Katja Hoyer is a German-British historian and columnist. She is the author of Beyond the Wall and Blood and Iron.
You can pre-oder Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe which is due out in May 2026.
She writes a regular Substack called Zeitgest.
When most travelers imagine Germany, they picture Bavarian beer gardens, the Alps, or the Black Forest. But historian Katja Hoyer, who grew up in the former East Germany, says they’re missing an entire part of the country.
“People rarely have the East on their radar,” she explains. “Bavaria and the Black Forest are beautiful, but the East has a distinct culture of its own.”
A Different Germany
Hoyer’s suggestions range from the famous to the forgotten. Dresden and Weimar are obvious stops, rich in history and architecture. But she urges travelers to look further north.
“The Baltic Sea coast is massively underrated,” she says. “It’s stunning and scenic, with long beaches and coastal towns that feel timeless.”
She also praises the Ore Mountains in Saxony and the Thuringian Forest, both ideal for hiking. “Spectacular scenery,” she says simply. And for those who prefer lakes to mountains, the regions of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are dotted with thousands of them.
Having had family nearby, she remembers how the local folklore felt alive. “In the sandstone formations of Saxon Switzerland, every rock seems to have a story. As a child, those fairy-tale landscapes fired your imagination.”
The Taste of the East
Hoyer’s eyes light up when food comes up. “Try Soljanka, a Russian-style soup that’s still popular in the East. It’s spicy, comforting, and was apparently Merkel’s favourite.”
She also recommends sampling local roasts in Saxony and traditional German restaurants wherever you travel. “Each region has its specialties,” she says. “Food is one of the best ways to understand how people live.”
Dialects and Identity
Language reveals just as much about a region as its cuisine. In East Germany, local dialects were never something to hide. “Even politicians spoke them,” Hoyer explains. “In the West, public life demanded clear, standard German. In the East, speaking your dialect was seen as authentic, not provincial.”
She compares Saxony’s accent to Britain’s Birmingham accent - “distinct, proud, and sometimes mocked.”
As a child, she spoke in a strong Berlin dialect. “I once lost a poetry competition because of it,” she says. “They said it didn’t sound formal enough. Later, at university, I had to train myself to switch into Hochdeutsch.”
Learning English the Hard Way
Hoyer’s English sounds almost native, but she learned it under challenging circumstances. “My English teachers had been trained in East Germany. They taught from textbooks and didn’t really speak fluently.”
Frustrated, she decided to teach herself. “I told my teacher I wanted my English to be as good as my German. She said it was impossible, so I decided to prove her wrong.”
Her method was simple but demanding: reading Harry Potter in English with a dictionary on her knee. Later she immersed herself in British pop culture through Doctor Who, Gavin and Stacey, and BBC radio dramas like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
“It wasn’t just about grammar,” she says. “It was about rhythm and humour, the way people actually talk.”
Humor, Class, and Stereotypes
If there’s one stereotype she finds amusing, it’s that Germans have no sense of humour. “They’re funny, just in a different way,” she says. “If you make a dry joke, they might take it literally. And when I make small talk in English, Germans sometimes stop and laugh, like it’s a punchline.”
Britain, Germany, and the Myths Between Them
Having lived in both countries, Hoyer sees familiar misunderstandings from both sides. “Germans often confuse England with the UK. And they think British food is awful—warm beer, bland meals. But actually, both countries share similar traditions, like Sunday roasts.”
She laughs. “I like ale. Most Germans who haven’t tried it think it’s stale or warm. It’s not—it’s just served differently.”
As for Brexit, she believes the rift was political, not personal. “Most Germans were curious rather than angry. Politicians and the media took it harder. Ordinary people still travel to the UK all the time. You meet German tourists everywhere.”
The Ghosts of Prussia
When asked whether the abolition of Prussia remains controversial, she shakes her head. “Not at all. They didn’t just abolish Prussia; they erased the idea of it. I grew up in what used to be Prussia and never thought of myself as Prussian.”
Yet interest in that past is returning. “Visitor numbers to Prussian palaces are up, and books on the subject do well. People are rediscovering that part of German history.”
Looking Forward
Hoyer is the author of two acclaimed books: Beyond the Wall and Blood and Iron. Both are sharp, insighful looks at how German identity has evolved through upheaval. Her next book, Weimar, will be published in May.
For Hoyer, East Germany remains a deeply misunderstood part of Europe, but one that rewards anyone willing to look beyond the clichés.
“The East has changed so much,” she says. “It’s full of history, nature, and culture. Go there. You’ll see a side of Germany most people never do.”
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