from stunning architecture to clever
inventions
germany is a place where the cutting
edge coexists with history
here are five stories that prove the
creative spirit
lives on in germany
one of the newest additions to the
skyline in hamburg germany
is a concert hall fit for a modern
mozart
the elbphilharmonie is considered one of
the largest and most acoustically
advanced concert venues in the world
made up of three concert halls the elbow
phil harmony seats more than 2 800
visitors
the great concert hall the largest of
the three halls has
10 000 unique acoustic panels that were
designed using computer algorithms to
create the best possible sound
each panel contains one million cells
that shape the sound by either absorbing
the waves
or having them reverberate through the
space
the curved design of the cells can be
seen replicated throughout the entire
building
not to be outdone the glass exterior of
the elbow fill harmony
built atop a former warehouse is just as
spectacular as the interior
the structure rises above the elbe river
and mirrors the water's wave and shine
to mark the opening night the exterior
featured a light show
timed to the music being played within
the great hall
with multiple events almost every day
the elbphilharmony is
a must-see for music and math lovers
alike
[Music]
settlers of catan is one of the
best-selling board games of all time
and nestled in the rolling hills of
rosdorf germany
on this picturesque street past the
buzzer in building 43
and standing in the back of the garden
is klaus tuber
the man who made it all happen
settlers of catan is a board game for up
to four players where you collect
resources
to build settlements and cities they're
worth points
first to ten wins
and it all started like this in the 90s
and 80s
i led a dental laboratory
developing games was a little bit refuge
for me
his first game was called barbarossa
when i made
barbarossa i was in my early 30s
i feel that this is a kind of thing
i like very much developing games and it
could be in the future for me a
very very good hobby he designed a
handful of other games
and then made katan
klaus had become interested in viking
tales
yes the story of the vikings inspired me
i imagine how they reach iceland they
need
wood they need houses and all the things
and so on this
imagination i developed qatar
from design to market it was a family
affair
this is benny tuber he lives in germany
and he is klaus's youngest son
and this is guido tuber
and this is guido tuber he lives in san
francisco
he is klaus's eldest son in my family i
am
one of the game testers along with my
mom me too
[Music]
we playtested the settlers of catan
quite often
we would all get together at the dining
room table and would
test and has his games sometimes he put
a mickey mouse comic next to my chair
so in case the game was boring he knew
that i would read it instead of playing
the game
my dad took that and tweaked that worked
on it
this was sort of an exciting moment for
my dad
in the tuber family there's a bit of
competition my father would probably say
i'm the best player
no sorry dad benny is the best
there's a bit of a rivalry between my
dad and my brother
[Music]
katan was officially released in germany
in 1994
and it was an immediate success we had
an immediate success in germany
because we won game of the year
worldwide to date
over 24 million copies have been sold
this game was
born out of a story but it also creates
stories
the beauty of catan is that in the end
you still have constructed something
so in a way everybody wins it
was my wish to have a very peaceful game
with a lot of interaction bringing
people together
for me catan was a success
to all the katan fans out there here's
some advice well you always
have to follow your strategy but also
you have to complain quite a bit even
though you know you're winning
you still have to say you're not i love
building cities as early as possible in
the game
never built the longest road at the
beginning
and there you have it
although there are many castles in
germany there's none quite like
else castle it has been privately owned
by the alts family
since 11 57.
[Music]
the alts castle was originally
constructed in the 11th century
however additions and restorations have
been made over the years
unlike most castles else castle isn't
easy to spot
it sits off the main road high on a rock
within a low valley
and is surrounded by a lush forest many
visitors are drawn to the hiking trails
surrounding the castle grounds
34 generations of the els family have
lived among the castle's 120 rooms
and since today no one in the family
lives there full time
the ancestral home is open to the public
every year over 300 000 visitors come to
see the castle
and its armory treasury and original
furnishings that are over eight
centuries old throughout europe's
tumultuous history
this enchanting castle was never invaded
or destroyed
its rich history has entered a spot on
the 500 deutsche mark note
making it a special site for those who
get to experience it
in person
i want to give the scrap life again
bring in a new purpose
my art is a mix of fantasy and common
sense
my name is claudia coogler and i'm an
artist and i'm most known for making
moving robot sculptures
[Music]
i stumbled into making robots i was
making sculptures out of scrap metal i
found and then i started to move those
moving parts with air pressure pistons
it started with a hat moving the jaw and
before i knew it i had a robot
i find my scrap metal pretty much
everywhere i have got my eyes open
all the time potentially fantastic eye
[Music]
i mean there's every kind of shape you
can imagine
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
when i build a band member i start
obviously with a
music making parts of fingers plugging
or playing
and then i build the character behind it
the special thing about my robots is
that they actually do play the music
themselves
[Music]
my robots play the bass guitar the drum
kit and
they play the flutes
they got an affinity for punk rock
the whole band is called the one love
machine band
my robots perform all around the world
tech
events festivals university lectures or
ted talks
when people see the robots it's like
they freeze for a while there's this
moment of
oh what's going on here and then it's
usually so it's a childish
gleam and the joy i like to use scrap
metal because there's
so much waste in the world you can't
destroy you can only make it better
my work is a constant game of chance and
that's what i really love about it
[Music]
if you're having trouble finding mr or
mrs swipe right
it might be time to turn to
matchmaking's ancient roots
literally because deep in a forest in
germany
stands a 600 year old oak tree that has
introduced
hundreds of single people
[Music]
it all began around 1890 when the forest
ranger's daughter
met a chocolate maker from leipzig
the father did not approve of the
relationship
they had to find a way to exchange
messages so they used a tree about 300
feet away from the forest ranger's
office
a branch had broken off forming a hole
and it was there they put their letters
[Music]
once her father learned how they were
secretly communicating he finally
approved of their relationship
they married under the tree on june 2nd
1891.
after which the tree became known as
bridegroom's oak
you have the outfit either there is
[Music]
and people still send letters to the
tree to this day
but can you truly find a life partner
for the price of postage
no one knows better than carl heinz
my name is carlets martins he's only 18.
[Music]
just give them