Out of the Office: In Germany!

By Bethany Dotson

For Christmas last year, my husband bought me the Rosetta Stone German Level 1-5 Set. He was so excited to give it to me, in fact, that he convinced me to open it five days early (I have to admit—I wasn’t hard to convince).  But upon opening the gift, I had to wonder out loud—why German? I had never expressed any interest in learning German—had I?

My patient husband, who is a mechanical engineer by education, by natural inclination, and by trade, responded that he knew that I wanted to take another trip to Europe, and he had settled on Germany as his #1 choice: not because of the fantastic history or culture, or even because of the food and beer, but because, and I quote, “they have a lot of engineers there and their trains run on time.”

Notwithstanding the dubious logic of this claim, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to go abroad for vacation and began both learning German and booking flights. Being the enthusiastic nerd that I am, I also began researching German history and culture, hoping to get as much as possible out of my trip. I started at what I believe is the recorded beginning of German history with the records of the Germania region of the Roman empire, through the disintegration of Rome to Charlemagne, from the Protestant Reformation to Prussian dominance, World Wars I and II, to the Cold War, German reunification, and finally, the establishment of the European Union and the current day. Even if you’re not able to make the trip in person, Germany has a fabulous history and culture to explore!

I consulted Gale resources from a number of places in my search, and I share many of them with you below. What did I miss? Let me know!

“Outdoor Activities and Specialist Holidays.” Germany. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2008. 560-563. Eyewitness Travel. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 31 Mar. 2014

“Eastern Germany.” Germany. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2008. [120]-[121]. Eyewitness Travel. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

 

“Munich.” Germany. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2008. [206]-229. Eyewitness Travel. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

 

German & Austrian History

• Germany
• A Brief History of: Germany
• Events that Changed Germany
• Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia

German Language

• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Learning German
• Powerspeak Languages

Germany/Austria Travel Guides

• DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: Germany
• Back Roads Germany
• DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Munich & the Bavarian Alps
• Pocket Rough Guide: Berlin
• Top 10 Berlin
• Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides: Munich
• DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Austria
• The Rough Guide to Austria

Germany/Austria Culture

• Food Culture in Germany
• Foods of Germany

 

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About the Author

Bethany is an avid reader, coffee enthusiast, and travel maven. She’s a proud UMich alum with a BA in English & Spanish. While currently working on her MBA, she looks forward to graduating so she has time for hobbies again!

 

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