German is the third most widely-spoken foreign language in the world, being a maternal language for a hundred million people. It is the official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, as well as in certain parts of northern Italy and in parts of France and Belgium.
German literature includes works from renowned authors such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Rainer Maria Rilke, Hermann Hesse, Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht, Paul Celan, Gunther Grass and Christa Wolf. Certain German companies that excel in the world economy and offer prestigious career positions are ADIDAS, ALLIANZ, AUDI, BAYER, BMW, BOSCH, DEUTSCHE BANK, DIESEL, FISSLER, HAPAG-LLOYD, HOCHTIEF, LUFTHANSA, MIELE, MERCEDES-BENZ, PORSCHE, PUMA, VOLKSWAGEN, WELLA and many others.