german essay on family

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Easy German Essays for Beginners: 8 Examples to Practice Your Language Skills

Are you a beginner in learning German and looking for ways to practice your language skills? One great way to do so is by writing essays in German. Writing essays not only improves your grammar and vocabulary but also helps you express your thoughts and ideas in the target language. In this article, we will provide you with eight easy German essays for Beginners with English translation and vocabulary to help you get started.

• Meine Familie (My family) – Write about your family, including their names, occupations, and hobbies.
• Mein Haus (My house) – Describe your house or apartment, including the number of rooms, furniture, and decorations.
• Meine Hobbys (My hobbies) – Talk about your favorite hobbies, such as playing sports, reading books, or listening to music.
• Meine Schule (My school) – Write about your school, including its location, teachers, and subjects you study.
• Meine Freunde (My friends) – Discuss your friends, including how you met them, their personalities, and what you like to do together.
• Meine Stadt (My city) – Describe your city or town, including its population, tourist attractions, and cultural events.
• Meine Reise (My trip) – Write about a recent trip you took, including the destination, transportation, and activities you did there.
• Meine Lieblingsessen (My favorite food) – Talk about your favorite foods, including traditional German dishes and other international cuisines.

Remember to use simple vocabulary and sentence structures while writing the essays. Good luck with your German learning journey!

Table of Contents

Meine familie (my family).

Ich heiße Maria und ich möchte euch gerne meine Familie vorstellen. Wir sind insgesamt vier Personen in meiner Familie. Mein Vater heißt Klaus und er arbeitet als Ingenieur. Meine Mutter heißt Petra und sie ist Hausfrau. Mein Bruder heißt Jan und er geht noch zur Schule.

(My name is Maria, and I would like to introduce you to my family. We are a family of four. My father’s name is Klaus, and he works as an engineer. My mother’s name is Petra, and she is a homemaker. My brother’s name is Jan, and he still goes to school.)

Vocabulary:

• Ich heiße Maria (My name is Maria)
• insgesamt (altogether)
• vier Personen (four persons)
• der Vater (father)
• arbeiten (to work)
• der Ingenieur (engineer)
• die Mutter (mother)
• Hausfrau (homemaker)
• der Bruder (brother)
• noch zur Schule gehen (still go to school)

Mein Vater arbeitet in einem großen Unternehmen als Ingenieur. Er ist sehr fleißig und verbringt viel Zeit im Büro. In seiner Freizeit geht er gerne joggen oder spielt Golf. Meine Mutter kümmert sich um den Haushalt und verbringt viel Zeit damit, leckere Mahlzeiten zu kochen. Sie liest auch gerne Bücher und geht regelmäßig zum Yoga.

(My father works in a large company as an engineer. He is very hardworking and spends a lot of time in the office. In his free time, he likes to go jogging or play golf. My mother takes care of the household and spends a lot of time cooking delicious meals. She also likes to read books and regularly attends yoga classes.)

• in einem großen Unternehmen (in a large company)
• sehr fleißig (very hardworking)
• viel Zeit (a lot of time)
• im Büro (in the office)
• in seiner Freizeit (in his free time)
• joggen (to go jogging)
• Golf spielen (to play golf)
• sich kümmern um (to take care of)
• der Haushalt (household)
• leckere Mahlzeiten kochen (cook delicious meals)
• gerne lesen (like to read)
• regelmäßig (regularly)
• zum Yoga gehen (go to yoga)

Mein Bruder Jan geht noch zur Schule und ist sehr sportlich. Er spielt Fußball im Verein und geht regelmäßig ins Fitnessstudio. In seiner Freizeit hört er gerne Musik und schaut Filme.

(My brother Jan still goes to school and is very sporty. He plays soccer in a club and regularly goes to the gym. In his free time, he likes to listen to music and watch movies.)

• sehr sportlich (very sporty)
• Fußball spielen (to play soccer)
• im Verein (in a club)
• ins Fitnessstudio gehen (to go to the gym)
• Musik hören (listen to music)
• Filme schauen (watch movies)

Ich studiere im Moment an der Universität und meine Hobbys sind Lesen, Reisen und Yoga. In meiner Freizeit gehe ich gerne in die Natur und genieße die frische Luft.

(I am currently studying at the university, and my hobbies are reading, traveling, and yoga. In my free time, I like to go into nature and enjoy the fresh air.)

• studieren (to study)
• an der Universität (at the university)
• die Hobbys (hobbies)
• Lesen (reading)
• Reisen (traveling)
• Yoga (yoga)
• die Freizeit (free time)
• in die Natur gehen (go into nature)
• genießen (enjoy)
• frische Luft (fresh air)

Das ist meine Familie. Wir haben viele verschiedene Hobbys und Interessen, aber wir verbringen auch gerne gemeinsam Zeit miteinander.

(This is my family. We have many different hobbies and interests, but we also enjoy spending time together.)

• das ist (this is)
• verschiedene Hobbys und Interessen (different hobbies and interests)
• gerne Zeit miteinander verbringen (enjoy spending time together)

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Mein Haus (My House)

Ich lebe in einem Haus mit drei Schlafzimmern und zwei Bädern. Das Haus ist zweistöckig und hat auch einen Keller. Im Erdgeschoss befinden sich das Wohnzimmer, die Küche und ein Esszimmer. Im Wohnzimmer haben wir ein bequemes Sofa und einen großen Fernseher. In der Küche gibt es eine Spülmaschine, einen Herd, einen Backofen und einen Kühlschrank. Das Esszimmer hat einen Esstisch mit sechs Stühlen.

(I live in a house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The house is two stories and also has a basement. On the ground floor, there is the living room, kitchen, and a dining room. In the living room, we have a comfortable sofa and a large television. In the kitchen, there is a dishwasher, stove, oven, and refrigerator. The dining room has a dining table with six chairs.)

• das Haus (house)
• die Schlafzimmer (bedrooms)
• die Bäder (bathrooms)
• zweistöckig (two-storied)
• der Keller (basement)
• das Erdgeschoss (ground floor)
• das Wohnzimmer (living room)
• die Küche (kitchen)
• das Esszimmer (dining room)
• ein bequemes Sofa (a comfortable sofa)
• ein großer Fernseher (a large television)
• eine Spülmaschine (a dishwasher)
• ein Herd (a stove)
• ein Backofen (an oven)
• ein Kühlschrank (a refrigerator)
• ein Esstisch (a dining table)
• sechs Stühle (six chairs)

Im Obergeschoss befinden sich die Schlafzimmer und die Bäder. Mein Schlafzimmer hat ein großes Bett, einen Schreibtisch und einen Kleiderschrank. Das Badezimmer hat eine Badewanne und eine Dusche. In den anderen Schlafzimmern gibt es auch Betten und Schränke für Kleidung.

(Upstairs, there are the bedrooms and bathrooms. My bedroom has a large bed, a desk, and a closet. The bathroom has a bathtub and a shower. In the other bedrooms, there are also beds and closets for clothes.)

• das Obergeschoss (upper floor)
• das Schlafzimmer (bedroom)
• der Schreibtisch (desk)
• der Kleiderschrank (closet)
• das Badezimmer (bathroom)
• die Badewanne (bathtub)
• die Dusche (shower)
• die anderen Schlafzimmer (the other bedrooms)

Im Keller haben wir eine Waschmaschine und einen Trockner. Wir nutzen den Keller auch als Lager für Dinge, die wir nicht oft brauchen.

(In the basement, we have a washing machine and dryer. We also use the basement as a storage area for things we don’t need often.)

• die Waschmaschine (washing machine)
• der Trockner (dryer)
• als Lager nutzen (use as storage area)
• Dinge (things)

Wir haben auch einige Dekorationen im Haus. Im Wohnzimmer haben wir ein großes Gemälde an der Wand und im Esszimmer steht eine Vase mit Blumen auf dem Tisch.

(We also have some decorations in the house. In the living room, we have a large painting on the wall, and in the dining room, there is a vase of flowers on the table.)

• die Dekorationen (decorations)
• das Gemälde (painting)
• die Wand (wall)
• die Vase (vase)
• die Blumen (flowers)
• der Tisch (table)

Wir haben auch ein paar Teppiche im Haus, um den Boden zu bedecken. Das Wohnzimmer hat einen braunen Teppich, während die Schlafzimmer jeweils einen unterschiedlichen Farbton haben. Mein Schlafzimmer hat einen blauen Teppich, während das andere Schlafzimmer einen roten Teppich hat.

(We also have some carpets in the house to cover the floor. The living room has a brown carpet, while the bedrooms have a different color tone each. My bedroom has a blue carpet, while the other bedroom has a red carpet.)

• der Teppich (carpet)
• den Boden bedecken (to cover the floor)
• unterschiedliche Farbton (different color tone)

Insgesamt bin ich sehr glücklich mit meinem Haus. Es ist gemütlich und hat genug Platz für meine Familie und mich.

(Overall, I am very happy with my house. It is cozy and has enough space for my family and me.)

• insgesamt (overall)
• glücklich (happy)
• gemütlich (cozy)
• genug Platz (enough space)

Difference between ein, eine, einen, and einem in the German Language

Meine hobbys (my hobbies).

Ich habe einige Hobbys, die ich sehr gerne mache. Eines meiner Lieblingshobbys ist es, Sport zu treiben. Insbesondere mag ich es, Basketball zu spielen und Laufen zu gehen. Ich liebe es, im Freien zu sein und Sport zu treiben, weil es mir hilft, mich fit und gesund zu halten.

(I have some hobbies that I really enjoy doing. One of my favorite hobbies is doing sports. In particular, I like to play basketball and go running. I love being outdoors and doing sports because it helps me stay fit and healthy.)

• das Hobby (hobby)
• Sport treiben (to do sports)
• Basketball spielen (to play basketball)
• Laufen gehen (to go running)
• im Freien sein (to be outdoors)
• fit und gesund (fit and healthy)

Ein weiteres Hobby von mir ist das Lesen von Büchern. Ich lese gerne Romane und Sachbücher, besonders über Geschichte und Wissenschaft. Lesen ist für mich eine Möglichkeit, zu lernen und meine Vorstellungskraft zu erweitern.

(Another hobby of mine is reading books. I enjoy reading novels and non-fiction books, especially about history and science. Reading is a way for me to learn and expand my imagination.)

• das Lesen (reading)
• das Buch (book)
• der Roman (novel)
• das Sachbuch (non-fiction book)
• die Geschichte (history)
• die Wissenschaft (science)
• die Vorstellungskraft (imagination)

Außerdem höre ich gerne Musik. Ich mag viele verschiedene Genres wie Pop, Rock und Klassik. Musik kann meine Stimmung beeinflussen und mich entspannen.

(Additionally, I like to listen to music. I enjoy many different genres like pop, rock, and classical. Music can influence my mood and help me relax.)

• die Musik (music)
• das Genre (genre)
• Pop, Rock, Klassik (pop, rock, classical)
• die Stimmung (mood)
• sich entspannen (to relax)

Insgesamt bin ich sehr dankbar für meine Hobbys. Sie helfen mir, meinen Geist und Körper gesund zu halten und mich zu entspannen.

(Overall, I am very grateful for my hobbies. They help me keep my mind and body healthy and help me relax.)

• dankbar (grateful)
• der Geist (mind)
• der Körper (body)

German Essays on My Family: Meine Familie

Meine schule (my school).

Ich besuche eine Schule in der Nähe meines Hauses. Die Schule ist relativ groß und hat viele Schülerinnen und Schüler. Wir haben viele Lehrerinnen und Lehrer, die alle sehr nett und hilfsbereit sind.

(I attend a school near my house. The school is relatively large and has many students. We have many teachers who are all very kind and helpful.)

• besuchen (to attend)
• die Nähe (proximity)
• relativ (relatively)
• die Schülerin (female student)
• der Schüler (male student)
• viele (many)
• die Lehrerin (female teacher)
• der Lehrer (male teacher)
• nett (kind)
• hilfsbereit (helpful)

Die Schule bietet viele verschiedene Fächer an, einschließlich Mathematik, Geschichte, Englisch, Naturwissenschaften und Fremdsprachen. Mein Lieblingsfach ist Englisch, weil ich gerne Geschichten lese und schreibe. Ich denke, dass es wichtig ist, eine gute Ausbildung zu haben, um im Leben erfolgreich zu sein.

(The school offers many different subjects, including mathematics, history, English, science, and foreign languages. My favorite subject is English because I enjoy reading and writing stories. I believe that having a good education is important to be successful in life.)

• das Fach (subject)
• einschließlich (including)
• Mathematik (mathematics)
• Geschichte (history)
• Englisch (English)
• Naturwissenschaften (science)
• Fremdsprachen (foreign languages)
• das Lieblingsfach (favorite subject)
• die Geschichte (story)
• die Ausbildung (education)
• erfolgreich (successful)

Unsere Schule hat auch viele außerschulische Aktivitäten, wie zum Beispiel Sportmannschaften und Musikgruppen. Ich bin Mitglied des Schulfußballteams und wir haben viele Spiele gegen andere Schulen in der Gegend. Es macht mir viel Spaß und ich habe viele Freunde durch das Team kennengelernt.

(Our school also has many extracurricular activities, such as sports teams and music groups. I am a member of the school soccer team and we have many games against other schools in the area. It’s a lot of fun and I have made many friends through the team.)

• außerschulisch (extracurricular)
• die Aktivitäten (activities)
• die Sportmannschaften (sports teams)
• die Musikgruppen (music groups)
• das Mitglied (member)
• das Schulfußballteam (school soccer team)
• das Spiel (game)
• die Gegend (area)
• der Spaß (fun)
• der Freund (friend)

Insgesamt bin ich sehr glücklich auf meiner Schule und ich denke, dass ich hier eine gute Ausbildung bekomme. Ich hoffe, dass ich in Zukunft noch mehr von den vielen Möglichkeiten, die die Schule bietet, profitieren kann.

(Overall, I am very happy at my school and I think that I am getting a good education here. I hope that in the future, I can take advantage of even more of the many opportunities that the school offers.)

• die Möglichkeit (opportunity)
• profitieren (to take advantage of)

List of German adjectives with English meaning

Meine Freunde (My friends)

Ich habe viele Freunde, aber ich möchte über meine drei engsten Freunde sprechen. Wir haben uns alle in der Grundschule kennengelernt und sind seitdem unzertrennlich.

(I have many friends, but I want to talk about my three closest friends. We all met in elementary school and have been inseparable ever since.)

• die Freunde (friends)
• unzertrennlich (inseparable)

Mein erster Freund heißt Max. Er ist sehr sportlich und spielt gerne Fußball und Basketball. Max ist auch sehr lustig und hat immer eine positive Einstellung. Wir lieben es, zusammen Sport zu treiben oder Videospiele zu spielen.

(My first friend is Max. He is very athletic and likes to play soccer and basketball. Max is also very funny and always has a positive attitude. We love to exercise or play video games together.)

• sportlich (athletic)
• Fußball (soccer)
• Basketball (basketball)
• die Einstellung (attitude)
• lustig (funny)
• zusammen (together)
• Videospiele (video games)

Meine Freundin Anna ist sehr künstlerisch und liebt es zu malen und zu zeichnen. Sie hat auch ein großes Herz und ist immer bereit, anderen zu helfen. Anna und ich machen oft zusammen Kunstprojekte oder gehen ins Kino.

(My friend Anna is very artistic and loves to paint and draw. She also has a big heart and is always willing to help others. Anna and I often do art projects together or go to the movies.)

• künstlerisch (artistic)
• malen (to paint)
• zeichnen (to draw)
• das Herz (heart)
• bereit (willing)
• helfen (to help)
• das Kunstprojekt (art project)
• ins Kino gehen (to go to the movies)

Mein Freund Tom ist sehr intelligent und liebt es, neue Dinge zu lernen. Er ist auch sehr abenteuerlustig und geht gerne auf Reisen. Tom und ich haben viele spannende Abenteuer erlebt, wie zum Beispiel Campingausflüge oder Klettertouren.

(My friend Tom is very smart and loves to learn new things. He is also very adventurous and likes to travel. Tom and I have had many exciting adventures, such as camping trips or climbing expeditions.)

• intelligent (smart)
• abenteuerlustig (adventurous)
• die Reise (travel)
• die Abenteuer (adventures)
• der Campingausflug (camping trip)
• die Klettertour (climbing expedition)

Insgesamt bin ich sehr dankbar für meine Freunde und bin froh, dass ich sie habe. Wir haben so viele schöne Erinnerungen zusammen gemacht und ich freue mich auf viele weitere Abenteuer mit ihnen.

(Overall, I am very grateful for my friends and am glad to have them. We have made so many beautiful memories together and I look forward to many more adventures with them.)

• froh (glad)
• die Erinnerungen (memories)

Meine Stadt (My city)

Ich lebe in einer Stadt namens Hamburg in Deutschland. Hamburg ist die zweitgrößte Stadt Deutschlands und hat eine Bevölkerung von etwa 1,8 Millionen Menschen. Es ist eine Hafenstadt und liegt an der Elbe.

(I live in a city called Hamburg in Germany. Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and has a population of about 1.8 million people. It is a port city and located on the river Elbe.)

• die Bevölkerung (population)
• der Hafen (port)
• die Elbe (river Elbe)

Hamburg ist bekannt für seine vielen Touristenattraktionen. Eines der bekanntesten ist der Hamburger Hafen, der einer der größten Häfen Europas ist. Es gibt auch den Fischmarkt, auf dem man frischen Fisch kaufen und lokale Spezialitäten probieren kann.

(Hamburg is known for its many tourist attractions. One of the most famous is the Port of Hamburg, which is one of the largest ports in Europe. There is also the Fish Market, where you can buy fresh fish and try local specialties.)

• die Touristenattraktionen (tourist attractions)
• bekannt (known)
• der Fischmarkt (fish market)
• frisch (fresh)
• lokale Spezialitäten (local specialties)

Außerdem gibt es viele kulturelle Veranstaltungen in Hamburg. Jedes Jahr findet das Hamburger Domfest statt, das größte Volksfest im Norden Deutschlands. Es gibt auch das Internationale Filmfest Hamburg, bei dem Filme aus der ganzen Welt gezeigt werden.

(Additionally, there are many cultural events in Hamburg. Every year, the Hamburg Dom Festival takes place, which is the largest folk festival in northern Germany. There is also the Hamburg International Film Festival, where films from all over the world are shown.)

• kulturelle Veranstaltungen (cultural events)
• das Domfest (folk festival)
• das Internationale Filmfest (international film festival)
• aus der ganzen Welt (from all over the world)

Insgesamt ist Hamburg eine lebendige und vielfältige Stadt, die für jeden etwas zu bieten hat.

(Overall, Hamburg is a vibrant and diverse city that has something to offer for everyone.)

• lebendig (vibrant)
• vielfältig (diverse)
• etwas zu bieten haben (to have something to offer)

My trip (Meine Reise)

Ich bin vor Kurzem mit meiner Familie nach Paris gereist. Wir sind direkt von unserer Stadt aus geflogen und kamen früh am Morgen in Paris an.

(I recently went on a trip to Paris with my family. We took a direct flight from our city and arrived in Paris early in the morning.)

• Vor Kurzem (recently)
• Die Reise (trip)
• Meine Familie (my family)
• Fliegen (to fly)
• Direkt (direct)
• Unsere Stadt (our city)
• Ankommen (to arrive)
• Früh (early)
• Am Morgen (in the morning)

Wir haben in einem Hotel im Herzen der Stadt gewohnt, in der Nähe vieler beliebter Sehenswürdigkeiten. Unser Hotelzimmer hatte eine tolle Aussicht auf den Eiffelturm, der nur einen kurzen Spaziergang entfernt war.

(We stayed in a hotel in the heart of the city, close to many popular tourist attractions. Our hotel room had a great view of the Eiffel Tower, which was just a short walk away.)

• das Hotel (hotel)
• die Stadt (city)
• die Nähe (proximity, closeness)
• die Sehenswürdigkeiten (tourist attractions)
• das Hotelzimmer (hotel room)
• die Aussicht (view)
• der Eiffelturm (Eiffel Tower)
• der Spaziergang (walk)

Während unseres Aufenthalts haben wir viele berühmte Wahrzeichen der Stadt besucht, darunter das Louvre-Museum und die Kathedrale Notre-Dame. Wir haben auch eine Bootsfahrt auf der Seine gemacht, was eine großartige Möglichkeit war, die Stadt aus einer anderen Perspektive zu sehen.

(During our stay, we visited many of the city’s famous landmarks, including the Louvre Museum and Notre-Dame Cathedral. We also went on a boat tour of the Seine River, which was a great way to see the city from a different perspective.)

• der Aufenthalt (stay)
• berühmte Wahrzeichen (famous landmarks)
• das Louvre-Museum (the Louvre Museum)
• die Kathedrale Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame Cathedral)
• die Bootsfahrt (boat tour)
• die Seine (the Seine River)
• aus einer anderen Perspektive (from a different perspective)

Eines der Highlights unserer Reise war das Probieren der köstlichen französischen Küche. Wir haben in vielen verschiedenen Restaurants und Cafés gegessen und alles von Croissants bis Escargots ausprobiert.

(One of the highlights of our trip was trying the delicious French cuisine. We ate at many different restaurants and cafes, and tried everything from croissants to escargots.)

• das Highlight (the highlight)
• die Reise (the trip)
• das Probieren (the trying/tasting)
• die köstliche französische Küche (the delicious French cuisine)
• das Restaurant (the restaurant)
• das Café (the café)
• alles (everything)
• der Croissant (the croissant)
• die Escargots (the escargots (snails))

Insgesamt war unser Trip nach Paris eine wunderbare Erfahrung. Wir haben die schönen Sehenswürdigkeiten, das leckere Essen und die reiche Kultur der Stadt genossen. Es war eine großartige Gelegenheit, Zeit mit meiner Familie zu verbringen und bleibende Erinnerungen zu schaffen.

(Overall, our trip to Paris was a wonderful experience. We enjoyed the beautiful sights, delicious food, and rich culture of the city. It was a great opportunity to spend time with my family and create lasting memories.)

• Insgesamt (Overall)
• Trip (trip)
• Paris (Paris)
• Eine wunderbare Erfahrung (A wonderful experience)
• Wir haben genossen (We enjoyed)
• Die schönen Sehenswürdigkeiten (The beautiful sights)
• Das leckere Essen (The delicious food)
• Die reiche Kultur der Stadt (The rich culture of the city)
• Eine großartige Gelegenheit (A great opportunity)
• Zeit mit meiner Familie zu verbringen (To spend time with my family)
• Bleibende Erinnerungen zu schaffen (To create lasting memories)

Meine Lieblingsessen (My favorite food)

Ich esse gerne viele verschiedene Arten von Essen und habe viele Lieblingsspeisen. Einige meiner Favoriten sind traditionelle deutsche Gerichte wie Schnitzel und Spätzle, Sauerkraut und Bratwurst.

(I like to eat many different types of food and have many favorite dishes. Some of my favorites are traditional German dishes like Schnitzel and Spätzle, Sauerkraut, and Bratwurst.)

• Lieblingsspeisen (favorite dishes)
• traditionelle deutsche Gerichte (traditional German dishes)
• Schnitzel (breaded and fried meat cutlets)
• Spätzle (soft egg noodles)
• Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage)
• Bratwurst (grilled or fried sausage)

Ich mag auch viele internationale Küchen, wie zum Beispiel italienische Pizza und Pasta, thailändisches Curry, indische Masala und japanisches Sushi.

(I also enjoy many international cuisines, such as Italian pizza and pasta, Thai curry, Indian masala, and Japanese sushi.)

• internationale Küchen (international cuisines)

Ein weiteres meiner Lieblingsessen ist mexikanisches Essen wie Tacos, Quesadillas und Guacamole. Die Kombination aus scharfen Gewürzen und frischen Zutaten macht das Essen zu einer Geschmacksexplosion.

(Another one of my favorite foods is Mexican cuisine like tacos, quesadillas, and guacamole. The combination of spicy seasonings and fresh ingredients makes the food a flavor explosion.)

• scharfe Gewürze (spicy seasonings)
• frische Zutaten (fresh ingredients)
• Geschmacksexplosion (flavor explosion)
• mexikanisches Essen (Mexican cuisine)
• Tacos (filled tortillas)
• Quesadillas (stuffed and grilled tortillas)
• Guacamole (dip made from mashed avocado)

Insgesamt genieße ich es, neue Gerichte und Küchen auszuprobieren und verschiedene Aromen und Texturen zu entdecken. Essen ist eine große Leidenschaft von mir und ich liebe es, zu kochen und neue Rezepte zu kreieren.

(Overall, I enjoy trying new dishes and cuisines and discovering different flavors and textures. Food is a big passion of mine, and I love to cook and create new recipes.)

• Aromen und Texturen (flavors and textures)
• Leidenschaft (passion)
• Rezepte (recipes)
• kochen (to cook)
• kreieren (to create)

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Conclusion:

In conclusion, writing essays in German can be a fun and effective way to improve your language skills. The eight essay examples provided in this article (Easy German Essays for Beginners) offer a range of topics that will help you practice your writing skills, expand your vocabulary, and gain confidence in your ability to express yourself in German. So why not try writing one of these essays today and see how much progress you can make in your German language journey?

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Learn to Say “Father” in German and More

Imagine that you’re traveling to good old Germany , and you want the real experience (not just staying in a hotel or hostel like everyone else). Well, this is fair enough, and we definitely encourage going for the full Germany experience. But first, you’ll need to know some basic family terms, like how to say “father” in German.

Why is it so important to know the words for family members in German? Imagine the following situation:

You arrive at your freshly booked Airbnb, and your host welcomes you with a nice dinner. But there’s one hitch: you find yourself eating with his parents, some friends, his cousin, and his grandmother, too. Your host starts to introduce everyone, pointing to each person as he states their name:

Ich möchte dich meinen Eltern vorstellen. Das sind mein Papa und meine Mutter. Und dort sitzt meine Großmutter und mein Cousin.

Despite your host’s best efforts to familiarize you with his family, you actually find yourself more confused about who’s who. Oh no!

While learning things like family member terms in German first-hand is always a great idea, you may be more comfortable studying up on this before your trip. After all, when it comes to family in German, words like the one in our example are going to come up all the time, so you should prepare using German lessons about family like this one!

GermanPod101 has prepared a guide just for you, covering vocabulary terms for any family member you may find yourself introduced to! Going through this guide, you can work on your language skills beforehand, so that you can make the most of your first-hand learning experiences in Germany. So let’s get started!

Table of Contents

• Family in German – Die Familie
• List of Closest Family Members + Basic Sentence Patterns
• More Family and Endearment Terms
• How to Talk about Family
• Cultural Insights in a German Family
• How GermanPod101 Can Help You Learn about Family in German

1. Family in German – Die Familie

Familie is the German word for “family.” As you can see, the word is more similar to English than you thought. Might this be because German families aren’t so different from those in the U.S. or other countries? Let’s take a look.

When you look over the demographics of Germany , you can clearly see that we are a dying nation. This means that every year, more people die than are being born, and our average age is getting older and older from year to year. (This is, of course, not exclusive to Germany, and is also happening in other first-world countries.)

I want to give you a short example of the above statistics using my family history. My grandmother was one of six children in her family at the end of the Second World War, and this was considered a normal-sized family. Now, my mom and dad are both one of three children. And today, there’s just me and my sister. From each of my uncles and aunties, I have between zero and three cousins.

Do you see what I mean? German families have become much smaller over the last seventy-eighty years. Today, people tend to think first about their lives and careers, and secondly about kids and family.

Families are the most important reference point for a child until the end of his or her time in college. But for many people, the end of college also represents a diminishing significance for their parents’ home. Keep in mind that I don’t want to say German kids don’t love their parents. Of course they do.

The family is, and will always be, important in Germany, so learn about it and adapt to it!

2. List of Closest Family Members + Basic Sentence Patterns

1- General Terms for German Immediate Family

We created an overview of the most important family in German vocabulary words, such as your siblings, parents, and grandparents. The German is on the left, and the English equivalent is on the right.

To help you out with some basic words and the pronunciation for family member terms, we created a free lesson in our free-of-charge course. With enough practice, you’ll be able to talk about your parents and siblings in German like it’s nothing!

2- Talking about Family Members

There are usually three situations when talking about family:

• You’re trying to talk about your family
• You’re talking about someone else’s family members
• You’re asking someone about their family

That means you need to describe who’s family you’re talking or inquiring about. This is done with possessives.

Similar to “my,” “yours,” “his” in English, in Germany we use meine, deine , and seine . To prepare you for the upcoming challenges associated with each of the situations outlined above, we’ve provided you with some basic questions and answers.

Take a close look at how we used the possessive pronouns. They always have to be adapted to the person you’re talking about.

3. More Family and Endearment Terms

1- German Extended Family

Everybody has family members outside of their immediate family. Below, we give you some family member terms that you’ll face every day while living with a German family. We won’t go into too much detail, as the half-sister of your siblings’ aunt isn’t really interesting anymore.

This doesn’t seem too hard to understand, does it? With all of the terms we’ve gone over so far, you’re almost ready to talk about your family in various contexts. There are some more things we’ll cover in the next chapters, but what we have so far are the closest family members.

2- Endearment Terms

Families are cute, and you can always hear little grandsons or granddaughters calling their grandparents “granny” or “grandpa.” Those are just a couple examples of so-called endearment terms , and of course we have them in Germany as well.

We’ll show you two quick ways to create endearment terms, and give you some examples. Before we go on, we want to let you know that this doesn’t work with all family members the same way.

1. Adding an i

The first way to create endearment terms in Germany is to cut the last letter(s) of the term, and replace it with the letter i . It’s no mistake that we mentioned it can be the last letter or letters . When the term ends with a vowel, you replace only the last letter. In any other case, you need to replace the last two letters.

Here are some examples:

Mama -> Mami “mother” -> “mom/mommy”

Mutter -> Mutti “mother” -> “mom”

Papa -> Papi “father” -> “daddy”

Vater -> Vati “father” -> “dad”

Opa -> Opi “grandmother” -> “granny”

Oma -> Omi “grandfather” -> “grandpa”

But there are also examples where it doesn’t work, such as:

Onkel -> Onki Tante -> Tanti Großmutter -> Großmutti (theoretically this works, but you’re never going to use this)

2. Adding chen to the end of the word

This might be the better-known form for any German learner. This one is a bit trickier and has some special rules. The basic rule is that you just add chen after each term. But be aware that when doing this, in some cases, if the word ends with a vowel, you have to cut this vowel before adding the chen . Or, if the word has a vowel in-between, you change it to ü , ö , or ä (instead of u, o, a).

Good examples are:

Großmutter -> Großmütterchen (grandmother -> grandma) Onkel -> Onkelchen Tante -> Tantchen (aunt -> auntie) Cousine -> Cousinchen

As you can see, sometimes there’s not even a proper English translation for the endearment term you can create in German. The good thing about this way of creating endearment terms is that you can use it with almost everything, and you’re not limited to people or family members. Take a look at these examples:

Bierchen from the word Bier (beer) Tischchen from the word Tisch (table) Tässchen from the word Tasse (cup)

4. How to Talk about Family

It’s quite easy to introduce your family to another person in German. Let’s imagine ourselves sitting around a large table, where all the family is eating together, and a friend of yours arrives for the first time. You both stand in front of the table.

5. Cultural Insights in a German Family

The family is, for most Germans, one of the fundamental aspects of their lives. The family is an important part of every German . Children usually grow up close to their grandparents (who sometimes take care of their grandchildren when the parents are at work). Further, trust is a big thing for German families. But even with this strong bond, Germans are moving out of their parents’ home quite early to study, work, and become financially independent.

We’ve already mentioned that most German families are fairly small compared to those in other countries. Family size strongly depends on where you live, though. For instance, in the countryside, it’s normal for multiple generations to live on a big farm together, or even more than one family from one generation.

So it can be possible to find houses with up to ten people in the more rural areas, but even there, everybody has their own space and flat. You can live there with your parents, your grandparents, and maybe even your uncle’s family.

In the city, the situation is typically different, and families don’t live together. Everybody has their own flat or house, and don’t see each other in daily life.

Traditionally, the man is the head of the family. But let’s face it: this isn’t really how it works anymore. Women enjoy the same rights as men , and all decisions are made as a couple, or even among the entire family including children.

In the old days, it was common for people to get married after living together for a while. Now, you can find couples that stay together their whole lives and never get married. But trends are now coming back to the traditional way.

For some more information about German culture , we’ve prepared another lesson for you.

6. How GermanPod101 Can Help You Learn about Family in German

We hope that you got some helpful insight from our article about families in Germany, such as how to talk about family members. You now know a little bit about the typical family situation in Germany today, and how people are organizing their daily lives.

You should be able to talk about your immediate and extended family, introduce them to others, and talk to someone about them.

If you want to really boost your German skills, then we recommend our private teacher program which focuses on your personal goals based on your current level.

But we won’t leave you without making a quick gift to you. We have free-of-charge courses on GermanPod101.com for learners of every level:

• Intermediate

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Beginner German: Hear and Learn Words for Family Members

• History & Culture
• Pronunciation & Conversation

In this lesson,​ we introduce vocabulary and grammar related to talking about your family and yourself. You'll learn words and phrases that will let you talk about your own family in German, as well as understand what someone else says about his or her family. You can also listen to the vocabulary!

In addition to the members of a family ( die Familie , dee fah-MILL-yah), you'll learn how to ask someone's name (and answer), talk about family relationships and give the ages of people. We will also discuss the difference between the formal and informal "you" in German - a vital cultural and language distinction that English-speakers need to understand!

One of the first things you'll notice is that many of the German words for the family are similar to the English terms. It is easy to see the close Germanic language "family resemblance" between ​ brother / Bruder ,  father / Vater , or  daughter / Tochter . We call these similar words in two languages  cognates . There are a lot of English-German cognates for the family. Others are familiar because of common Latin or French origins:  family / Familie ,  uncle / Onkel , etc.

After you have studied this lesson, you will be able to read and understand a short paragraph in German about your or someone else's family. You'll even be able to draw your own family tree ( Stammbaum ) in German!

AUDIO : Click on the German phrases linked below to hear them.

Familienmitglieder - Family Members

Notice in the phrases below that when you talk about a feminine ( die ) person (or thing), the possessive pronoun  mein  ends in  e . When talking about a masculine ( der ) person (or thing),​  mein  has no ending in the nominative (subject) case. Other possessive forms ( sein , his;  dein , your, etc.) work the same way. The final  e  in German is always pronounced: ( meine  = MINE-ah)

AUDIO (mp3 or wav) for These Words

More family words in the German  Family Glossary .

• English-German Glossary About Family and Relations
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• Asking for Directions in German
• How to Talk About the Weather in German
• German Medical and Dental Vocabulary
• Learning German "Give and Take" - "Geben, Nehmen"
• Learning Adjective and Color Endings in German
• Learn About German's Genitive (Possessive) Case
• How to Pronounce German Words in English
• The Signs of the Zodiac in German
• Learn German by Listening to Deutsche Schlager (German Hit Songs)

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ARTICLES ABOUT

How to talk about family in german.

Family is a huge part of, really, every culture in the world. But if you’re learning to talk about family in German, you might need to learn some vocabulary terms that account for some of the diverse family models you’ll encounter in Germany. Though the average German family might involve a married couple with one or two kids, many couples have children out of wedlock, or raise kids as single parents, or have extended families living under one roof. It’s also becoming more common for same-sex couples to raise children together.

Here is a list of essential vocabulary you’ll need to talk about family in German in all of its iterations. To hear how each word is voiced by a native speaker, just press the play button.

Essential Vocab For Family In German

the family —  die Familie

the relatives —  die Verwandten

the extended family —  die entfernten Verwandten

the ancestor —  der Vorfahr

the descendant —  der Nachkomme

the parents —  die Eltern

the mother —  die Mutter

the father —  der Vater

the children —  die Kinder

the daughter —  die Tochter

the son —  der Sohn

the siblings —  die Geschwister

the brother —  der Bruder

the sister —  die Schwester

the stepchild —  das Stiefkind

the half-brother —  der Halbbruder

the foster parents —  die Pflegeeltern

the guardian —  der Vormund

the grandmother —  die Großmutter

the grandfather —  der Großvater

the grandson —  der Enkel

the granddaughter —  die Enkelin

the nephew —  der Neffe

the niece —  die Nichte

the aunt —  die Tante

the uncle —  der Onkel

the cousin —  der Cousin (masc.) /  die Cousine (fem.)

the parents-in-law —  die Schwiegereltern

the great-grandparents —  die Urgroßeltern

the second cousin —  der Cousin zweiten Grades

Learn to talk about your immediate, extended or chosen family in German

Marie Schmoll

More than 40 million Americans claim German ancestry , so many of them feel a little bit German even if they don’t actually live in a German-speaking country . If that’s you and you want to explain in German that your great-great-grandfather came from Germany, we’ve got you covered.

Learning how to refer to family members in German is a great way to get started on learning the German language . These are usually some of the very first words we learned to say in our mother tongue, too. That’s why they’re so simple and easy to pronounce. After all, little German babies are just as new to the language as you are. If they can manage to say “Mom” and “Dad” in German, so can you!

Family in German

The German word for family is “ Familie ” [faˈmiːli̯ə] and the plural is “ Familien ” [faˈmiːli̯ən]. Luckily it’s very similar to the English word: Fah-me-lee-eh(/en).

Slang words include “ deine Alten ” (your old ones) for someone’s parents, but this expression has a negative connotation. So unless you’re joking with a friend, be polite and stick to the official terms when you encounter the following scenarios:

• When meeting your German friend’s or partner’s family
• When making German smalltalk by asking someone how their family has been
• When meeting someone new and asking them basic questions about their family situation in German

Interested in your family history?

Immediate family members in german.

In German, the immediate family is called the “ Kernfamilie ” (nuclear or core family). Learning how to describe it is important for basic conversations. That’s why we’ll teach you crucial words like “Mother”, “Father”, “Brother”, “Sister”, “Daughter” and “Son” in German.

Extended family in German

Of course, most families are bigger than that. You might want to talk about your third cousins and your great great grandmother in German, too.

Family members by marriage - Step and in-laws

In Germany, like in America, too, the inlaws have a worse image than they deserve. Even though most people actually do get along with their in-laws, one German expression in particular reflects on the bad rep they get: “ Jemanden stiefmütterlich behandeln ” (to treat someone stepmotherly) means “to neglect or ignore someone”.

Other family-related terms in German

Family is based on so much more than biology. Here are some important terms you can use to explain and introduce your chosen family including adoption and marriage.

Talking about family in day to day situations

When you meet someone new, the first thing you probably want to know is their name . Next up, asking about their family is a great way to get to know them a little bit. You might want to ask if they have siblings or children and chat about your own family situation. So we’ll get you started with the basics.

Common conversation

• Question. Hast du Geschwister? (Do you have siblings?)
• Answer. Ja, ich habe einen großen Bruder und zwei kleine Schwestern. (Yes, I have a big brother and two little sisters.)
• Question. Hast du eine große Familie? (Do you have a big family?)
• Answer. Meine Familie besteht aus meinem Papa, meiner Stiefmama, meinem Bruder Bruno und meiner Katze Fräulein Miez . (My family consists of my dad, my stepmom, my brother Bruno and my cat Fräulein Miez).
• Question. Leben deine Eltern in der Nähe? (Do your parents live close by?)
• Answer. Nein, meine Eltern leben beide in Hamburg und ich lebe in Frankfurt. (No, my parents both live in Hamburg and I live in Frankfurt.)

An easy follow-up question is to ask their sibling’s age (or their puppy’s!). Remember pets absolutely are a part of the family. So don’t forget to incorporate them in the conversation. If you need help remembering what to call your pet in German, refer to our fun guides on animals and birds in German .

• Question. Ist deine Schwester älter oder jünger als du? (Is your sister older or younger than you?)
• Answer. Meine Schwester ist zwei Jahre jünger als ich . (My sister is two years younger than me.)
• Question. Wie alt sind deine Geschwister? (How old are your siblings?)
• Answer. Mein kleiner Bruder ist erst 10. Er geht noch zur Schule. Mein anderer Bruder studiert . (My little brother is only 10. He is still in school. My other brother is in college).
• Question. Wie alt sind deine Haustiere? (How old are your pets?)
• Answer. Mein Welpe ist erst ein Jahr alt, und mein Papagei ist zwei. (My puppy is only one year old, and my parrot is two.)

Describing your family in German

Do you have your mom’s eyes but your dad’s ears? There are many things you can say about your family, all of them great for smalltalk.

• Meine Mutter und mein Vater haben braune Augen, wie ich, aber meine Schwester hat blaue Augen. (My mother and father have brown eyes, like me, but my sister has blue eyes.)
• Ich hab die schwarzen Locken von meinem Vater. Meine Mutter hat rote Haare. (I got my curly black hair from my dad. My mother has red hair.)
• Ich bin mit einem Zwilling verheiratet. (I’m married to a twin.)
• Ich bin adoptiert. (I’m adopted.)
• Ich telefoniere einmal im Monat mit meinen Eltern. (I call my parents once a month.)
• Ich bin ein Katzenmensch, aber mein Freund ist eher ein Hundemensch . (I’m a cat person but my boyfriend is more of a dog person.)

Family-related German idioms

There are some fun idioms and sayings about family members in German. To raise someone literally means “to pull someone tall” ( großziehen ), which, as so many other quirky German expressions , creates a wonderful picture - like you could just grab the child by the head and the feet and start pulling them until they’re tall.

Also, having custody over a child is “the right to worry about them” ( Sorgerecht ) and the big toe is called the “Big uncle” in German ( Großer Onkel ).

Videos to learn how to talk about family in German

Kinderlieder - die hai-familie.

Have you always wanted to listen to the Baby Shark Song in German? Absolutely not?

Well, give it a try anyway because you know how effectively it will get stuck in your head. So when the lyrics are in German, you have no other choice but to learn them, including all the important family related words like “Mama”, “Papa”, “Oma” and “Opa”.

Cultural considerations when it comes to family in German

Marriages are at a record low in Germany - the lowest since World War I.

At the same time, birth rates have been increasing and people still form partnerships and live together. They just tend to not get married.

Maybe Germans are busy enough with the draining bureaucracies of everyday life and don’t want to make their lives even more complicated by adding the paperwork that comes with getting married to their list.

So they stay in committed relationships without getting married, which is how the beautifully long German word “ Lebensabschnittsgefährte ” came to be. A commonly used term, it literally translates to “life section companion” and refers to your current partner.

You may not want to use the word as a pet name, since it’s less romantic than “love of my life” and certainly longer than “bae” but if you think about it, it’s still a positive term.

It entails the idea that even if you may not spend your entire life with one person, they’re your companion for a specific time of your life and that’s very nice to have and acknowledge.

This is a very realistic, down-to-earth view on partnership - you might say a very German one.

Family structures hold societies together and they’re just as important in Germany as they are everywhere else. Yet, sometimes family matters can be a bit of a headache. So try to take an uncomplicated German approach to all things family:

If a relationship ever doesn’t work out, just thank your Lebensabschnittsgefährten that they were there for you during a special time in your life. Then remember that other mothers have pretty sons or daughters, too - and when it comes to raising kids, throw out all the parenting books. Just pull them until they’re tall enough to manage on their own.

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24 German Essay Phrases, Plus Tips on How to Write an Essay in German

We need to talk about your German essays.

Essay writing is a skill that you can learn in any language.

All you need is to brush up your vocabulary and follow a few simple strategies, and you’ll be well on your way to writing your first masterpiece.

This post will provide you with a list of useful German words and phrases to include in your next essay, plus the different types of German essays, a few writing strategies and even a sample essay at the end. 

German Essay Phrases

General explaining, ordering facts and ideas, demonstrating contrast, expressing your opinion, summarizing and concluding, what are german essays like, the different types of german essays, how to write an essay in german in 4 steps, 1. write down a list of words , 2. do your research, 3. make an outline using transition words, 4. write directly in german, an example of a german essay, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Let’s start with the words and phrases themselves. As you’ll see, they’re grouped according to how and when you’ll use them. Let’s start off with some that will help you explain your arguments.

1. Weil (Because)

Daniel muss lernen, weil er morgen einen Test hat.

(Daniel has to study because he has a test tomorrow.)

2. Da (Because)

Daniel muss lernen, da er morgen einen Test hat.

3. Denn (Because)

Daniel muss lernen, denn er hat morgen einen Test.

(Daniel has to study because tomorrow he has a test.)

A quick note: Weil, da and denn are generally interchangeable. Keep in mind though that denn requires a different word order.

4. Damit (In order to; So that)

Lisa lernt viel, damit sie den Test besteht.

(Lisa is studying a lot in order to pass the test.)

5. Um (To; In order to)

Lisa lernt viel, um den Test zu bestehen.

(Lisa is studying a lot to pass the test.)

6. Im Grunde (Basically; Fundamentally)

Im Grunde ist Deutsch keine schwierige Sprache.

(Fundamentally, German is not a difficult language.)

7. Eigentlich (Actually)

Eigentlich ist Deutsch nicht so schwierig, wie es scheint.

(Actually, German is not as difficult as it seems.)

8. Ein Beispiel anführen  (To give an example)

Ich möchte ein Beispiel anführen .

(I would like to give an example.)

9. Dieses Beispiel zeigt, dass… (This example shows that…)

Dieses Beispiel zeigt, dass das Lernen einer Fremdsprache beim Reisen viele Vorteile hat.

(This example shows that studying a foreign language has many advantages when traveling.)

10. Erstens… zweitens… (Firstly… secondly…)

Erstens kann man sich auf Reisen besser verständigen und zweitens lernt man viele neue Leute kennen.

(Firstly, you can communicate better while traveling, and secondly, you meet many new people.)

11. Das Wichtigste ist…  (T he most important thing is…)

Das Wichtigste ist , die Angst vor der Sprache zu verlieren.

(The most important thing is to lose your fear of the language.)

12. Außer dem (Furthermore)

Außerdem kann man beim Reisen seine Sprachkenntnisse verbessern.

(Furthermore, you can improve your language knowledge while traveling.)

13. Nicht nur… sondern auch…  (Not only… but also…)

Nicht nur im Unterricht, sondern auch im Alltag kann man viel Deutsch lernen.

(Not only in class, but also in everyday life you can learn a lot of German.)

14. Obwohl (Even though)

Obwohl Anna viel lernt, hat sie Probleme mit der deutschen Grammatik.

(Even though Anna studies a lot, she has problems with German grammar.)

15. Allerdings (However)

Anna lernt gerne Deutsch, allerdings hat sie Probleme mit der Grammatik.

(Anna enjoys studying German; however, she has problems with the grammar.)

16. Trotz   (Despite)

Trotz ihrer Probleme mit der Grammatik lernt Anna gerne Deutsch.

(Despite her problems with German grammar, Anna enjoys studying German.)

17. Im Vergleich zu (In comparison to)

Im Vergleich zu Russisch ist Deutsch eine einfache Sprache.

In comparison to Russian, German is an easy language.

18. Im Gegensatz zu (In contrast to; Unlike)

Im Gegensatz zu Anna lernt Paul gerne neue Vokabeln.

Unlike Anna, Paul enjoys learning new vocabulary.

19. Meiner Meinung nach (In my opinion)

Meiner Meinung nach sollte jeder eine Fremdsprache lernen.

(In my opinion, everybody should study a foreign language.)

20. Ich bin der Ansicht, dass…  (I believe that…)

Ich bin der Ansicht, dass jeder eine Fremdsprache lernen sollte.

(I believe that everybody should study a foreign language.)

21. Ich finde es schade, dass…  (I think it’s a pity that…)

Ich finde es schade, dass die Schulen keine anderen Fremdsprachen unterrichten.

(I think it’s a pity that schools don’t teach other foreign languages.)

22. Alles in Allem (Overall)

Alles in allem ist Deutsch nicht so schwierig, wie es scheint.

(Overall, German isn’t as difficult as it seems.)

23. Im Großen und Ganzen (Overall)

Im Großen und Ganzen ist Deutsch keine schwierige Sprache.

(Overall, German isn’t a difficult language.)

24. Zusammenfassend kann man sagen, dass…  (In summary, it can be said that…)

Zusammenfassend kann man sagen, dass Sprachen beim Reisen sehr hilfreich sein können.

(In summary, it can be said that languages can be very helpful when traveling.)

Ok, let’s get a little deeper into the actual essays themselves. How do they compare to the essays that you’re probably used to writing?

• They have a similar structure to English essays. Remember how English essays have a beginning, middle and end? Good news: German essays contain those same parts. When you’re writing a German essay, you’ll want to include an opening paragraph with your argument, three supporting paragraphs that further your argument and a conclusion. German and English are often surprisingly similar, and essay structure is no exception.
• German essays are more to the point. Although German essays and English essays are structured similarly, German essays—just like German speakers—tend to be more blunt and to the point. You won’t need to dance around your conclusions or obfuscate in German: just say what you mean.
• German punctuation is different. Germans have different rules for punctuation than English speakers. For example, Germans introduce a direct quote with a colon instead of a comma. They use quotes instead of italics for the names of books, movies and newspapers. And they set off relative clauses beginning with dass (that) with a comma, unlike in American English. Understanding these differences between English and German punctuation will ensure you don’t give yourself away as a non-native speaker through punctuation marks alone!

Before you get started on your essay, make sure you know what type of essay you’re going to write. If it’s a school essay, be sure to read and understand the instructions.

Here are a few notes about the most common kinds of essays in German.

• An Erzählung  is a narrative essay that tells a story. Your teacher might give you some keywords or pictures and ask you to create a story around it. An Erlebniserzählung (“experience story”) is about a personal experience and can be written in the first person.
• An Erörterung is an argumentative essay, a writing piece meant to persuade someone to think the way you do. This writing genre requires you to investigate your topic well and provide evidence to prove your point.
• In a Nacherzählung you summarize and recount a book, a film or an article you have read, from an objective perspective. Depending on the essay instructions, you might be asked for your personal opinion in the conclusion.

Are you ready to start writing? Use these four strategies to wow your teachers and write the perfect German essay.

You should look at any new activity as an opportunity to learn and master new vocabulary . Instead of using the same words that you use in your everyday German speech, use this essay as an opportunity to introduce new words into your German lexicon.

Besides, incorporating academic words that help you craft and shape your argument can make your essay sound more professional and polished. So before you start writing, write down a list of the German words you’d like to incorporate in your essay.

As with everything else, you should look at the research portion of the essay-writing process as an opportunity to learn more about Germany—this time, about German culture, history , politics or travel .

Chances are if you’re writing your essay for a language-learning class, you’ll be assigned a topic pertaining to one of these aspects of German life, so use this as a chance to learn more about Deutschland.

For example, Deutsche Welle offers information and resources about German history. Other newspapers such as Berliner Zeitung and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung offer another perspective on politics and daily life in Germany.

There’s nothing clunkier than an essay that doesn’t flow naturally from one point to the next. Besides, thinking about how your arguments and points interact with each other will help you organize your essay and make sure you get your point across. (Do they support each other? Counter each other? How exactly do they function to further your argument?)

Examples of transition words:

• Vorher (prior)
• zur gleichen Zeit (at the same time)
• dann (then)
• trotzdem (nevertheless)
• noch (still)

Writing an essay in English and then translating it into German often results in stilted, poorly formed sentences and unnatural constructions.

For example, remember that German word order is different from English. If you write “He didn’t read the book,” a one-to-one literal translation would be Er hat gelesen nicht das Buch . But the correct translation is actually  Er hat nicht das Buch gelesen. In this example, translating word for word leads to errors.

There’s another, less tangible reason why it’s not a good idea to write in English and translate to German. Sure, you could just remember that you need to change the word order when translating into German. But isn’t it better to adapt your brain so that German word order seems fluid and natural?

Learning to think and write off-the-cuff in German is an essential step towards fluency, and devising sentences in German, instead of sentences in translation, will help you learn to do that.

One good way to learn to think in a language is to hear it spoken in natural contexts. You can hear German spoken naturally in German language TV shows , movies and YouTube videos .

Listening to German spoken at a natural speed and native accent will help get you thinking in the language in real time. This will help get you to the point where you can come up with your own sentences in German, rather than thinking in English sentences first and then translating them in your head before you speak or write. That will greatly improve your speed and fluency when writing in German.

So, simply start writing the essay in German. Look up any words you’re not sure of and double-check any grammatical constructions that you’re not familiar with. After you finish writing, ask a German-speaking friend to look over the essay to make sure it sounds natural.

Now that we’ve explored strategies and phrases for writing top-notch German essays, let’s take a look at an example.

World War I doesn’t get as much coverage in the States as World War II (where it was more directly involved). But for Europe, World War I was a devastating example of the dangers of modern technological warfare and the horrors of violence.

Let’s take a look at an example opening paragraph and outline of an essay about the effect of World War I on German government and life.

Opening paragraph:

Der Erste Weltkrieg war ein totaler Krieg, der Deutschland völlig veränderte. Dieser Krieg hat 1914 angefangen, und 1918, als der Krieg zu Ende kam, waren die deutsche Gesellschaft, Regierung und Kultur nicht mehr erkennbar. Am Anfang hat der Erste Weltkrieg altväterliche Ideen und Systeme verstärkt. Am Ende hat dieser Krieg dagegen diese altväterlichen Dinge zerstört.

(The First World War was a total war that completely changed Germany. This war began in 1914 and in 1918, when the war came to an end, German society, government and culture were no longer recognizable. At the beginning, the First World War strengthened old-fashioned ideas and systems. However, by the end, this war destroyed these old-fashioned things.)

Notice that this opening paragraph is not very different at all from the first paragraph of an English essay. You can use the same structure you’ve always used to write your German essay, leaving you free to focus on grammar and vocabulary.

Notice also the use of phrases such as Am Anfang (at the beginning) and Dagegen (however). Words like these can help you make a point and counterpoint in your opening paragraph (or anywhere in your essay, for that matter).

I. Am Anfang (at the beginning):

– Dieser Krieg hat Deutschland vereint . (This war united Germany.) – Menschen hatten ein patriotisches Gefühl. (People had a patriotic feeling.) – Menschen dachten, dass der Krieg bald zu Ende kommen würde. (People thought that the war would soon come to an end.)

Notice that these points employ words like dachten (thought). Written German often relies on Präteritum , a form of the past tense that’s rarely used in spoken Deutsch. It’s often called “literary past tense” for this reason. Check out this guide to the Präteritum to include this tense in your essay.

II. Andrerseits (on the other hand):

– Bald gab es kein Essen mehr . (Soon there was no more food.) – Menschen wurden krank und desillusioniert . (People became sick and disillusioned.) – Es gab Proteste und Unruhen. (There was protest and unrest.)

Like in an English essay, your second and third paragraphs can include supporting points or counterpoints that contribute to the overall theme of your piece. The word Andrerseits (on the other hand) is an ideal transition word to show that you’re moving into another section of your essay.

Also notice that this essay will rely on vocabulary words that the average language learner might not have come across in his or her learning. After all, who learns the words for “disillusioned” and “unrest” in their intermediate German class? But don’t be daunted by the fact that your essay might include eclectic vocabulary. Instead, use this as an opportunity for more learning.

III. zum Schluss (in conclusion):

– Der Kaiser hat abgedankt . (The Emperor abdicated.) – Eine Republik wurde geboren. (A Republic was born.) – Die alten Werte waren weg. (The old values were gone.)

Once again, abgedankt (abdicated) is an example of the literary past tense (and an example of a word that you probably haven’t come across in your previous German studies!)

IV. Schließlich (finally)

– Der Erste Weltkrieg hat Deutschland verändert . (The First World War completely changed Germany.)

Again, like in an English essay, you should use this paragraph to summarize your main point.

Feeling a bit more confident about your next German essay now?

Just make a great essay plan, write down some new words and phrases that you want to include and off you go!

By sprinkling these bits of flair into your German essays, you’re sure to make your writing better and more effective.

Enjoy writing!

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Family in Germany: Exploring 12 Dominant Aspects

Categories Culture , European Culture , German Culture

Here we are with 12 aspects of German family life that shape the heart of familial bonds in this interesting country. Like an engaging story waiting to be told, the details of German family dynamics reveal themselves, composing a tale of tradition, flexibility, and adaptation. From the cherished customs of traditional family values to the diverse family models, each aspect reveals a new layer of the German family experience.

Join us as we set out on a quest to the heart of German households, where cultural influences, technological advancements, and societal shifts converge to create an attractive page of familial life. Let’s explore the hidden aspects of German families and discover the depth of what truly makes these households unique.

1. Traditional Family Values

2. household composition, 3. cultural emphasis on trust and independence, 4. trends in family formation, 5. emergence of diverse family models, 6. government support for families, 7. challenges and considerations, 8. gender roles and family responsibilities, 9. cultural influences on family formation, 10. technological advancements and family communication, 11. challenges of balancing work and family life, 12. environmental endurance and family lifestyles, key takings about german family.

Family plays a central role in German society, Similar to the cornerstone of a castle, with its significance deeply rooted in personal relationships and consistent mutual support. Like the complex lines of a carpet, traditional family values have delicately twined the fabric of German culture, nourishing the bonds within the nuclear family; comprising parents and their children; while the extended family often grows in its own orbit.

Yet, among the winds of change and the tides of modernity, the landscape of familial dynamics is undergoing a development. As society accepts new norms and perspectives, German families find themselves moving to unknown waters, balancing cherished traditions with the currents of progress.

See Also German Parenting

In Germany, the composition of households reflects a trend towards smaller, nuclear family units as the predominant arrangement. Typically, these households consist of parents and their children under the age of 18, representing the traditional familial structure. However, societal shifts and evolving norms are opening in a variety of living arrangements.

The phenomenon of urbanization has significantly impacted household composition, with a notable increase in families opting for apartment living, particularly in dynamic cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, and Saxony. This shift reinforces the changing dynamics of family life in Germany, as individuals adapt to the demands of modern urban environments while still cherishing the core values of familial connection and support.

In Germany, cultural values place a significant emphasis on developing mutual trust and support within familial bonds. Parents are entrusted with the responsibility of cherishing their children’s dreams and ambitions while simultaneously encouraging them to develop independence .

This cultural ethos is exemplified by the common practice of young adults leaving the parental home to pursue higher education or to establish themselves financially. It highlights the belief that independence is a vital component of personal growth and development, and parents play a crucial role in implanting this value in their children.

In recent years, a notable trend has emerged in German family dynamics, characterized by a delay in family formation. Influenced by pursuits of higher education and career advancement, couples are increasingly opting to postpone starting families until the later stages of their lives. This delay is particularly evident in the average age of parents at the birth of their first child, with mothers typically approaching the age of 30 and fathers around 35.

Consequently, this shift has contributed to a decline in the average number of children per family, with a significant proportion now opting to have only one child. This trend highlights the evolving priorities and lifestyle choices of modern German families, reflecting a desire for financial stability, personal fulfillment, and careful planning before initiating the quest for parenthood.

In Germany, the fabric of family life is undergoing an innovative shift marked by an increasing diversity of family models. While the conventional image of the married couple with children still holds authority, there’s an apparent acceptance of alternative configurations. Unmarried cohabitation, single parenthood, and relationships within the LGBTQI+ community are steadily gaining prominence, mirroring the evolving societal attitudes toward family dynamics.

This acceptance of diverse family structures reflects a broader recognition of the multifaceted nature of human relationships and the need for equality in defining what constitutes a family. It signals a departure from traditional norms and confirms a progressive societal ethos that celebrates the multitude of ways in which individuals choose to form and encourage familial bonds.

Government support for families in Germany is an indispensable pillar in bolstering family welfare and stability. Through a multifaceted approach, the state provides essential aids such as child allowance, parental allowance, tax incentives, and subsidies tailored to pregnant women and low-income families. These initiatives are precisely designed to alleviate financial strains and foster an environment conducive to family formation and growth.

Furthermore, the provision of free school education serves as a cornerstone in nourishing the well-being of families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, ensuring equal opportunities for all children to access quality education regardless of their financial circumstances. Collectively, these measures reinforce the government’s dedication to encouraging strong, flexible families and promoting social cohesion within German society.

While state support attempts to moderate financial burdens for families, single parents often encounter a distinct set of challenges that heighten their risk of poverty, especially when the other parent fails to fulfill their obligations in providing child support. This reality highlights the necessity of continuous efforts in family policy to safeguard the prosperity of all family structures within Germany.

Policymakers must address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of single-parent households through targeted interventions aimed at enhancing financial stability, access to education and employment opportunities, and social support networks. By recognizing and actively addressing these challenges, policymakers can work towards creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for single parents and their children, ultimately fostering greater social equality and cohesion within the broader framework of family policy.

Traditional gender roles within German households are experiencing a significant transformation, with a notable shift towards more egalitarian dynamics. Historically, men were predominantly viewed as the primary breadwinners, while women were expected to manage household responsibilities.

However, in contemporary families, there is a growing trend towards a more equitable distribution of duties between partners. This evolution reflects broader societal changes and a collective aspiration for greater work-life balance. Increasingly, both men and women are actively participating in both domestic and professional spheres, challenging traditional stereotypes and accepting a more collaborative approach to family life. This shift not only promotes gender equality but also advances healthier and more fulfilling relationships within households.

Cultural influences have a significant impact on family formation dynamics in Germany, where traditional values like marriage and parenthood persist alongside the emergence of increasingly diverse family models. While these traditional values continue to hold significance, modern families reflect a spectrum of structures and arrangements.

The rich texture of cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs, and regional customs all contribute to the diverse landscape of family life throughout the country. These influences shape not only the structures of families but also their dynamics, values, and priorities, highlighting the complexity and adaptability of family formation in contemporary German society.

See Also 5 Steps in German Relationships

Technological advancements have introduced in a innovative era in the domain of family communication within Germany. The advent of digital platforms, ranging from instant messaging to video calls, has fundamentally altered the way family members connect and interact with one another.

These technological tools enable integrated communication and coordination across distances, promoting closer bonds and facilitating the sharing of experiences and updates. However, alongside these benefits come concerns about excessive screen time and digital dependency, prompting a growing recognition of the importance of maintaining a balanced approach to technology usage within households.

As families direct the opportunities and challenges presented by technology, striking a healthy balance between digital connectivity and real-world interactions becomes increasingly imperative in preserving the happiness and cohesion of familial relationships.

The challenge of balancing work commitments with family responsibilities is a pervasive issue faced by numerous German families. While policies such as parental leave and flexible work arrangements have been implemented to reduce some of these pressures and promote a healthier work-life balance, many parents still find themselves directing the complexities of managing competing demands on their time and energy.

Juggling career aspirations with the desire to encourage and care for their families can often lead to feelings of stress, guilt, and exhaustion. Moreover, societal expectations and workplace cultures may incidentally perpetuate the notion that prioritizing family responsibilities could hinder professional success, adding an additional layer of complexity to the balancing act. Thus, despite the existence of supportive policies, the ongoing challenge of harmonizing work and family life persists as a significant issue for parents throughout the country.

Environmental consciousness influences many aspects of family life in Germany. Families prioritize long-lasting practices, such as recycling, energy conservation, and eco-friendly consumption habits. Teaching children about environmental responsibility promotes a sense of responsibility and commitment to preserving the planet for future generations.

These explanations offer engaging insights into the diverse facets of family life in Germany, showing the country’s rich cultural heritage and the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity within its households.

See Also German Cultural Roots

1. Traditional Family Values: German families cherish deep-rooted traditions, advancing strong bonds and mutual support similar a castle’s cornerstone.

2. Household Composition: Evolving societal norms are reshaping household structures, with urbanization driving a trend towards smaller, more adaptable family units.

3. Cultural Emphasis on Trust and Independence: Cultural values emphasize trust and independence, guiding parents in supporting their children’s autonomy while developing supportive relationships.

4. Trends in Family Formation: Changing priorities and lifestyles lead to a delay in family formation, with couples opting for financial stability and careful planning before accepting parenthood.

5. Emergence of Diverse Family Models: A progressive attitude towards diverse family structures reflects society’s recognition of the multifaceted nature of familial bonds.

6. Government Support for Families: State initiatives, such as child allowance and free education, bolster family welfare and promote social cohesion.

7. Challenges and Considerations: Policymakers strive to address the specific needs of single-parent households, advancing inclusivity and support within the family policy framework.

8. Gender Roles and Family Responsibilities: Evolving gender roles promote equality and collaboration within households, developing healthier and more fulfilling relationships.

9. Cultural Influences on Family Formation: Cultural diversity enriches family dynamics, shaping values, structures, and priorities across German society.

10. Technological Advancements and Family Communication: Technology transforms family communication, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to digital connectivity.

11. Challenges of Balancing Work and Family Life: Balancing work and family responsibilities remains a significant challenge, highlighting the importance of supportive policies and societal attitudes.

12. Environmental Endurance and Family Lifestyles: Environmental consciousness influences family practices, promoting a sense of responsibility towards sustainability and future generations.

50 Useful German Essay Words and Phrases

by  fredo21  

January 9, 2019

2  Comments

Essay-writing is in itself already a difficult endeavor. Now writing an essay in a foreign language like German ---that’s on a different plane of difficulty.  

To make it easier for you, here in this article, we’ve compiled the most useful German essay phrases. Feel free to use these to add a dash of pizzazz into your essays. It will add just the right amount of flourish into your writing---enough to impress whoever comes across your work!

You can also download these phrases in PDF format by clicking the button below.

Now here’s your list!

What other German vocabulary list would you like to see featured here? Please feel free to leave a message in the comment section and we’ll try our best to accommodate your requests soon!

Once again, you can download your copy of the PDF by subscribing using the button below!

For an easier way to learn German vocabulary, check out German short stories for beginners!

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Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! By the way, how can we communicate?

Asking questions are genuinely good thing if you are not understanding anything completely, except this piece of writing provides nice understanding yet.

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The German Family: Essays on the Social History of the Family in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Germany. Edited by Richard J. Evans and W.R. Lee (Totowa, New Jersey: Barnes and Noble Books, 1981. 302 pp.)

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J. Robert Wegs, The German Family: Essays on the Social History of the Family in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Germany. Edited by Richard J. Evans and W.R. Lee (Totowa, New Jersey: Barnes and Noble Books, 1981. 302 pp.), Journal of Social History , Volume 17, Issue 1, Fall 1983, Pages 174–176, https://doi.org/10.1353/jsh/17.1.174

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Smuggling suspect knew of frigid cold before Indian family's death on Canada border, prosecutors say

A man accused of helping smuggle people across the U.S.-Canadian border had been warned of blizzard conditions before he arranged for four members of an Indian family to cross in 2022, prosecutors allege. The parents and two young children froze to death.

Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 28, who prosecutors say went by the alias “Dirty Harry,” is due in federal court in Minnesota on Wednesday on seven counts of human smuggling. The man he allegedly hired to drive the Indian nationals from the Canadian border to the Chicago area also faces four counts, according to a new indictment unsealed last week.

The alleged driver,  Steve Shand, of Deltona, Florida , was  arrested and charged  with human smuggling two years ago. He has pleaded not guilty and remains  free on his own recognizance.  Proceedings in his case have been put on hold several times.

In a recent court document, an agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Patel has been refused a U.S. visa at least five times, including four at U.S. consulates in India and once at the U.S. consulate in Ottawa, Canada. He is in the U.S. illegally, the agent said.

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Patel’s name didn’t emerge until he was  arrested in Chicago last month  on a previously sealed warrant issued last September. Defense attorney Thomas Leinenweber said in an email that Patel will plead not guilty on Wednesday. He didn't elaborate.

Unsealed court papers connect Patel with a human trafficking group based in the northwest Indian state of Gujarat. The group allegedly would get Indian nationals into Canada on student visas, then move them on to the Chicago area.

The migrants would work for substandard wages at Indian restaurants while they paid off debt to the smugglers, according to the court documents.

Prosecutors allege Shand was driving a rented 15-passenger van when it was stopped by the U.S. Border Patrol in Minnesota just south of the Canadian border on Jan. 19, 2022. Inside the van were two Indians from Gujarat who had entered the U.S. illegally, while five others were spotted walking nearby. According to court documents, they told officers they’d been walking for more than 11 hours in temperatures well below zero Fahrenheit (-34 Celsius).

One person was hospitalized with severe cold-related injuries.

A man with the group told authorities he paid the equivalent of about $87,000 to get smuggled into the U.S. He also had a backpack that contained children's clothes and a diaper, but there were no children in the group.

The man told authorities he was carrying the items for a family of four with a small child, all of whom had become separated from his group during the night. Later that day, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police found the four dead, just 10 meters (33 feet) from the border near Emerson, Manitoba.

According to a series of messages sent via WhatsApp, Shand told Patel, “Make sure everyone is dressed for the blizzard conditions please.” Patel replied, “Done.” Then Shand remarked, “We not losing any money.”

The victims were identified as Jagdish Patel, 39; his wife, Vaishaliben, 34; their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi; and 3-year-old son Dharmik, all from the village of Dingucha in Gujarat state. It's not clear if they were related to the defendant because Patel is a common name in India.

Jagdish Patel and his wife were educated and had worked as teachers, but sought a better life in the U.S, relatives have said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said their deaths were "mind blowing.”

The victims faced not only bitter cold, but also flat, open fields; large snowdrifts and complete darkness, the Mounted Police have said. They were wearing winter clothing, but it wasn't enough to save them.

A court filing unsealed last month said Shand told investigators he first met Harshkumar Patel, whom he also knew by the nickname “Dirty Harry,” at a gaming establishment Patel managed in Orange City, Florida.

Shand said Patel originally tried to recruit him to pick up Indian nationals who were illegally crossing the U.S.-Canada border in New York. Shand said he declined, but agreed to pick up others in Minnesota.

Shand said Patel paid him about $25,000 altogether for five trips to the border in December 2021 and January 2022. He said he dropped off his passengers at an Indian supermarket in Chicago, a residence in a wealthy part of the Chicago area, and at a suburban Chicago motel.

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The Forgotten History of Hitler’s Establishment Enablers

By Adam Gopnik

Hitler is so fully imagined a subject—so obsessively present on our televisions and in our bookstores—that to reimagine him seems pointless. As with the Hollywood fascination with Charles Manson , speculative curiosity gives retrospective glamour to evil. Hitler created a world in which women were transported with their children for days in closed train cars and then had to watch those children die alongside them, naked, gasping for breath in a gas chamber. To ask whether the man responsible for this was motivated by reading Oswald Spengler or merely by meeting him seems to attribute too much complexity of purpose to him, not to mention posthumous dignity. Yet allowing the specifics of his ascent to be clouded by disdain is not much better than allowing his memory to be ennobled by mystery.

So the historian Timothy W. Ryback’s choice to make his new book, “ Takeover: Hitler’s Final Rise to Power ” (Knopf), an aggressively specific chronicle of a single year, 1932, seems a wise, even an inspired one. Ryback details, week by week, day by day, and sometimes hour by hour, how a country with a functional, if flawed, democratic machinery handed absolute power over to someone who could never claim a majority in an actual election and whom the entire conservative political class regarded as a chaotic clown with a violent following. Ryback shows how major players thought they could find some ulterior advantage in managing him. Each was sure that, after the passing of a brief storm cloud, so obviously overloaded that it had to expend itself, they would emerge in possession of power. The corporate bosses thought that, if you looked past the strutting and the performative antisemitism, you had someone who would protect your money. Communist ideologues thought that, if you peered deeply enough into the strutting and the performative antisemitism, you could spy the pattern of a popular revolution. The decent right thought that he was too obviously deranged to remain in power long, and the decent left, tempered by earlier fights against different enemies, thought that, if they forcibly stuck to the rule of law, then the law would somehow by itself entrap a lawless leader. In a now familiar paradox, the rational forces stuck to magical thinking, while the irrational ones were more logical, parsing the brute equations of power. And so the storm never passed. In a way, it still has not.

Ryback’s story begins soon after Hitler’s very incomplete victory in the Weimar Republic’s parliamentary elections of July, 1932. Hitler’s party, the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (its German initials were N.S.D.A.P.), emerged with thirty-seven per cent of the vote, and two hundred and thirty out of six hundred and eight seats in the Reichstag, the German parliament—substantially ahead of any of its rivals. In the normal course of events, this would have led the aging warrior Paul von Hindenburg, Germany’s President, to appoint Hitler Chancellor. The equivalent of Prime Minister in other parliamentary systems, the Chancellor was meant to answer to his party, to the Reichstag, and to the President, who appointed him and who could remove him. Yet both Hindenburg and the sitting Chancellor, Franz von Papen, had been firm never-Hitler men, and naïvely entreated Hitler to recognize his own unsuitability for the role.

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The N.S.D.A.P. had been in existence since right after the Great War, as one of many völkisch , or populist, groups; its label, by including “national” and “socialist,” was intended to appeal to both right-wing nationalists and left-wing socialists, who were thought to share a common enemy: the élite class of Jewish bankers who, they said, manipulated Germany behind the scenes and had been responsible for the German surrender. The Nazis, as they were called—a put-down made into a popular label, like “Impressionists”—began as one of many fringe and populist antisemitic groups in Germany, including the Thule Society, which was filled with bizarre pre- QAnon conspiracy adepts. Hitler, an Austrian corporal with a toothbrush mustache (when Charlie Chaplin first saw him in newsreels, he assumed Hitler was aping his Little Tramp character), had seized control of the Party in 1921. Then a failed attempt at a putsch in Munich, in 1923, left him in prison, but with many comforts, much respect, and paper and time with which to write his memoir, “Mein Kampf.” He reëmerged as the leader of all the nationalists fighting for election, with an accompanying paramilitary organization, the Sturmabteilung (S.A.), under the direction of the more or less openly homosexual Ernst Röhm, and a press office, under the direction of Joseph Goebbels. (In the American style, the press office recognized the political significance of the era’s new technology and social media, exploiting sound recordings, newsreels, and radio, and even having Hitler campaign by airplane.) Hitler’s plans were deliberately ambiguous, but his purposes were not. Ever since his unsuccessful putsch in Munich, he had, Ryback writes, “been driven by a single ambition: to destroy the political system that he held responsible for the myriad ills plaguing the German people.”

Ryback skips past the underlying mechanics of the July, 1932, election on the way to his real subject—Hitler’s manipulation of the conservative politicians and tycoons who thought that they were manipulating him—but there’s a notable academic literature on what actually happened when Germans voted that summer. The political scientists and historians who study it tell us that the election was a “normal” one, in the sense that the behavior of groups and subgroups proceeded in the usual way, responding more to the perception of political interests than to some convulsions of apocalyptic feeling.

The popular picture of the decline of the Weimar Republic—in which hyperinflation produced mass unemployment, which produced an unstoppable wave of fascism—is far from the truth. The hyperinflation had ended in 1923, and the period right afterward, in the mid-twenties, was, in Germany as elsewhere, golden. The financial crash of 1929 certainly energized the parties of the far left and the far right. Still, the results of the July, 1932, election weren’t obviously catastrophic. The Nazis came out as the largest single party, but both Hitler and Goebbels were bitterly disappointed by their standing. The unemployed actually opposed Hitler and voted en masse for the parties of the left. Hitler won the support of self-employed people, who were in decent economic shape but felt that their lives and livelihoods were threatened; of rural Protestant voters; and of domestic workers (still a sizable group), perhaps because they felt unsafe outside a rigid hierarchy. What was once called the petite bourgeoisie, then, was key to his support—not people feeling the brunt of economic precarity but people feeling the possibility of it. Having nothing to fear but fear itself is having something significant to fear.

It was indeed a “normal” election in that respect, responding not least to the outburst of “normal” politics with which Hitler had littered his program: he had, in the months beforehand, damped down his usual ranting about Jews and bankers and moneyed élites and the rest. He had recorded a widely distributed phonograph album (the era’s equivalent of a podcast) designed to make him seem, well, Chancellor-ish. He emphasized agricultural support and a return to better times, aiming, as Ryback writes, “to bridge divides of class and conscience, socialism and nationalism.” By the strange alchemy of demagoguery, a brief visit to the surface of sanity annulled years and years of crazy.

The Germans were voting, in the absent-minded way of democratic voters everywhere, for easy reassurances, for stability, with classes siding against their historical enemies. They weren’t wild-eyed nationalists voting for a millennial authoritarian regime that would rule forever and restore Germany to glory, and, certainly, they weren’t voting for an apocalyptic nightmare that would leave tens of millions of people dead and the cities of Germany destroyed. They were voting for specific programs that they thought would benefit them, and for a year’s insurance against the people they feared.

Ryback spends most of his time with two pillars of respectable conservative Germany, General Kurt von Schleicher and the right-wing media magnate Alfred Hugenberg. Utterly contemptuous of Hitler as a lazy buffoon—he didn’t wake up until eleven most mornings and spent much of his time watching and talking about movies—the two men still hated the Communists and even the center-left Social Democrats more than they did anyone on the right, and they spent most of 1932 and 1933 scheming to use Hitler as a stalking horse for their own ambitions.

Schleicher is perhaps first among Ryback’s too-clever-for-their-own-good villains, and the book presents a piercingly novelistic picture of him. Though in some ways a classic Prussian militarist, Schleicher, like so many of the German upper classes, was also a cultivated and cosmopolitan bon vivant, whom the well-connected journalist and diarist Bella Fromm called “a man of almost irresistible charm.” He was a character out of a Jean Renoir film, the regretful Junker caught in modern times. He had no illusions about Hitler (“What am I to do with that psychopath?” he said after hearing about his behavior), but, infinitely ambitious, he thought that Hitler’s call for strongman rule might awaken the German people to the need for a real strongman, i.e., Schleicher. Ryback tells us that Schleicher had a strategy he dubbed the Zähmungsprozess , or “taming process,” which was meant to sideline the radicals of the Nazi Party and bring the movement into mainstream politics. He publicly commended Hitler as a “modest, orderly man who only wants what is best” and who would follow the rule of law. He praised Hitler’s paramilitary troops, too, defending them against press reports of street violence. In fact, as Ryback explains, the game plan was to have the Brown Shirts crush the forces of the left—and then to have the regular German Army crush the Brown Shirts.

Schleicher imagined himself a master manipulator of men and causes. He liked to play with a menagerie of glass animal figurines on his desk, leaving the impression that lesser beings were mere toys to be handled. In June of 1932, he prevailed on Hindenburg to give the Chancellorship to Papen, a weak politician widely viewed as Schleicher’s puppet; Papen, in turn, installed Schleicher as minister of defense. Then they dissolved the Reichstag and held those July elections which, predictably, gave the Nazis a big boost.

Ryback spends many mordant pages tracking Schleicher’s whirling-dervish intrigues, as he tried to realize his fantasy of the Zähmungsprozess . Many of these involved schemes shared with the patriotic and staunchly anti-Nazi General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord (familiar to viewers of “Babylon Berlin” as Major General Seegers). Hammerstein was one of the few German officers to fully grasp Hitler’s real nature. At a meeting with Hitler in the spring of 1932, Hammerstein told him bluntly, “Herr Hitler, if you achieve power legally, that would be fine with me. If the circumstances are different, I will use arms.” He later felt reassured when Hindenburg intimated that, if the Nazi paramilitary troops acted, he could order the Army to fire on them.

Yet Hammerstein remained impotent. At various moments, Schleicher, as the minister of defense, entertained what was in effect a plan for imposing martial law with himself in charge and Hammerstein at his side. In retrospect, it was the last hope of protecting the republic from Hitler—but after President Hindenburg rejected it, not out of democratic misgivings but out of suspicion of Schleicher’s purposes, Hammerstein, an essentially tragic figure, was unable to act alone. He suffered from a malady found among decent military men suddenly thrust into positions of political power: his scruples were at odds with his habits of deference to hierarchy. Generals became generals by learning to take orders before they learned how to give them. Hammerstein hated Hitler, but he waited for someone else of impeccable authority to give a clear direction before he would act. (He went on waiting right through the war, as part of the equally impotent military nexus that wanted Hitler dead but, until it was too late, lacked the will to kill him.)

The extra-parliamentary actions that were fleetingly contemplated in the months after the election—a war in the streets, or, more likely, a civil confrontation leading to a military coup—seemed horrific. The trouble, unknowable to the people of the time, is that, since what did happen is the worst thing that has ever happened, any alternative would have been less horrific. One wants to shout to Hammerstein and his cohorts, Go ahead, take over the government! Arrest Hitler and his henchmen, rule for a few years, and then try again. It won’t be as bad as what happens next. But, of course, they cannot hear us. They couldn’t have heard us then.

Ryback’s gift for detail joins with a nice feeling for the black comedy of the period. He makes much sport of the attempts by foreign journalists resident in Germany, particularly the New York Times’ Frederick T. Birchall, to normalize the Nazi ascent—with Birchall continually assuring his readers that Hitler, an out-of-his-depth simpleton, was not the threat he seemed to be, and that the other conservatives were far more potent in their political maneuvering. When Papen made a speech denying that Hitler’s paramilitary forces represented “the German nation,” Birchall wrote that the speech “contained dynamite enough to change completely the political situation in the Reich.” On another occasion, Birchall wrote that “the Hitlerites” were deluded to think they “hold the best cards”; there was every reason to think that “the big cards, the ones that will really decide the game,” were in the hands of people such as Papen, Hindenburg, and, “above all,” Schleicher.

Ryback, focussing on the self-entrapped German conservatives, generally avoids the question that seems most obvious to a contemporary reader: Why was a coalition between the moderate-left Social Democrats and the conservative but far from Nazified Catholic Centrists never even seriously attempted? Given that Hitler had repeatedly vowed to use the democratic process in order to destroy democracy, why did the people committed to democracy let him do it?

Many historians have jousted with this question, but perhaps the most piercing account remains an early one, written less than a decade after the war by the émigré German scholar Lewis Edinger, who had known the leaders of the Social Democrats well and consulted them directly—the ones who had survived, that is—for his study. His conclusion was that they simply “trusted that constitutional processes and the return of reason and fair play would assure the survival of the Weimar Republic and its chief supporters.” The Social Democratic leadership had become a gerontocracy, out of touch with the generational changes beneath them. The top Social Democratic leaders were, on average, two decades older than their Nazi counterparts.

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Worse, the Social Democrats remained in the grip of a long struggle with Bismarckian nationalism, which, however oppressive it might have been, still operated with a broad idea of legitimacy and the rule of law. The institutional procedures of parliamentarianism had always seen the Social Democrats through—why would those procedures not continue to protect them? In a battle between demagoguery and democracy, surely democracy had the advantage. Edinger writes that Karl Kautsky, among the most eminent of the Party’s theorists, believed that after the election Hitler’s supporters would realize he was incapable of fulfilling his promises and drift away.

The Social Democrats may have been hobbled, too, by their commitment to team leadership—which meant that no single charismatic individual represented them. Proceduralists and institutionalists by temperament and training, they were, as Edinger demonstrates, unable to imagine the nature of their adversary. They acceded to Hitler’s ascent with the belief that by respecting the rules themselves they would encourage the other side to play by them as well. Even after Hitler consolidated his power, he was seen to have secured the Chancellorship by constitutional means. Edinger quotes Arnold Brecht, a fellow exiled statesman: “To rise against him on the first night would make the rebels the technical violators of the Constitution that they wanted to defend.”

Meanwhile, the centrist Catholics—whom Hitler shrewdly recognized as his most formidable potential adversaries—were handicapped in any desire to join with the Democratic Socialists by their fear of the Communists. Though the Communists had previously made various alliances of convenience with the Social Democrats, by 1932 they were tightly controlled by Stalin, who had ordered them to depict the Social Democrats as being as great a threat to the working class as Hitler.

And, when a rumor spread that Hitler had once spat out a Communion Host, it only made him more popular among Catholics, since it called attention to his Catholic upbringing. Indeed, most attempts to highlight Hitler’s personal depravities (including his possibly sexual relationship with his niece Geli, which was no secret in the press of the time; her apparent suicide, less than a year before the election, had been a tabloid scandal) made him more popular. In any case, Hitler was skilled at reassuring the Catholic center, promising to be “the strong protector of Christianity as the basis of our common moral order.”

Hitler’s hatred of parliamentary democracy, even more than his hatred of Jews, was central to his identity, Ryback emphasizes. Antisemitism was a regular feature of populist politics in the region: Hitler had learned much of it in his youth from the Vienna mayor Karl Lueger. But Lueger was a genuine populist democrat, who brought universal male suffrage to the city. Hitler’s originality lay elsewhere. “Unlike Hitler’s anti-Semitism, a toxic brew of pseudoscientific readings and malignant mentoring, Hitler’s hatred of the Weimar Republic was the result of personal observation of political processes,” Ryback writes. “He hated the haggling and compromise of coalition politics inherent in multiparty political systems.”

Second only to Schleicher in Ryback’s accounting of Hitler’s establishment enablers is the media magnate Alfred Hugenberg. The owner of the country’s leading film studio and of the national news service, which supplied some sixteen hundred newspapers, he was far from an admirer. He regarded Hitler as manic and unreliable but found him essential for the furtherance of their common program, and was in and out of political alliance with him during the crucial year.

Hugenberg had begun constructing his media empire in the late nineteen-teens, in response to what he saw as the bias against conservatives in much of the German press, and he shared Hitler’s hatred of democracy and of the Jews. But he thought of himself as a much more sophisticated player, and intended to use his control of modern media in pursuit of what he called a Katastrophenpolitik —a “catastrophe politics” of cultural warfare, in which the strategy, Ryback says, was to “flood the public space with inflammatory news stories, half-truths, rumors, and outright lies.” The aim was to polarize the public, and to crater anything like consensus. Hugenberg gave Hitler money as well as publicity, but Hugenberg had his own political ambitions (somewhat undermined by a personal aura described by his nickname, der Hamster) and his own party, and Hitler was furiously jealous of the spotlight. While giving Hitler support in his media—a support sometimes interrupted by impatience—Hugenberg urged him to act rationally and settle for Nazi positions in the cabinet if he could not have the Chancellorship.

What strengthened the Nazis throughout the conspiratorial maneuverings of the period was certainly not any great display of discipline. The Nazi movement was a chaotic mess of struggling in-groups who feared and despised one another. Hitler rightly mistrusted the loyalty even of his chief lieutenant, Gregor Strasser, who fell on the “socialist” side of the National Socialists label. The members of the S.A., the Storm Troopers, meanwhile, were loyal mainly to their own leader, Ernst Röhm, and embarrassed Hitler with their run of sexual scandals. The N.S.D.A.P. was a hive of internal antipathies that could resolve only in violence—a condition that would endure to the last weeks of the war, when, standing amid the ruins of Germany, Hitler was enraged to discover that Heinrich Himmler was trying to negotiate a separate peace with the Western Allies.

The strength of the Nazis lay, rather, in the curiously enclosed and benumbed character of their leader. Hitler was impossible to discourage, not because he ran an efficient machine but because he was immune to the normal human impediments to absolute power: shame, calculation, or even a desire to see a particular political program put in place. Hindenburg, knowing of Hitler’s genuinely courageous military service in the Great War, appealed in their meetings to his patriotism, his love of the Fatherland. But Hitler, an Austrian who did not receive German citizenship until shortly before the 1932 election, did not love the Fatherland. He ran on the hydrogen fuel of pure hatred. He did not want power in order to implement a program; he wanted power in order to realize his pain. A fascinating and once classified document, prepared for the precursor of the C.I.A. , the O.S.S., by the psychoanalyst Walter Langer, used first-person accounts to gauge the scale of Hitler’s narcissism: “It may be of interest to note at this time that of all the titles that Hitler might have chosen for himself he is content with the simple one of ‘Fuehrer.’ To him this title is the greatest of them all. He has spent his life searching for a person worthy of the role but was unable to find one until he discovered himself.” Or, as the acute Hungarian American historian John Lukacs, who spent a lifetime studying Hitler’s psychology, observed, “His hatred for his opponents was both stronger and less abstract than was his love for his people. That was (and remains) a distinguishing mark of the mind of every extreme nationalist.”

In November of 1932, one more Reichstag election was held. Once again, it was a bitter disappointment to Hitler and Goebbels—“a disaster,” as Goebbels declared on Election Night. (An earlier Presidential election had also reaffirmed Hindenburg over the Hitler movement.) The Nazi wave that everyone had expected failed to materialize. The Nazis lost seats, and, once again, they could not crack fifty per cent. The Times explained that the Hitler movement had passed its high-water mark, and that “the country is getting tired of the Nazis.” Everywhere, Ryback says, the cartoonists and editorialists delighted in Hitler’s discomfiture. One cartoonist showed him presiding over a graveyard of swastikas. In December of 1932, having lost three elections in a row, Hitler seemed to be finished.

The subsequent maneuverings are as dispiriting to read about as they are exhausting to follow. Basically, Schleicher conspired to have Papen fired as Chancellor by Hindenburg and replaced by himself. He calculated that he could cleave Gregor Strasser and the more respectable elements of the Nazis from Hitler, form a coalition with them, and leave Hitler on the outside looking in. But Papen, a small man in everything except his taste for revenge, turned on Schleicher in a rage and went directly to Hitler, proposing, despite his earlier never-Hitler views, that they form their own coalition. Schleicher’s plan to spirit Strasser away from Hitler and break the Nazi Party in two then stumbled on the reality that the real base of the Party was fanatically loyal only to its leader—and Strasser, knowing this, refused to leave the Party, even as he conspired with Schleicher to undermine it.

Then, in mid-January, a small regional election in Lipperland took place. Though the results were again disappointing for Hitler and Goebbels—the National Socialist German Workers’ Party still hadn’t surmounted the fifty-per-cent mark—they managed to sell the election as a kind of triumph. At Party meetings, Hitler denounced Strasser. The idea, much beloved by Schleicher and his allies, of breaking a Strasser wing of the Party off from Hitler became obviously impossible.

Hindenburg, in his mid-eighties and growing weak, became fed up with Schleicher’s Machiavellian stratagems and dispensed with him as Chancellor. Papen, dismissed not long before, was received by the President. He promised that he could form a working majority in the Reichstag by simple means: Hindenburg should go ahead and appoint Hitler Chancellor. Hitler, he explained, had made significant “concessions,” and could be controlled. He would want only the Chancellorship, and not more seats in the cabinet. What could go wrong? “You mean to tell me I have the unpleasant task of appointing this Hitler as the next Chancellor?” Hindenburg reportedly asked. He did. The conservative strategists celebrated their victory. “So, we box Hitler in,” Hugenberg said confidently. Papen crowed, “Within two months, we will have pressed Hitler into a corner so tight that he’ll squeak!”

“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the tools to its own destruction,” Goebbels said as the Nazis rose to power—one of those quotes that sound apocryphal but are not. The ultimate fates of Ryback’s players are varied, and instructive. Schleicher, the conservative who saw right through Hitler’s weakness—who had found a way to entrap him, and then use him against the left—was killed by the S.A. during the Night of the Long Knives, in 1934, when Hitler consolidated his hold over his own movement by murdering his less loyal lieutenants. Strasser and Röhm were murdered then, too. Hitler and Goebbels, of course, died by their own hands in defeat, having left tens of millions of Europeans dead and their country in ruins. But Hugenberg, sidelined during the Third Reich, was exonerated by a denazification court in the years after the war. And Papen, who had ushered Hitler directly into power, was acquitted at Nuremberg ; in the nineteen-fifties, he was awarded the highest honorary order of the Catholic Church.

Does history have patterns or merely circumstances and unique contingencies? Certainly, the Germany of 1932 was a place unto itself. The truth, that some cycles may recur but inexactly, is best captured in that fine aphorism “History does not repeat itself, but it sometimes rhymes.” Appropriately, no historian is exactly sure who said this: widely credited to Mark Twain , it was more likely first said long after his death.

We see through a glass darkly, as patterns of authoritarian ambition seem to flash before our eyes: the demagogue made strong not by conviction but by being numb to normal human encouragements and admonitions; the aging center left; the media lords who want something like what the demagogue wants but in the end are controlled by him; the political maneuverers who think they can outwit the demagogue; the resistance and sudden surrender. Democracy doesn’t die in darkness. It dies in bright midafternoon light, where politicians fall back on familiarities and make faint offers to authoritarians and say a firm and final no—and then wake up a few days later and say, Well, maybe this time, it might all work out, and look at the other side! Precise circumstances never repeat, yet shapes and patterns so often recur. In history, it’s true, the same thing never happens twice. But the same things do. ♦

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By Gideon Lewis-Kraus

By Benjamin Kunkel

By Andrew Marantz

Father of two presumed dead after Maryland bridge collapse, family says

(CNN) - A 38-year-old father of two was one of eight people doing maintenance work on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when a ship collided with it, causing it to collapse on Tuesday.

Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval was originally from Honduras but had been living in the United States for the last 18 years. He was married with an 18-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, according to his family.

The search for victims was suspended Tuesday night due to difficult weather conditions.

While Sandoval’s family says they are holding out hope he will be found alive, at this point, they just want his body recovered.

The other victims include two Guatemalan nationals, an El Salvador immigrant and Mexican nationals.

Copyright 2024 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.

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Guest Essay

Heavy Lies the Crown

By Tina Brown

Ms. Brown is the author of “The Diana Chronicles” and “The Palace Papers.”

I was in London last week when the febrile madness of Where Is Kate? was blowing up social media, and the Curious Mystery of the Doctored Mother’s Day Photograph consumed every news outlet and dinner table conversation.

After The Associated Press issued a kill notification on the botched photoshopped image of a suspiciously glossy Princess of Wales surrounded by her beaming progeny, there was a typical outburst of tabloid pomposity questioning whether Kensington Palace could ever be considered a trusted source of news.

Huh? When was the last time any tabloid considered the palace a trusted source of news? As the editor of Vanity Fair in 1985, I wrote a piece revealing that Prince Charles and Princess Diana were having awful marital fights. The palace roundly denied it, and the royal couple denied it in a television interview , confirming in my mind — correctly, as it turned out — that it was all true.

But this time, the volume and tenor of the gossip was off the charts. In all the raucous, salacious and often cruel rumormongering about Catherine, almost no one considered that behind the scenes something tragic was unfolding. When social media shrieked that there would be a very somber press announcement on Friday, royal-watchers assumed it would be from King Charles, who is battling an unspecified cancer .

But then the bombshell: Catherine announced in a video message that she, too, had cancer. After which there has rightly been a wave of cosmic shame about what this gracious public servant has been made to endure.

Catherine’s explanation of her cancer diagnosis was composed and moving, her face strained but brave. Filmed on a bench against a glimpse of spring daffodils, here was an ill woman trying to cope with a shocking diagnosis and painful medical treatment while shielding her young, worried children from the vultures of modern media.

I am told the turmoil behind the scenes has been intense, resulting in what has felt like a series of baffling press screw-ups. We hear often of Prince Harry’s hatred of the press . If possible, Prince William — while concealing it better — hates the press even more. His bloody-minded determination to stick to his grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s script of “never complain, never explain” is magical thinking in the era of the social media maelstrom, creating a vacuum filled by rumor and deranged conspiracy theories.

The almost simultaneous news of Charles’s cancer has put William and Catherine in frightening proximity to ascending the throne just when they had hoped for a span of years to parent their children out of the public eye. The prospect of it, I am told, is causing them intense anxiety.

Help from other family members is scant, aside from the redoubtable Princess Anne , Charles’s sister, and the good-egg Gaiety Girl Queen Camilla. The slimmed-down monarchy that Charles always promoted is suddenly looking very lean indeed. The combination of the Harry and Meghan clown show in Montecito, Calif.; the fusillades from Harry’s memoir, “ Spare ”; and the disgrace of Prince Andrew — who has little social contact with anyone except his horse — have put William and Catherine under unmanageable pressure.

Catherine is the most popular member of the royal family after William. The future of the monarchy hangs by a thread, and that thread is her.

It may not be a popular thought, but in many ways I blame the predicament and weakness of the monarchy today on Queen Elizabeth. It’s possible that future generations will see her as the Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the British monarchy. She stayed too long, and by doing so, left behind a legacy that may be the opposite of what she wanted.

The time for Elizabeth II to step down was not long after her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the year I have come to think of as peak London, when Britain dazzlingly hosted the Olympics. Elizabeth II had embarked on a triumphantly healing visit for the first time to the Republic of Ireland in 2011 , Charles proved he was a settled married man at last to Camilla, Harry was a national hero after two military tours of Afghanistan, and William and Kate Middleton had recently tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in a blaze of national good will.

It would have been such a gift to her heirs if at that glorious moment Elizabeth II had stepped aside, as Margrethe II, the queen of Denmark, did in January 2024. After 52 years on the throne, she announced her abdication in her New Year’s address with the elegant explanation that “the time takes its toll.”

Instead, Elizabeth II stayed on some 10 years — to the end. Apparently to honor her oath to serve “my whole life, whether it be long or short,” but actually because she loved her job. She had seen how bored and marginalized the Queen Mother felt when, widowed young by George VI and deprived of power dinners with heads of state or the inside scoop from her husband’s tête-à-têtes with the prime minister, she was relegated to boring rounds of cutting ribbons in those huge feathery hats . No, Elizabeth II loved the world of politics and power as much as she did breeding horses and tramping the heather of her Balmoral estate.

But her 70-year reign has left a pileup of heirs infantilized by too little to do and trapped by a dusty structure that should have been reformed decades ago.

Charles, full of prescient ideas, inventive concepts of philanthropy and imaginative plans of how to modernize the monarchy, saw his hopes and dreams curdle as he waited and waited to put them into action. The beleaguered flexitarian was allowed to marry the woman he loved only when he was 56 years old. Even with the best prognosis for his cancer, he has been left with a rueful rump of a reign. His sad-sack motto was always “just my luck,” but that has never seemed more true than now.

And William, instead of taking over the Duchy of Cornwall estates in his early 30s and creating a space for the popular Harry to develop a strong portfolio of his own, ended up in a rivalrous relationship with his younger brother that exploded irretrievably when Meghan Markle entered the scene. A less hidebound palace might have come up with a more creative way to solve the Sussex imbroglio.

The fascination of the crown will always be the tension between a venerable institution and the human beings who are trapped inside it. Isn’t it just too cruel to expect modern mortals to live and love and parent in such a blisteringly unforgiving media gaze?

Catherine is battling more — much more — than cancer. A tidal wave of premature responsibility is crashing in her and William’s direction. Frozen, unready and with Catherine now seriously unwell, the Prince and Princess of Wales await the awesome burden of the crown.

Tina Brown is the author of “The Diana Chronicles” and “The Palace Papers.”

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I Hope You All Feel Terrible Now

How the internet—and Stephen Colbert—hounded Kate Middleton into revealing her diagnosis

Updated at 4:04 p.m ET on March 22, 2024

For many years, the most-complained-about cover of the British satirical magazine Private Eye was the one it published in the week after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. At the time, many people in Britain were loudly revolted by the tabloid newspapers that had hounded Diana after her divorce from Charles, and by the paparazzi whose quest for profitable pictures of the princess ended in an underpass in Paris.

Under the headline “Media to Blame,” the Eye cover carried a photograph of a crowd outside Buckingham Palace, with three speech bubbles. The first was: “The papers are a disgrace.” The next two said: “Yeah, I couldn’t get one anywhere” and “Borrow mine, it’s got a picture of the car.” People were furious. Sacks of angry, defensive mail arrived for days afterward, and several outlets withdrew the magazine from sale. (I am an Eye contributor, and these events have passed into office legend.) But with the benefit of hindsight, the implication was accurate: Intruding on the private lives of the royals is close to a British tradition. We Britons might have the occasional fit of remorse, but that doesn’t stop us. And now, because of the internet, everyone else can join in too.

Read: Just asking questions about Kate Middleton

That cover instantly sprang to mind when, earlier today, the current Princess of Wales announced that she has cancer. In a video recorded on Wednesday in Windsor, the former Kate Middleton outlined her diagnosis in order to put an end to weeks of speculation, largely incubated online but amplified and echoed by mainstream media outlets, about the state of her health and marriage.

Kate has effectively been bullied into this statement, because the alternative—a wildfire of gossip and conspiracy theories—was worse. So please, let’s not immediately switch into maudlin recriminations about how this happened. It happened because people felt they had the right to know Kate’s private medical information. The culprits may include three staff members at the London hospital that treated her, who have been accused of accessing her medical records, perhaps driven by the same curiosity that has lit up my WhatsApp inbox for weeks. Everyone hates the tabloid papers, until they become them.

In her statement, Kate said that after her abdominal surgery earlier in the year, which the press was told at the time was “planned”—a word designed to minimize its seriousness—later tests revealed an unspecified cancer. She is now undergoing “preventative chemotherapy,” but has not revealed the progression of the disease, or her exact prognosis. “I am well,” she said, promising that she is getting stronger every day. “I hope you will understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.”

This news will surely make many people feel bad. The massive online guessing game about the reasons for Kate’s invisibility seems far less fun now. Stephen Colbert’s “spilling the tea” monologue , which declared open season on the princess’s marriage, should probably be quietly interred somewhere. The sad simplicity of today’s statement, filmed on a bench with Kate in casual jeans and a striped sweater, certainly gave me pause. She mentioned the difficulty of having to “process” the news, as well as explaining her condition to her three young children in terms they could understand. The reference to the importance of “having William by my side” was pointed, given how much of the speculation has gleefully dwelt on the possibility that she was leaving him or vice versa.

Read: The eternal scrutiny of Kate Middleton

However, the statement also reveals that the online commentators who suggested that the royal household was keeping something from the public weren’t entirely wrong. Kate’s condition was described as noncancerous when her break from public life was announced in late January . The updated diagnosis appears to have been delivered in February, around the time her husband, Prince William, abruptly pulled out of speaking at a memorial service for the former king of Greece. Today’s statement represents a failure of Kensington Palace to control the narrative: first, by publishing a photograph of Kate and her children that was so obviously edited that photo agencies retracted it, and second, by giving its implicit permission for the publication of a grainy video of the couple shopping in Windsor over the weekend. Neither of those decisions quenched the inferno raging online—in fact, they fed it.

Some will say that Kate has finally done what she should have done much earlier: directly address the rumors in an official video, rather than drip-feed images that raised more questions than they answered. King Charles III has taken a different approach to his own (also unspecified) cancer, allowing footage to be filmed of him working from home. But then again, Kate has cancer at 42, is having chemo, and has three young children. Do you really have it in you to grade her media strategy and find it wanting?

Ironically, Britain’s tabloid papers have shown remarkable restraint; as I wrote earlier this month , they declined to publish the first paparazzi pictures of Kate taken after her withdrawal from public life. They have weighted their decisions toward respect and dignity—more so than the Meghan stans, royal tea-spillers, and KateGate theorists, who have generated such an unstoppable wave of interest in this story that its final destination was a woman with cancer being forced to reveal her diagnosis. If you ever wanted proof that the “mainstream media” are less powerful than ever before, this video of Kate Middleton sitting on a bench is it.