Quiz on Germany

What is the capital city of Germany?

• Munich
• Frankfurt
• Berlin ✓ (Correct answer)
• Hamburg

Source: Berlin became the capital again in 1990 after reunification, having been divided by a wall for 28 years.

What is the famous German beer festival held in Munich called?

• Karneval
• Oktoberfest ✓ (Correct answer)
• Maifest
• Weinfest

Source: Oktoberfest actually mostly takes place in September, starting in mid-month to catch better weather.

Which river flows through Cologne and forms part of Germany's western landscape?

• Danube
• Rhine ✓ (Correct answer)
• Elbe
• Seine

Source: The Rhine is one of Europe's busiest waterways and inspired countless legends, including the Lorelei.

Which currency does Germany use today?

• Euro ✓ (Correct answer)
• Deutsche Mark
• Franc
• Krone

Source: Germany swapped the beloved Deutsche Mark for the euro in 2002, despite plenty of public nostalgia.

Which sport is by far the most popular in Germany?

• Football ✓ (Correct answer)
• Handball
• Basketball
• Ice hockey

Source: Germany has won the football World Cup four times, tying with Italy for the second-most titles.

What famous wall divided a German city until 1989?

• Hadrian's Wall
• Berlin Wall ✓ (Correct answer)
• Great Wall
• Western Wall

Source: Built overnight in 1961, the wall fell on November 9, 1989, after a confused official's press announcement.

Which famous bread roll is a staple of the German bakery?

• Croissant
• Bagel
• Pretzel ✓ (Correct answer)
• Baguette

Source: The pretzel's twisted shape is said to represent arms crossed in prayer, dating back to medieval monks.

Which fairy tale collection was compiled by two German brothers?

• Andersen's Tales
• Aesop's Fables
• Grimm's Fairy Tales ✓ (Correct answer)
• Mother Goose

Source: The Brothers Grimm were actually linguists; their original tales were far darker than the Disney versions.

Which car brand uses the slogan 'Vorsprung durch Technik'?

• BMW
• Mercedes-Benz
• Volkswagen
• Audi ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: The phrase means 'advancement through technology' and has been Audi's UK tagline since 1986.

Which German city is home to the famous gothic cathedral with twin spires?

• Munich
• Cologne ✓ (Correct answer)
• Dresden
• Stuttgart

Source: Cologne Cathedral took over 600 years to finish and was once the tallest building in the world.

Which German physicist developed the theory of general relativity?

• Max Planck
• Werner Heisenberg
• Albert Einstein ✓ (Correct answer)
• Niels Bohr

Source: He left Germany in 1933 and never returned, renouncing his citizenship as the Nazis rose to power.

What is the German motorway network famous for having stretches without?

• Speed limits ✓ (Correct answer)
• Toll booths
• Lane markings
• Petrol stations

Source: About 70% of the Autobahn has no fixed speed limit, though a 130 km/h 'advisory' speed exists.

How many states, or Länder, make up modern Germany?

• Twelve
• Sixteen ✓ (Correct answer)
• Nineteen
• Twenty-one

Source: Reunification in 1990 added five eastern states to the existing eleven, creating today's sixteen.

Which German composer wrote the 'Ode to Joy' in his Ninth Symphony?

• Johann Sebastian Bach
• Richard Wagner
• Ludwig van Beethoven ✓ (Correct answer)
• Johannes Brahms

Source: He was almost completely deaf when he composed it, and the melody is now the EU's anthem.

What was the official name of communist East Germany?

• Weimar Republic
• German Democratic Republic ✓ (Correct answer)
• Federal Republic
• Prussian State

Source: The GDR's secret police, the Stasi, kept files on roughly a third of the entire population.

Which German engineer is credited with inventing the first practical automobile?

• Rudolf Diesel
• Karl Benz ✓ (Correct answer)
• Gottlieb Daimler
• Ferdinand Porsche

Source: His wife Bertha took the first long-distance car trip in 1888, proving the machine actually worked.

Which German region is the country's most famous wine-producing area?

• Bavaria
• Saxony
• Moselle ✓ (Correct answer)
• Westphalia

Source: The Moselle's steep slate slopes produce world-class Riesling and include Europe's steepest vineyard.

Which German city was the site of the famous post-WWII trials of Nazi leaders?

• Nuremberg ✓ (Correct answer)
• Potsdam
• Leipzig
• Weimar

Source: The city was deliberately chosen because it had hosted massive Nazi rallies in the 1930s.

Which chancellor led West Germany's post-war economic recovery in the 1950s?

• Willy Brandt
• Helmut Kohl
• Konrad Adenauer ✓ (Correct answer)
• Helmut Schmidt

Source: Nicknamed 'Der Alte', he became chancellor at age 73 and held the post until he was 87.

Which Bavarian castle inspired the Disney Sleeping Beauty castle?

• Hohenschwangau
• Neuschwanstein ✓ (Correct answer)
• Heidelberg
• Wartburg

Source: King Ludwig II built it as a private fantasy retreat but died mysteriously before it was ever finished.