Hallo zusammen!
What better way is there to keep on top of your German over the summer months than by watching a Netflix series? We have picked out four of our favourite German original series that are available on Netflix to help give you a starting point. Remember that you don’t have to understand everything that is going on and if you feel more comfortable, watch the series in German with English subtitles.
Dark
Dark is the first ever German language Netflix original series. Its third season was released two weekends ago and is suitable for ages 15 and up. It is a Sci-Fi Thriller set in the small fictional town of Winden in Germany. The series concerns the aftermath of a local boy’s disappearance which exposes the secrets and links between four families as they slowly unravel a sinister time travel conspiracy that spans three generations. If you love shows like Stranger Things, then Dark is the series to watch!
Charité
Charité is a historical hospital series which takes place in the 1880s. It is set in Europe’s largest clinic, Charité Berlin, where its staff witness the success of famous researchers and future Nobel laureates in their respective fields. This includes vaccine breakthroughs and eugenic practices (movement aimed at improving the genetic composition of the human race) during World War II. It is suitable for ages 12 and up.
Dogs of Berlin
Dogs of Berlin is only suitable for those aged 18 and upwards. Two police officers investigate the murder of the fictional German-Turkish football star Orkan Erdem. Berlin is sent into a frenzy and the list of potential suspects is long. In order to uncover the truth, the two police officers have to venture deep down into the Berlin underworld where one of them has connections which causes controversy.
Freud
Freud is another series only suitable for those aged 18 and up and is arguably the most difficult one for German learners on our list since it is set in Vienna in the 19th Century. This drama is based on founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, who is recast as a cocaine-fuelled doctor who uses hypnosis to solve crimes. He also teams up with a local policeman and a medium to catch criminals and the majority of the storyline is fictional. This eight-part series follows a period in Freud’s life where his theories and ideas made him an outsider with his fellow doctors.
If watching a German series isn’t your thing, then consider watching an English series or film that you are familiar with and watch it dubbed in German with German or English subtitles, depending on the difficulty. That being said, we hope that you have enjoyed this month’s blog post. Our next blog post will be in August so stay tuned! We will be continuing to post on Instagram and Twitter over the coming months so be sure to keep up to date with us on social media also.
Bis bald!