So what do we think about when we think Germany? Who is deciding this is a place they want to travel to, and why? These are important questions we must ask ourselves to begin to understand how place’s are essentialised.

Take the image above. All of the imagery are strongly associated with Germany as a whole.

Perhaps the strongest imagery associated with Germany is the Lederhosen and Dirndl, or even the pretzels. These symbols, as well as at least half of the imagery above are realistically only true of the south of Germany- in the region of Bavaria. Don’t go to Berlin or Hamburg and expect to see people going to events or weddings in what one might have thought to be the ‘traditional German dress‘.

Check out my blog from the other week where I talk about German beer culture, I’ll link it here: https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/jessabroad.home.blog/22. I touch on the Oktoberfest celebration as a tourist attraction, and remind that knowledge and respect of the historical and cultural significance of such an event is important to be a good traveller.

It is so important to dive into a country without expectations, and without taking these symbols at face value. One mustn’t enter a place with an essentialist and internalist view of the place and its character.

Escape this problematic view of place by adopting a PROGRESSIVE sense of place. Remind yourself of the place as a process- a place with multiple different identities and ongoing histories. Respect what makes the place unique, and always remember to explore with an open mind.