Facts and useful information about the German language: Learn German in Vienna
To learn German in Vienna is a good decision. Vienna is one of the world’s most beautiful cities. An international city-ranking study rated Vienna behind Zürich in Switzerland and Vancouver in Canada as the city with the highest quality of life. Vienna is also one of the most favourably priced metropolises in Europe–the cost-benefit relationship is just right.
The German language
German is one of the most important languages of trade, and will only gain in significance with the eastward expansion of the EU.
Learn German: German as an important language of trade
Worldwide there are approximately 130 native speakers of German, and 16 million people learning German.
German is spoken as a native language in more European countries than English, Spanish, French or Italian. German is spoken in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, in parts of Belgium, in northern Italy, and in the east of France.
Worldwide, German is second to English as the most important language in trade, tourism and diplomacy. In the Internet, too, German is the undisputed number 2.
German as language of culture and learning
Many major poets, thinkers and musicians spoke and wrote their works in the German language. Among the most famous Austrians are the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sigmund Freud from Vienna, founder of psychoanalysis, and the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.
In science too, German is a significant language. Many important theories were formulated in the German language. That has changed little in the age of the Internet: Next to English, German is the most important language on the net. So being able to read original texts in German language will also be increasingly important for many people in the future.
On the history of the language: The history of the German language goes back about 1,200 years. Today, we divide the history of the German language into four periods: Old High German, which was spoken between 750 and 1050; Middle High German, spoken between 1050 and 1350; Early Modern High German, spoken from 1350 to 1650, and Modern High German, spoken since 1650.
The most important figures in the development of the German language were Martin Luther and the Brothers Grimm. Martin Luther translated the Bible into German around 1500. Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm lived around 1800, were the founders of German philology, and are regarded as the creators of the first German dictionary.
Learning German in Vienna: The German language in Vienna
Contrary to the assumptions of many, people in Vienna speak High German. Facts and Fallacies about German in Vienna: the DeutschAkademie sets the record straight.
In the spoken language there are variations from the standard German language in all regions. The German dialect in Cologne is called “Kölsch”, the dialect in Frankfurt am Main “Hessisch”, the German dialect in Berlin “Berlinerisch” or “Preussisch” (Prussian), the dialect in Munich “Bayrisch” (Bavarian)…and the German dialect in Vienna is called “Wienerisch”. However, you hardly ever hear anyone in these cities speaking “Kölsch”, “Berlinerisch”, “Bayrisch” or “Wienerisch”. These German dialects are increasingly disappearing in favour of the standard German language. And so in Vienna too most people converse in High German.
To many people, the German spoken in Vienna sounds more melodious than the German spoken in Hamburg or Berlin. Moreover, people speak somewhat slower in Vienna than in most German cities.
At the DeutschAkademie Standard German is taught using recognized teaching plans, methods and textbooks. You will learn German in small groups and with qualified teachers. Learn German and experience Vienna!