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Young culture stars from Germany you should know

June 1, 2021

From Helena Zengel to Felix Jaehn: These are the actors, authors, DJs and artists are getting noticed, and not only in their home country.

DJ Felix Jaehn holding a microphone.
German DJ Felix JaehnImage: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Dedert

What are some of the topics young people in Germany feel should be getting more attention? What do they enjoy most? 

Answers can be found among the country's young talents in the cultural and literary scene. In recent months, some of these up-and-comers, all of them under 35, have been hogging headlines by setting new trends or sparking debates.

Young people in Germany

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Although she's only 12 years old, Helena Zengel  has already garnered more fame than most actors can hope for in a lifetime. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in News of the World, in which she played alongside actor Tom Hanks. 

Although the pandemic has brought great career challenges to those working in the culture industry, as the virus has brought Europe to a standstill, it hasn't stopped DJ and producer Felix Jaehn. The 27-year-old has released new tracks in the last months. 

Studying in Germany: From finance to fraternities

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Others, like author, activist and journalist Kübra Gümüsay, are seeing success in the literary world. Gümüsay's 2020 book Sprache und Sein ("Language and Being") was a best-seller in Germany. Her texts and essays have led to heated debates within the country. She also worked on the three-person team that translated the poem by US National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, The Hill We Climb, into German. 

You can find more great talents on the young German cultural scene in our picture gallery. 

To learn more about some of Germany's brightest talents on the culture scene, scroll through the gallery above, while the one below will introduce you to some of Germany's most successful influencers. 

You'll find more from Meet the Germans on YouTube, Instagram and at dw.com/Meet the Germans.

 

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