If you would like to hear the Overture from Wagner's Tannhauser, click on the music staff below.

If you would like to learn something about the German language, we have an excellent resource. It has some very basic vocabulary, a dictionary, and some grammar rules. To go there, click on the icon to the right.

Although German is one of the easier languages for native speakers of English to learn, there are some problem words which can cause difficulty.

German and English are closely related languages. Here is a site which will show how the whole family of so-called "Germanic" languages are related.

Interested in learning some basic conversational German? Click on the bar below (to get sounds, you must have "Real Player" installed.)

Below is a link to a site about beer. Although the Germans didn't invent beer (the ancient Egyptians did that), they turned it into an art form!

Ready for some nostalgia? Here are some old German beer signs.

Here's a riddle for you. Question: What's better than German beer? Answer: German wine. For lots of information about German wine, click on the logo below.

In Europe by law, the only beverage which can be called "champagne" is that which is made from grapes from the Champagne district of France. Other countries make fine sparkling white wine. This includes Germany where it is known as "sekt". In Wiesbaden is one of the best: Henkell. Judy took a tour of the factory while we lived in Wiesbaden.

Many people find German cuisine a bit heavy for their tastes. The Springer family enjoys it very much. If you've never tasted real German cooking, we offer you three collections of German recipes for you to try. They are listed below.

The German Automolbile

For many years, fine cars at all price levels have been made in Germany. Here are just three of them:

German Industry

For centuries, firms on German soil have been leaders in industry. Of the scores of companies which have been world leaders, three may be used as examples. Siemens has long been a leader in science and technology. Zeiss is prominent in the world of optics. Bayer is a name familiar to almost everyone - but it's much more than just aspirin.

German - Americans

We live in what one author has called a "hyphenated society". It's fashionable in some quarters to link the word "American" with a term which indicates our family's place of origin. And so we must deal with all sorts of sub-populations.
Other than the British, German-Americans form the largest identifiable group. In some states, German-Americans form the bulk of the population, while in others, they represent a large minority, even though it's not politically correct to think of any group of white people as a minority. Here is a map showing where most German-Americans lived as counted by the 1990 census.
Although Germans have been in America since the first days of British colonization, it wasn't until 1848 that the greatest influx started. As may be expected, most Germans entered this country by way of Ellis Island.

Although there are many German Americans who bring credit to our country of origin, I for one am not especially proud of this one.
One of the most concentrated areas of German Americans is the city and surrounding area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Every year they celebrate a German Fest.
Quickly------ Name a staple item in the American diet. I'll give you a couple of hints--- Golden Arches, have it your way, etc. If you guess the good old hamburger, you're right. Yet the origins of the hamburger might surprise you.
Observation of German traditions on the North American Continent isn't confined to the United States. Canada also has many people of German ancestry. Oktoberfest is observed in Canada as well. In fact, the festival held in Kitchener-Waterloo bills itself as the second largest in the world.
The United States doesn't have a monopoly on the celebration of a day of thanksgiving. Roughly translated as "harvest thank fest", Erntedankfest is a holiday which has been celebrated in rural Germany for centuries.

German Publications

Below are links to some popular German newspapers and magazines.

If you are interested in the status of politics and political parties in Germany, click here.

The German Armed Forces have had a long and interesting history. To find out more, click on the logo below.

Many organizations in the United States are in touch with their German heritage. The one below is part of the New York Police Department.

Would you like one of our awards to display on your page? About the only requirement is that your site be "child safe" For more information, click on the bar below.

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Since the inception of Schloß Von Springer, we have received a number of awards; some for which we've applied, and some unsolicited. To go to a page which lists all of our awards, click on the bar below.