• German has long been a key language of culture, the arts, philosophy and the social and natural sciences.
  • For better and for worse, Germany has played a significant role in European and world history, while united Germany is one of the driving forces behind European integration and economic development. As a result, German is an important language—not just in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland—but also as a second language throughout the continent.