ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the history of Germany and its cultural distinctions. The German language is a member of the Indo-European family, specifically one of the West-Germanic languages derived from the Germanic tribes of the first millennium BC. The chapter introduces the currently most significant Germanic models of giftedness. The secularization of the concept of giftedness is also reflected in the changing idea that talents are tangible and observable. One can divide giftedness research in Germany into three stages: the first period, which peaked at the beginning of the 20th century; the second stage, which is defined by a standstill in giftedness research that began with the Third Reich; and a third phase, a reblossoming of scientific activity regarding talent in a rich research landscape with deeply diverse theories, which began in the mid-1970s. The chapter concludes with an overview of the field of education with particular consideration accorded to the domain of gifted education.
