Germany

Germany: capital Berlin, population 83.5M, area 357,114 km². The 19th most populous country, in Europe. Facts, map, neighbours and more.

Germany lies at the centre of Europe, where rivers and trade routes long connected many independent cities and states. Gutenberg's press, laboratory discoveries and the Bauhaus each changed how knowledge, science or design travelled beyond its borders. Medieval cathedrals, industrial railways and the opening of the Berlin Wall mark distinct chapters in that history.

• Johannes Gutenberg printed his two-volume Bible in Mainz around 1454 using movable metal type; approximately 180 copies were produced on paper or vellum.
• Martin Luther sent his 95 Theses to Archbishop Albrecht on 31 October 1517; printed editions soon carried the Latin text through German cities.
• The steam locomotive Adler opened Germany's first steam-hauled public railway on 7 December 1835, covering six kilometres from Nuremberg to Fürth in nine minutes.
• On 9 November 1989, Günter Schabowski's televised answer about new travel rules sent crowds to checkpoints, where guards opened the Berlin Wall crossings.

• In 1888, Bertha Benz drove 106 kilometres from Mannheim to Pforzheim with her two sons, completing the first long-distance automobile journey.
• Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published 86 stories in their first fairy-tale volume in 1812, followed by 70 more in a second volume in 1815.
• Max Planck introduced energy quanta and the constant h in 1900, work that earned him the 1918 Nobel Prize in Physics.
• Robert Koch announced the bacterium causing tuberculosis in Berlin in 1882; his methods and discoveries brought him the 1905 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

• Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 and ended in 1880; its twin spires reach 157.22 metres above a building 144.5 metres long.
• Neuschwanstein's foundation stone was laid on 5 September 1869, but the project remained unfinished, with only about 15 of more than 200 planned rooms completed.
• Berlin's Brandenburg Gate was built from 1788 to 1791 with 12 Doric columns; the quadriga sculpture was placed above it in 1793.
• Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie wraps its upper structure in about 1,100 glass elements, while an 82-metre curved escalator carries visitors toward the concert halls.

• Bavaria's 1516 brewing ordinance specified barley, hops and water as beer ingredients; yeast was not listed because its role in fermentation was not yet understood.
• Oktoberfest began with the 1810 wedding celebrations of Crown Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, ending with a public horse race on 17 October.
• Friedrich Fröbel named his educational institution Kindergarten in 1840, expressing his idea that young children should grow through guided play and practical activity.
• The Bauhaus opened in Weimar on 12 April 1919, moved to Dessau in 1925 and closed under pressure in Berlin in July 1933.

What is the capital of Germany?

The capital of Germany is Berlin.

What is the population of Germany?

Germany has about 83.5M people — the 19th most populous country in the world.

How big is Germany?

Germany covers 357,114 km², making it the 62nd largest country by area.

Which region is Germany in?

Germany is in Western Europe, Europe.