Culture and art
Germany is a nation with a thriving cultural life. Its rich cultural and artistic sector is constantly developing and moving forward.
Insight
Well-known names and new voices
Germany is known for its famous “Dichter und Denker”, its poets and thinkers. In its openness to the outside world, too, German art can look back over a long tradition.
Facts and figures
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130 professional orchestras
Around a quarter of all professional orchestras worldwide are based in Germany.
140 city and state theatres
Alongside the publicly-run institutions, there are also independent private theatres.
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7,200 museums and galleries
Even outside of the big cities, Germany boasts a diverse museum landscape.
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3,000 cultural preservation projects
Since 1981 the Federal Foreign Office has been supporting the preservation of historical cultural assets in 144 countries.
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130 million native speakers of German
German is the most widely spoken mother tongue in the EU.
15.5 million German language-learners
Worldwide, there are 140 German schools abroad and 2,000 schools with a strong focus on German language teaching.
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157 Goethe-Instituts in 98 countries
The Goethe-Institut is the internationally active cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Background
Culture and democracy
Independence and diversity in art are valued and encouraged in Germany.
