This book, which examines the interrelations of language and society in German-speaking countries, is the most detailed account of German sociolinguistics to appear in English. Topics covered include the history and development of the German language, German as a minority language, traditional dialects, the influence of English on German, and German in the East and West. It will appeal to undergraduates and postgraduates whose background is in German but who have little or no previous knowledge of linguistics, and it has also been designed to be accessible to students and researchers in linguistics who have little or no knowledge of German, since all examples are translated.