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Germany is a country in western Europe and is the most populous nation in the European Union. While the country has a difficult history that kids will learn about in school, there’s also a lot of fun stuff to know about Germany, so let’s get started. 

Germany Basics

The capital and largest city is Berlin, and it was divided along with the country after World War II, but Germany has been one nation again since 1990.

The country’s area is 137,847 square miles, or 357,022 square kilometers, and it has a population of more than 83 million people. The official language is German. 

Germany’s government is a parliamentary republic and the have both a president and a chancellor. 

The English word Germany came from the Latin Germania, which is how Julius Caesar referred to the people living there. In German the country is called Deutschland, which comes from a word meaning “of the people” in the proto-Germanic language. 

Ancient humans lived in what we now call Germany at least 600,000 years ago, and the oldest known musical instruments ever found, 42,000 year old flutes, were found in Germany. 

Germany has more than 20,000 castles, including the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, which was the inspiration for Cinderella’s castle in Disney Land. 

It was the first country to adopt Daylight Saving Time and is also the birthplace of Christmas trees, which began as a tradition in Germany in the 16th century. 

Germany National Symbols

The German flag features three equally sized horizontal stripes in black, red and yellow. This was first used as the flag of the German Confederation in 18498 and was first adopted as the national flag in 1919, again by the Federal Republic in 1949, and again when German reuinified in 1990. 

“Das Lied der Deutschen,” informally known as “Deutschlandlied” has been the national anthem since 1922, but different parts of it have been used at different times. The first stanza was used when the Nazis were in control and the whole song was officially the national anthem after that, though only the third stanza was used. Since reunification only the third verse is the national anthem, and performing the other parts is discouraged. 

The coat of arms features a black eagle with a red beak, claws and tongue on a gold background. It was originally used in medieval times and is the oldest national symbol still in use in Europe and one of the oldest coats of arms in the world. Eagles are also considered a national symbol for this reason. 

The national tree is the oak. 

Brandenburg Gate is considered a national symbol of the reunification of Germany and has a long history. It was built in the late 1700s and was the first Greek Revival structure built in Berlin. It was in the Soviet sector of the city after the war and in an inaccessible exclusion zone after the Berlin Wall was erected. 

Germany Learning Activities for Kids

If you’re getting ready to go back to school you can make a Schultüte or school cone, which is a decorated cone filled with treats to celebrate the return to school. Learn how to make one from The Bear & The Fox. 

Learn about Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, the central railway station in Leipzing, which is the largest railway station in Europe, encompassing 898,400 square feet, or 83,460 square meters. Take a walking tour of the station in this video from Faceless Wanderers.

Germany has a long history of producing beautiful music. Listen to some Bach or Beethoven as you learn more about Germany. 

Learn about the history of book printing and celebrate that Johann Gutenberg printed the first book printed in Europe, a Latin language bible, in Germany in 1450.

A fun fact I know from my daughter’s years in Girl Scouts is that gummy bears were developed in Germany. The first squishy edible bears were made in 1922 by Hans Riegel, who founded Haribo, which still makes the bears to this day. 

Rick Steves has a great tour of Berlin if you want to take a closer look. 

Grab some Germany themed coloring pages and activity sheets from Kindergarten Worksheets and Games, a printable book from 123 Homeschool 4 Me, or some print and color fact sheets from Kids Activities Blog. You can also learn a little German with these coloring worksheets from The Foreign Mom. Or find more country study resources at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

There’s no official national dish of Germany, but most people would point to Sauerbraten, a beef roast cooked with vegetables and wine and served with gravy. Find a recipe at Daring Gourmet, or just buy some sausages for less adventurous kids!