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Famous quotes

We are all familiar with quotes from famous personalities in our own languages and cultures - but how many do we know from elsewhere in different languages? Here is a chance to discover the wisdom, truths (or half-truths!), creativity, humour and sometimes downright cynicism from a range of cultures and languages as well as their origins. Do you have a favourite? We would be delighted if you would also contribute some of your own!

Famous quotes

We are all familiar with quotes from famous personalities in our own languages and cultures - but how many do we know from elsewhere in different languages? Here is a chance to discover the wisdom, truths (or half-truths!), creativity, humour and sometimes downright cynicism from a range of cultures and languages as well as their origins. Do you have a favourite? We would be delighted if you would also contribute some of your own!
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18 quote(s)
Pages count: 1

19

Zeig mir einen gesunden Menschen und ich werde ihn für dich heilen. Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you.

By Carl Gustav Jung


43

Wer eine Jogginghose trägt, hat die Kontrolle über sein Leben verloren. Whoever wears sweatpants has lost control of his life.

By Karl Lagerfeld, German fashion designer


90

den gleich verwerflichen missbrauch groszer buchstaben für das substantivum, der unserer pedantischen unart gipfel heißsen kann, habe ich […] abgeschüttelt. I have shaken off the equally reprehensible misuse of capital letters for the substantive, which can be called the pinnacle of our pedantic bad manners.

By Jakob Grimm
Co-author of Grimm’s fairy tales, was not a big fan of the capitalisation of German nouns Despite his objections (this quote is from 1854) capitals have survived in German whilst disappearing in other languages. German and Luxembourgish are the only languages in the world to capitalise nouns, although it was once common practice in many Germanic languages, such as Danish, Swedish and English (the United States Constitution of 1787 is a well-known example).


4

Alles gerettet Majestät! All is saved your Majesty!

By the Chief of police to Kaiser Franz Joseph of Austria
This initial assessment of the outcome of a fire in Vienna's Ringtheater turned out to have been overly optimitisic. A keen- to-please chief of police reputedly issued this report to Austria's emperor Franz Joseph, after the outbreak of the fire in December 1881. In fact, the Ringtheater was burned to the ground and 386 opera-goers to Hoffmanns Erzählungen tragically died as a result. The quote is now used to show-up 'half-truths' designed entirely to please the target audience, rather than to convey reality.


38

Zwei Dinge sind unendlich, das Universum und die menschliche Dummheit, aber bei dem Universum bin ich mir noch nicht ganz sicher. Only two things are truly infinite, the Universe and human stupidity, although I'm not sure yet regarding the Universe.

By attributed to Albert Einstein


85

Muss es sein? Es muss sein! Must it be? It must be!

By Ludwig van Beethoven
These are the words that he wrote in the epigraph of the score of his 16th string quartet, Op. 135, in F major.


37

Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker. What does not kill me, makes me stronger.

By Friedrich Nietzsche


86

Die Politik ist die Lehre vom Möglichen. Politics is the art of the possible.

By Otto von Bismarck


87

Wer kämpft, kann verlieren, wer nicht kämpft, hat schon verloren. Who fights might lose. Who doesn´t fight has lost already.

By Bertolt Brecht


20

Kein Baum, so heißt es, kann zum Himmel wachsen, wenn seine Wurzeln nicht bis zur Hölle reichen. No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.

By Carl Gustav Jung


36

Gott würfelt nicht! God does not play dice with the universe.

By Albert Einstein


89

Endlich fortissimo! At last, fortissimo!

By Gustav Mahler, 19th Century Austrian compose
He said it while visiting Niagara Falls and referring to the loud rush of the water as a ‘fortissimo’ -which is a music passage marked to be played very loudly.


60

Wer Visionen hat, soll zum Arzt gehen. Those who have visions should go and see a doctor..

By Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (1974–1982)


41

Phantasie ist wichtiger als Wissen, denn Wissen ist begrenzt. Fantasy is more important than knowledge, because knowledge is limited.

By Albert Einstein


1

Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral. First comes a full stomach, then comes ethics.

By Bertolt Brecht
from the Threepenny Opera (1928)


42

Auch aus Steinen, die einem in den Weg gelegt werden, kann man Schönes bauen. Even from stones placed in one's path, one can build something beautiful.

By attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


88

In Deutschland ist die höchste Form der Anerkennung der Neid. In Germany the greatest form of acknowledgement is envy.

By Arthur Schopenhauer


39

Der Ball ist rund. Das Spiel dauert 90 Minuten. The ball is round and the game lasts 90 minutes.

By Sepp Herberger
It’s considered deceivingly simple yet complete summary of what the game of football essentially is all about. Herberger was a famous German player, manager and national team coach who won the 1954 World-cup with West Germany.