Page 27 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

A POR TR AIT OF GERM AN Y  25

legends. This poem was the inspiration for
Richard Wagner’s cycle of operas, The Ring of
the Nibelungen, as well as for a trilogy of
plays by Christian Friedrich Hebbel and a
film by Fritz Lang.
Germans have won eight Nobel Prizes
for literature. One of the most recent
prize-winner was Günter Grass, whose
Tin Drum brought him world renown.
More recently a film adaptation of the
book was made by Volker Schlöndorff, The historical Frohnauer hammer forge near
which won the Golden Palm at the Annaberg in Saxony
Cannes Film Festival. After a relatively
stagnant period, the German film industry fact that, in the past, local dukes acquired
became revitalized around 1995 with a collections of art in order to impress
number of hits, albeit only at the national others and to demonstrate their wealth.
level. German cinemas are now always full The Bavarian dukes also built up
and traditional cinemas are increasingly extensive collections of machines,
being replaced by multiplexes. artisans’ tools, musical instruments
Germans read widely, even in today’s and minerals. As early as the
age of television and the internet. Every 16th century, Munich was an
year around 75,000 new books are international centre of the arts
published in Germany and eight and the Grünes Gewölbe in
times that many titles are on sale. 17th-century Dresden was one
Germany is second only to the of the largest treasuries for storing
United States in the number of fine art in Europe. Of the many
books published annually, while art galleries to be found through-
the number of bookshops per out Germany, the finest are in
square kilometre is the Cologne, Frankfurt, Stutt gart,
highest in the world. The Lorelei overlooking the Rhine Munich and Berlin.
same applies to museums Music also flourishes
and art galleries. in Germany. Many cities have their
Germany has over 6,000 national, own symphony orchestra and opera
provincial and local history museums, company and every year some 600
including numerous church museums, regional and local music festivals
folk museums and former royal palaces. take place. Musical comedies are
This variety and choice owes much to the especially popular.

The imposing Schönburg Castle, near Oberwesel on the Rhine

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