Germany

At A glance

Capital City: Berlin

Land size: 348,672 sq km

Population: 84,316,622 (2022 est.)

Official language: German

Currency: Euro (€ / EUR)

UNESCO properties and sites:

• Aachen Cathedral
• Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch
• Archaeological Border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke
• Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar (Dessau and Bernau)
• Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
• Berlin Modernism Housing Estates
• Carolingian Westwork and Civitas Corvey
• Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl
• Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura
• Classical Weimar
• Quedlinburg (Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town)
• Cologne Cathedral
• Erzgebirge/Krušnohorí Mining Region
• Fagus Factory in Alfeld
• Frontiers of the Roman Empire (The Danube Limes - Western Segment + The Lower German Limes)
• Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz
• Hanseatic City of Lübeck
• Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar
• Luther Memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg
• Margravial Opera House Bayreuth
• Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt
• Maulbronn Monastery Complex
• Mines of Rammelsberg
• Historic Town of Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management System
• Monastic Island of Reichenau
• Museumsinsel (Museum Island) in Berlin
• Muskauer Park / Park Muzakowski, Naumburg Cathedral
• Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof
• Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
• Pilgrimage Church of Wies
• Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps
• Trier (Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady)
• ShUM Sites of Speyer (Worms and Mainz)
• Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus
• Speyer Cathedral
• St Mary's Cathedral and St Michael's Church at Hildesheim
• The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier - an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement
• The Great Spa Towns of Europe
• Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen
• Town of Bamberg
• Upper Middle Rhine Valley
• Völklingen Ironworks
• Wartburg Castle
• Water Management System of Augsburg
• Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square
• Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen
• Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe
• Messel Pit Fossil Site
• Wadden Sea

Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/germany/

 

Brief History

European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating world wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945.
With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key western economic and security organizations, the EC (now the EU) and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.
The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German reunification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards.

Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/germany/

 

Cultural Insights

Eating habits in Germany vary by social class, but it is possible to generalize about the behavior of the inclusive middle class, which has emerged in the prosperous postwar era. Most Germans acquire food from both supermarkets and specialty shops, such as bakeries and butcher shops. Bread is the main food at both breakfast and supper. Breakfast usually includes brötchen, or rolls of various kinds, while supper— called Abendbrot —often consists of bread, sausages or cold cuts, cheese, and, perhaps, a salad or vegetable garnish. The warm meal of the day is still often eaten at noon, though modern work routines seem to encourage assimilation to American patterns. Pork is the most commonly consumed meat, though various sorts of wurst, or sausage, are often eaten in lieu of meat. Cabbage, beets, and turnips are indigenous vegetables, which are, however, often supplemented with more exotic fare. Since its introduction in the seventeenth century, the potato has won a firm place in German cuisine. Large family meals are still common at noontime on Saturdays and Sundays. These are often followed in mid-afternoon by Kaffee und Kuchen, the German version of tea time.

It has often been noted that German society retains a small town ethos, which arose in the early modern period under conditions of political and economic particularism. Indeed, many Germans adhere to standards of bürgerlichkeit, or civic morality, which lend a certain neatness and formality to behavior in everyday life. When entering a store, for example, one is not likely to be noticed, unless one announces oneself forcefully by saying, " guten Tag " (literally, "good day") or "hello." In former East Germany, it is still common for friends and acquaintances to shake hands when they see each other for the first time each day.

Life in public does not seem to be the highest good for all Germans, as urban centers often appear to be abandoned on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. This is linked to the issue of the operating hours of shops, which has been debated in Germany since the mid-1970s. For different reasons, both the unions and the churches opposed extended operating hours, as do many citizens, who are critical of "consumer societies" or who prefer, on the weekends, to remain with their families or in their private gardens.

It is illegal to cross German pedestrian crossings when the red pedestrian light is on. Offenders risk a fine and payment of all costs in the event of an accident.

Source: https://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Germany.html
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/germany/local-laws-and-customs

 

Transportation

By Air
Germany has about 60 international airports. Since it would be an exaggeration to enumerate and describe them all, we will provide you with a list of the busiest ones among them.

Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
The Frankfurt Airport is a major international airport located in the Germany’s fifth-biggest city. It serves as the main hub of Lufthansa airline company, Condor and AeroLogic.
It is by far the busiest German airport as well as the 4th in Europe, following London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Istanbul Ataturk airports. It serves almost 300 destinations worldwide, making it the airport with the most international destinations around the world.

Munich Airport (MUC)
It is the country’s second busiest airport in passenger traffic (after FRA) and 7th in Europe. It features more than 200 destinations in over 60 countries all over the world. It serves as a secondary hub of Lufthansa and its partners Star Alliance.

Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)
The Düsseldorf Airport is located in Germany’s largest metropolitan area. It is the country’s third busiest airport serves as a hub of Air Berlin and Eurowings.

Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL)
The Berlin Tegel Airport is the main international airport of Berlin, Germany’s capital. It serves as a hub of Air Berlin and as a base for Germanwings. The airport features flights to many metropolitan and resort destinations in Europe as well as some international lines. The airport has been replaced by the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in 2020.

Hamburg Airport (HAM)
The Hamburg Airport is the airport serving the second-largest city in Germany. It serves as a base for Germanwings, Condor and easyJet. It features flights to 120 destinations, including Dubai, Newark and Tehran. The airport is not to be mistaken for the nearby private Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport.


By Rail
In Germany it's not mandatory to have a seat reservation on the ICE trains. However, we recommend you to buy a seat reservation, especially if you're traveling in a group.

You can make reservations for domestic and international high-speed trains and night trains:
• At a ticket desk or self-service machine at local train stations.
• Online through the DB website.Please note that you can only make reservations for domestic trains and international night trains departing or arriving in Germany.
• By phone through the Deutsche Bahn call center (Phone number: +49 1806 996 633). When you call, you'll hear a German menu. Select extension "9" for an English menu, then "1" for train information and bookings. This call center does not charge a booking fee. Delivery costs are €3.50 to every country.

We suggest the following routes to travel between Germany and other European countries:
• Austria – Germany: Travel by day from Munich to Innsbruck (1hr 50min) on EuroCity (EC) trains or to Vienna (4hr 15min) on Austrian RailJet trains.
• Belgium – Germany: Travel by day to Brussels from Frankfurt (3hr 15min) with ICE trains.
• Czech Republic – Germany: Travel with EuroCity (EC) trains from Berlin to Prague (4hr 40min), or the DB Express Bus from Nuremberg or Munich (3hr 35min).
• France – Germany: Travel by ICE from Frankfurt to Paris (4hr), by TGV from Munich (6hr) to Paris.
• Italy – Germany: Travel from Munich to Venice (9hr) or Rome (12hr) on the ÖBB Nightjet night train, or travel by day on EuroCity (EC) between Munich and Venice.
• Netherlands – Germany: Go by day from Frankfurt (4hr) or Düsseldorf (2hr 10min) with an ICE train.
• Poland – Germany: Get to Warsaw (5hr 35min) from Berlin with the Berlin-Warsaw Express.
• Switzerland – Germany: Go by night with ÖBB Nightjet to Zurich from Hamburg (11hr 50min) via Berlin. There are various ICE and InterCity (IC) trains crossing the Swiss border into Germany.
• Denmark – Germany: Travel by ICE and IC to Copenhagen (4hr 45min) or Aarhus (4hr 30min) from Hamburg. 
 
Source: https://getbybus.com/en/blog/airports-in-germany/
https://www.eurail.com/en/get-inspired/top-destinations/germany-train 

 

Money

Some foreigners have been arrested for possessing counterfeit currency. Avoid changing money anywhere other than banks or legitimate currency exchange offices.

Since June 15th 2007, new legislation on the controls of cash entering or leaving the EU apply in all Member States. Any person entering or leaving the EU will have to declare the cash that they are carrying if this amounts to 10,000 Euros or more; this includes cheques, travellers’ cheques, money orders, etc.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/germany

 

Health

If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 112 and ask for an ambulance. If you are referred to a medical facility for treatment you should contact your insurance/medical assistance company immediately.

Germany has generally high-quality medical care and facilities.

Prescription and over-the-counter medicines are widely available although brands and drug names may differ from those available in the United States.
If traveling with prescription medication, visit the German customs website to ensure the medication is legal in Germany.  Due to Germany’s strict customs regulations, you are not allowed to receive prescription medication by mail without special permission.  Always, carry your prescription medication in original packaging with your doctor’s prescription.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/germany
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Germany.html

 

Electricity

Germany operates on a 230V supply voltage and uses type C and F plugs.

The Type C electrical plug (or Europlug) is a two-wire plug that has two round pins. It fits into any socket that accepts 4.0 – 4.8 mm round contacts on 19 mm centres. They are being replaced by E, F, J, K or N sockets which work perfectly with Type C plugs.

The Type F electrical plug (also known as a Schuko plug) has two 4.8 mm round pins spaced 19 mm apart. It is similar to the Type E plug but has two earth clips on the side rather than a female earth contact. The CEE 7/7 plug was developed to work with sockets E and F and has grounding clips on both sides (to work with Type F sockets) and a female contact (to accept the grounding pin of the type E socket).

Source: https://www.iec.ch/world-plugs

 

Communication

Time zone in Germany: Central European Standard Time (GMT+1)

International country code – 49

With one of Europe’s largest telecom markets, Germany hosts a number of significant operators, which offer effective competition in the mobile and broadband sectors.
With LTE now effectively universally available, considerable progress has recently been made in building out 5G networks.

Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/germany/


Phrasebook

English	German
Hello!	Guten Tag / Hallo
Goodbye	Auf Wiedersehen
Good morning	Guten Morgen
Good evening	Guten Abend
Good night	Gute Nacht
Please	Bitte
Thank you	Danke
Yes	Ja
No	Nein

Source: https://www.linguahouse.com/phrasebooks/english-german

 

Entry Requirements

Generally speaking, all foreigners from outside of the EU require a visa for stays in Germany.
A visa is not required for visits of up to 90 days in an 180-day period for nationals of those countries for which the European Community has abolished the visa requirement.

You will find an overview on visa requirements here: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/visa-service/-/231148

Source: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/visa-service/-/215870

 

Embassies and Consulates

U.S. Embassy in Berlin
Clayallee 170,
14191 Berlin
Telephone: +(49) 30-8305-1200

U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt
Giessener Str. 30
60435 Frankfurt am Main
Telephone: +(49) 69-7535-2100

U.S. Consulate General in Munich
Koeniginstrasse 5
80539 Munich
Telephone: +(49) 89-2888-0

U.S. Consular Agent in Bremen
Flughafenallee 18, 4th Floor
28199 Bremen
Telephone: +(49) 421-301-5860

U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg
Alsterufer 27/28
20354 Hamburg
Telephone: +(49) 40-411-71100

U.S. Consulate General in Leipzig
Wilhelm-Seyfferth-Str. 4
04107 Leipzig
Telephone: +(49) 0341-213-84-0

U.S. Consulate General in Düsseldorf
Willi - Becker - Allee 10
40227 Düsseldorf
Telephone: +(49) 0211-788 - 8927


Embassy of Canada to Germany in Berlin
Leipziger Platz 17
10117 Berlin
Telephone: +(49) 30 203120

Consulate of Canada in Düsseldorf
Benrather Strasse 8
40213 Düsseldorf
Telephone: +(49) 211 172170

Consulate of Canada in Munich
Tal 29
80331 Munich
Telephone: +(49) 89 2199570

Consulate of Canada in Stuttgart
Leitzstrasse 45
70469 Stuttgart
Telephone: +(49) 711 2239678

Source: for USA: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/resourcesold/csi/embassy-and-consulate-lists/germany.html
For Canada: https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/germany-allemagne/index.aspx?lang=eng

 

UNESCO Sites

Aachen Cathedral
Construction of this palatine chapel, with its octagonal basilica and cupola, began c. 790–800 under the Emperor Charlemagne. Originally inspired by the churches of the Eastern part of the Holy Roman Empire, it was splendidly enlarged in the Middle Ages.

Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch
The town of Lorsch in Hesse, Germany, hosts the renowned “Königshalle”. Apart from the Gothic gables and a few relics of past repairs and completion, this gatehouse is one of the very rare buildings from the Carolingian era whose original appearance is intact. It is a reminder of the past grandeur of an abbey founded around 764. The monastery’s zenith was probably in 876 when, at the death of Louis II the German, it became the burial place for the Carolingian kings of the Eastern part of the Frankish Realm.
The monastery flourished throughout the 11th century, but in 1090 was ravaged by fire. In the 12th century, an expansive reconstruction was carried out. After Lorsch had been incorporated in the Electorate of Mainz (1232), it lost a large part of its privileges. The Benedictines were replaced first by Cistercians and later by Premonstratensians. Moreover, the church had to be restored after yet another fire and be adapted to changing liturgical needs. The glorious Carolingian establishment slowly deteriorated under the impact of the vagaries of politics and war: Lorsch was attached to the Palatinate in 1461, returned to Mainz in 1623, and incorporated in the Electorate of Hesse in 1803. Monastic life finished in succession of the protestant reformation of the Palatinate in 1556.

Archaeological Border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke
The archaeological site of Hedeby consists of the remains of an emporium – or trading town – containing traces of roads, buildings, cemeteries and a harbour dating back to the 1st and early 2nd millennia CE. It is enclosed by part of the Danevirke, a line of fortification crossing the Schleswig isthmus, which separates the Jutland Peninsula from the rest of the European mainland. Because of its unique situation between the Frankish Empire in the South and the Danish Kingdom in the North, Hedeby became a trading hub between continental Europe and Scandinavia and between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Because of its rich and well preserved archaeological material, it has become a key site for the interpretation of economic, social and historical developments in Europe during the Viking age.

Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar (Dessau and Bernau)
Between 1919 and 1933 the Bauhaus movement revolutionized architectural and aesthetic thinking and practice in the 20th century. The Bauhaus buildings in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau are fundamental representatives of Classical Modernism, directed towards a radical renewal of architecture and design. This property, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996, originally comprised buildings located in Weimar (Former Art School, the Applied Art School and the Haus Am Horn) and Dessau (Bauhaus Building, the group of seven Masters' Houses). The 2017 extension includes the Houses with Balcony Access in Dessau and the ADGB Trade Union School in Bernau as important contributions to the Bauhaus ideas of austere design, functionalism and social reform.

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
Descending a long hill dominated by a giant statue of Hercules, the monumental water displays of Wilhelmshöhe were begun by Landgrave Carl of Hesse-Kassel in 1689 around an east-west axis and were developed further into the 19th century. Reservoirs and channels behind the Hercules Monument supply water to a complex system of hydro-pneumatic devices that supply the site’s large Baroque water theatre, grotto, fountains and 350-metre long Grand Cascade. Beyond this, channels and waterways wind across the axis, feeding a series of dramatic waterfalls and wild rapids, the geyser-like Grand Fountain which leaps 50m high, the lake and secluded ponds that enliven the Romantic garden created in the 18th century by Carl’s great-grandson, Elector Wilhelm I. The great size of the park and its waterworks along with the towering Hercules statue constitute an expression of the ideals of absolutist Monarchy while the ensemble is a remarkable testimony to the aesthetics of the Baroque and Romantic periods.

Berlin Modernism Housing Estates
The property consists of six housing estates that testify to innovative housing policies from 1910 to 1933, especially during the Weimar Republic, when the city of Berlin was particularly progressive socially, politically and culturally. The property is an outstanding example of the building reform movement that contributed to improving housing and living conditions for people with low incomes through novel approaches to town planning, architecture and garden design. The estates also provide exceptional examples of new urban and architectural typologies, featuring fresh design solutions, as well as technical and aesthetic innovations. Bruno Taut, Martin Wagner and Walter Gropius were among the leading architects of these projects which exercised considerable influence on the development of housing around the world.

Carolingian Westwork and Civitas Corvey
The site is located along the Weser River on the outskirts of Höxter where the Carolingian Westwork and Civitas Corvey were erected between AD 822 and 885 in a largely preserved rural setting. The Westwork is the only standing structure that dates back to the Carolingian era, while the original imperial abbey complex is preserved as archaeological remains that are only partially excavated. The Westwork of Corvey uniquely illustrates one of the most important Carolingian architectural expressions. It is a genuine creation of this period, and its architectural articulation and decoration clearly illustrate the role played within the Frankish empire by imperial monasteries in securing territorial control and administration, as well as the propagation of Christianity and the Carolingian cultural and political order throughout Europe.

Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl
Set in an idyllic garden landscape, Augustusburg Castle (the sumptuous residence of the prince-archbishops of Cologne) and the Falkenlust hunting lodge (a small rural folly) are among the earliest examples of Rococo architecture in 18th-century Germany.

Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura
Modern humans first arrived in Europe 43,000 years ago during the last ice age. One of the areas where they took up residence was the Swabian Jura in southern Germany. Excavated from the 1860s, six caves have revealed items dating from 43,000 to 33,000 years ago. Among them are carved figurines of animals (including cave lions, mammoths, horses and bovids), musical instruments and items of personal adornment. Other figurines depict creatures that are half animal, half human and there is one statuette of a woman. These archaeological sites feature some of the oldest figurative art worldwide and help shed light on the origins of human artistic development.

Classical Weimar
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries the small Thuringian town of Weimar witnessed a remarkable cultural flowering, attracting many writers and scholars, notably Goethe and Schiller. This development is reflected in the high quality of many of the buildings and of the parks in the surrounding area. 

Quedlinburg (Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town)
Quedlinburg, in the Land of Sachsen-Anhalt, was a capital of the East Franconian German Empire at the time of the Saxonian-Ottonian ruling dynasty. It has been a prosperous trading town since the Middle Ages. The number and high quality of the timber-framed buildings make Quedlinburg an exceptional example of a medieval European town. The Collegiate Church of St Servatius is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture.

Cologne Cathedral
Begun in 1248, the construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral testifies to the enduring strength of European Christianity.

Erzgebirge/Krušnohorí Mining Region
Erzgebirge/Krušnohorí (Ore Mountains) spans a region in south-eastern Germany (Saxony) and north-western Czechia, which contains a wealth of several metals exploited through mining from the Middle Ages onwards. The region became the most important source of silver ore in Europe from 1460 to 1560. Mining was the trigger for technological and scientific innovations transferred worldwide. Tin was historically the second metal to be extracted and processed at the site. At the end of the 19th century, the region became a major global producer of uranium. The cultural landscape of the Ore Mountains has been deeply shaped by 800 years of almost continuous mining, from the 12th to the 20th century, with mining, pioneering water management systems, innovative mineral processing and smelting sites, and mining cities.

Fagus Factory in Alfeld
Fagus Factory in Alfeld is a 10-building complex - began around 1910 to the design of Walter Gropius, which is a landmark in the development of modern architecture and industrial design. Serving all stages of manufacture, storage and dispatch of lasts used by the shoe industry, the complex, which is still operational today, is situated in Alfeld an der Leine in Lower Saxony. With its groundbreaking vast expanses of glass panels and functionalist aesthetics, the complex foreshadowed the work of the Bauhaus school and is a landmark in the development of architecture in Europe and North America.

Frontiers of the Roman Empire
The ‘Roman Limes’ represents the border line of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in the 2nd century AD. It stretched over 5,000 km from the Atlantic coast of northern Britain, through Europe to the Black Sea, and from there to the Red Sea and across North Africa to the Atlantic coast. The remains of the Limes today consist of vestiges of built walls, ditches, forts, fortresses, watchtowers and civilian settlements. Certain elements of the line have been excavated, some reconstructed and a few destroyed. The two sections of the Limes in Germany cover a length of 550 km from the north-west of the country to the Danube in the south-east. The 118-km-long Hadrian’s Wall (UK) was built on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian c. AD 122 at the northernmost limits of the Roman province of Britannia. It is a striking example of the organization of a military zone and illustrates the defensive techniques and geopolitical strategies of ancient Rome. The Antonine Wall, a 60-km long fortification in Scotland was started by Emperor Antonius Pius in 142 AD as a defense against the “barbarians” of the north. It constitutes the northwestern-most portion of the Roman Limes.

Frontiers of the Roman Empire (The Danube Limes - Western Segment)
It covers almost 600km of the whole Roman Empire’s Danube frontier. The property formed part of the much large frontier of the Roman Empire that encircled the Mediterranean Sea. The Danube Limes (Western Segment) reflects the specificities of this part of the Roman Frontier through the selection of sites that represent key elements from roads, legionary fortresses and their associated settlements to small forts and temporary camps, and the way these structures relate to local topography.

Frontiers of the Roman Empire (The Lower German Limes)
Following the left bank of the Lower Rhine River for approximately 400 km from the Rhenish Massif in Germany to the North Sea coast in the Netherlands, the transnational property consist of 102 components from one section of the frontiers of the Roman Empire, which in the 2nd century CE, stretched across Europe, the Near East, and North Africa, over 7,500 km. The property comprises military and civilian sites and infrastructure that marked the edge of Lower Germany from the 1st to 5th centuries CE. Archaeological remains in the property include legionary fortresses, forts, fortlets, towers, temporary camps, roads, harbours, a fleet base, a canal and an aqueduct, as well as civilian settlements, towns, cemeteries, sanctuaries, an amphitheatre, and a palace. Almost all of these archaeological remains are buried underground. Waterlogged deposits in the property have enabled a high degree of preservation of both structural and organic materials from the Roman periods of occupation and use.

Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz
The Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz is an exceptional example of landscape design and planning of the Age of the Enlightenment, the 18th century. Its diverse components - outstanding buildings, landscaped parks and gardens in the English style, and subtly modified expanses of agricultural land - serve aesthetic, educational, and economic purposes in an exemplary manner.

Hanseatic City of Lübeck
Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered.

Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar
The medieval towns of Wismar and Stralsund, on the Baltic coast of northern Germany, were major trading centres of the Hanseatic League in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 17th and 18th centuries they became Swedish administrative and defensive centres for the German territories. They contributed to the development of the characteristic building types and techniques of Brick Gothic in the Baltic region, as exemplified in several important brick cathedrals, the Town Hall of Stralsund, and the series of houses for residential, commercial and crafts use, representing its evolution over several centuries.

Luther Memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg
These places in Saxony-Anhalt are all associated with the lives of Martin Luther and his fellow-reformer Melanchthon. They include Melanchthon's house in Wittenberg, the houses in Eisleben where Luther was born in 1483 and died in 1546, his room in Wittenberg, the local church and the castle church where, on 31 October 1517, Luther posted his famous '95 Theses', which launched the Reformation and a new era in the religious and political history of the Western world.

Margravial Opera House Bayreuth
A masterpiece of Baroque theatre architecture, built between 1745 and 1750, the Opera House is the only entirely preserved example of its type where an audience of 500 can experience Baroque court opera culture and acoustics authentically, as its auditorium retains its original materials, i.e. wood and canvas. Commissioned by Margravine Wilhelmine, wife of Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg–Bayreuth, it was designed by the renowned theatre architect Giuseppe Galli Bibiena. As a court opera house in a public space, it foreshadowed the large public theatres of the 19th century. The highly decorated theatre’s tiered loge structure of wood with illusionistic painted canvas represents the ephemeral ceremonial architectural tradition that was employed in pageants and celebrations for princely self-representation.

Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt
The Darmstadt Artists’ Colony on Mathildenho¨he, the highest elevation above the city of Darmstadt in west-central Germany, was established in 1897 by Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse, as a centre for emerging reform movements in architecture, arts and crafts. The buildings of the colony were created by its artist members as experimental early modernist living and working environments. The colony was expanded during successive international exhibitions in 1901, 1904, 1908 and 1914. Today, it offers a testimony to early modern architecture, urban planning and landscape design, all of which were influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and the Vienna Secession. The serial property consists of two component parts including 23 elements, such as the Wedding Tower (1908), the Exhibition Hall (1908), the Plane Tree Grove (1833, 1904-14), the Russian Chapel of St. Maria Magdalena (1897-99), the Lily Basin, the Gottfried Schwab Memorial (1905), the Pergola and Garden (1914), the “Swan Temple” Garden Pavilion (1914), the Ernst Ludwig Fountain, and the 13 houses and artists’ studios that were built for the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony and for the international exhibitions. A Three House Group, built for the 1904 exhibition is an additional component.

Maulbronn Monastery Complex
Founded in 1147, the Cistercian Maulbronn Monastery is considered the most complete and best-preserved medieval monastic complex north of the Alps. Surrounded by fortified walls, the main buildings were constructed between the 12th and 16th centuries. The monastery's church, mainly in Transitional Gothic style, had a major influence in the spread of Gothic architecture over much of northern and central Europe. The water-management system at Maulbronn, with its elaborate network of drains, irrigation canals and reservoirs, is of exceptional interest.

Mines of Rammelsberg, Historic Town of Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management System
The Upper Harz mining water management system, which lies south of the Rammelsberg mines and the town of Goslar, has been developed over a period of some 800 years to assist in the process of extracting ore for the production of non-ferrous metals. Its construction was first undertaken in the Middle Ages by Cistercian monks, and it was then developed on a vast scale from the end of the 16th century until the 19th century. It is made up of an extremely complex but perfectly coherent system of artificial ponds, small channels, tunnels and underground drains. It enabled the development of water power for use in mining and metallurgical processes. It is a major site for mining innovation in the western world.

Monastic Island of Reichenau
The island of Reichenau on Lake Constance preserves the traces of the Benedictine monastery, founded in 724, which exercised remarkable spiritual, intellectual and artistic influence. The churches of St Mary and Marcus, St Peter and St Paul, and St George, mainly built between the 9th and 11th centuries, provide a panorama of early medieval monastic architecture in central Europe. Their wall paintings bear witness to impressive artistic activity.

Museumsinsel (Museum Island) in Berlin
The museum as a social phenomenon owes its origins to the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century. The five museums on the Museumsinsel in Berlin, built between 1824 and 1930, are the realization of a visionary project and show the evolution of approaches to museum design over the course of the 20th century. Each museum was designed so as to establish an organic connection with the art it houses. The importance of the museum's collections – which trace the development of civilizations throughout the ages – is enhanced by the urban and architectural quality of the buildings.

Muskauer Park / Park Muzakowski
A landscaped park of 559.9 ha astride the Neisse River and the border between Poland and Germany, it was created by Prince Hermann von Puckler-Muskau from 1815 to 1844. Blending seamlessly with the surrounding farmed landscape, the park pioneered new approaches to landscape design and influenced the development of landscape architecture in Europe and America. Designed as a ‘painting with plants’, it did not seek to evoke classical landscapes, paradise, or some lost perfection, instead using local plants to enhance the inherent qualities of the existing landscape. This integrated landscape extends into the town of Muskau with green passages that formed urban parks framing areas for development. The town thus became a design component in a utopian landscape. The site also features a reconstructed castle, bridges and an arboretum.

Naumburg Cathedral
Located in the eastern part of the Thuringian Basin, the Cathedral of Naumburg, whose construction began in 1028, is an outstanding testimony to medieval art and architecture. Its Romanesque structure, flanked by two Gothic choirs, demonstrates the stylistic transition from late Romanesque to early Gothic. The west choir, dating to the first half of the 13th century, reflects changes in religious practice and the appearance of science and nature in the figurative arts. The choir and life-size sculptures of the founders of the Cathedral are masterpieces of the workshop known as the ‘Naumburg Master’.

Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof
Located on the Danube River in Bavaria, this medieval town contains many buildings of exceptional quality that testify to its history as a trading centre and to its influence on the region from the 9th century. A notable number of historic structures span some two millennia and include ancient Roman, Romanesque and Gothic buildings. Regensburg’s 11th- to 13th-century architecture – including the market, city hall and cathedral – still defines the character of the town marked by tall buildings, dark and narrow lanes, and strong fortifications. The buildings include medieval patrician houses and towers, a large number of churches and monastic ensembles as well as the 12th-century Old Bridge. The town is also remarkable for the vestiges testifing to its rich history as one of the centres of the Holy Roman Empire that turned to Protestantism.

Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
With 500 ha of parks and 150 buildings constructed between 1730 and 1916, Potsdam's complex of palaces and parks forms an artistic whole, whose eclectic nature reinforces its sense of uniqueness. It extends into the district of Berlin-Zehlendorf, with the palaces and parks lining the banks of the River Havel and Lake Glienicke. Voltaire stayed at the Sans-Souci Palace, built under Frederick II between 1745 and 1747.

Pilgrimage Church of Wies
The sanctuary of Wies, near Steingaden in Bavaria, is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.
The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary. Consequently, work began in 1745 under the direction of the celebrated architect, Dominikus Zimmermann, who was to construct, in this pastoral setting in the foothills of the Alps, one of the most polished creations of Bavarian Rococo. The choir was consecrated in 1749, and the remainder of the church finished by 1754. That year, Dominikus Zimmermann left the city of Landsberg to settle in Wies near his masterpiece, in a new house where he died in 1766.
The church, which is oval in plan, is preceded to the west by a semi-circular narthex. Inside, twin columns placed in front of the walls support the capriciously cut-out cornice and the wooden vaulting with its flattened profile; this defines a second interior volume where the light from the windows and the oculi is cleverly diffused both directly and indirectly. To the east, a long deep choir is surrounded by an upper and a lower gallery.
A unique feature is the harmony between art and the countryside. All art forms and techniques used - architecture, sculpture, painting, stucco work, carving, ironwork, etc. - were melded by the architect into a perfect, unified whole, in order to create a diaphanous spatial structure of light and form. The remarkable stucco decoration is the work of Dominikus Zimmermann, assisted by his brother Johann Baptist -  who was the painter of the Elector of Bavaria, Max-Emmanuel, from 1720. The lively colours of the paintings bring out the sculpted detail and, in the upper areas, the frescoes and stuccowork interpenetrate to produce a light and living decor of unprecedented richness and refinement. The abundance of motifs and figures, the fluidity of the lines, the skilful opening of surfaces, and the 'lights' continually offer the observer fresh surprises. The ceilings painted in trompe-l'œil appear to open to an iridescent sky, across which, angels fly, contributing to the overall lightness of the church as a whole.

Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps
This serial property of 111 small individual sites encompasses the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. Excavations, only conducted in some of the sites, have yielded evidence that provides insight into life in prehistoric times during the Neolithic and Bronze Age in Alpine Europe and the way communities interacted with their environment. Fifty-six of the sites are located in Switzerland. The settlements are a unique group of exceptionally well-preserved and culturally rich archaeological sites, which constitute one of the most important sources for the study of early agrarian societies in the region.

Trier (Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady)
Trier, which stands on the Moselle River, was a Roman colony from the 1st century AD and then a great trading centre beginning in the next century. It became one of the capitals of the Tetrarchy at the end of the 3rd century, when it was known as the ‘second Rome’. The number and quality of the surviving monuments are an outstanding testimony to Roman civilization.

ShUM Sites of Speyer (Worms and Mainz)
Located in the former Imperial cathedral cities of Speyer, Worms and Mainz, in the Upper Rhine Valley, the serial site of Speyer, Worms and Mainz comprise the Speyer Jewry-Court, with the structures of the synagogue and women’s shul (Yiddish for synagogue), the archaeological vestiges of the yeshiva (religious school), the courtyard and the still intact underground mikveh (ritual bath), which has retained its high architectural and building quality. The property also comprises the Worms Synagogue Compound, with its in situ post-war reconstruction of the 12th century synagogue and 13th century women’s shul, the community hall (Rashi House), and the monumental 12th-century mikveh. The series also includes the Old Jewish Cemetery in Worms and the Old Jewish Cemetery in Mainz. The four component sites tangibly reflect the early emergence of distinctive Ashkenaz customs and the development and settlement pattern of the ShUM communities, particularly between the 11th and the 14th centuries. The buildings that constitute the property served as prototypes for later Jewish community and religious buildings as well as cemeteries in Europe. The acronym ShUM stands for the Hebrew initials of Speyer, Worms and Mainz.

Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus
Speicherstadt and the adjacent Kontorhaus district are two densely built urban areas in the centre of the port city of Hamburg. Speicherstadt, originally developed on a group of narrow islands in the Elbe River between 1885 and 1927, was partly rebuilt from 1949 to 1967. It is one of the largest coherent historic ensembles of port warehouses in the world (300,000 m2). It includes 15 very large warehouse blocks as well as six ancillary buildings and a connecting network of short canals. Adjacent to the modernist Chilehaus office building, the Kontorhaus district is an area of over five hectares featuring six very large office complexes built from the 1920s to the 1940s to house port-related businesses. The complex exemplifies the effects of the rapid growth in international trade in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Speyer Cathedral
Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodelled at the end of the 11th century. It is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.

St Mary's Cathedral and St Michael's Church at Hildesheim
St Michael's Church was built between 1010 and 1020 on a symmetrical plan with two apses that was characteristic of Ottonian Romanesque art in Old Saxony. Its interior, in particular the wooden ceiling and painted stucco-work, its famous bronze doors and the Bernward bronze column, are – together with the treasures of St Mary's Cathedral – of exceptional interest as examples of the Romanesque churches of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement
Chosen from the work of Le Corbusier, the 17 sites comprising this transnational serial property are spread over seven countries and are a testimonial to the invention of a new architectural language that made a break with the past. They were built over a period of a half-century, in the course of what Le Corbusier described as “patient research”. The Complexe du Capitole in Chandigarh (India), the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo (Japan), the House of Dr Curutchet in La Plata (Argentina) and the Unité d’habitation in Marseille (France) reflect the solutions that the Modern Movement sought to apply during the 20th century to the challenges of inventing new architectural techniques to respond to the needs of society. These masterpieces of creative genius also attest to the internationalization of architectural practice across the planet.

The Great Spa Towns of Europe
This transnational serial property comprises eleven spa towns, located in seven European countries: Baden bei Wien (Austria); Spa (Belgium); Frantis?kovy La´zne?; Karlovy Vary; Maria´nske´ La´zne? (Czechia); Vichy (France); Bad Ems; Baden-Baden; Bad Kissingen (Germany); Montecatini Terme (Italy); and City of Bath (United Kingdom). All of these towns developed around natural mineral water springs. They bear witness to the international European spa culture that developed from the early 18th century to the 1930s, leading to the emergence of grand international resorts that impacted urban typology around ensembles of spa buildings such as baths, kurhaus and kursaal (buildings and rooms dedicated to therapy), pump rooms, drinking halls, colonnades and galleries designed to harness the natural mineral water resources and to allow their practical use for bathing and drinking. Related facilities include gardens, assembly rooms, casinos, theatres, hotels and villas, as well as spa-specific support infrastructure. These ensembles are all integrated into an overall urban context that includes a carefully managed recreational and therapeutic environment in a picturesque landscape. Together, these sites embody the significant interchange of human values and developments in medicine, science and balneology.

Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen
The Town Hall and the statue of Roland on the marketplace of Bremen in north-west Germany are outstanding representations of civic autonomy and sovereignty, as these developed in the Holy Roman Empire in Europe. The old town hall was built in the Gothic style in the early 15th century, after Bremen joined the Hanseatic League. The building was renovated in the so-called Weser Renaissance style in the early 17th century. A new town hall was built next to the old one in the early 20th century as part of an ensemble that survived bombardment during the Second World War. The statue stands 5.5 m tall and dates back to 1404.

Town of Bamberg
From the 10th century onwards, this town became an important link with the Slav peoples, especially those of Poland and Pomerania. During its period of greatest prosperity, from the 12th century onwards, the architecture of Bamberg strongly influenced northern Germany and Hungary. In the late 18th century it was the centre of the Enlightenment in southern Germany, with eminent philosophers and writers such as Hegel and Hoffmann living there.

Upper Middle Rhine Valley
The 65km-stretch of the Middle Rhine Valley, with its castles, historic towns and vineyards, graphically illustrates the long history of human involvement with a dramatic and varied natural landscape. It is intimately associated with history and legend and for centuries has exercised a powerful influence on writers, artists and composers.

Völklingen Ironworks
The ironworks, which cover some 6 ha, dominate the city of Völklingen. Although they have recently gone out of production, they are the only intact example, in the whole of western Europe and North America, of an integrated ironworks that was built and equipped in the 19th and 20th centuries and has remained intact.

Wartburg Castle
Wartburg Castle blends superbly into its forest surroundings and is in many ways 'the ideal castle'. Although it has retained some original sections from the feudal period, the form it acquired during the 19th-century reconstitution gives a good idea of what this fortress might have been at the height of its military and seigneurial power. It was during his exile at Wartburg Castle that Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German.

Water Management System of Augsburg
The water management system of the city of Augsburg has evolved in successive phases from the 14th century to the present day. It includes a network of canals, water towers dating from the 15th to 17th centuries, which housed pumping machinery, a water-cooled butchers’ hall, a system of three monumental fountains and hydroelectric power stations, which continue to provide sustainable energy today. The technological innovations generated by this water management system have helped establish Augsburg as a pioneer in hydraulic engineering.

Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square
This magnificent Baroque palace – one of the largest and most beautiful in Germany and surrounded by wonderful gardens – was created under the patronage of the prince-bishops Lothar Franz and Friedrich Carl von Schönborn. It was built and decorated in the 18th century by an international team of architects, painters (including Tiepolo), sculptors and stucco-workers, led by Balthasar Neumann.

Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen
The Zollverein industrial complex in Land Nordrhein-Westfalen consists of the complete infrastructure of a historical coal-mining site, with some 20th-century buildings of outstanding architectural merit. It constitutes remarkable material evidence of the evolution and decline of an essential industry over the past 150 years.

Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe
This transnational property includes 94 component parts in 18 countries. Since the end of the last Ice Age, European Beech spread from a few isolated refuge areas in the Alps, Carpathians, Dinarides, Mediterranean and Pyrenees over a short period of a few thousand years in a process that is still ongoing. The successful expansion across a whole continent is related to the tree’s adaptability and tolerance of different climatic, geographical and physical conditions.

Messel Pit Fossil Site
Messel Pit is the richest site in the world for understanding the living environment of the Eocene, between 57 million and 36 million years ago. In particular, it provides unique information about the early stages of the evolution of mammals and includes exceptionally well-preserved mammal fossils, ranging from fully articulated skeletons to the contents of stomachs of animals of this period.

Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea is the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. The site covers the Dutch Wadden Sea Conservation Area, the German Wadden Sea National Parks of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, and most of the Danish Wadden Sea maritime conservation area. It is a large, temperate, relatively flat coastal wetland environment, formed by the intricate interactions between physical and biological factors that have given rise to a multitude of transitional habitats with tidal channels, sandy shoals, sea-grass meadows, mussel beds, sandbars, mudflats, salt marshes, estuaries, beaches and dunes. The area is home to numerous plant and animal species, including marine mammals such as the harbour seal, grey seal and harbour porpoise. Wadden Sea is one of the last remaining large-scale, intertidal ecosystems where natural processes continue to function largely undisturbed.

Source: https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/de