Imperial Germans

Reichsdeutsche, literally translated "Germans of the Reich", is an archaic term for those ethnic Germans who resided within the German state that was founded in 1871. In contemporary usage, it referred to German citizens, the word signifying people from the German Reich, i.e., Imperial Germany or Deutsches Reich, which was the official name of Germany between 1871 and 1949.

The opposite of the Reichsdeutsche is, then, depending on context and historical period, Volksdeutsche, Auslandsdeutsche (however, usually meaning German citizens living abroad), or a more specific term denoting the area of settlement, such as Baltic Germans or Volga Germans (Wolgadeutsche).

Term

The key problem with the term reichsdeutsch, volksdeutsch, deutschstämmig (Ethnic German), and related ones is that the usage of the words often depends on context, i.e. who uses them where and when. There are, in that sense, no general legal or "right" definitions, although during the 20th century, all terms acquired legal — yet also changing — definitions.

Germans

Germans (German: Deutsche) are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe, who share a common German ancestry, culture and history, and speak the German language as their native language. Alternatively, Germans are those who live or were born in Germany.

The English term Germans has historically referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages. Before the collapse of communism and the reunification of Germany in 1990, Germans constituted the largest divided nation in Europe by far. Ever since the outbreak of the Protestant Reformation within the Holy Roman Empire, German society has been characterized by a Catholic-Protestant divide.

Of approximately 100 million native speakers of German in the world, roughly 80 million consider themselves Germans. There are an additional 80 million people of German ancestry mainly in the United States, Brazil (mainly in the South Region of the country), Argentina, Canada, South Africa, the post-Soviet states (mainly in Russia and Kazakhstan), and France, each accounting for at least 1 million. Thus, the total number of Germans lies somewhere between 100 and more than 150 million, depending on the criteria applied (native speakers, single-ancestry ethnic Germans, partial German ancestry, etc.).

German

German(s) may refer to:

Places

People

Mythological beings

Germans (band)

Germans were a Canadian indie rock band whose members included Julian Kado, Roman Harrison, Livingston Fagan,Aidan Koper, Steven Lappano, Jesse Foster, Michael Rozenberg, and Leon Taheny. They are signed to Portland, Oregon-based label Arena Rock Recording Co. Based in Toronto, the bandmembers are from various nearby Ontario cities: Mississauga, Richmond Hill, and Guelph.

Critics have noted that the music is reminiscent of 1990s indie rock, and, in their "Artist of the Day" feature, Spin magazine compared the band's music to 1990s indie rock band Archers of Loaf. Taheny has cited the band Pavement as a significant influence. Most of the band members contributed to the 2006 Polaris Music Prize-winning album He Poos Clouds by Final Fantasy, which Taheny produced.

Their track "I Am the Teacher" has been in rotation at CBC Radio 3, and played on the CBC Radio 3 podcast. The band is touring the U.S. and Canada in early 2007.

Band member Aidan Koper appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, performing a "Stupid Human Trick" in which he contorted his body through a tennis racquet while juggling.