British-German Association (BGA)

The German History Society is proud to release the call for papers for our 2026 Annual Conference, held this year at the University of Stirling!

The deadline for papers is the 14 April 2026.

For more information check our website here: www.germanhistorysociety.org/conference/

#FunFactFriday: Bread is so beloved and important in Germany, that it was included in the UNESCO list of the world’s most ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’? According to the German Institute for Bread there are now over 3200 different types!

Do you have a particular favourite?

Spring is in the air, so why not add a bit of Lüften into your routine?

The German habit of opening windows for 5-15min daily helps replace stale air, prevent mould, and boost wellbeing. It’s done year-round, without fail. Try it in your ‘spring clean’ routine! 💨

The 2nd 🇩🇪🇬🇧 podium for Skeleton this past week! What a moment.

If you missed it, it’s well worth a watch to catch the wonderful support and sportsmanship between the national teams.

It’s been an exciting #WinterOlympics for both teams this year. Any moments that’ve stayed with you?

#WordyWednesday: Celebrating #LunarNewYear and Year of the Horse with some horse-themed German sayings 🐴🏮

We have ‘hold your horses’ and ‘don’t look a gift horse in the mouth’ - but German horse idioms often paint very different pictures!

Know any other German horse-themed sayings?

We’re delighted to hear that Ross received a formal invitation to become a member of the Group going forward.

Thank you, Ross, for representing the BGA and for contributing to such a thoughtful and forward-looking discussion on UK-German initiatives in Scotland! (2/2) 🇩🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Last week, our Edinburgh Rep, Ross McEwen, spoke on behalf of the BGA at the Cross Party Group on Germany at the Scottish Parliament.

After giving an insight into BGA's aims and ambitions, an encouraging discussion followed on German language learning and UK-German twinning in Scotland. (1/2)

Germany’s ‘fifth season’ celebrations are underway! #Karneval parades jam-packed with colourful outfits, masks and music will take centre-stage in many German cities and towns in the next few days.

Have you got any fond memories of #Karneval celebrations? We’d love to hear about them!

Those are great classics, and both in an iconic German film too!! Will have to rewatch to see this in action

Following on from our post about ‘Glückspilz’, we’re highlighting some more luck-themed expressions in German for this week’s #WordyWednesday!

Are there any other German expressions or symbols associated with luck you know of, that mirror or differ from British culture?

#WhyLearnGerman? To appreciate the unique ways the language and culture expresses luck! In German, a lucky person might be called a ‘Glückspilz’, or lucky mushroom. It reflects how luck has found them as quickly as mushrooms appear from the ground. It’s even inspired this sweet garden decoration!

#FunFactFriday 🚂 Did you know Hamburg is home to the world’s largest model railway? Miniatur Wunderland recreates global scenes in stunning miniature detail, with over 15.4km of track! It’s consistently one of Germany’s top tourist attractions.

#visitgermany #miniaturwunderland #hamburg

#WordyWednesday: Managed to find a recent bargain? Instead of using the typical English sayings like ‘for a song’, ‘for peanuts’ or ‘as cheap as chips’, why not mix it up and use the German equivalents? Funnily enough, they also have links to food…

Our U35 event, co-organised with Chatham House’s QEII Academy! We were honoured to have Jill Gallard, former UK Ambassador to Germany, speak on diplomacy held at Deutsche Bank’s London HQ. Thank you to our attendees, Deutsche Bank and of course Jill Gallard for an exciting and inspiring evening! 🇩🇪🇬🇧

#FunFactFriday: Germany is home to the world's narrowest street! The almost 300-year old street in Reutlingen is a popular tourist attraction... Spreuerhofstraße is in fact only 31cm at its narrowest, narrowly (pun intended) beating Parliament Street in Exeter for the Guinness World Record!

This week’s #WordyWednesday is embracing the wintry feel... Have you heard of “Schnee von Gestern”? It’s a great way to say that something is old news. It can even be used in a way that matches the English saying ‘water under the bridge’, depending on the context of conversation! #ShoutOutForGerman

Learning German has many benefits for young people – and it’s not as hard as its reputation suggests Learning a language gives you unique insights into different cultures, societies and perspectives.

Happy #ShoutOutForGerman week! Learning #German has lots of benefits, it’s fun and not as hard as some may think: theconversation.com/learning-ger... @uk.theconversation.com @goethe-institut-uk.bsky.social @daad-uk-ireland.bsky.social @uk.diplo.de @ags-gbi.bsky.social @britgerassoc.bsky.social

Thank you Deutsches Institut für Gutes Leben, Dr Rob Keeling, Dr Jurgen Grotz & Prof Bryony Hoskins for a great collaboration 🙌
The BGA was delighted to join this event at the RSA on citizen education, democracy & the future of volunteering.

#WordyWednesday: we’re diving back into German’s amazing one-worders! There’s something special about capturing a fleeting feeling into a single word, and German really does it best. What word mash-up would you create as an English equivalent?

#FunFactFriday: 🇩🇪 has more zoos than any other country in Europe, and is 2nd 🌍. Berlin Zoo even welcomed 3.85m visitors in 2023, and was interestingly inspired by London’s Zoological Garden before opening in 1844. Have you managed to visit? And do you remember the iconic polar bear, Knut? 🐻‍❄️

#WordyWednesday 🥣 German has a great phrase for “to beat around the bush”: um den heißen Brei herumreden, literally meaning “to talk around the hot porridge.” Same meaning but with a nice wintry feel to it!

Dinner for One - hier anschauen Ein Butler, eine Lady, viel Alkohol und ein Tigerfell: das ist 'Dinner for One'. Dazu gehören noch die längst verstorbenen Freunde von Miss Sophie, Mr. Winterbottom, Mr. Pommeroy, Admiral von Schneide...

You can watch it via the NDR link below, and even listen to the German-exclusive introduction from Heinz Piper. Maybe this evening is the perfect time to give it a watch and join the tradition!
www.ardmediathek.de/video/dinner...

Watching Dinner for One: “the same procedure every year!”🍾

This 🇬🇧 sketch has become a NYE's tradition in 🇩🇪 - up to half of the population tune in each year. It’s usually shown without subtitles, relying purely on its physical comedy. Some fans even recreate Sophie’s meal!👇

A lively and fulfilling year for the BGA, marked by inspiring events, thoughtful discussions, and meaningful connections. From panels to cultural gatherings, we brought people together to strengthen 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 ties. Grateful to our members and partners for their support.

One of Germany’s iconic festive decorations: Räuchermänner!

Meaning “smoking men”, these wooden incense figures come from the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) in eastern Germany. Hand-carved, they release fragrant smoke through the mouth, bringing each character to life.
#Räuchermann

Lebkuchenherzen are a familiar sight at 🇩🇪 Xmas markets. Unlike soft lebkuchen, these are much harder - usually bought as souvenirs or gifts, not snacks. They come wrapped in film and with ribbons to hang up, with messages ranging from sweet, to more tongue-in-cheek! 🤎

#WordyWednesday: Party season is here! Work-dos, reunions, and all the Christmas celebrations are in full-swing. If you’re looking for a fun way to describe the livelier gatherings you’ll be heading to at the end of this year, remember the saying ‘“da steppt der Bär”! 🐻💃

A little insight into our Carols and Readings event with the Christuskirche in Knightsbridge last week. A lovely evening packed full of hymns and readings in 🇩🇪and 🇬🇧, Glühwein and Lebkuchen! Have a listen to Fever Pitch Choir’s ‘Es is ein Ros entsprungen’.

UK band Radiohead wrap up their Europe tour in Berlin tonight. 🇩🇪 music has played a part in inspiring them: the band often cites Krautrock, especially Cologne band CAN. Thom Yorke even referred to Krautrock synths and knowledge of ‘70s 🇩🇪 when scoring Suspiria (2018)!

State dinners show off national pride, and this 1958 Guildhall menu cover says it all. With the State Visit last week, it’s fun to compare menus from different times. Take a look at last week’s compared to the 1958 luncheon. What would you serve at a 🇬🇧-🇩🇪 state dinner?