Deutsche Welle Breaks the Mould with The Instant Germanizer
Webspecial focuses on the fun aspects of German life and culture

Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international broadcaster, has launched a fun new web property targeted at the youth and those young at heart with an interest in becoming typically German. The Instant Germanizer, located on the Internet at www.germanizer.com, is an entertaining multimedia community where like-minded people can meet and exchange information about Germany.

Before joining the password-protected club, participants are required to take a few hilarious tests to learn more about German stereotypes. Once the tests are completed, the user is allowed access to an array of interactive features such as a German language course, interesting news, a discussion forum and a picture gallery where they can upload pictures of their German experiences and send them as e-cards. “Deutsche Welle is renowned for being a provider of serious news and information. With The Instant Germanizer, we’ve aimed to break the mould and focus on the fun aspects of German life and culture,” says Guido Baumhauer, head of DW-Online. “The act of joining a club is in itself a very typical German trait. The Germanizer club offers users all over the world the opportunity to enter competitions and win Germany-related prizes. We also plan on building an online shop where users can buy humorous Germany-related souvenirs,” concludes Baumhauer. To be instantly Germanized and join the Germanizer club, participants need to take the following tests:

•  Talk der Lingo: Germans are supposed to be a pedantic nation and very particular about their language. To become instantly Germanized, interested parties will need to learn a few important phrases like
  “I would like pigs trotters and sour cabbage for lunch”. In “Talk der Lingo” user are asked to listen to some German sound bites and then choose a suggestion as to what the sentence or phrases meant.
• Cookooks Knock: Rumour says, the Germans are, without exception, always punctual - lateness is neither expected nor tolerated. To be Germanized, participants need to prove that they are as punctual as a real born German. Users are asked to watch a cuckoo clock and pay attention to the second hand and knock on a door at exactly 4 o'clock. The computer mouse is used to simulate knocking.

Spot the Germans: It takes a German to spot one. To be a true German, entrants must prove that they know what German’s look like. Participants are asked to use their computer mouse and click on every German seen in one minute.