ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

History of German

German is a language that has been around for a really long time. It started way back in a time called the Middle Ages, which was about 1,000 years ago. Back then, people who lived in a place called Germany spoke a bunch of different languages that were kind of similar but not exactly the same.

Over time, these different languages started to blend together and evolve into what we now know as German. It was influenced by other languages too, like Latin and Greek, which helped to shape the way German sounds and how it is written.

As Germany became more important in Europe, German became an even more important language. It was used in literature, science, and politics. Some of the greatest minds in history, like Albert Einstein and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, were German and spoke German.

But German has also been a language associated with some difficult times in history. In the early 20th century, a group called the Nazis took control of Germany and used German to promote their racist and hateful ideas. It was a very dark time in the history of the country and the language.

Today, German is still an important language spoken by millions of people around the world. It is a language of culture, science, and commerce. You can even learn how to speak German yourself and explore the rich history and culture of the language.