Germany trivia: 47 questions and answers

Berlin. Berlin has been the capital of reunified Germany since 1990. Bonn was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990.

True. True. Berlin became the capital in 1990, but Bonn remained the seat of parliament and government until 1999. It is still a 'Federal City' with several ministries.

9. Germany has 9 neighbours: Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Zugspitze. The Zugspitze, 2,962 m, is in the Bavarian Alps on the border with Austria. The Watzmann and the Feldberg are lower, and the Brocken is in the Harz hills in the north.

The Roman Empire. The Roman Empire lost three legions under Varus. Afterwards the Rhine became Rome's frontier.

Mainz. Gutenberg printed his Bible with movable metal type in Mainz, and the first copies were ready by 1455.

Martin Luther. Martin Luther, a monk and professor in Wittenberg, wrote the theses against the sale of indulgences in 1517.

True. True. Emperor Francis II gave up the imperial crown on 6 August 1806, and the empire, which had lasted since 962, ended.

False. False. The Federal Republic was founded first, with its Basic Law of 23 May 1949. The German Democratic Republic followed on 7 October 1949.

To stop its citizens leaving for the West. It was built to stop its citizens leaving for the West: about 3.5 million people had already left East Germany.

3 October. 3 October is the day in 1990 when the two German states became one. The Wall had opened on 9 November 1989.

True. True. In the January 1919 election for the assembly that wrote the Weimar constitution, women could vote for the first time.

About six million. About six million Jews were murdered, around two thirds of the Jews of Europe. Many others were also persecuted and killed.

Berlin. Herta Heuwer is said to have created currywurst at her stall in Berlin in 1949.

True. True. An old saying goes that a Weisswurst should not hear the church bells ring noon, because it was made fresh each morning without preserving.

Swabia. Maultaschen come from Swabia, in Baden-Württemberg. Legend says monks at Maulbronn Abbey hid meat inside the pasta during Lent.

False. False. Swabian and other southern potato salads are dressed with hot broth, vinegar, onion and oil. Mayonnaise is more usual in the north.

7. 7 herbs: parsley, chives, chervil, borage, sorrel, garden cress and salad burnet.

Kirsch (cherry brandy). Kirsch (cherry brandy) soaks the chocolate sponge, which is layered with cream and sour cherries.

True. True. The 'Butter Letter' of Pope Innocent VIII in 1490 allowed butter, and stollen became the rich bread we know today.

Leipzig. Bach worked in Leipzig from 1723 until he died in 1750. Bonn is Beethoven's birthplace.

True. True. Hamburg, with about 1.9 million people, is second after Berlin. Munich is third and Cologne fourth.

55. Germany has 55 World Heritage Sites, including Cologne Cathedral, Museum Island in Berlin and, since 2025, the palaces of King Ludwig II.

1880. It was completed in 1880, 632 years after it was begun. Work stopped in the 1500s and restarted only in 1842.

Napoleon. Napoleon took it to Paris in 1806, and it was brought back to Berlin in 1814.

True. True. In 2025 UNESCO added the palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee, to the World Heritage List.

True. True. The church collapsed after the bombing of February 1945. It was rebuilt from 1994 and consecrated again on 30 October 2005.

Barley, hops and water. Barley, hops and water. Yeast was added to the rule later, once its role in brewing was understood.

False. False. It was a Bavarian law. It was applied across all of Germany only in 1906.

A royal wedding. It celebrated a royal wedding: Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese on 12 October 1810. The Theresienwiese is named after her.

Bonn. Haribo stands for HAns RIegel BOnn. The first gummy bears were made in Bonn in 1922.

True. True. Friedrich Fröbel gave the name to his school for young children in 1840.

Dresden. The Striezelmarkt is in Dresden, the home of Dresden stollen.

Hansel and Gretel. Hansel and Gretel is one of the Grimms' tales, first published in 1812, along with Snow White and Rapunzel. The Little Mermaid is by the Dane Hans Christian Andersen.

Bread. Brot means bread. Germany bakes around 3,000 kinds of it.

True. True. German capitalises nouns, not only names, which is why you see 'Brot', 'Stadt' and 'Kirche'.

The end of the working day. Feierabend is the end of the working day, and the free evening after it.

True. True. Both are often translated as 'castle', but a Burg is a fortress and a Schloss is usually a palace or stately home.

Vielen Dank. Vielen Dank means thank you very much. Guten Tag is hello, Entschuldigung is excuse me and Prost is cheers.

False. False. When you arrive in the evening you say 'Guten Abend', good evening. 'Gute Nacht' is said when leaving late or going to bed.

Prost!. Prost! means cheers. With wine people also often say 'Zum Wohl'.

Sprechen Sie Englisch?. Sprechen Sie Englisch? asks if someone speaks English. Wie viel kostet das? asks the price, wie geht es Ihnen? is how are you, and ich heiße ... means my name is ...

True. True. Sunday opening is restricted by law. Bakeries and shops in large stations and airports are among the exceptions.

25 cents. 25 cents. Return the bottle or can to a machine in a supermarket and you get a voucher for the till.

ICE high-speed trains. ICE high-speed trains are not included. The ticket covers local and regional transport: buses, trams, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains.

Round up and tell the server the total you want to pay. Round up and tell the server the total you want to pay, adding about 5 to 10 percent, or say 'Stimmt so', keep the change.

112. 112 is the official number for an ambulance or the fire brigade, free from any phone. 110 is the police, and 115 is a general government information line.