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CULTURE

Stranger at the feast: Navigating the Frankfurt Book Fair

How do you navigate the planet’s largest shindig dedicated to the printed word while avoiding the likes of Jonathan Franzen and Thilo Sarrazin? Berlin-based US author Ralph Martin offers an insider’s account of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Stranger at the feast: Navigating the Frankfurt Book Fair
Photo: DPA

The sense of foreboding overcame me as soon as my ICE train rolled into Frankfurt’s main station last Thursday in the midst of the city’s annual Book Fair.

As a published yet not particularly famous author, I was just there to meet the editor of my upcoming book. I planned to get out of town before Thilo Sarrazin and Jonathan Franzen arrived because the Muslim-baiting former central banker and the hyperbole-inspiring Great American Novelist were clearly going to suck all the oxygen out of the entire convention centre.

I had first heard about the Frankfurt Book Fair some twenty years ago – and had also been hearing my fellow Berliners dump on the city along the banks of the Main River for the better part of the last decade.

My foreboding was grounded in a sense of my own unimportance, as well as worries about how I would fill a whole day in a soulless financial city with the audacity to give itself the silly nickname Mainhattan. The place had always been described to me in apocalyptic terms, but the book fair is a literary juggernaut all its own. Perhaps, I thought dimly as I stood outside the circular metal tower that serves as the Frankfurt convention centre’s main entrance, I could lend some excitement to the proceedings. What were publishers without writers?

Past security and down a long metal corridor, I broke out into a plaza several city blocks across, flanked by metallic warehouse-size buildings on each side, each three stories high. Official minibuses lurched around, duking it out with pedestrians as they transported the aged and infirm around the periphery of the plaza. And those thousands of pedestrians were all publishing professionals since the Book Fair had yet to open its doors to the public.

Seeing the surging crowds, I got an awed sense of how many people are involved in the book business around the world. Only a lucky few representatives of each publishing house were in attendance. This meant that the world contained many, many publishers, thousands or tens of thousands, each of which employed many more publishing drones: editors, foreign-rights people, number-crunchers. This led to thoughts of monkeys on typewriters, at which point I decided to find my very own publisher before I lost my mind.

Pax Americana

Finding my esteemed house’s stand, one of the larger ones in Pavilion 3.0 (German non-fiction and fiction) took about an hour; meeting and greeting my editor took about 15 minutes. I suddenly found myself with seven hours before my next appointment, my publisher’s party. So I thought I’d check out the US section of the fair.

The American wing of the convention centre, in Pavilion 8.0, was hidden away at the back of the whole complex, through a series of enormous porticoes and tunnels. The poor location and difficult access may reflect the diminished interest American publishers take in the fair these days. Gone are the times when the editorial floors of Midtown Manhattan were empty each October.

These days, a few foreign rights representatives and hyperactive agents are the sole salesmen for all American literature. This is strange: the Book Fair is good for the American balance of trade, since we sell lots of books to Europe and Latin America and buy very few titles in return. What was worse, the Americans and British had been crammed together in our low hangar: we, like everyone else, were classified by language, and English was not the world’s Master Tongue, but rather just another print format. I felt a distinct sense of lost empire as I went in.

Inside the windowless pavilion (the German one had a wall of glass), amongst the international-conglomerate stands like Random House and Penguin, were a myriad of carnival-barker-style stands, full of self-published self-improvement and conspiracy-theory titles with homemade covers, all minded by dour-faced people staring into space, having already lost hope for a big German or Italian rights sale for ‘How to Press the Reset Button on your Life’ or various ‘Truther’ and/or ‘Birther’ titles. That was when I decided to go to the Frankfurter Hof instead and start ordering drinks.

The realm of helmet-haired ladies

The Hof is the legendary centre of nightlife at the Book Fair. A classic Grande Dame hotel with velvet chairs, wood panelling and deep-pile carpeting, it is the perfect setting for the helmet-haired mid-Atlantic women in power suits who held court at its tables, accompanied by the occasional silver-haired, vaguely distinguished-looking gentleman or harried underling.

Out front is a sybaritic terrace lined with Hof cafés; inside and out, a steady stream of expense-account orders is ferried by dozens of frock-coated waiters: ‘Zwei Cola Light, eine Weissweinschorle, ein Gin Martini.’ Cola light? For the helmet-haired ladies, One Night in Frankfurt clearly isn’t a Year in Provence. No judgment-clouding glass of wine here.

At that point, I lurched off to my publisher’s party with no expectations whatsoever. There, an editor I’d been talking to from another German house asked me if I wanted to go to the “cool” Frankfurt party, and in a few minutes I found myself in my favourite European fantasy of all: sitting in the back of a Mercedes taxi, zipping around the city in search of a luxurious suburban villa where I had been promised whatever constitutes the “alternative” scene in German publishing.

We found a sort of grown-up version of a collegiate house-party, dozens of people smoking cigarettes outside on a cement terrace while inside a few long-haired youths spoke to the host, the black-sheep son of a famous German publishing dynasty who had recently started his own book firm in the hope of showing up his family with a few best-sellers. I had several conversations with eager editors who approached me when they heard my American accent, hoping I represented some deep-pocketed conglomerate or, perhaps, had some under-the-radar soon-to-be-bestselling title to sell them.

When I told them I was just an author, they mumbled excuses and melted away. Blurry as my senses were becoming, I realised that this party, like everything at Frankfurt, wasn’t for authors. The Book Fair is, rather, for publishers selling things to other publishers. Authors are simply labour to their management, and labourers are never very popular at the bosses’ party.

When I awoke, I quickly cleared out of town; I had, it turned out, no business in Frankfurt. And Frankfurt, I had now confirmed, is all business.

For more Ralph Martin, check out his website here.

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CULTURE

8 easy and fun ways to learn more about Germany

One of the most difficult things about moving to a new country is immersing yourself in the culture and history. Here are eight effortless ways to deepen your knowledge of Germany.

8 easy and fun ways to learn more about Germany

Whether you’ve been in the country 10 days or 10 years, there are bound to be some parts of Germany you don’t know as well as others, or gaps in your knowledge about its history and culture. 

From the rich maritime history of northern cities like Hamburg to the vibrant folk traditions in the south, Germany is a diverse and fascinating country, and finding out more about it can be hugely rewarding.

Of course, not everyone has time to pore over endless history books or study the complete works of Goethe – and the good news is, you don’t have to.

Getting to know Germany better can be as easy as strolling through a new city, binge-watching German TV or visiting a fun museum with family and friends.

To get you started, here are eight easy ways to learn more about Germany’s history and culture.

Visit a folk festival 

Regardless of the season, there are endless folk festivals to enjoy all around Germany, and they’re far more than just opportunities to drink beer and eat sausages (although you can definitely do that too). 

From finding out about Riesling wine in the Mosel Valley to Spargel (asparagus) in Beelitz, folk festivals are a great way to dip your toes into regional customs, cuisine and culture and soak up the feelings of local pride. 

Whether it’s a large-scale event like Munich’s Oktoberfest or the Weimar Zwiebelmarkt, or a more intimate gathering like Lübeck Hansafest, most folk festivals are a great way to get a feel for specific regions in Germany. What’s more, you’ll often see local artists on the line-up and local craftspeople selling their wares, most of whom will be happy to chat with you about what they do. 

READ ALSO: 10 unmissable events taking place in Germany in 2024

Take a crash-course in German history

If talk of the Holy Roman Empire or Hanseatic League leaves you scratching your head, you may want to find a fun way to brush up your knowledge of German history.

For those who are short on time, there are few better options for doing so than the Deutschlandmuseum in Berlin. This new addition to the capital’s museum scene is located just a stone’s throw from Potsdamer Platz and the Mall of Berlin and promises to take visitors on a whirlwind tour through 2,000 years of German history.

Deutschlandmuseum Berlin

Visitors learn about the Ancient period deep in the midst of the forest at the Deutschlandmuseum in Berlin. Photo: David Weyand CC BY-ND 4.0

Starting in the ancient world and ending in the present day, the Deutschlandmuseum covers 12 major epochs, including the Reformation, Englightenment, Hilter’s Third Reich and the post-war division of Germany.

Along the way, you can test your knowledge with pop quizzes, but the sights and sounds of each fascinating era are what truly makes the experience memorable. 

The whole thing can be done in a single hour, though the atmospheric scenery and interactive exhibits that transport you back in time may inspire you to linger a little longer. 

Make a German music playlist

For a little hit of German culture on the go, why not make a playlist full of Germany’s top artists and listen to it while travelling or doing chores at home?

If you’re stuck for inspiration, music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube have some ready made playlists you can nick ideas from, or even just listen to in their entirety to discover your new favourite German artists. 

This extensive playlist on Spotify, made by user Loki, covers hundreds of tracks and organises German music into different genres, so whether you’re into electro-pop, techno or hip hop, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for. 

READ ALSO: Why are people in German-speaking countries so obsessed with Schlager music?

Go on a walking tour 

It may sound like something only tourists do, but taking a walking tour either in your own city or elsewhere can open your eyes to new aspects of German culture and history you may not have known about before.

Prince Albert in Coburg, Bavaria

Tourists look at a statue of Prince Albert in Coburg, Bavaria, as part of a walking tour. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Pia Bayer

Though history tours are often the most popular, you can find endless options to suit your interests, from vineyard and local restaurant tours to vintage clothing stores, graffiti and street art.

Websites like GetYourGuide and Airbnb are good places to start looking for tours in your area, but if there’s something specific you’re interested in, you can always Google it and see what comes up. 

Join a weekly Stammtisch 

This one will depend a lot on where you live, but if you’re in a city, joining a regular Stammtisch can be a great way to meet new people, improve your German skills and generally get an insight into life in Germany.

If you’re not familiar with the term, a Stammtisch is an informal gathering, usually at a bar or restaurant, with a group of people who meet up on a regular basis. The name itself refers to the table people sit at, with ‘Stamm’ referring to the regular guests at the establishment. In other words, the Stammtisch is the regular table reserved for this group (traditionally at least!). 

READ ALSO: What you should know about Austria and Germany’s ‘Stammtisch’ tradition

There are many different types of Stammtisch, with some dealing with specific topics like politics or sport, and others simply acting as an opportunity to meet people. Whichever one you decide to go to, what easier way could there be to learn about German culture than gathering in a warm Kneipe and enjoying a cold beer? 

Binge-watch German cinema 

From cult classics like Metropolis and Good Bye Lenin to international breakthroughs like Toni Erdmann, Germany has produced some brilliant films over the years.

So whether your goal is to learn more about German history or simply enjoy some high-quality cinema, enjoying a movie night at home is a fun and effortless way to get to know Germany better. Most popular films have English subtitles or dubbing, so language should be no barrier. 

Good Bye Lenin props

Authentic GDR-era props are prepared on the set of the cult film Good Bye Lenin in Berlin Friedrichshain. Photo: picture alliance / Jens Kalaene/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa | Jens Kalaene

Of course, there are also plenty of film festivals that run around the country, most famously the Berlinale, which runs for around two weeks in February. Though Berlin’s film fest is a celebration of international cinema, there are always a few German films in the programme, so keep an eye out for those if you want extra brownie points. 

If you’re looking for something to binge watch, there are plenty of entertaining German TV shows you can find on streaming services like Netflix or on broadcasters ARD and ZDF.

It doesn’t have to be high-brow, either: you can learn plenty about German society and life by finding your new fave reality TV show, and we’ve got the ultimate list here:

The five weirdest and best reality TV shows for improving your German

Sample local food and drinks

This one’s fairly obvious, but going to a nice local restaurant while travelling in Germany, or a local farmers’ market or food festival, can teach you a lot about Germany.

Whether it’s sipping an Apfelwein while eating potatoes in green sauce in Frankfurt or tucking into a Störtebecker beer and Labskaus in Hamburg, there’s huge variety in Germany’s regional cuisine – and often a fascinating tale behind every dish. 

A sign for Spargel in Schleswig-Holstein

A sign for German white asparagus (Spargal) on an old farmers’ cart in Schleswig-Holstein. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Axel Heimken

Alternatively, finding out more about local dishes online and even trying your hand at preparing a few is a great hack for feeling well integrated.

READ ALSO: The foods you have to try while visiting Hamburg

Immerse yourself in German literature 

This is one for the bookworms (or Leseratten – reading rats – as the case may be): tucking into a German novel can teach you loads about the German way of life, the country’s complex history and the thoughts and ideas that have shaped Germany today. 

Admittedly, not all of the classics are light bedroom reading – The Tin Drum by Günther Grass is notoriously lengthy – but there are plenty of shorter novels that are a perfect jumping off point.

Thomas Mann’s novella, Death in Venice, is one of them, and The Reader by Bernhard Schlink is another, but you can always check out our top 10 recommendations for more inspiration:

10 German books you have to read before you die

Have you got any tips for an easy way to learn more about Germany’s culture, language and history? Get in touch and let us know. 

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