German Food: Misunderstood

Stereotypes and cliches often stand in the way when trying to understand another culture. When investigating and comparing traditions from Austria or from Switzerland or from Germany, it's important to experience the realities and learn the facts, and not to be misled by conventional images and received ideas.

In reality, the average resident of Austria, Germany, or Switzerland weighs less, eats healthier, and is in better physical condition than the average resident of North America. The central European diet is not only full of fruits and vegetables, but fresh fruits and fresh vegetables - most inhabitants of the region shop several times a week, getting produce from local farmers to ensure maximal freshness. Back in 1970, author LaVern Rippley wrote:

Maybe the reader has heard that German food is supposed to be heavy and doughy - uninspired. And no doubt he remembers sitting on his mother's knee listening to Grimm's fairy tales where they are always eating porridge. Of course he knows that we Americans like hotdogs (which are made by putting a Frankfurter sausage in a bun) and wieners (which are sausages bearing the name of their origin, Vienna, Wien being the German word taken into English without translation). Even though the origin of "hamburger" sounds German too it is unknown there, and seems to be of American birth. The word "hamburger" came into English by means of a process in word formation which philologists call analogy. The ground meat is named after the city of Hamburg just as those sausages have the names of German cities, Frankfurt-er, Wien-er, Regensburg-er, etc.

Many tourists from Canada, from Mexico, and from the United States are surprised to be served dishes like smoked trout or steamed asparagus when visiting southern Germany. They are likewise stunned to learn that noodles, in the form of the traditional egg noodle as it is known in America, are not frequently served; instead, one finds Spätzle in southern Germany or potatoes in northern Germany. Thus German cuisine is lighter than its reputation.

In many countries around the world, one can find those food shops which are called 'delicatessen' - but more properly spelled Delikatessen. The tradition of Delikatessen began in Germany. The word itself has a double origin: the Latin word delicatus morphed into delicatesse to which was added an -n suffix to pluralize it, meaning 'stores which sell fine foods' and sometimes also beverages. But the word was also morphed because the German verb meaning to 'eat' is essen. Author LaVern Rippley continues:

Perhaps the reader has also been in a delicatessen recently without realizing that this is a particular kind of German store where fine foods are sold: Delikat, delicate, and Essen, food. No American any longer thinks of Germany when eating sauerkraut, but during World War I the word (though not the food) became so offensive to "patriotic" Americans that the term "Liberty Cabbage" was temporarily substituted. Munching on pretzels one seldom thinks of their origin as Germany, Brezel or Pretze, a word which comes from Old High German brazzilla.

While Rippley's writing is dated, and some of his generalizations and examples are a bit questionable, his point stands: there is, in American cuisine, a significant and detectable influence from central Europe. The habit of adding cucumbers and radishes into salads is a Germanic custom. A light glaze of mixed herbs in butter is also from central Europe.

In short, many Americans are eating Swiss, Austrian, and German foods on a daily basis without knowing it!

The Euro: Tomorrow's Currency or Yesterday's Coin?

On January 1, 2002, twelve nations began using the Euro and phased out their own currencies over the next two months. Since then, the Eurozone - the sum of the territories in which the Euro is the official currency - has grown to eighteen countries. In addition, the Euro has be recognized, adopted, or used in various ways by several more countries.

Twelve years later, the common currency - and more importantly, the bonds which it has forged between economies - has become a way of life for many people in many nations. But twelve years is short time in world history. The question may still be posed: is the Euro here to stay? Or is this a brief interlude in normal economic patterns?

Jeff Madrick points out that economic conditions in some southern European countries - Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece - continue to act as a sort of ballast on other economies in the Eurozone. This inevitably creates a sort of tension, as stronger economies like Germany are asked to pay for a series of fiscally irresponsible decisions made by the southern governments.

The ripple effects of strained relations inside the Eurozone will affect the United States; the only question is whether such effects will be significant or small. The financially negligent choices made by some, not all, southern European governments - accumulating government debt, high tax rates, nationalized healthcare - place a burden not only on Europe's productive economies like France and Austria, but will eventually have some effect on the other side of the Atlantic. Madrick notes:

Angela Merkel has just been comfortably reelected chancellor of Germany, which seems to strengthen the hand of austerity advocates there. Throughout the euro zone, trade is becoming less imbalanced. Productivity is rising in some countries, and a decline in labor costs is helping exports. All of this has led to a calming of financial markets. But the other side of this coin is extreme deprivation across the south of Europe, where unemployment remains extremely high and GDP is well below pre-crisis levels. Meanwhile, here in the United States, Janet Yellen is set to replace Ben Bernanke as chair of the Federal Reserve, and many observers wonder how long she can resist inflation hawks, who are demanding the “tapering” of the Fed’s quantitative-easing policy. Events in Europe could well influence her decision, and her decision will in turn surely affect economic conditions in Europe.

French scholar Emanuel Todd offers a perspective from Paris. Most scholars, economists, and businessmen reckon that the Euro will be around for a long time. Todd isn't so sure. Even if it does endure, Todd argues that it will do so out of pure stubbornness, not for any economic motivation. The French government considers the Euro to be its trophy, inasmuch as it persuaded other European governments to sign on for it. To abandon the Euro would be to lose its hard-won prize, so the French government continues to support the Eurozone into the future. Todd remarks that

outside Germany, it’s pretty obvious that the euro is a complete failure. So the mystery I’m talking about is: Why does it go on? That is not an economic question; it’s an ideological question. I think France is much more responsible than Germany for this mess. The German dominance of Europe is possible only because of French acceptance. You must realize what the euro is from the point of view of French politicians, whether right wing or left wing. They had the idea, they imposed it on Germany, which accepted it and turned it into a very efficient, German economic instrument. For France, getting out of the euro would mean admitting that our entire political class was hapless. It would be the beginning of a social revolution.

Germany is one of the few countries in the world which is presently turning a profit on manufacturing. Germany is building products in its factories and exporting them in large numbers, as well as selling them domestically. To what extent did the Euro help or hinder Germany in achieving this enviable condition? How would the demise of the Euro affect Germany's production? How can the United States return to this same condition - becoming both a major and a profitable manufacturing power?

Whatever happens to the Euro, the center of Europe is inhabited by the one nation that really doesn't care too much. Switzerland never adopted the Euro, and the Swiss franc remains one of the world's most stable and envied currencies.

Berlin: die Hauptstadt

Although Berlin is by far the largest city in Germany in terms of population, it is not the largest city in terms of area. This density is due to the fact that, from 1945 until 1989, Berlin was surrounded by the infamous wall, and the expanding population could not move outward into suburbs.

While Berlin is also politically the most significant city, as the capital or Hauptstadt of Germany from 1871 to 1945, and again the capital of Germany from 1990 until the present, it is not the oldest city in Germany. The first written records mentioning the town of Berlin date from 1244 A.D., as compared to Hamburg which was founded in 808 A.D., München which was mentioned in writing for the first time in 1158 A.D., Köln which was founded in 38 B.C. (but did not receive the name Köln until 50 A.D.), or Leipzig which was first mentioned in writing in 1015 A.D.

Many German cities are so old that nobody knows exactly when they were founded. For those cities, historians record instead the first time they were mentioned in writing. It is to be understood, naturally, that those cities probably existed for some years prior to the first written mention of their names.

The city began as a fusion of two small villages, one named Berlin and the other Cölln. Historians estimate that the city had 12,000 inhabitants by the year 1600. The city grew quickly, becoming, in 1747, the first German city to surpass a population level of 100,000. Berlin grew not only by adding to its population, but by expanding to swallow up other small villages in the area: Spandau, Köpenick, and Charlottenburg.

In 1701, Berlin became the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1871, the modern nation-state of Germany was created by the merger of many small kingdoms, republics, and independent city-states. Berlin became the capital. As a capital city, Berlin accumulated buildings and parks with spectacular architecture, and became an educational center. Many famous authors and scientists lived at least part of their lives in Berlin.

Among the famous people who spent all or part of their lives in Berlin are Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Bertolt Brecht, composers Paul Gerhardt and Johann Crüger, Nastassja Kinski, Max Planck, Richard Strauss, and Frederick the Great. The Humboldt bothers, Karl and Alexander, were scientists and statesmen, and one of Berlin's universities is now named after them. The civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois lived, worked, and studied in Berlin for several years.

Between 1940 and 1945, bombing raids inflicted massive damage on Berlin during the World War II. Many historic structures were destroyed.

After being the capital of Germany from 1871 until 1945, Berlin was divided into two parts, east and west, in 1945. The western half was under the administration of the British, French, and American armies. The eastern half was dominated by the Soviet Union. The three western allies gave up their jurisdiction over the western half and allowed West Berlin to function as a self-governing city, with freely-elected representatives. The Soviet communists maintained a strict dictatorship over East Berlin by means of a puppet government instituted through feigned elections.

In order to obtain West Berlin, the western allies gave the Soviets some territory that had been part of West Germany; that region would become part of East Germany. This deal was made in February 1945 at the Yalta conference before the war ended. The details of this agreement would be finalized in the Viermächteabkommen - the Four Power Agreement.

The tensions between the Soviets and the western allies, temporarily set aside during WWII, reemerged in the postwar era, called der Kalte Krieg or the Cold War.

West Berlin existed as an isolated territory, surrounded on all sides by East Germany and East Berlin. Provisions arrived mainly by railroad and by truck, coming from West Germany through approximately 200 km of East German territory. The Soviets took advantage of this situation, and in June 1948 suddenly and completely stopped all road and rail traffic between West Germany and West Berlin.

The daily food - as well as medical supplies, newspapers, clothing, etc. - needed to keep one of the world's largest cities operating was suddenly cut off. The Soviets were reckoning that West Berlin would soon be starved into surrendering and join East Berlin. The western allies did not want West Berlin to surrender so easily, and started the Berlin Airlift.

From June 1948 until May 1949, in order get around the Soviet blockade of Berlin, the western allies organized continuous flights of aircraft into Berlin, bringing food and other supplies. The Soviets had thought it impossible to fly enough food in on a continuous basis. Berlin had two airports - Tempelhof and Gatow - at the time. During the airlift, a third emergency airport would be built: Tegel. At these three sites, aircraft landed and took off every few seconds, non-stop, day and night, for almost a year, until the Berlin Blockade was ended in May 1949. West Berlin remained free and independent. The western allies had done what the Soviets thought was impossible: fed a major city by air.

East Germany's economy was endangered by its shrinking population. As increasing numbers of residents from East Berlin began to flee into West Berlin for freedom, and after a telephone conversation between East Germany's General Secretary Walter Ulbricht and Soviet Chairman and Secretary Nikita Khrushchev, the communists built a wall to stop East Germany's population losses.

The famous Berlin Wall encircled West Berlin. By foot, by car, or by rail, anyone entering or leaving West Berlin could only do so by going through one of a few checkpoints manned by East German soldiers. The wall was built suddenly in August 1961, with no notice, in a massive overnight action. Many people were permanently cut off from their friends or families. Residents of East Berlin, East Germany, West Berlin, or West Germany were not often granted permission to cross the border at the checkpoints.

Die Mauer - the wall - ran along one of the city's most famous architectural landmarks, the Brandenburger Tor - the Brandenburg Gate - which was already a symbol for the city of Berlin, and now became a symbol of the struggle for freedom against the communists during the Cold War.

It should be emphasized that the Berlin Wall did not divide East Germany from West Germany. The Mauer surrounded West Berlin, i.e., the western half of the city of Berlin.

Berlin would remain a divided and walled city until 1989. The government of East Germany and East Berlin collapsed in that year, due to a massive peaceful protest supported by the Lutheran church in the city of Leipzig on September 4 of that year, and also due to continued diplomatic and economic pressure from United States President Ronald Reagan.

Following the collapse of the East German government, the wall was quickly attacked by crowds who chipped away at it with hammers and other tools. Soon thereafter, West Berlin was reunited with East Berlin, and West Germany was reunited with East Germany. The Wiedervereinigung - the reunification - is a major turning point in modern world history, signaling the end of the Soviet Union and its militant communist aggression.

Today, Berlin is both the capital city and a Bundesland, one of Germany's sixteen states. Among its millions of residents are thousands of Ausländer or foreigners from all over the world.

In addition to hosting government, science, industry, software, technology, and university research, Berlin is also a goal for thousands of tourists daily. They visit the Kulturforum with its museums and concerts; the Tiergarten, one of the world's largest zoos; Potsdamer Platz, a large public square bordered by major shopping districts; the Kurfüstendamm, a major street with shopping, restaurants and nightlife; the Alexanderplatz with its historic buildings; and the Sowjetisches Ehrenmal in Treptower Park, a large monument left over from the years before 1989, when the Soviet army occupied Berlin.

The Bundesland or state of Brandenburg surrounds the city of Berlin, and many of the museums and other sights are operated by the Prussian Cultural Foundation - the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz.

Both tourists and local residents get around the city using its excellent transportation system, include the S-Bahn or local commuter train, the U-Bahn or subway, the Straßenbahn or streetcar, and a bus network featuring Doppeldeckerbusse.

Der Chiemsee

Looking for a fun vacation? The Chiemsee, a lake in Bayern, is one of Germany's most popular resorts. The Chiemsee is located between the cities of München and Salzburg. München is known as Munich, and Salzburg is located in Austria, so that means that the Chiemsee is located near the border between Germany and Austria. Austria, of course, is known as Österreich.

Of the towns and cities located on the shores of the Chiemsee, Prien is the most well-known. From Prien, ferryboats go to the three islands in the Chiemsee. A ferryboat is a Fähre. The most popular of the three islands in the Chiemsee is the Herreninsel. In 1878, King Ludwig II built a castle there. The name of the castle is Herrenchiemsee.

The other two islands are the Fraueninsel and the Krautinsel. The Chiemsee is the largest lake in Bayern. The Federal Republic of Germany has sixteen states, or Bundesländer, of which Bayern, also called Bavaria, is one.

King Ludwig II was known for building extravagant castles. Herrenchiemsee was intended either to be a copy of the famous palace of Versailles, or to be something even grander. It was never completed, and the king spent only ten days there during his short life. It is now open year-round to tourists. The Fähre trip from Prien to the Herreninsel lasts only about fifteen minutes.

From the Fähre to the palace, it's about fifteen or twenty minutes by foot. Arriving at the castle, one sees a large garden with seven fountains. A large marble fountain stands in front of the palace. Twenty of the castle's rooms are available to tourists. The palace also houses a museum about the short life of King Ludwig II. He lived from 1845 to 1886; he was king of Bayern, not king of all Germany. In fact, it was while Ludwig was king, in 1871, that the many different Germanic kingdoms were united to form one country, Germany.

This new country was ruled by an emperor, Wilhelm, and his chancellor, Bismarck. Ludwig was one of many regional kings under the emperor. Some history books refer to King Ludwig as King Louis, the Anglo-French version of his name. He supported music and the arts, but had to distance himself from the composer Richard Wagner, once the public learned of Wagner's bizarre opinions, some of which the king secretly shared. In 1886, he was declared insane, and died several days later. To this day, many scholars wonder whether his death was an accident, a suicide, or murder.

Schule

Germany's school system is perhaps in some ways more complex than the various systems found in the United States. A German child will start, like an American child, by going to Kindergarten, but already at this level the German system is somewhat different. The German Kindergarten covers the range of the American Kindergarten, but in addition covers much of what in America is called preschool. While Kindergarten in the United States is usually one year (for a half-day in the better American school systems, otherwise for a full day), a German child may attend Kindergarten for two or three years of half-days, starting at a somewhat younger age than the typical American Kindergartner.

Next comes the Grundschule, the German version of grade school, grammar school, or elementary school. All children attend the Grundschule in the same manner from grades one through four. After fourth grade, teachers make a comprehensive evaluation of each student, including, but not limited to, thorough standardized testing. After this evaluation, a decision is made about which school the child will attend for fifth grade.

There are three common options for school after the Grundschule: the Hauptschule, the Realschule, and the Gymnasium. The Hauptschule includes grades five through nine; some students there will attend an additional optional grade ten. The goal of the Hauptschule is to prepare a student to successfully enter an apprenticeship program and become a Lehrling in a trade or profession. Students who do well in the Hauptschule occasionally transfer to a Realschule.

The Realschule includes grades five through ten, and aims to prepare students for further technical study at variety of institutions, usually called Fachhochschulen. Some students finishing the Realschule may instead choose to become Lehrlinge, and others may seek to enter a Gymnasium.

A Gymnasium included, until recently, grades five through thirteen. Now, however, many of Germany's sixteen Bundesländer have restructured their school systems so that the Gymnasium is grades five through twelve. The years at the Gymnasium are divided into two phases: after tenth grade, students are considered to be in the Oberstufe. Students who complete the Gymnasium go on to undergo a grueling set of examinations called the Abitur. An American student can complete high school and a four-year degree at a university without undergoing a test as rigorous as the Abitur. It lasts for several days, and includes written and spoken examinations on a variety of subjects. After the Abitur, students usually begin studying at a Universität , but some will choose to become Lehrlinge instead.

The typical school day, at any of the various schools mentioned above, often ends earlier than an American school day. Many German children will have lunch at home, school having ended perhaps shortly after noon. After fourth grade, each day of the week will have different classes, and some days end later than others. A student may be done with school at 12:30 one day, but 1:30 the next day. For those students attending a Gymnasium which has made the transition to a twelve-year program instead of a thirteen-year program, the school days may be a bit longer, as they have to cram the same amount of curriculum into a smaller number of years. The school day usually includes a Pause and a Große Pause, somewhat like a coffee break in an American office, not long enough for a meal, but rather merely a snack and a chance to go outside for a few minutes.

Other types of school in Germany include a Gesamtschule, which is a blending of a Hauptschule, a Realschule, and a Gymnasium in one building; a Sonderschule which is a school for students with special needs; and a Ganztagsschule is a school which keeps students busy until late in the afternoon instead of letting them out earlier. A Ganztagschule may have a Mittagspause, offering lunch either in a school cafeteria, or at a nearby Imbiß. A Waldorfschule offers an alternative style of education, based on the methods of Rudolf Steiner.

Some Gymnasien specialize in a few subjects, while others offer a larger variety. A altsprachlicher Zug is a series of courses which emphasizes ancient languages like Latin and Greek. A neusprachlicher Zug emphasizes modern languages like English and French. In any case, a German student will usually have two or three foreign languages. A naturwissenschaftlicher Zug centers on the natural sciences like chemistry and physics. All students in Germany attend religious instruction at their public schools. Because of Germany's strong belief in the freedom of religion, a student can choose which type of religious instruction she or he attends. For Christians, classes are offered either by a Roman Catholic church or a Protestant church; for Jews, a local rabbi will offer instruction on behalf of the synagogue; for Muslims, an Imam or a Mullah will instruct. Likewise, Buddhists or Hindus will receive instructions regarding their faiths. Students who refuse to take any form of religious instruction may attend a class in ethics instead.

Students participate in Klassenausflüge, which are like American field trips to local sites. A Klassenreise is a bigger and longer trip, and may last several days.

The school year includes more vacations in Germany than in America. German students may get a week or two at Pentecost for Pfingstferien. Although there are more vacations in the German schools than in the American, the total number of schools days is similar, corresponding to the fact that the German schools have a much shorter summer vacation to compensate for the more frequent vacations during the school year.

Freizeit!

German teenagers enjoy a wide variety of activities in their free time. Whether they attend a Hauptschule, a Realschule, or a Gymnasium, many of them join clubs. Unlike American clubs, the clubs for German high school students are usually not organized in or by the school. For example, sports are popular in Germany the same way they are in the United States, but German schools do not have any teams or athletic departments. Instead, after school ends, students leave the school building and go to a Sportverein - a sports club - which has teams and where they practice.

Different words are used for the clubs - Sportverein, Sportgemeinde, Fußballklub, or Sportgemeinschaft - but teenagers from different schools can, and do, belong to the same club. A club may have several teams for the same sport if there are enough people who want to play. There's no connection to grades, so students don't worry about whether their scores are good enough to make them eligible to play. Because the clubs are privately organized, and not part of the school system, money is no problem - the clubs are always on the lookout for a good player, even if she or he can't afford the membership fee.

Other activities are organized in a similar way. Most schools don't have a band, an orchestra, or a choir. After school, students will go to a Musikverein or a Gesangverein to practice and prepare for concerts. Being part of a musical group is popular among German teenagers and among American teenagers - but in Germany, these music groups aren't part of the school.

Drama clubs and theater groups are likewise organized outside of school. Plays and musicals are performed in local theaters, not at the schools.

This means that the typical German high school is pretty quiet after classes end. There are often no practice fields, swimming pools, or theaters in them. German high school students do the same types of free time activities that American students do, but they don't do them at school.

Outside of organized activities, of course, German teenagers spend their time playing computer games or video games, going to dances or movies, watching TV, or engaging in hobbies like photography, drawing, or painting. They do these activities on their own, or they can go to a Gemeinschaft or a Gesellschaftsklub which offers facilities for hobbies. Many Kirchen and Jugendorganisationen offer events for young people too.

Young people in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany tend to travel in groups, without parents or adults, on short trips of several days - maybe to go skiing or to see a major city. For such trips, Jugendherbergen are available at discount rates, so that teenagers have a safe and clean place to stay without paying too much.

A City with Three Rivers

Many towns were founded were two rivers merge into one. It's a natural place for permanent human habitation. The rivers provide water for agriculture, fish to eat, and transportation by boat.

Cities with three rivers enjoy even more advantages than those cities located at the confluence of two rivers. Cities with three rivers tend to become more significant for this reason. A list of cities with three rivers would include Passau in Germany, Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, and Three Forks in Montana. Some cases are ambiguous: the city of Koblenz is located at the intersection of the Rhine and the Moselle rivers (called the Rhein and Mosel, respectively), but the Lahn river joins the Rhine close to Koblenz, so that it might choose to consider itself a town with three rivers. Other such ambiguous cases exist, and in any case, proximity to more rivers in general is an advantage to a town - although the danger of flooding is thereby also increased.

The city of Tübingen also features three rivers. They contributed to the town's early successes. The three rivers which meet in Tübingen are the Ammer, the Steinlach, and the Neckar. Grammatically, each of these rivers has a gender: der Neckar, die Steinlach, and die Ammer. Linguistically, each of the names has an etymological history. The name 'Ammer' derives from a Celtic word amra meaning water or moisture. The Steinlach derives its name likewise from the geography of the region through which it flows: its channel is cut through layers of chalk, revealing at times fossils. The Neckar's name is derived from a likewise Celtic word, nik or nikros, meaning "attacking" or "raging" waters.

The Ammer begins northwest of Tübingen near the town of Herrenberg. Its general course is southeasterly, approaching the Neckar, with a few minor deviations. In 1493, a canal was created, drawing from the Ammer. This canal begins near the town of Unterjesingen, west of Tübingen. The canal runs roughly parallel to the Ammer, south of it. While the Ammer runs tangent to the northern boundary of Tübigen's old town area, the canal runs directly into it. The old town area is thus bounded by the Neckar on the south and the Ammer on the north. The old town itself is thus situated on shallow ridge, sloping down to south and to the north. The Ammer canal, then, lies north of the high point of the old town. In the northeastern quadrant of the old town, the Ammer canal splits, one branch returning to the Ammer, and the other branch running through a deeply cut underground channel to the Neckar. The Ammer continues, veering sharply northeast away from the Neckar for a short detour around the small mountain, or big hill, known as the Österberg. It curves southeasterly again, and enters the Neckar.

The Steinlach begins almost directly south of Tübigen, near the village of Talheim. Talheim is slightly southeast of Mössingen. From Talheim, the Steinlach meanders naturally for a few kilometers, but then becomes perfectly straight in segments. In 1861, civil engineers straightened the river. Straightening a river changes its flooding patterns, increases the drop to be harnessed by mills, makes it more predictably accessible for irrigation, and allows for easier navigation. In the case of the Steinlach, flooding patterns and mill usage may have been behind the impetus to straighten the river. Trees, now quite tall, were systematically planted along both sides of the river, and walkways constructed, created a park-like setting for several kilometers.

The Neckar is by far the largest of Tübingen's three rivers. Tübingen is merely one of many towns and cities along the course of the Neckar. Near Tübingen, the Neckar has been straightened. Most of the civil engineering to straighten the Neckar - such work is called Begradigung or Korrektion - was done to manage flooding and to create smooth and level patches of ground near the river on which factories could be build. Much of this was done in the early 1800's. Another such project was performed in 1911. The later project also created the Neckarinsel, a long thin island in the river which lies directly south of the old town. The island is approximately 500 meters long, and known for a statue honoring the author Friedrich Silcher, and for the Platanenallee, a park-like planting of two parallel rows of trees with a pathway between them. These two rows of trees were already in place before the island was created, and were originally somewhat longer than they are today. The Neckar plays an important role in the Tübingen's life. Its scenic quality makes it part of the town's allure to tourists, and university students conduct an annual race of Stocherkahn boats - shallow, gondola-like boats which are poled, not rowed. The Neckar enters Tübingen from the southwest and leaves heading northeast, and is tangent to the southern boundary of the old town.

The landscape along the Neckar and the Ammer includes a great deal of grape-farming on the hillsides. Wine from these valleys has a centuries-old tradition. The Steinlach valley is less frequently a site for vineyards. A general knowledge of the geography of these three rivers is a valuable aid to hikers exploring the region by foot.