Offers information to travelers on German culture and society, providing a brief history of the country, and covering values and attitudes, customs and traditions, the Germans at home, shopping, business dealings, and other topics.

Examines government, arts, language, work, leisure, education, festivals, food, the country, its heritage, and its people.

Examines government, arts, language, work, leisure, education, festivals, food, the country, its heritage, and its people.

In Forms of Life, Andreas Gailus argues that the neglect of aesthetics in most contemporary theories of biopolitics has resulted in an overly restricted conception of life. He insists we need a more flexible notion of life: one attuned to the interplay and conflict between its many dimensions and forms. Forms of Life develops such a notion through the meticulous study of works by Kant, Goethe, Kleist, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Benn, Musil, and others. Gailus shows that the modern conception of "life" as a generative, organizing force internal to living beings emerged in the last decades of the eighteenth century in biological thought. At the core of this vitalist strand of thought, Gailus maintains, lies a persistent emphasis on the dynamics of formation and deformation, and thus on an intrinsically aesthetic dimension of life. Forms of Life brings this older discourse into critical conversation with contemporary discussions of biopolitics and vitalism, while also developing a rich conception of life that highlights, rather than suppresses, its protean character. Gailus demonstrates that life unfolds in the open-ended interweaving of the myriad forms and modalities of biological, ethical, political, psychical, aesthetic, and biographical systems.

The most accessible, well-balanced history of the German language available! No comparable work is available in English or German that gives readers an adequate foundation in the methods, goals, and results of historical-comparative linguistics as they apply to the German language and its historical antecedents. Waterman’s monograph excels through its clear presentation of materials, the extensive use of charts and maps, and a well-organized bibliography. A wealth of examples documents a surprisingly broad review of German language issues.

This is a timely and unique overview of the 16 diverse federal states that make up the reunified Germany. The essential data for each state is provided in this easy-to-use reference. The demographics, geography, history, recent politics, economy, architecture, and noteworthy sites, people and culture, memorial sites, and traditional cuisine are surveyed in turn. This is an invaluable resource for students studying German and Germany, travelers, and teachers. A clear introduction explains the new Germany in historical and regional context. It has been claimed that Germany is a post-national society, but regions are still a primary basis of identity for many Germans and one of the main references points in daily life and politics. Part of Germany's reconstruction came through re-creation and identification with historically remolded regions. This work offers a needed summary of the results thus far.

With more than 1,100 entries written by an international group of over 150 contributors, the Encyclopedia of Contemporary German Culture brings together myriad strands of social, political and cultural life in the post-1945 German-speaking world. With a unique structure and format, an inclusive treatment of the concept of culture, and coverage of East, West and post-unification Germany, as well as Austria and Switzerland, the Encyclopedia of Contemporary German Culture is the first reference work of its kind. Containing longer overviews of up to 2,000 words, as well as shorter factual entries, cross-referencing to other relevant articles, useful further reading suggestions and extensive indexing, this highly useable volume provides the scholar, teacher, student or non-specialist with an astonishing breadth and depth of information.