There was a request by one of the readers asking for just some interesting facts about Germany and some of the states instead of the Q & A that has been posted to date. My response is by taking the Q & A away, it will take the art out of finding out the most interesting facts about states, like this one: Lower Saxony. 😉 Admittedly there is so much to write about that even some questions had to be left out of this Quiz on Germany. But admittedly, the questions are a challenge and for those wanting the answers to the facts about this rather populous northern German state and their people, here they are below. Please note, the highlighted names contains links with additional information for you to click on and look at:
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Variety Pack Questions:
1. Eight German States and the Baltic Sea border Lower Saxony, making it the most bordered state in Germany. True of False?
False. Counting the enclavement of Bremen, Lower Saxony is bordered by NINE states (Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Pommerania, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Hesse, Bremen, and North-Rhine Westphalia), plus the NORTH Sea. It also shares a border with The Netherlands to the west. Now that’s a LOT of states.
2a. Lower Saxony was officially established after World War II in 1946 and consisted of the mergers of four former kingdoms. Name two of the four kingdoms. Hanover, Schaumburg-Lippe, Brunswick and Oldenburg
2b. Of the four kingdoms, which one was the largest? Hanover
Note: It was suggested that a state of Hanover was created through the British Zone, but inspite of debates and protests, all four of the former kingdoms merged to become the state and was subsequentially renamed Lower Saxony. Today the names exists but as part of the 38 districts that exist in the state.
3. Put the following cities in order based on population from largest to smallest:
Oldenburg Brunswick (Braunschweig) Stade Wolfsburg Hannover Lüneburg Uelzen Emden Osnabrück
ANS: 1. Hanover (518,386); 2. Brunswick (247,227); 3. Oldenburg (159,610); 4. Osnabrück (156,315); 5. Wolfsburg (122,457); 6. Lüneburg (73,581) 7. Emden (49,790); 8. Stade (45,317); 9. Uelzen (33,269)
4. Lower Saxony is ranked SECOND in size behind Bavaria and FOURTH in population behind Bavaria, North Rhine Westphalia and Hesse, but is the state that is the most dense population of Germany. True or False (just the points in cursive and bold print)
Lower Saxony is ranked fourth in population behind Bavaria, NRW and BADEN-WURTTEMBERG (ans. for 1st part is false)
But the state is the most densely populated in all of Germany. (True)
5. Which rivers flow through and/or in Lower Saxony? Name three of them.
ANS: Elbe, Oker, Ems, Weser, Aller, Seeve, Aue, and others.
6. Braunkohl is a German vegetable that is well known in Lower Saxony and can be served with a local sausage. True or false?
TRUE: Never mistake this term with Braunkohle (brown coal) that you can find in the Ruhr River region and near Zittau in the Black Triangle Region. Both this rare cabbage type and the local (curry) sausage are a tasty combination.
7. At Steinhuder Lake,located west of Osnabrück, you will find eels. True or false?
FALSE: True there is a Steinhuder Lake and the eels are easy to find (and delicious when eating them), BUT the lake is northwest of Hanover.
8. Das Alte Land, located in the vicinity of the Elbe River north and west of Hamburg is Germany’s fruit garden. Name three fruits that grow there annually. Apples, Pears, Cherries, Berries, and other fruits.
Multiple Choice: Choose the correct city to answer the questions.
9. Which city is home of one of the three automobile manufacturers in Germany. Choose the city and fill in the blank regarding the car brand. (Hint: Fahrvergnügend is still the most popular car brand in the world.)
a. Wilhelmshaven b. Wolfsburg c. Celle d. Lüneburg e. Hannover
The car brand? If you don’t know the car brand VOLKSWAGEN, Das Auto, then there’s something seriously wrong with you. 😉
10. Which city in Lower Saxony does not have a college or university? How many colleges and universities does the state have? ANS HERE: 26; six of them are in Hanover.
a. Hildesheim b. Göttingen c. Hannover d. Cuxhaven e. Emden
f. Vechta g. Bremervörde
11. In this town (A), you can try a drink with a spoon (B), but don’t forget to say your blessings first. 😉
A:
a. Bad Zwischenahn b. Bad Brahmburg c. Leer d. Norden
e. Bad Oldesloe f. Brunswick
B:
a. Braunschweiger Mumme b. Löffeltee c. Ammerländer Löffeltrunk
d. Angler Muck e. Toter Bruder
LINK: AMMERLÄNDER LÖFFELTRUNK
12. Which city in Lower Saxony is not located in the Harz Mountains? (!: There are two different answers)
a. Goslar b. Clausthal c. Wenigerode d. Osterode e. Salzgitter f. Braunlage
13. Which city does not have a premier league sports team?
a. Buxtehude b. Hannover c. Brunswick d. Emden e. Oldenburg
14. The New York Lions in the German American Football League is actually located in which city?
a. Hannover b. Bremen c. Brunswick d. Göttingen e. Celle
15. Germany has the only true transporter bridge in left the country. It is located in Lower Saxony in which community?
a. Ostende b. Hannover c. Wilhelmshaven d. Stade e. Brunswick
LINK: TRANSPORTER BRIDGE AT OSTENDE
16. The only combination cantilever-suspension-swing bridge left in Germany (and perhaps on European soil) is located in Lower Saxony. Where exactly is this bridge?
a. Göttingen b. Wilhelmshaven c. Lauenburg d. Stadland e. Hannover f. Wattenscheid
LINK: WILHELMSHAVEN SWING BRIDGE
17. Which town in Lower Saxony will you most likely find in the US?
a. Emden b. Bergen c. Hanover d. Oldenburg e. Berne f. Uelzen
FACT: There are 19 towns in the US that carry the name Hanover, as well as 23 townships. The largest of them is Hanover, New Hampshire, where the state university is located. That one has 11,800 inhabitants.
Celebrities and Birth Places: Determine whether these statements are true or false. If false, correct the statements
1. Maria Furtwängler, an actress who plays Charlotte Lindholm in the Tatort-Hannover series originates from Hanover.
ANS: False. She was born in Munich and belongs to one of the most powerful dynasties that still exist in Germany today.
2. Heiner Brand, head coach of the German National Handball Team, was born and raised in Brunswick.
ANS: False. Brand was born in Gummersbach in North Rhine Westphalia. He is the only German handball player and coach to have won the World Championship both as a player (1978) and a coach (2007). He was coach of the German National Handball Team from 1997 until his resignation in 2011, taking the team all the way to the World Cup Championship in 2007.
3. In the film the Inglorious Bastards by Quentin Tarrantino, there were no German actors/actresses.
ANS: It would not be typical of the well-cultured producer and director to not have native-born German actors/actresses in a film, whose setting was in Nazi Germany. At least 25 people, including Daniel Brühl and Til Schweiger were casted alongside Brad Pitt in this film. This included Diane Kruger, who was born in Hildesheim (near Hanover) and played Bridget von Hammersmark in the film. A well-thought film produced by a well-known name, but the answer to this question is clearly FALSE!
4. Gerhard Schröder, the successor of Chancellor Angela Merkel, was born in Mecklenburg-Pommerania but grew up in Lower Saxony.
ANS: False. He was born and raised in Lower Saxony and even started his career in politics during his university days in Göttingen, thus paving a path to chancellorship, which he ruled Germany from 1998 until his landslide defeat in early elections in 2005, into the hands of the country’s current chancellor, Angela Merkel.
5. Herbert Grönemeyer calls Göttingen home. No wonder because he was born there.
ANS: True. Yet he was born there because his mother brought him into the world through a specialist in a very unusual way (read more here). He however was raised in Bochum in North Rhine Westphalia.
6. The band The Scorpions was established in Hanover with the lead singer originating from there.
ANS: True. Klause Meine originated from Hanover. Together with Rudolf Schenker (who was born in Hildesheim), the band was founded in Hanover. It is the longest running band in Germany and second longest in the world behind the Rolling Stones, having been in business for over 50 years.
7. The Creator of English for Runaways originally came from Emden.
ANS: False. Heinz Heygen was born in Frankfurt/Main.
8. Chris Barrie, a Hannoverer who starred in the Tomb Raider movie, grew up in Northern Ireland.
ANS: True
9. Prince Ernst Augustus of Hanover was born in Hanover.
ANS: It is logical that the Prince, who is married to Princess Caroline of Monaco, and has his residence in Hanover, must be naturally-born Hannoverer. Hence, True. 🙂
BONUS QUESTION: Can you guess what that building in Brunswick is?
The building is the site of the Tauch Center, located across the Oker River from the campus of the Technical University. When it was built and other details is unknown, but you are free to add some information in the comment section if you wish to do that.
THE FLENSBURG FILES 