An A–Z of German Culture

Today Albert Einstein is our very definition of genius. His work in theoretical physics is not only the founding principles of modern science, but he has also become a cultural icon in his own right. While most well-known for his mathematical equation 'E =MC²', Einstein also had a way with words, and many beautiful quotes have been attributed to him over the years. 

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." – Albert Einstein

As one of the founding artists of 'Die Brücke' group in 1905, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is essential to the history of German expressionism, a movement he virtually personifies. Trained in Munich and Dresden, he was attracted to neo-impressionism, van Gogh and tribal artefacts, combining influences from all three in his searingly emotional paintings, drawings and prints.

Johannes Gutenberg developed a system of movable metal type that could slot into a traditional screw press, making it possible to print multiple copies of a book at great speed. By the end of the 15th century, similar presses had spread across Western Europe, churning out as many as 20 million publications. Rather than being printed in the elite language of Latin, many of these presses operated in German, French or Dutch, with the explicit aim of speaking to the masses.

Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher of the Enlightenment and one of the most important representatives of Western philosophy. His work marked the beginning of modern philosophy.

Kraftwerk is a German band from Düsseldorf, which was founded in 1970 and is best known for its pioneering work in the field of electropop. Kraftwerk's music influenced numerous styles of music such as synth pop, electro funk, Detroit techno and also had a decisive influence on the beginnings of hip-hop.

Paula Modersohn-Becker was a German painter and one of the most important artists of early Expressionism. In the almost 14 years in which she was active as an artist, she created 750 paintings, around 1000 drawings.

The Oktoberfest is the world's largest beer festival and travelling funfair. Held annually in Munich, Bavaria, it is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or late September to the first Sunday in October, with more than six million people from around the world attending the event every year.

Atop the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is a Quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses driven by Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory, sculpted by Johann Gottfried Schadow. The gate survived World War II but was badly damaged with holes in the columns from bullets and nearby explosions. One horse's head from the original quadriga survived, and is today kept in the collection of the Märkisches Museum.

Paul Thomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Mann is one of the best-known exponents of the so-called Exilliteratur, German literature written in exile by those who opposed the Hitler regime.

Rudolph Virchow was a German physician, anthropologist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist, writer, editor, and politician. One of his greatest accomplishments was his observation that only certain cells or groups of cells get sick, not the whole organism.

Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was a German physicist. On November 8, 1895, he discovered the X-rays. For this he received the first Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901. His discovery revolutionized medical diagnostics, and led to other important findings of the 20th century, e.g. the discovery of radioactivity.