On 01/04/2013 07:41 AM, Erick T. Barkhuis wrote:
Tom P:


Is there a place or places in Germany where Hochdeutsch is the
local dialect?

Yes. Generally spoken in the area around and between Osnabrück and
Hannover.


Hochdeutsch technically refers to the distinction to Plattdeutsch
(Low German) and other dialects, but generally it is what Standard
German is called, and I think that is what Dan means. Standard German
is the natural language everywhere and nowhere - even in Lower
Saxony, there are local accents, and some people speak a variety of
Plattdeutsch, which nobody else understands.

Absolutely correct.
In my region, in the west of Lower Saxony, a dialect consisting of
Saxonian and Dutch phrases, spoken with a weird accent, is common.
Among each other, locals all usually speak this dialect, which is hard
for me to understand (although I'm practically fluent in German and
Dutch is my native tongue). When I'm joining a group of neighbours,
most of them politely switch to Hochdeutsch, so I can converse along
with them.


Some dialects are more or less mutually incomprehensible.

Correct.
In five weeks from now, the carnival speakers will demonstrate this on
TV again. Even relatively close neighbours (geographically spoken) from
Mainz and Cologne will have trouble to fully understand each others'
dialect.

I've just finished watching Monika Gruber, a popular female comedian, on
Bavarian TV. When she performs on west German TV channels, she speaks
standard German with a Bavarian accent, but performing on tonight's show
in front of a live audience in Munich, she was speaking dialect and I
could only understand about half of the jokes.