>how different/difficult do you find old German compared to modern German? The basics are the same but you have differences in the vocabulary, syntax and context. People had a bigger vocabulary, the sentences were more complex and some words were used in a different context. People today even use German words like "gediegen" wrong and the language today is more rude. You can encounter Latin in old German writings and documents. People with a higher educational background or theological background used Latin or in rare cases old Greek to accentuate something in a sentence. Latin and old Greek was taught regularly in German schools until 1945. My theory is that they simplified the German language after WWII because you think in the vocabulary you have and if you have a very simple vocabulary then you cant do complex things in your mind like seeing through state propaganda.