Destinations 2023
Germany
About Germany
This country is at the center of Europe, not only geographically but also in terms of politics and economics. With over 82 million people living in an area similar to Montana, Germany has both the largest population and economy of any country in Western Europe. In addition, it is seen as the strongest member of the European Union. The system of government is a federal republic with 16 states and Berlin as the capital. Head of the government is the Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Among the many inventions and discoveries credited to Germans are: the automobile (BMW, Mercedes, VW), chip card, x-ray technology, TWIN elevators, and gummi bears. Germans have also made tremendous contributions to classical music, churches and religion, woodcutting and engraving ... as well as many areas of precision engineering, automotive, and scientific fields. The agricultural sector plays an important role within Europe. They are self-supporting for almost every important commodity and thus export large amounts worldwide.
Many Germans have begun to modify their eating habits to lower their calorie and cholesterol intake. In addition, the cultural foods of the many immigrants to this country have also influenced the eating habits of nationals as well as visitors. However, Germans are traditionally known to love rich, hearty cuisine with each area of Germany having its own definition of what a traditional meal looks like. Pork is the most consumed meat in a variety of forms including Schnitzel and Bratwurst. German bread is well known all over Europe. Potatoes, sauerkraut, cabbage, beets, turnips, and any kind of meat are generally part of the noon meal as they are native to the region. Germany is also considered the birthplace of a number of craft beer varieties with each village seeming to have its own beer.
German characteristics often place a high priority on structure, privacy, and punctuality (including making sure that "the trains run on time."). The people embrace thriftiness, hard work, and industriousness.
What to Expect:
The focus of the IFYE exchange in Germany is to learn about German agriculture by mainly staying with rural-based families. Each family will host for approximately three weeks and are happy to show you around their area. Except for the older generation, the majority of the German people are able to communicate in English. Learning some German language before going on program is always beneficial to the IFYE experience.
IFYEs will arrive in Bremen and spend a couple of days there before going to host families via train or car. At the end of the stay, there is always a debriefing meeting with all IFYEs and coordinators.
