# I'm learning to read German. Good German webpages? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 13, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858 "2007-01-13T20:11:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/1 "2007-01-13T20:11:30Z")
As part of my course of study in Philosophy, I’m learning to read German. I am wondering if anyone can recommend some good, interesting webpages in German for me to practice and test my progress on? It occurs to me that there’s a German version of Wikipedia, so that will probably be a fun place to look. Any other recommendations? German newspapers, german pages about literature and/or philosophy, stuff like that? I’d even be interested in looking at material that is more colloquial, like discussion forums and things like that. You know, like a discussion forum. German movie reviews? That could be interesting… Anyway… Suggestions? Thanks! -Kris ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/2 "2007-01-13T20:26:16Z")
[Der Spiegel](http://www.spiegel.de/) ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/3 "2007-01-13T21:10:06Z")
[www.brettspielwelt.de](http://www.brettspielwelt.de) ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/4 "2007-01-13T21:58:29Z")
A directory of German-language fora can be found at [http://dmoz.org/World/Deutsch/Computer/Internet/Chats\_und\_Foren/](http://dmoz.org/World/Deutsch/Computer/Internet/Chats_und_Foren/) (for web sites in German in general [http://dmoz.org/World/Deutsch/](http://dmoz.org/World/Deutsch/) is a good starting point too). I second [http://www.spiegel.de/](http://www.spiegel.de/) (Spiegel Online). I assume from your post that you are at beginner level? ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/5 "2007-01-13T22:20:45Z")
Hmm…Der Spiegel? I don’t know if that is such a great choice for a relative beginner. Personally, I find Der Spiegel dry as dust…they can go on for 20 pages about some local election in some obscure village that only interests perhaps 12 people. OK, slight exaggeration, but that magazine does tend to be a bit long-winded, very heavy on political nuance, and not exactly a light read. I would suggest [Stern Magazin](http://www.stern.de/) - it isn’t exactly highbrow, but it does a decent job at covering news and has some interesting features. You could also try [Tip Magazin](http://www.berlinonline.de/tip/index.php) that is a Berlin version of Village Voice/The Reader etc. Lots of local scene coverage, movie reviews, music reviews, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/6 "2007-01-14T01:29:37Z")
Thanks for the links, everyone, and: Holy crap, I can read German! 🙂 At the link to Tip Magazine, near the top of the home page, I saw the following two sentences: > [@Tip](#): > > Kann und darf man über Hitler lachen? Schreiben Sie uns hier ihre Meinung. I’ve only had a week of German so far, but I’m pretty sure I understand what you just read! Can any German speakers tell me if this is the correct translation? > [@translation](#): > > Can, and should, one laugh about Hitler? Go here to write your thoughts. I take it when you follow the “here” link you go to a form to write your opinion on the topic, or maybe to a discussion forum where people are talking about it or something. Stiltedness aside, does that look like the correct translation to you guys? (I’m not sure what “uns” means so I had to kind of guess around it.) -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/7 "2007-01-14T02:19:28Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] Any Good German webpages? [/QUOTE] > **[WarnerBros.com | The Good German | Movies](https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/good-german)** > > Who knows what American journalist Jake Geismer (George Clooney) expected to find in postwar Berlin? Peace, maybe. Or at least a story. Sorry, couldn’t resist! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/8 "2007-01-14T02:53:36Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] Thanks for the links, everyone, and: Holy crap, I can read German! 🙂 I take it when you follow the “here” link you go to a form to write your opinion on the topic, or maybe to a discussion forum where people are talking about it or something. Stiltedness aside, does that look like the correct translation to you guys? (I’m not sure what “uns” means so I had to kind of guess around it.) -FrL- [/QUOTE] Yep - you nailed the gist of it…and “uns” is the German word for “us”…so the last sentence would be “Write us your opinion here” which provides a link to probably a form, or forum, as you guessed. BTW, I think you have to register (for free) to get on that site, but I didn’t look very closely and only remember the magazine from back when I lived in Berlin. It was the magazine to read if you wanted to know what is happening in Berlin - plus it used to have page after page of people looking to hook up (in a micro font that required me to carry a magnifying glass, and was impossible to read unless you had a spotlight aimed at the page!) Also had good listings for apartments, some jobs and lots of organizations and clubs. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/9 "2007-01-14T14:51:34Z")
[QUOTE=Girl Next Door] > **[WarnerBros.com | The Good German | Movies](https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/good-german)** > > Who knows what American journalist Jake Geismer (George Clooney) expected to find in postwar Berlin? Peace, maybe. Or at least a story. Sorry, couldn’t resist! 😃 [/QUOTE] I was looking at that link trying to figure out “What the heck is a Goodger man?” -FrL0 ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/10 "2007-01-15T15:00:07Z")
Here’s the website of one of the main German newspapers (a bit left-leaning i.e. pinko commie compared to American standards, not as dry as the aforementioned Spiegel) > **[Aktuelle Nachrichten und Kommentare](https://www.sueddeutsche.de/)** > > Nachrichten aus Deutschland und aller Welt mit Kommentaren und Hintergrundberichten. and its magazine (updated every Friday, similar to e.g. the New York Times Magazine, has cultural stuff, a bit of this, a bit of that, and a cryptic crossword that’s too difficult for beginners, so don’t worry) > **[SZ Magazin](https://sz-magazin.sueddeutsche.de/)** > > Die Website des SZ-Magazins - alle Texte aus dem gedruckten SZ-Magazin - und vieles mehr: Kolumnen, Gewinnspiel, Kreuzworträtsel. My favourite recipe website: [http://www.chefkoch.de/](http://www.chefkoch.de/) The German Google News page: [http://news.google.de](http://news.google.de) The Stern’s youth magazine: [http://www.neon.de/](http://www.neon.de/) And last, but not least, the Telepolis website - Discussions about “webstuff”, cultural things, and various political subjects, this might be most in line with what you’re looking for. Occasionally they also post things in English > **[Telepolis](https://www.telepolis.de/)** > > ✓ kritisch, ✓ meinungsstark, ✓ informativ! Telepolis hinterfragt die digitale Gesellschaft und ihre Entwicklung in Politik, Wirtschaft & Medien. ---
**Author:** ![Sonia\_Montdore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sonia\_Montdore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonia_Montdore)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/11 "2007-01-15T17:40:48Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] Thanks for the links, everyone, and: Holy crap, I can read German! 🙂 At the link to Tip Magazine, near the top of the home page, I saw the following two sentences: I’ve only had a week of German so far, but I’m pretty sure I understand what you just read! Can any German speakers tell me if this is the correct translation? I take it when you follow the “here” link you go to a form to write your opinion on the topic, or maybe to a discussion forum where people are talking about it or something. o I had to kind of guess around it.) -FrL- [/QUOTE] Here’s an opinion you can post at that webpage: _Wer bei “Fruehling fuer Hitler” nicht lachen kann der hat keinen Humor._ Can you figure out what it means? I’ll bet you can. Good luck with your German studies! Let me know if you’re going to visit Germany. I lived there for years and I can give you travel hints. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-learning-to-read-german-good-german-webpages/387858/12 "2007-01-15T18:30:04Z")
[QUOTE=Sonia Montdore] Here’s an opinion you can post at that webpage: _Wer bei “Fruehling fuer Hitler” nicht lachen kann der hat keinen Humor._ Can you figure out what it means? I’ll bet you can. Good luck with your German studies! Let me know if you’re going to visit Germany. I lived there for years and I can give you travel hints. [/QUOTE] I think you said “Whoever can’t laugh at ‘Fruehling fuer Hitler’ has no sense of humour.” I don’t know what “fruehhling” or “fuer” mean, but I’ll look it up later. As to travelling in Germany, I do hope to someday, just because I hope to travel a lot over the years. But in fact, I don’t think the class I’m taking is going to help me much with speaking and understanding spoken German. Its a ten week crash course for reading literary and philosophical German. I tried listening to some sound clips from a set of German lessons for beginners, designed to teach contemporary colloquial conversation. To my chagrin, I found I couldn’t make out a word of it–even when, in fact, I “knew” every word that was said! :smack: 😛 'Saright. My “reading German” probably would give me a good headstart for learning spoken German someday. -FrL-