High German

High German is used for two different concepts:

  • Standard German, the German that is usually written down. Standard German is spoken as a dialect, mostly in the North of Germany, around Hannover.
  • High German languages, a number of dialects of German, mostly spoken in the South of Germany, in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, northern Italy, Alsace, Lorraine, Luxembourg, and Belgium. They are noticeably different from standard German.