German ethnicity refers to genetic origins in Central Europe, particularly in the modern states of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. The region has produced a rich mix of ethnicities and cultures, including the Germanic tribes, the Celts, the Slavs, and the Romans. Over the centuries, this diversity has also led to conflicts and wars, especially in the 20th century.
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
German history
The history of Germany and Central Europe goes back a long way, to the time of Roman occupation. The Germanic tribes that migrated to the area of present-day Germany in the course of the mass migration were conquered and assimilated by the Romans before the Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476 AD. In the power vacuum left by the fall of the Roman Empire, the Merovingian dynasty began to establish the Frankish Empire, which eventually reached its maximum expansion under the Carolingian Charlemagne, encompassing roughly the area of present-day Germany, France, and the Benelux countries. In the Middle Ages, the lands in what is now Germany were ruled by various noble houses and tribes. In 962, Otto the Great was crowned the first Roman-German Emperor, thus founding the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, which existed until the time of Napoleon. This empire was a multicultural society consisting of many different regions and ethnic groups and encompassing large parts of Central Europe, including present-day Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and parts of northern Italy.
Germany was also the origin of the Reformation, which was ultimately responsible for the Thirty Years' War and affected almost all of Europe. After the division of the empire in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, numerous small, independent states emerged.
In the 19th century, various groups in Germany strove for national unity and freedom. The revolution of 1848 led to the founding of the German Empire in 1871, which experienced its heyday under Emperor Wilhelm II. However, the First World War and the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, which imposed a substantial war debt and reparations payments on Germany, led to the downfall of the Empire and the emergence of the Weimar Republic.
The rule of the National Socialists from 1933 to 1945 led to one of the darkest episodes in German history. Millions of Jews, Sinti and Roma, homosexuals, political opponents, and others were murdered in concentration and extermination camps. The Second World War ended in 1945 with the unconditional surrender of Germany and the division of the country into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
After the end of the Cold War and reunification in 1990, Germany became a leading economic power and an important player in European politics.
German culture
German culture has a long tradition that spans many areas, including music, literature, architecture and science. German music has gained worldwide recognition, from classics such as Bach and Beethoven to modern pop and rock bands such as Kraftwerk and Rammstein. German literature also has an important place in world literature, with poets and writers such as Goethe, Schiller, Thomas Mann, and Günter Grass. German architecture has produced many impressive buildings, including Cologne Cathedral, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.
German cuisine is known for its sausage and bread traditions, as well as for its art of brewing. Germans are very proud of their bread and beer culture, and it is estimated that there are over 3,200 different types of bread in the different regions of Germany, and German beer is produced in over 1,500 breweries.
Traditional clothing, including lederhosen and dirndls, is known all over the world. However, other regions of the country also have traditional clothing. Germany is also a leading country in science and technology, especially in car manufacturing and the chemical industry. It is also known for its Christmas markets, Oktoberfests, and carnivals, which attract tourists from all over the world every year and are also imitated worldwide.
German language
The German language is one of the most widely spoken languages in Europe and is spoken as a mother tongue by about 100 million people. It is also an important language for science, technology, art and trade. The German language is also closely linked to the history of philosophy and science. Many important philosophers and scientists have written in German, including Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Max Planck, and Albert Einstein. It also has a long and rich history dating back to the Middle Ages. The spelling of the German language is based on the Latin alphabet, to which a few letters have been added, including the "ß". The German language also has a complex grammar and a variety of dialects spoken in different regions of Germany.
Some examples of these dialects are:
- Bavarian: is known for its, for some, difficult to understand pronunciation and is spoken in Bavaria and parts of Austria
- Hessian: spoken in Hesse and parts of Rhineland-Palatinate, known for its special pronunciation and vocabulary. For example: "Gude" instead of "Guten Tag".
- Berlinerisch: spoken in Berlin, known for its fast and direct pronunciation. For example, "Icke" instead of "Ich".
- Saxon: spoken in Saxony and parts of Thuringia, known for its hard consonants and special intonation.
- Swabian: spoken in Baden-Württemberg and parts of Bavaria, known for its own grammar and vocabulary. For example: "Ia" instead of "Ja".
These regional dialects can sometimes be difficult to understand, even for native German speakers from other regions. However, there is also a standardized form of German called "Hochdeutsch", which is used as the official language in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. High German is easier to understand than some regional dialects because there are fewer specific words and pronunciation differences.
Explore more about German ethnicity
- Ethnicities Around the World at MyHeritage
- German Births and Baptisms 1558-1898 record collection on MyHeritage
- German Marriages 1558-1929 record collection on MyHeritage
- Deaths in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 1874-1938 record collection on MyHeritage