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/* Pavilion History */
{{Quotation|"The future River Ride promises to be as enjoyable as it is informative. An early concept has visitors boarding a "cruise boat" for a simulated ride down the Rhine and other rivers, the trip affording a visual impression in miniature of the cultural heritage of Germany's past and the highlights of its present. Among the detailed models envisioned are scenes in the Black Forest, the Oktoberfest, Heidelberg, the industrial Ruhr Valley, the possibilities are limited only by the planners' imaginations." <Ref> Beard, Richard R. Walt Disney's Epcot Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow. New York: Harry N. Abrams,, Publ., 1982. Print. </ref>)}}
[[Image:RhineRiverconcept.jpg|400px|thumb|Concept art for the unbuilt Rhine River Cruise attraction.]]
As previously mentioned, the Germany pavilion, sans the Rhine River cruise and the tourism area, opened with the rest of [[EPCOT Center]] on October 1, 1982. The pavilion is themed to look like a German plaza in Bavaria set in eternal Oktoberfest <ref name= "Spence"/>. The platz, called St. Georgsplatz, features a large clock tower, a central fountain which is guarded by a statue of St. George (the patron saint of soldiers) and a dragon, as well as various storefronts <ref name= "Spence" />. Shops that opened with the pavilion in 1982 included: Glas und Porzellan (a ceramic and glassware shop), Porzellanhaus (a china shop), Süssigkeiten (a bakery), Weinkeller (a wine shop), Der Bucherwurm (a bookstore), Volkskunst, and Der Teddybär. The pavilion also included the [[Biergarten ]] restaurant.
Since Germany opened in 1982, the pavilion has seen a substantial amount of changes. In 1988 a small crystal cart was added to the pavilion <ref name="intercot"> http://www.intercot.com/edc/wsfoodshop.html#ger </ref>. The next year, in 1989, Porzellanhaus was renamed Die Weihnacts Ecke, which features predominantly Christmas decorations <ref name= "Epcot"> The Epcot Explorer's Encyclopedia: A Guide to Walt Disney World's Greatest Theme Park </ref>. Also in 1989, sign that the planned Rhine River Cruise was perhaps shelved further came when the counter service [[Sommerfest]] restaurant opened near the [[Biergarten]] <ref name= "Epcot"/>. Sommerfest opened in front of the planned location for the Rhine River Cruise's entrance. When the Germany pavilion originally opened, guests could see a large set of doors that led to the attraction's partially built show building. Today, If guests go to the back of [[Sommerfest]], they will find a large mural painted on the wall. This wall replaced the original Rhine River Cruise doors. In a similar fashion, in 1990, a new shop called Kunsterbeit in Kristall opened in the location formally earmarked for a German tourism office <ref name="progress"> http://progresscityusa.com/2011/05/09/examining-epcot-the-germany-showcase/ </ref>.
