If you’ve ever shown up to a bar on a Sunday afternoon or listened to a concert at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, you’ve experienced firsthand the lasting impact of German culture in the city.

Last episode, we went to Christkindlmarket, one of the most prominent examples of German culture in Chicago. There are key organizations like the Goethe Institute and DANK Haus. But there are also more subtle, everyday activities we participate in that would be different had German immigrants never settled in this area, centuries ago.

Curious City host Erin Allen talks to two experts on German language and culture. They discuss how it has shaped Chicago’s history and present, from the products we consume to the rights and freedoms we enjoy.