Living in Germany: The King's (German) speech, ski season winds up and Green Thursday

King Charles impresses in German 

Whether you’ve visited Germany or spent time here on holiday, you’ll be aware of how impressed Germans are when you speak the language. That’s the case even if you only use a few words or sentences - Germans tend to be extremely grateful and enjoy it when non-natives opt for Deutsch.

So it’s no surprise that Germany was very impressed with Britain’s King Charles III who spoke in German on a few occasions during his first foreign visit as monarch. During a speech in the Bundestag on Thursday, Charles covered topics such as support for Ukraine, climate change and football.

As Aaron Burnett wrote in an analysis this week: “A German learner’s knowledge of these topics would typically be tested in classes at the B2 or even C1 level, suggesting the British monarch’s vocabulary level is at least at an upper intermediate level, if not at an advanced level.”

When he attended a state dinner in Berlin on Wednesday a cultural reference to the German New Year’s Eve tradition of watching the British sketch Dinner for One also gave Charles extra points as he charmed his guests. It’s clear that the King (and his team, of course) have done their homework.

Beyond that, though, it does show that it can make a big impression to speak German among Germans, even though many people in Germany speak English. Perhaps this royal visit can serve as a little bit of inspiration to brush up on vocabulary, get back to the grammar books and then use the language whenever possible, even if it’s not perfect. We’ll all be impressing our German friends and neighbours in no time at all. 

Tweet of the week

Here's one take on the idea of Germany as efficient. Do you agree?

https://twitter.com/idvck/status/1638126513345163267?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=living_in_germany_the_kings_german_speech_ski_season_winds_up_and_green_thursday&utm_term=2023-04-01

Where is this?

Although the weather has remained unpredictable, spring in Germany is here. And that means many ski resorts are getting ready to close. In this photo, two skiers sit in a chairlift on Friday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The ‘Garmisch Classic’ ski resort closes on Sunday April 2nd. The ski resorts on the Zugspitze, in Kleinwalsertal and in Oberstdorf are still open.

Did you know?

Easter is just around the corner, with Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday falling on April 6th this year. In Germany it’s known by many as Gründonnerstag (green Thursday). But did you know how it got the name? Gründonnerstag is the day that Christians mark The Last Supper - the last time Jesus got together with his 12 apostles to dine. The reason it’s called Green Thursday is a little unclear but there are some theories. 

The first and probably the most common is linked to the meaning of Grüne (“Greens”) as sinful people. After the fasting period in the week prior to Easter, these sinners were allowed to return to the church community as people without sin.

A second theory is that Gründonnerstag could also derive from the notion of grîn donerstac, where grînen is an Old High German word for crying. Hence, this means that the sinners cry on this day to show the regrets they have. However, another theory is linked to the tradition of eating green vegetables on this day, making it a true Green Thursday.