72,488 3,806 398,200
4 E.ON AG Düsseldorf 68,731 7,204 87,815
5 Metro AG Düsseldorf 64,337 825 242,378
6 Deutsche Post AG Bonn 63,512 1,389 475,100
7 Deutsche Telekom AG Bonn 62,516 569 241,426
8 BASF SE Ludwigshafen 57,951 4,065 95,175
9 BMW AG Munich 56,018 3,126 107,539
10 ThyssenKrupp AG Essen/Duisburg 51,723 2,102 191,350

Infrastructure[link]

With its central position in Europe, Germany is a transport hub. This is reflected in its dense and modern transport networks. The motorway (Autobahn) network ranks as the third largest worldwide in length.[103] Germany has established a polycentric network of high-speed trains. The InterCityExpress or ICE network of the Deutsche Bahn serves major German cities as well as destinations in neighbouring countries with speeds up to 300 kph (186 mph).[104] The largest German airports are Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport, both hubs of Lufthansa, while Air Berlin has hubs at Berlin Tegel and Düsseldorf. Other major airports include Berlin Schönefeld, Hamburg, Cologne/Bonn and Leipzig/Halle. Both airports in Berlin will be consolidated at a site adjacent to Berlin Schönefeld, which will become Berlin Brandenburg Airport in 2013.[105][106]

As of 2008, Germany was the world's sixth largest consumer of energy,[107] and 60% of its primary energy was imported.[108] Government policy promotes energy conservation and renewable energy. Energy efficiency has been improving since the early 1970s; the government aims to meet the country's electricity demands using only renewable sources by 2050.[109] In 2010, energy sources were: oil (33.7%); coal, including lignite (22.9%); natural gas (21.8%); nuclear (10.8%); hydro-electric and wind power (1.5%); and other renewable sources (7.9%).[110] In 2000, the government and the nuclear power industry agreed to phase out all nuclear power plants by 2021.[111] Germany is committed to the Kyoto protocol and several other treaties promoting biodiversity, low emission standards, recycling, and the use of renewable energy, and supports sustainable development at a global level.[112] The German government has initiated wide-ranging emission reduction activities and the country's overall emissions are falling.[113] Nevertheless the country's greenhouse gas emissions were the highest in the EU as of 2010.[114]

Science and technology[link]

Germany's achievements in the sciences have been significant, and research and development efforts form an integral part of the economy.[115] The Nobel Prize has been awarded to 103 German laureates.[116] For most of the 20th century, German laureates had more awards than those of any other nation, especially in the sciences (physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine).[117][118]

The work of Albert Einstein and Max Planck was crucial to the foundation of modern physics, which Werner Heisenberg and Max Born developed further.[119] They were preceded by such key physicists as Hermann von Helmholtz, Joseph von Fraunhofer and Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit, among others. Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays and was the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.[120] Otto Hahn was a pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and radiochemistry[121], while Ferdinand Cohn and Robert Koch were founders of microbiology. Numerous mathematicians were born in Germany, including Carl Friedrich Gauss, David Hilbert, Bernhard Riemann, Gottfried Leibniz, Karl Weierstrass, Hermann Weyl and Felix Klein. Research institutions in Germany include the Max Planck Society, the Helmholtz Association and the Fraunhofer Society. The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is granted to ten scientists and academics every year. With a maximum of €2.5 million per award it is one of highest endowed research prizes in the world.[122]

Germany has been the home of many famous inventors and engineers, such as Johannes Gutenberg, credited with the invention of movable type printing in Europe; Hans Geiger, the creator of the Geiger counter; and Konrad Zuse, who built the first fully automatic digital computer.[123] German inventors, engineers and industrialists such as Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, Otto Lilienthal, Gottlieb Daimler, Rudolf Diesel, Hugo Junkers and Karl Benz helped shape modern automotive and air transportation technology.[124] Aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun developed the first space rocket and later on was a prominent member of NASA and developed the Saturn V Moon rocket, which paved the way for the success of the US Apollo program. Heinrich Rudolf Hertz's work in the domain of electromagnetic radiation was pivotal to the development of modern telecommunication.[125]

Germany is also one of the leading countries in developing and using green technologies. Companies specializing in green technology have an estimated turnover of 200€ billion. Especially the expertise in engineering, science and research of Germany is eminently respectable. The lead markets of Germany's green technology industry are power generation, sustainable mobility, material efficiency, energy efficiency, waste management and recycling, sustainable water management.[126]

Demographics[link]

A German Kindergarten in Frankfurt

With its estimated population of 81.8 million in January 2010,[2] Germany is the most populous country in the European Union and ranks as the 16th most populous country in the world.[127] Its population density stands at 229.4 inhabitants per square kilometre. The overall life expectancy in Germany at birth is 79.9 years. The fertility rate of 1.4 children per mother, or 7.9 births per 1000 inhabitants in 2009, is one of the lowest in the world.[128] Since the 1970s, Germany's death rate has continuously exceeded its birth rate.[129] The Federal Statistical Office of Germany forecast that the population will shrink to between 65 and 70 million by 2060 (depending on the level of net migration).[130]

German nationals make up 91% of the population of Germany. As of 2010, about seven million foreign citizens were registered in Germany, and 19% of the country's residents were of foreign or partially foreign descent (including persons descending or partially descending from ethnic German repatriates), 96% of whom lived in West Germany or Berlin.[131] The United Nations Population Fund lists Germany as host to the third-highest number of international migrants worldwide, about 5% or 10 million of all 191 million migrants.[132] As a consequence of restrictions to Germany's formerly rather unrestricted laws on asylum and immigration, the number of immigrants seeking asylum or claiming German ethnicity (mostly from the former Soviet Union) has been declining steadily since 2000.[133] In 2009, 20% of the population had immigrant roots, the highest since 1945.[134] As of 2008, the largest national group was from Turkey (2.5 million), followed by Italy (776,000) and Poland (687,000).[135] About 3 million "Aussiedler"—ethnic Germans, mainly from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union—have resettled in Germany since 1987.[136]

Germany has a number of large cities. The largest conurbation is the Rhine-Ruhr region (11.7 million as of 2008), including Düsseldorf (the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia), Cologne, Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, and Bochum.[137]


Religion[link]

Christianity is the largest religion in Germany, with around 51.5 million adherents (62.8%) in 2008,[138] of which 30.0% are Catholics and 29.9% are Protestants, belonging to the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD); the remainder consists of small denominations (each less than 0.5% of the German population).[139] Protestantism is concentrated in the north and east and Roman Catholicism is concentrated in the south and west;[7] 1.6% of the country's overall population declare themselves Orthodox Christians.[138]

The second largest religion is Islam with an estimated 3.8 to 4.3 million adherents (4.6% to 5.2%),[140] followed by Buddhism with 250,000 and Judaism with around 200,000 adherents (0.3%); Hinduism has some 90,000 adherents (0.1%). All other religious communities in Germany have fewer than 50,000 adherents.[141] Of the roughly 4 million Muslims, most are Sunnis and Alevites from Turkey, but there are a small number of Shi'ites and other denominations.[140] German Muslims, a large portion of whom are of Turkish origin, lack full official state recognition of their religious community.[7] Germany has Europe's third largest Jewish population (after France and the United Kingdom).[142] Approximately 50% of the Buddhists in Germany are Asian immigrants.[143]

Germans with no stated religious adherence make up 34.1% of the population, especially in the former East Germany and major metropolitan areas.[139] German reunification in 1990 greatly increased the country’s non-religious population, a legacy of the state atheism of the previously Soviet-controlled East. Christian church membership has decreased in recent decades, particularly among Protestants.[7]

Languages[link]

German is the official and predominant spoken language in Germany.[144] It is one of 23 official languages in the European Union, and one of the three working languages of the European Commission. Recognised native minority languages in Germany are Danish, Low German, Sorbian, Romany, and Frisian; they are officially protected by the ECRML. The most used immigrant languages are Turkish, Kurdish, Polish, the Balkan languages, and Russian; 67% of German citizens claim to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language and 27% in at least two languages other than their own.[144]

Standard German is a West Germanic language and is closely related to and classified alongside English, Low German, Dutch, and the Frisian languages. To a lesser extent, it is also related to the East (extinct) and North Germanic languages. Most German vocabulary is derived from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family.[145] Significant minorities of words are derived from Latin and Greek, with a smaller amount from French and most recently English (known as Denglisch). German is written using the Latin alphabet. German dialects, traditional local varieties traced back to the Germanic tribes, are distinguished from varieties of standard German by their lexicon, phonology, and syntax.[146]

Education[link]

Heidelberg University was established in 1386.

Over 99% of Germans age 15 and above are estimated to be able to read and write.[1] However, a growing number of inhabitants are functionally illiterate.[147] Responsibility for educational oversight in Germany lies primarily with the individual federated states. Since the 1960s, a reform movement attempted to unify secondary education in a Gesamtschule (comprehensive school); several West German states later simplified their school system to two or three tiers. A system of apprenticeship called Duale Ausbildung ("dual education") allows pupils in vocational training to learn in a company as well as in a state-run vocational school.[148]

Optional kindergarten education is provided for all children between three and six years old, after which school attendance is compulsory for at least nine years. Primary education usually lasts for four years and public schools are not stratified at this stage.[148] In contrast, secondary education includes three traditional types of schools focused on different levels of academic ability: the Gymnasium enrols the most gifted children and prepares students for university studies; the Realschule for intermediate students lasts six years; the Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education.[149]

The general entrance requirement for university is Abitur, a qualification normally based on continuous assessment during the last few years at school and final examinations; however there are a number of exceptions, and precise requirements vary, depending on the state, the university and the subject. Germany's universities are recognised internationally; in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for 2008, six of the top 100 universities in the world are in Germany, and 18 of the top 200.[150] Nearly all German universities are public institutions, charging tuition fees of €50–500 per semester for each student.[151]

Health[link]

Germany has the world's oldest universal health care system, dating back to Otto von Bismarck's Social legislation in 1883.[152] Currently the population is covered by a fairly comprehensive health insurance plan provided by statute. Certain groups of people (lifetime officials, self-employed persons, employees with high income) can opt out of the plan and switch to a private insurance contract. Previously, these groups could also choose to do without insurance, but this option was dropped in 2009.[153] According to the World Health Organization, Germany's health care system was 77% government-funded and 23% privately funded as of 2005.[154] In 2005, Germany spent 11% of its GDP on health care. Germany ranked 20th in the world in life expectancy with 77 years for men and 82 years for women, and it had a very low infant mortality rate (4 per 1,000 live births).[154]

As of 2010, the principal cause of death was cardiovascular disease, at 41%, followed by malignant tumours, at 26%.[155] As of 2008, about 82,000 Germans had been infected with HIV/AIDS and 26,000 had died from the disease (cumulatively, since 1982).[156] According to a 2005 survey, 27% of German adults are smokers.[156]

Culture[link]

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), composer

From its roots, culture in Germany has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both religious and secular. Historically Germany has been called Das Land der Dichter und Denker (the land of poets and thinkers).[157] The federated states are in charge of the cultural institutions. There are 240 subsidised theatres, hundreds of symphonic orchestras, thousands of museums and over 25,000 libraries spread in Germany. These cultural opportunities are enjoyed by many: there are over 91 million German museum visits every year; annually, 20 million go to theatres and operas; 3.6 million per year listen to the symphonic orchestras.[158] The UNESCO inscribed 33 properties in Germany on the World Heritage List.[159]

Germany has established a high level of gender equality,[160] promotes disability rights, and is legally and socially tolerant towards homosexuals. Gays and lesbians can legally adopt their partner's biological children, and civil unions have been permitted since 2001.[161] Germany has also changed its attitude towards immigrants; since the mid-1990s, the government and the majority of Germans have begun to acknowledge that controlled immigration should be allowed based on qualification standards.[162] Germany has been named the world's second most valued nation among 50 countries in 2010.[163] A global opinion poll for the BBC revealed that Germany is recognised for having the most positive influence in the world in 2011.[164]

Arts[link]

J.S.Bach
Toccata und Fuge
L.v. Beethoven
Symphonie 5 c-moll
R. Wagner
Die Walküre
Toccata et Fugue BWV565.ogg
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie 5 c-moll - 1. Allegro con brio.ogg
Wagner - die walkure fantasie.ogg

Numerous German painters have enjoyed international prestige through their work in diverse artistic styles. Hans Holbein the Younger, Matthias Grünewald, and Albrecht Dürer were important artists of the Renaissance, Caspar David Friedrich of Romanticism, and Max Ernst of Surrealism. Architectural contributions from Germany include the Carolingian and Ottonian styles, which were precursors of Romanesque. The region later became the site of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art. Germany was particularly important in the early modern movement, especially through the Bauhaus movement founded by Walter Gropius. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe became one of the world's most renowned architects in the second half of the 20th century. He conceived of the glass façade skyscraper.[165]

German music includes works by some of the world's most well-known classical music composers, including Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. Germany is the largest music market in Europe, and third largest in the world.[166]

Literature and philosophy[link]

German literature can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the works of writers such as Walther von der Vogelweide and Wolfram von Eschenbach. Well-known German authors include Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and Theodor Fontane. The collections of folk tales published by the Brothers Grimm popularised German folklore on an international level. Influential authors of the 20th century include Gerhart Hauptmann, Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse, Heinrich Böll and Günter Grass.[167] German-speaking book publishers produce some 700 million books every year, with about 80,000 titles, nearly 60,000 of them new. Germany comes third in quantity of books published, after the English-speaking book market and the People's Republic of China.[168] The Frankfurt Book Fair is the most important in the world for international deals and trading, with a tradition spanning over 500 years.[169]

German philosophy is historically significant. Gottfried Leibniz's contributions to rationalism; the establishment of classical German idealism by Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling; Arthur Schopenhauer's composition of metaphysical pessimism; the formulation of communist theory by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels; Friedrich Nietzsche's development of perspectivism; Gottlob Frege's contributions to the dawn of analytic philosophy; Martin Heidegger's works on Being; and the development of the Frankfurt school by Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse and Jürgen Habermas have been particularly influential. In the 21st century Germany has contributed to the development of contemporary analytic philosophy in continental Europe, along with France, Austria, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries.[170]

Media[link]

German cinema dates back to the earliest years of the medium with the work of Max Skladanowsky, which was particularly influential with German expressionists such as Robert Wiene and Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau. Director Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) is referred to as the first modern science-fiction film. In 1930 the Austrian-American Josef von Sternberg directed The Blue Angel, the first major German sound film.[171] During the 1970s and 1980s, New German Cinema directors such as Volker Schlöndorff, Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder put West German cinema on the international stage.[172] The annual European Film Awards ceremony is held every other year in Berlin, home of the European Film Academy (EFA); the Berlin Film Festival, held annually since 1951, is one of the world's foremost film festivals.[173]

More recently, films such as Good Bye, Lenin! (2003), Gegen die Wand (Head-On) (2004), Der Untergang (Downfall) (2004), and The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008) have had international success. The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film went to the German production Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum) in 1979, to Nowhere in Africa in 2002, and to Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) in 2007.[174] Germany's television market is the largest in Europe, with some 34 million TV households. Around 90% of German households have cable or satellite TV, with a variety of free-to-view public and commercial channels.[175]

Cuisine[link]

A Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (literally, "Black Forest cherry torte".)

German cuisine varies from region to region. The southern regions of Bavaria and Swabia, for instance, share a culinary culture with Switzerland and Austria. In all regions, meat is often eaten in sausage form.[176] Organic food has gained a market share of ca. 2%, and is expected to increase further.[177] Although wine is becoming more popular in many parts of Germany, the national alcoholic drink is beer. German beer consumption per person is declining, but at 121.4 litres in 2009 it is still among the highest in the world.[178] The Michelin guide has awarded nine restaurants in Germany three stars, the highest designation, while 15 more received two stars.[179] German restaurants have become the world's second-most decorated after France.[180]

Sports[link]

Westfalenstadion in Dortmund is the biggest stadium in Germany

Twenty-seven million Germans are members of a sports club and an additional twelve million pursue sports individually.[181] Association football is the most popular sport. With more than 6.3 million official members, the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund) is the largest sports organisation of its kind worldwide.[181] The Bundesliga attracts the second highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world.

The German national football team won the FIFA World Cup in 1954, 1974 and 1990 and the UEFA European Football Championship in 1972, 1980 and 1996. Germany hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1974 and 2006 and the UEFA European Football Championship in 1988. Among the most well-known footballers are Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Jürgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthäus, and Oliver Kahn. Other popular spectator sports include handball, volleyball, basketball, ice hockey, and tennis.[181]

Germany is one of the leading motor sports countries in the world. Constructors like BMW and Mercedes are prominent manufacturers in motor sport. Additionally, Porsche has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an annual endurance race held in France, 16 times, and Audi has won it 9 times. Formula One driver Michael Schumacher has set many motor sport records during his career, having won more Formula One World Drivers' Championships and more Formula One races than any other driver; he is one of the highest paid sportsmen in history.[182]

Historically, German sportsmen have been successful contenders in the Olympic Games, ranking third in an all-time Olympic Games medal count, combining East and West German medals. In the 2008 Summer Olympics, Germany finished fifth in the medal count,[183] while in the 2006 Winter Olympics they finished first.[184] Germany has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice, in Berlin in 1936 and in Munich in 1972. The Winter Olympic Games took place in Germany once in 1936 in the twin towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen.

See also[link]

References[link]

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Work cited

Fulbrook, Mary (1991). A Concise History of Germany. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-36836-0. 

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Michael Greis
Personal information
Full name Michael Greis
Born (1976-08-18) August 18, 1976 (age 35)
Füssen, Germany
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Professional information
Club SK Nesselwang
World Cup
Seasons 2001-
Wins 11
Additional podiums 21
Total podiums 32
Updated on January 4, 2011.
Medal record
Competitor for  Germany
Men's biathlon
Winter Olympics
Gold 2006 Turin 20 km individual
Gold 2006 Turin 4×7.5 km relay
Gold 2006 Turin 15 km mass start
World Championships
Gold 2008 Östersund Mixed relay
Gold 2007 Antholz-Anterselva 15 km mass start
Gold 2004 Oberhof 4×7.5 km relay
Silver 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk Mixed relay
Silver 2007 Antholz-Anterselva 20 km individual
Silver 2005 Hochfilzen 20 km individual
Bronze 2012 Ruhpolding 4×7.5 km relay
Bronze 2009 Pyeongchang 4×7.5 km relay
Bronze 2009 Pyeongchang mixed relay
Bronze 2008 Östersund 4×7.5 km relay
Bronze 2007 Antholz-Anterselva 4×7.5 km relay
Bronze 2005 Khanty-Mansiysk Mixed relay

Michael Greis (born August 18, 1976, in Füssen, Bavaria) is a German triple Olympic gold medalist in biathlon.

Greis first competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, finishing 15th and 16th in the 10 km sprint and 12.5 km pursuit events in the biathlon.

Greis won the World Cup in the individual category in 2004/05, and was a member of the winning 4×7.5 km relay team in the 2004 Biathlon World Championships, and took silver in the individual 20 km category at the 2005 World Championships.

At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Greis came into the games heading the World Cup standings and took the first Olympic gold of the games with victory in the individual 20 km ahead of the defending Olympic champion Ole Einar Bjørndalen. He was also a member of the German team that won the 4×7.5 km relay.

On February 25, 2006, Greis won the men's 15 km event and became the first person to capture three gold medals at the Turin Olympic Games. (Koreans Jin Sun-Yu and Ahn Hyun Soo became the second and third later on the same day with victories in short track speed skating.)

Greis was named German sportsman of the year, along with fellow biathlete Kati Wilhelm, by journalists.[1]

In the 2006/07 World Cup season, Greis won the Overall and the Sprint competition.

In the 2007/08 World Cup season Greis managed onto the podium on a regular basis, attaining three victories, three 2nd places as well as three 3rds. At the season's World Champs in Östersund Greis did not participate in the sprint and in the pursuit but being anchor both in the men's Relay and the mixed Relay, helped to secure a gold and a bronze for his team.

Prior to the 2008/09 World Cup season Greis had had a serious disagreement with the Germans' head coach Frank Ullrich the reason being Ulrich's authoritative management of the team, which resulted in Greis' departure from Ulrich's jurisdiction to train on his own. This yielded him quite a solid performance throughout the year, with another two World Cup victories and the relay bronze at the Biathlon World Championships 2009 in South Korea.

Greis participated in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada which turned to be a disappointing performance for his fans as he finished in the mediocre 10th place twice, in the Individual and the Mass Start, along with coming 5th in the relay and the pursuit, adding to a streak of unsuccessful Olympic performances by the German biathlon male team when not a single German managed to win any medal in biathlon for the first time in the Olympic history.

Achievements[link]

  • Biathlon World Championships
    • 2004 1x Gold (Relay)
    • 2005 1x Silver (Individual), 1x Bronze (Mixed relay)
    • 2007 1x Gold (Mass start), 1x Silver (Individual), 1x Bronze (Men's relay)
    • 2008 1x Gold (Mixed relay)
    • 2009 2x Bronze (Mixed relay, Men's relay)

References[link]

External links[link]

Awards
Preceded by
Germany Ronny Ackermann
German Sportsman of the Year
2006
Succeeded by
Germany Fabian Hambüchen

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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Greis

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.