Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in central Europe with about 81 million inhabitants. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic, to the south by Austria and Switzerland and to the west by France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Germany consists of 16 states. The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the European Union and of the United Nations. A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic people, has been known and documented before AD th 100. In the 10 century, German territories formed the Holy Roman Empire which lasted until 1806. In 1949, after the Second World War, Germany was divided into two separate states – East Germany and West Germany. The reunification took place in 1990. Germany has had the European currency, the Euro, since 1999. Germany is well-known for its forests, which cover around one third of the area. We have a temperate seasonal climate which causes a large number of species concerning plants and animals. Christianity is the largest religion in Germany, 32 per cent of the Germans are Protestants, 31 per cent are Catholics, followed by Islam (5 per cent). Nearly 30 per cent of the Germans have no registered religious denomination. German is the official and mostly spoken language in Germany. You will find a lot of varieties and dialects of German as well as minority and immigrant languages. Sport forms an integral part of German life. One in three Germans is a member of a sports club, with football being the most popular kind of sports. The German Football Association is the largest sports organisation of its kind worldwide. The German National Football Team won the FIFA World Cup in 1954, 1974 and 1990. Michael Schumacher, the most successful Formula One driver in the world, made Germany into one of the leading motorsports countries. Although Germany cuisine
varies from region to region
there are some common features. Meat is often eaten in sausage form. More than 1500 types of sausages are produced in Germany. The most popular vegetables are potatoes, cabbage, carrots, peas and beans. More than 300 types of bread are sold in bakery shops throughout the country.
Nauen Our little town Nauen is situated west of Germany’s capital Berlin. It got town charter in 1292. In the centre you can see many medieval houses, most of which have been carefully renovated during the past few years. In 2003 many villages around Nauen were integrated in the town, so that now over 16,000 people live here. Nauen has always been connected to technical progress. Whereas in the middle ages wind mills could be seen from far away, today everybody recognises Nauen by the over 100 wind turbines and the big antennas of the radio transmitting station. Nauen lies in the beautiful area Havelland, named after the river Havel, and often people from the city of Berlin come here to enjoy the nature and the quiet. For over 650 years Nauen has had a fish in its coat of arms. In former times it was a pike, but around 1720 the Nauen inhabitants did not want to have a predatory fish in their coat of arms any longer and it was changed into a carp, which corresponded to the peaceful character of the town. History plays an important part in the social life of the town. Once the Nauen people were proud of not being simple farmers but “Ackerbürger”, which means “townsman who farms a smallholding”. One of the most famous festivals that take place every year is the “Ackerbürgerfest” where people wear traditional clothes and show medieval life.
Graf von Arco school was built in 1974 and completely renovated in 1998/1999. There are 260 students at our school. We used to have pupils aged 12 to 16 (year 7 to year 10), but in September 2009 a primary part was integrated in our school. We now have three forms of 6-7-year-old pupils, and in 2014 our school will have forms from year 1 to year 10.
Our school offers a wide range of sports lessons in addition to the normal PE lessons. Students can choose between football, volleyball, badminton, table tennis of fitness training.
From Monday to Thursday there are 8 lessons every day from 7.45 am to 3 pm, on Fridays we finish at noon. Each lesson is 45 minutes. In addition to German and Maths students learn sciences and arts. English is taught as a compulsory foreign language, later students may choose French or Russian.
Practical work plays an important part in our daily school life. Students learn a lot about different jobs and professions in various projects. That way they are well-prepared for their future life. A special highlight at our school is the Christmas concert. There the little school choir “ArcoTeens” and “Arco-Kids” perform songs and poems or play their instruments.