It‘s a misunderstanding. You can cross the street at pretty much any place you like legally. What he was refering to are traffic lights. German pedestrians usually stop at the red (stop) light for pedestrians and don’t like people violating that (esp. when kids are around). And there is a fine for ignoring the red light. Not for crossing the street where no street crossings are around …
@@Kullioking True, you at least have to be like 50 - 100 meters away, depending on the street, to be freed from the duty to use the crosswalk. That of course is varying by the area. Also, if there is no police catching you, the possibility of you getting fined is about 0%
The deposit is a big thing here. Even if you don‘t want it back, don‘t trow bottles in the trash can. There are people collecting them who depend on that money. So don‘t be the person who makes people search the trash. Put the bottles on the side of trash cans. Respecting others is such an important thing.
As a German, regarding the concentration camps: In 10th grade we had a class trip to the KZ Neuengamme, one of the biggest around my hometown Hamburg. It was pretty cold there because it was January, I had a skijacket and some thick trousers, so I wasn’t sparsely clothed. We also had a guide that did a great job, and I think that the coldness really added to the experience… I just couldn’t properly fathom that people would have to work in those temperatures with basically no clothes. If you visit a KZ I would recommend going there in winter, because it just adds to the experience. Because it was winter, everything was grey, I think going in the summer, the lushness of nature would have felt too comfortable. The coldness, and greyness of the winter perfectly set the mood for such a trip.
We went to Dachau in the heat of summer and let me tell you those 30° had the same effect. Imagining having to work at this heat, without any shade and not enough water humbles you quite a bit.
Despite, or maybe because of the discomfort, I'm really grateful that it is mandatory (I think) for schools to have such a visit sceduled, when the history class reaches this stage. I visited in 10. grade, than changed to schools and in 11. grade, we got it on our scedule for a selective visit on our school trip. Our hhistory teacher encouraged all of those who havent't visited yet, should do so now.
As a german I wouldn't necessarily agree with the "don't wait in restaurants" one. Usually you get seated, order a round of drinks or whatever and then you have more then enough time to look through the menu to pick something. I've never ran into someone who was bothered even if it took 15 minutes before I ordered my food. But yes, there won't be someone asking every 2 minutes if you need something.. so you just might have to wait on them then :D
Also, there's a simple sign for showing whether you still need more time or have already decided: If the menu is open, you are still perusing it. If it's closed, you are ready to order.
I agree. It's okay to take your time. Also, in some restaurants you get seated and in some you just pick a table. In a cafe or bistro I usually just take a seat somewhere but in a proper restaurant I always wait and ask for a table. Most of the time they just say "Just sit wherever you like" but sometimes they seat you. The only thing that's really rushed is the supermarket checkout. You always have to be quick to put everything on the conveyor belt and quickly put everything back in your trolley to clear the checkout for the person behind you. I'm German and it still always stresses me out. Especially when my kids were still small and I had to watch them, throw everything back in the trolley, pay, make sure I don't drop my car keys ... *lol*
yep, usually you'll get to your seat, get the menu and order drinks, and by the time the drinks are brought over you order the food (or tell them you need more time) and it's really no big deal at all. it's not like they're suddenly gone just because they don't check on you every two minutes
As for bringing gifts I suppose it depends on the occasion and your relationship with the people you visit. If it's a more formal occasion you would bring flowers, chocolates, a bottle of something or such. Or if you are at somebody's home for the first time and it's more of a formal relationship (business partner or such) you'd probably bring something, too. If it's a housewarming, you bring bread and salt and often a little gift for the new home but if you just go to visit friends you don't necessarily bring anything. At least you're not expected to. It's a nice gesture to bring some snacks or so but not necessary.
As a German and a Civil Engineer I want to share a fun fact of the Autobahn: If the signs don't show a speed limit, there is still a recommended speed limit of 130 km/h. The reason for that is, that for the design of the alignment, a speed of 140 km/h is considered. There are indeed some older sections of the Autobahn, where you really should not go faster than 140 km/h in the curves, I experienced that myself on the A8 once, I think.
And if you are faster than the "Richtgeschwindigkeit" (recommended speed) of 130, it is possible that your insurance will not pay for your crash. And even if someone else is to blame for the accident, it is very possible that you get a part of the blame on you.
Don't forget the sign for "no speed limit". Then you're allowed to drive as fast as you want. But true, you should'nt exaggerate it. Safty first. And be carefull on the left side. Another one could be faster than you.
@@Winona493not necsessarily. Modern cars have gotten very safe in that manner. Additionally, since most cars on the Autobahn are still normal-sized and relatively light, your chance of survival of a high speed crash is much higher than probably anywhere else. Also, the guarding rails on the Autobahn are designed to withstand these types of crashes at high speeds (to a point of course). You will be (probably even heavily) injured, but not necsessarily dead. Stay safe!
The Last one always gets me. I mean as a German I know e don't all live in Fachwerkhäusern, but I also never even thought about another country not having a modern city scape. If I'd go to china I'd not expect people to live in bamboo made straw huts between rice fields only. That's a bit like expecting Cowboys on every corner next to a saloon when going to Washington DC. Maybe that's a german thing but I don't even know anyone else that would assume anything like that. Or am I just in a weird crowd and that's normal otherwise ?
To be fair, the architect of the holocaust memorial in Berlin encouraged people to "interact with it in any way they like". I think he wanted for some people to climb on it and some people to be enraged by those who do. In my opinion it's a brilliant way to spark controversy and make sure that people remember what those concrete blocks actually stand for. Never forget, never again!
"and make sure that people remember what those concrete blocks actually stand for." Generally speaking, I think your comment is perfectly fine, but the quoted statement above is a little bit questionable, because I think not half of all those people doing parcours or duckface selfies on the memorial, actually know what the memorial stands for, they just chase the clout. And I really think that is not what the architect wanted by stating, that people should interact however they see fit. I was there and sitting on the lower stones at the edges of the park is perfectly fine, even climbing on them is not a big deal. But jumping around all over the place while holding a camera and doing the v with silly faces is literally ousting the background and reason of the memorial...
"interact", mmh. I am not sure if that goes for selfies and jumping from on stone to another, when people show no interested what the blocks stand for. So how can there be an interactions?
I would be furious to see someone be so disrespectful. If I saw someone being disrespectful in a KZ I would tell security or maybe even berate that person myself. This is a mass murder site! It's a place to feel terrible and leave wanting to do and be better. The atmosphere there is so dark. And yeah, when I heard about people being disrespectful to the memorial in Berlin, I judge them. I was there trying to feel, what it meant, what the artist was trying to say. I don't fully get it as a lot of people don't, but just because it doesn't look like a memorial means, that you can do Parcours or picknicks on it. And no memorial of any kind is a place, where you can feed your narcissism!
You May consider that those kind of people see the blocks and start jumping over it and having fun, without knowing the meaning of it. Most people I know are lazy at reading. So if we talk about having visited the same city and I tell them that I was amazed by a former function of an old building, it reveals the they may have visit the same place but did not knowing about that former funktion. Why? Because the don't read! I think in some percent of cases the tourist jumping over the blocks, it is just lack of knowlege. Ducface in concentration camps on the other hand couldn't be excused.
I strongly disagree on the "order right away in a restaurant" thing. It might be different in different regions or just big cities compared to villages where you'll also have smaller restaurants. But normally waiters want to gain money by selling you drinks. They might already ask you if you want something to drink right away while handing you the menu. But that's not about the food. You'll get your drink, get into first conversations with the people you're dining with, and sometimes even order a second drink before finally ordering food. The unwritten sign that you want to order is either looking at a waiter while they are walking by or politely raising your hand at them, but waiters will see that you are ready to order when you close the menu or stop looking at it. So you won't have to wait for long if you don't order right away. Doing the "quick-hurry up" culture that Germans are famous for in restaurants is actually not very useful and won't make you much money as a restaurant owner. You want people to order second drinks and dishes, and that they'll only do if they have enough time to do so.
Thats very true. Also, as you said, most German restaurants welcome you to stay as long as you like (as long as you order something every now and then), thus they gain money. There may be exceptions when its really crowded but thats not the norm like e.g. in restaurants in the States.
Agreed. I believe the creator of the original video is American and used to the over the top American restaurant service, where waiters check in on you every 5 minutes and ask you if you want anything else, offer refills, ask if everything is OK etc. He just didn't know that in Germany, waiters usually leave you alone to let you study the menu in peace and take all the time you want before ordering your food and you have to signal them that you are ready to order by closing the menu and looking their way and/or raising your hand when they look your way. If you do that, they will come to your table to take your order very quickly, unless the restaurant is very croweded and the food and drink deliveries are queueing up (in the latter case it is actually smart and might save you some time to be ready to order when they bring your drinks, in any other case that is certainly not a social rule and more the exception than the norm)
About the shoes in the house thing: Not in every house you have to take your shoes off. I would say in about 70% it is the case tho, but it always depends on the person you are visiting. I can give the advice to just ask "where should I put my shoes" when you are at someones place for the first time. Usually they will say where to put them or if you can keep wearing them, without getting in a weird moment.
Just to touch on the part about crossing streets: If there is no red light you can just cross the road. If possible do it in a civilized manner and use pedestrian crossings or Zebra Streifen. If that is not possible just find any other suitable spot, but make shure to look left and right to not get run over. If there is a red light, use it. Have a quick look and see, if there are any children around. If there are children around, lead by good example and wait until the light turns green. If there aren't any children around, proceed at your own discretion. Most people won't judge you, if you cross a red light, so long, as you don't interfere with traffic and you aren't setting a bad example for kids.
For the Autobahn: Yes, on some parts of it you really can drive as fast as you like. But there are two things to remember: The left lane is only for overtaking someone. If you're done with it, you should be change back to the right lane. The second thing: No matter, how fast you're driving... there is ALWAYS someone faster then you. Most of the other drivers wait patiently, that you switch back to the other lane. But like in every other country, there are some really bad apples out there, who try to force you back
I take my time, regardless of the behaviour of the car behind me. I don't want to school anybody how to drive, but sometimes it's just not safe to switch to the right lane, because you have to squeeze your car in a far to small space. Also people that ignore the safety distance tend to have almost no situational awareness. I leave even more space to the next car in front of me, if I have someone 1 meter behind me for the simple reason that I then can't break hard, because the car behind me would not have enough time to react.
I have to correct you: You can NEVER drive as fast as "you like" in germany. When there's no sign you can go as fast as the situation allows it without endangering anybody else. Meaning: When there's any traffic you are basically not allowed to speed like a moron. German law expects you do be responsible.
Running/playing around on the memorial in Berlin is actually COMPLETELY fine. It's what the architect intended. "But there are no dead people under my memorial. My idea was to allow as many people of different generations, in their own ways, to deal or not to deal with being in that place. And if they want to lark around I think that's fine." -Peter Eisenman
I am Scottish living I’m Germany. I am glad you had this person on … he is correct. The Americans you had on was shameful. I lived also in the USA … I have dual nationality. Proud to be Scottish … I hope you and family can manage to visit Germany … you would love it.
Hey, your comments about behaviour in a foreign country seem quite appropriate to me. But don't forget: The guys whose video you reactioned to are Americans, I am sorry to have to say that .. .. reg. disrespect: do you remember that woman who climbed up a Maya pyramid some weeks ago to make selfies dancing on the top although it was strictly forbidden and it would hurt the religious feelings of the native people? Same story. Nothing more to tell. It has all to do with respect - and the lack of it. And of course the landscape and the region form and shape people and "friendliness" and openess. People in Franconia are like their dialect: a little clumsy, not very charming, terse - they need a lot of time to warm up and trust perfect stranger, they are not easily to be enthused but when the ice is broken they are very very welcoming, humerous (a very very dry humour! lol) and helpful. Viele Grüße!
Jaywalk and crossing the streets while lights are red: in my childhood it was not so strict and so pronounced. But at that time (70s) our society was very educational. And we believe that as adults, we need to set a good example for our children. How can I tell my child to stop at red pedestrian lights for the way to school if I don't do it myself and see others not complying with them?
So in Germany it's allowed to cross any normal Street at any point. BUT if there is a Traffic light it usually means that there is traffic, so for safety reasons and to be able to cross the street the cars have to stop and we pedestrians can safely cross the street. Of course if there's no traffic or at night time people cross the red light 😊 there is a unspoken rule if there are children standing at the red light we do not cross and try to be a good role model ❤
Modeling good behavior also helps recent immigrants to integrate. What with foreign famines and wars Germany and Europe in general have a lot of recent immigration. So for me it's not just children but immigrants too. Essentially anyone who is still learning the rules.
4:40 depends by daytime and street size but most important is that when in absolutely most cases we don’t cross it if there’re children near by u and can see that.. that’s something like social agreement, don’t do wrong things when kids around you So if it’s 23pm and there is not so much traffic we cross also the red traffic lights But in total yes, we all learn it in school: wait, look to the left, to the right, to the left again and then u can go 😄
On the topic of money on 12:55 The view regrading cash is quite mixed here in Germany, though it is very rarely "Cash vs Credit Card" but "Cash vs Debit Card" - Credit cards are a lot more rare in Germany and card devices support them less, but most people with a bank account do have a debit card, while people pretty much only have credit cards if they plan to visit or have visited a country like the US. The usage then is also situational, I for example pay my groceries or gas pretty much always with my debit card, but on smaller shops, restaurants, etc., I usually use cash. Reasons people have to prefer cash can be for example convenience (in the older generations), reduced traceability, support for the restaurant/shop because the banks have fees in wire transfer, being surer that when you tip in restaurants, money actually stays with the staff. Specifically on phone-based money transfer, mistrust in the technology, the device, or implications on stolen devices come to mind. But often it comes down to the personal preference. Obligatory anecdote: A group at my workplace thought it would be nice to visit the close-by Christmas Market after work. When there, the HR person who initiated this plan noticed, that they might not be able to pay as they mainly use their phone for payments, while I (software engineer) would not for the foreseeable future trust my device enough to do more than being a 2-factor-athentificator when it comes to money. Both of us are in a similar age group, me being born 1994.
I don't see the Holocaust Monument as a historical monument. There is no one buried and the place is not linked in a historical way. The whole concept was to experiance the monument in the way you like and feel: walking, climbing, running and so on. It was controversial from the beginning and I don't understand why the choose this design when they did not like the purpose of the design. The architect himself had not the idea of a sacred place. "SPIEGEL ONLINE: Now that the memorial is finished and open to the public, it probably won't be long before the first swastika is sprayed on it. Eisenman: Would that be so bad? I was against graffiti protection from the start. When a swastika is sprayed on, it is a reflection of what people are feeling. If it stays there, it's a reflection of what the government thinks about people scrawling swastikas on the memorial. It's something I can't control. When you hand the project over to the client, he can do with it what he wants - it's his, he has the work. If you want to knock over the stones tomorrow, honestly, that's fine. People will picnic in the field. Children will play tag in the field. There will be mannequins posing here and films will be shot here. I can well imagine how a shootout between spies in the field would end. It's not a holy place." It is a difference when you go to a concentration or forced labour camp where real people suffered and died. I would not set places like Buchenwald or Auschwitz the same as the Holocaust memorial.
Typical situation at a restaurant would be: You sit down somewhere. A waiter arrives and give you the menu and asks if you know what you want to drink. You can always say you'll decide later. It's not frowned upon. He goes to get the drinks, comes back a few minutes later and asks if you know what you want to eat. You place your order. So, no hurry.
You probably don't know what happened to Estonia, all cashless Society hacked by Russia,as I told you ,germans are culturally conservative.we love to test waters before sailing.
Ever since a Nazi party (AfD, which has creepingly transformed itself from a Euro-critic party into a Nazi party) has been squatting in our parliaments, becoming more and more radicalised and gaining more and more support, respect for the victims of National Socialism has dwindled. As a result, disrespectfulness against the victims and the memorials has become more and more socially acceptable, which is of great concern to many of us Germans.
i think the "germans are rude" stereotype exists because we do tend to have rather stern resting faces 😅 (just to deter any nay-sayers: obviously that's not a rule. not everyone is like that. but i live here. i see the tendency daily. and i see it in myself. walking past a window, i often am like "oops. gotta look a little more friendly" 😂)
- Don't jaywalk with children in sight. That's the big rule as far as I'm concerned. You need to know the rules before you can figure out when to break them. But on occasion I really just wait for red for no real reason. - I stopped using Paypal once a lawyer explained their TOS and what audacities they have in there (we decide whatis wrong, we decide the fine, we take it from your bank account - what dio you mean 'due process'? Sue us!). Since then, I absolutely prefercash and had to cancel some services that need it. Going cashless is good for authoritarianism and banks earning on the debt, but its convenience makes people happily trade in freedom. And control. There's no thought behind "ah, just charge my credit card", no feeling that you just spend money like going to the ATM gives you.
Hi Mert, I really like your channel and your genuine interest in Germany and its people and culture, so both thumbs up! I would have two comments. First on the friendliness of germans. This can vary quite a bit between areas. I found that in the south people are much more friendly, while in the north people are more reserved. And in Berlin area the locals can even come across quite rude in the first place. We call it "Berliner Schnauze" which is very blunt or provocative when you are not used to it. But actually they don't mean to be rude and it is rather a certain sense of humor. Secondly, on the cash payment thing. Germany is also getting there but very slowly. Corona changed a lot but in particular elder germans still prefer their cash. Before Corona you could only pay cash in a bakery for example, this has changed now. But at most Döner places they still only accept cash. I hope you can make it to Germany some day so you can make your experience first hand and I am pretty sure you will like it :)
@@strandkorbst9643 This question never came to my mind. I was just talking about the situation he was starting to explain his discomfort about. He was talking about some guys or should I say buffoons he reacted a couple of days ago and how much disrespect to they've showed. They were from the US. In opposite to them Mert happened to be a Scotsman with manners, hence a civilized European.
The absence of "half timbered houses" in the heart of big cities has a kind of sad historic background. Building with stones and concret is faster and sturdier, after the area was burned down and distroyed in WW2. I'm sure it's the same thing in french and englisch big cities.
06:10 That realy depends on the house. There are households that will tolerate no shoes at all and there are households that have like "Shoe free zones" For example, by Family home, a house from the late 1800s, base level is mostly covered in timber flooring and tiles. That is the area where a visitor would not be asked to take of their shoes. But if you want to go into the "Privat" or "Living Area" where there is carpet on the floor, you will be asked to take of your shoes. That is of course different in every household, so it is best to just ask if you should take off your shoes.
My parents allow guests to keep their shoes on, but at my aunts and uncles you have to not wear them inside. Then at my sister's in laws you get house slippers. It really depends on the household. Do they mind the mess shoes make? Or do they want their guests to feel more comfortable? I'd say it's 50/50. Also a long time friend or someone staying longer might have different rules, too. It's difficult, so everyone asks. Or they just start to remove their shoes and the family tells them, if they don't have to.
Our house had a “no shoes” policy for so long, that when someone came in wearing their shoes which, considering we lived in a village, could’ve stepped in all kinds of sh+t and other stuff like snails beforehand, it made me feel really offended. Meanwhile at my grandparents’ house, if you’re not wearing shoes, you gotta wear slippers, that’s just how things go. After all, everyone has their own house rules.
I am german and no one who visit my house has to put off his shoes . I also do not know everyone who wants this to do by their visitors. I also do not want to bother a visitor by buying a gift for me . The traffic in germany gets more and more dangerous because the behaviour of people is very ruthless
So you sit inside your house with your shoes on? You deserve to be shamed. I think keeping your shoes on is ok when you're just dropping by and don't intend to stay or you're carring something but if you're sitting down with your shoes on I'd find you weird. Even more so if there's carpet around. That makes me even cringe when I see this on TH-cam.
I have to say something about the jewish monument. Yes, you see people climbing, sunbathing (even in bikini) on the stones, jumping etc. And yes, this is a very hot discussion in the public. Critics say: You don´t behave that way at a memorial site. The architect himself says: "If you hand the project over to the client, then he does what he wants with it - it belongs to him, he disposes of the work. If people want to knock over the stones tomorrow, let's be honest, it's fine. People will picnic in the field. Children will play tag in the field. There will be mannequins posing here and films will be shot here. I can well imagine a shootout between spies ending in the field. It's not a sacred place." - Peter Eisenman: Interview at Spiegel Online (2005)
I have a little anecdote to jaywalking in Germany: I was going home late in a big city and stood at the red light out of habit. I could see no cars because it was foggy. A guy to my right started to cross the road on a red light and out of the fog, red and blue police lights flare up and their microphone beeps. "Wouldn't do that if I were you." Generally, the rule makes people at least look around before jaywalking and often times people stay still when they see little kids because they don't want to set a bad example. The red light shows who was raised by strict german parents.
Im German and grew up in in a small village that had only 1 single traffic light that was on the way to the local school. On it there was a sign, that reminded ppl to stop at red and be an example for children. That always stuck to my head. Now i live in a big city in Austria and here a lot of ppl dont care. Only a few weeks ago i saw a women with a girl around 10y jaywalking acrolls a street with 4 lines... the whole traffic had to stop for that dumbass and she was grinning from ear to ear as if she was proud of that accomplishment. Many years ago i was at a workshop and when we had our big break during the day, me and another dude that was there went to a nearby super market. For that we had to cross a narrow street with a traffic light. He always went if it was red and no cars approaching, i always stopped...he asked me if i was autistic cause i felt the need to wait for the traffic light to get green, lol.
Yeah, that's pretty much it. There's a big difference between smaller towns and bigger cities. As with a lot of other things I feel like people in the bigger cities are generally more liberal :)
4:25 *_"Jaywalking in Germany"_* Don't do that in Germany. We really take this very seriously. Not because we love following the law, but because we want to be a good example for children. 12:55 *_"Cash is King"_* Yes you're right. Due to Covid19 we was asked to pay contactless, because we wanted to prevent sharing the virus through our money. I think that there is started a movement at this point and we will use credit cards more frequently now.
Sadly people these days went again all back to using cash and the old behaviour of seeking for hours through all the pockets in their clothes the find the last penny they need. I really hoped Covid would make it better, but it was only for the time it lasted 🙄
@@beldin2987 My experience is exactly the opposite... people messing around with their cards to pay an amount of 1.50 euros. Nothing but time thieves! And as far as looking around with small change is concerned... These are mostly older people who are just as overwhelmed with card payments. And it gets even better when a card doesn't work, for whatever reason... I've had to experience this 3 times as a spectator at gas stations alone. It's an exhilarating feeling when the attendant takes away your car keys and ID and you then walk to the nearest ATM, which is little more than a kilometer away, hoping your card will work there. A good old friend of mine, a mechanical engineer, was once the victim of a data breach that could easily have cost him $6,000. Only the choice of his vacation spot back then saved him. He was on holiday in Iceland and used his card at a machine. And half an hour later, someone in Turkey cleared the 6000 euros. The bank suffered because it was impossible to get from Iceland to Turkey in such a short time. In fact, his data had been tapped by a criminal gas station tenant when he went on a motorcycle tour in the Swabian Alb. I could tell endless more stories about credit and debit card hassles, but you unfortunate child, you won't understand me anyway...
@@melchiorvonsternberg844 It was like that with cards maybe 8-10 years ago or whatever, where it also took quite some time after you put in the card until it got prcessed and so on, but now i have to just put it on the reader for a second, and when i'm at the grocery store where i always go shopping, i mostly don't even have to put in my number anymore. So faster isn't really possible with cash. And even if its just 1.50 .. personally (when i still used cash) i mostly just payed with a 10 euro bill maybe or a 2 euro coin or anything that was fast and easy to do, but so many then first start to seek for their purse, then they slowly start counting single pences, and maybe if they don't have enough they search another purse they have hidden in another pocket, or maybe they have coins buried in the pockets of their jeans .. dammit ..
Legally jaywalking can be an offence but it depends on the distance of a traffic light / crosswalk. The exact figures depend on local regulations but usually when you're more than 50m away from a crosswalk / traffic light, you can cross the road. Of course crossing the road should not put anyone in danger or hinder the traffic.
If theres chidren around, yes. If there are no children, and no cars in proximity, go for it. In fact i was honked at and flipped off by multiple cars for pressing the button that lets pedestrians cross the road
Regarding 11:24, StVO (road traffic regulations) § 30:1 dictates that "unnecessary" driving is prohibited and can be fined up to 100 Euro. Especially for climate related reasons, most Germans won't drive their car at all or on Autobahn if not otherwise required. This also means that we just don't "go for a drive" to free our minds, or I very rarely hear about it here. Overall a great mindset to have, and with the increasing ease of public transport, makes it easier to reduce our impact on our world, too.
To all the germans watching this, that are not living in bavaria: Am I the only one whose "intrusive" thoughts instantly were like "Munich - thats Bavaria, not germany" xD (for everyone non-german: its a kind of insider in germany that bavaria counts as a foreign country as a joke xD)
I would recommend the Rewboss channel. It gives you a British view on life in Germany. This video is about supposed don'ts in Germany that aren't really don'ts: th-cam.com/video/IA7OaZuDfWI/w-d-xo.html
I think the reason why foreign people think we are bad is bc of two worldwars of course - and bc a lot of germans like to live peacefully. There is not much communication with strangers on the street (aside from festive activities of course and it also might differ from region to region) but you really will get on the bad side of a german if you are too loud and noisy and overly extroverted with everyone. We like to be approached in a quiet and respectful manner xD I've also heard a lot that our language sounds aggressive to foreign ears and that might also be a reason why people think we are unkind...
I’ve had that experience with the language as well. I’m a native speaker, and lived there for a bit, but when we moved away, and later came to visit, I would find that German sounded kinda… harsh. Not sure how to describe it. Especially among the younger population (think “Hey Alter! Was is? Soll’n wir einen saufen gehen?”)
13:00 Yes, since covid, a LOT of places have switched to be able to pay cashless, but Cash is still a big thing in places like christmas markets and little food stands and stuff like that... places that are to small to have a card reader.
The jaywalking thing is something that's more or less strictly seen depending on the region, location, and situation. In bigger cities within more traditional regions, you're more likely to get reprimanded for crossing on a red light, even if the street is empty, but in more diverse regions it's more about the situational awareness. Don't cross on red while children are around because they might pick this up as a habit while not having the awareness of danger an adult will have, but on a Saturday morning on an empty street no one will bat an eye - again depending on the region. Also the thing about waiters in Germany... it might be more extreme in bavaria, but in other regions you can ask the waiters to come again a few minutes later if you don't know yet what you want to order. Depending on how busy it is, it might take a while before they appear again though. The German government and banks are definitely trying to get towards a cashless society, and younger folks tend to be more open about using cards and phones for purchases, but a lot of the smaller shops and older people are apprehensive about cashless payments. The tech for making cashless payments is tied to a monthly fee for the system itself as well as for the bank dealing with them, so unless you're making so much money that you don't mind paying these fees, or you get so many customers who want to only pay cashless that they make up the potential majority of your profits, it's a financially sound decision to not offer cashless payments. On the customers side the decision is often due to having a physical object that makes it blatantly clear how much money you actually have and how much you'll have left after a potential purchase, which can cause you to re-evaluate how much you actually need or want something. Another reason is privacy. Not everyone who could potentially be able to get a look into your bank account needs to know every kind of purchase you have made over the years. The fewer purchases they can track, the better.
True with the autobahn! Get yourselves up slowly on it and observe the flow and habit of traffic for a while before going on the fast lane. Especially: always look in your rear mirror and always blink in good time before you change lanes. It's often difficult to judge how fast other cars are approaching you from far back, if you're not familiar with such speeds!!! Suddenly they're right behind you and start honking like crazy 😉
13:34 Germans often think of Cash beeing the safe thing. You have the most controle over your money... also you are always prepared for anything that could come up if you have cash with you.
I left Germany for New Zealand in the early 90s to study in New Zealand. My tutor always said to me that he really hopes I'd soon developed a sense of humor.. he was American and i told him that he shouldn't worry too much about it as we Germans occupy a large part of Michigan/Illinois with a quarter of the population being of German decent. 😂
Cash or cashless depends on the generation using it. My children are more prone to paying with their mobiles than me but I do use credits/debit cards occasionally. And using cash prevents one from falling into the debt trap a lot of Americans are prone to.
I stopped using Paypal once an online lawyer explained their TOS and what audacities they have in there. Since then, I absolutely prefercash and had to cancel some services that need it. Going cashless is good for authoritarianism and banks earning on teh debt, but its convenience makes people happily trade in freedom. And control. There's no thought behind "ah, just charge my credit card", no feeling that you just spend money.
We Germans just really love our data to be safe, I imagine. When having your cash, nobody will be able to look unnoticed into your savings. The state will not know you payed at a certain shop for certain items just by checking your credit card info. Same goes for all the companies connected to contactless paying. I'd rather know who (can) know about my personal information. And ofcourse paying 20 euros feels more realistic when using cash. A piece of paper in my hand makes me realize the amount of ice cream I could buy with that better than a number on my phone.
Well you also could say what walter said is a stereotype . But i think other cultures (american) are much more superficial and become friend just for the moment of show.
One thing about taking your shoes off when entering a home: In some other countrys this is an almost spiritual thing. It is a gesture to show respect and modesty. In germany we just don´t like dirt on our floors.
In terms of crossing the road: people here in Germany do cross roads pretty much anywhere but when you're already at a stoplight you wait the freaking half a minute or whatever for the green light XD If you desperately want to walk when there isn't a green light fight a spot where there isn't a traffic light XD
people in berlin have been caught pissing at that jewish memorial he mentioned lots of the younger ppl, including me, use cashless payments, but alot of old ppl stick to cash
The thing with cash has mostly changed after covid yes you will be able to pay cash everywhere and you might find places that only accept cash but ever since covid most places will accept cards but dont expect anyone to accept a check
its BS with the jaywalking. Sure it can be that a old lady holds you like he said but in general I think it is like in the most countries. Jaywalking in a big city is quiet common.
Since you were rly confused about ppl disrespecting the holocaust monuments i want to share 2 storys. First i once saw a girl on tinder who had a photo of her doing a handstand in that monument on her profile. Rly pissed me of. Second story was when i actually was in Berlin and saw some ppl rly staning on the stones and also yelling while "inside" the narrow ways. So yea, sadly there are idiots who dont repect the history behind the monument and those ppl should get slaped in the face.
I'm from Austria, but I just wanted to tell my single Geman Autobahn story (which coincidentally was also my first solo experience on a highway since getting my license) I was driving an older company owned Fiat Doblo (max speed 161 km/h) to make a quick delivery over the weekend I was going between 100 and 130 most of the time because whenever I tried to go any faster the car started to make concerining noises At some point, in a more rural area, I went around a turn and saw three long trucks driving up a decent incline in front of me, so I started to accelerate a bit so I could overtake them (accelerating is being very generous here, because of the incline the car barely picked up any speed) Distances are hard to guess at those speeds, but when I got close to them I was already pretty far away from the turn I checked my mirrors, couldn't see anybody and switched to the other lane (only two lanes because it was a rural area) But then when I was halfway past the three trucks, I suddenly had a car behind me who kept flashing their headlights trying to get me to change lanes And honestly, I would've... The issue: the three trucks were so close behind each other that me trying to squeeze in even if I tried to and I also couldn't really go any faster because I was already going full throttle So yeah... Autobahn was fun...
I know that feeling. I was going something about 140 in the left lane, so of course I had a german car behind me, flashing their lights at me.y Only issue was, we had not reached the border yet and were still in Austria. German drivers really can be entitled idiots on the Autobahn.
Don't get stressed out by those idiots. I always slow down, when someone is that pushing. I stay on the left lane until I pass the car I was overtaking and then slowly go on the right lane again. Gotta teach them the lesson that the more they push the less they get what they want. And YES I find it very exhausting to drive on the Autobahn and I definitely hope that we will get a speed limit some day. The fact that you can drive as fast as you want definitely brings out the worst in the people. They can't handle the power.
It‘s also illegal to flash the lights to signal the person in front of you to move aside. Don‘t let yourself get stressed, although you have to understand that whenever there‘s no speed limit, you have to watch behind you if there‘s a car on the “fast lane”, as you can easily misguess their speed and it could end up dangerously.
As an Austrian car owner, where many of us own smaller cars with top speeds around 160-180 because that's by far enough for our highway limit of 130, I also have such stories. Whenever I have to go on the German Autobahn, once I switch to the left lane, I keep one eye on the rear view mirror. If a little dot appears on the horizon that frantically flashes its headlights, I know I have about 2 seconds left to get back into the right lane. Because that's how long (or rather how short) it will take for that German Porsche or Audi or whatever doing 205+ to sit right behind my car and sniff my exhaust with me going pedal to the metal at 165. Now try to find a large enough space between trucks doing 80-100 in the right lane. Like, of course I'm not sticking around on the left lane for fun, but often there's just no way to get back into the right lane that quickly. I really wish Germany would only have no limits sections when there are 3 lanes and would limit all 2 lane sections of Autobahn to more reasonable speed limits. Because these speed differences are pretty dangerous when you have nowhere to go. I don't mind high speeds per se, eg. my parent's car is much bigger and more powerful, so, yes, I've driven 200 myself on occasion and if the weather and visibility are good and there's enough space for everyone there's nothing to it. But 2 lanes and a mix of slow trucks, medium speed cars and then some people going 200+? Not so good.
@@katharina7195Ist leider beides Nötigung. Du kannst, wenn Du einen Zeugen hast, Anzeige erstatten wegen Nötigung. Und selbst, wenn Du nicht unmittelbar etwas davon hast, so kriegt der Typ irgendwann Probleme, wenn sich derlei Anzeigen stapeln. Dann braucht der das 49€-Ticket. Erzieherische Maßnahmen stehen den Bedrängten nicht zu. Und solche selbsternannten Sheriffs halten mit ihrer Rache dann auch die auf, die eigentlich ganz manierlich fahren, weil jemand dann links mit 100 gaaaanz langsam ein paar LKW überholt, die 90 oder 95 fahren. Und da krieg ich dann einen Fön auf beide Idioten. Sollen sich die Drängler und die Racheengel doch auf einem Rastplatz duellieren und uns andere fahren lassen, denn ich bekomme diese Zeit vom Racheengel auch nicht zurück.
4:17 i did that once but my entire class did that too so it was peer pressure but there were no cars. I don't remember how many people are in my class.
There is an interview with Peter Eisenman, the architect of the memorial on Spiegel Online from a couple of years ago. He said: "Menschen werden im dem Feld picknicken. Kinder werden in dem Feld Fangen spielen. Es wird Mannequins geben, die hier posieren, und es werden hier Filme gedreht werden. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, wie eine Schießerei zwischen Spionen in dem Feld endet. Es ist kein heiliger Ort." English: "Interview with memorial architect Peter Eisenman. "People will picnic in the field. Children will play catch in the field. There will be mannequins posing here, and movies will be shot here. I can well imagine how a shootout between spies will end in the field. It's not a sacred place." So I think in a typical German maner there are many Germans who take the significance of the memorial more seriously than it was actually intended.
Nun, es stellt sich die Frage, wieviel weniger "ernst" man diese Sache nehmen kann und darf. Fest dürfte doch wohl stehen, dass man reflektieren sollte, ob das eigene Verhalten nicht vielleicht einfach respektlos ist.
@@heha6984 hat weniger mit Respektlosigkeit zu tun, sondern mit menschlicher Kreativität. Was man zweckentfremden kann wird der Mensch auch zweckentfremden, und dieses Denkmal ansonsten ziemlich langweile Monument ist sehr leicht anderweitig zu nutzen. Da hätten die Leute die das genehmigt haben einfach besser nachdenken sollen, und das nachdenken jetzt nicht von denen fordern die sich nicht dafür interessieren bzw es nicht einmal wissen. Da sind beispielsweise die Stolpersteine aus Kupfer oder Bronze deutlich klüger, da durch das vermeintlich respektlose drauftreten dafür gesorgt dass es lesbar bleibt. Sprich, solange du da nicht gerade deinen Kaugummi draufspuckst o.ä. ist es praktisch unmöglich wirklich respektlos dazu zu sein. Es ist einfach ein langweiliger und sinnfreier Ort, der leider auch nicht allen Opfern gewidmet ist. So groß und mitten in einer Stadt... da hätte man definitiv was kreativeres machen können, was scheinbar auch dem Architekten selbst klar ist. Gedenken muss nicht immer langweilig und traurig sein, insbesondere da hier ja nicht einmal Opfer begraben liegen oder große Gräueltaten stattgefunden haben.
@@danielhopkins2277 Schon mal drüber nachgedacht, dass "Kreativität" durchaus respektlos sein kann? Es geht doch nicht darum, ob ein Denkmal schön ist oder langweiig oder grade Dir nicht gefällt, sondern WOFÜR es steht. Wie weit doch die Wahrnehmung auseinanderdriften kann: In München, glaub ich, war's, wo die Stolpersteine abgeschafft wurden (auch auf Bestreben der jüdischen Gemeinde), weil man es eben für respektlos hielt, das Andenken, welches jene Steine repräsentieren, im wahrsten Sinn des Wortes "mit Füßen zu treten" - ist nicht von mir, diese Begründung. Man wird immer irgendeine Rechtfertigung für alles finden - ob man auf jeden Rechfertigungszug ohne weitere Reflektion aufspringen muss, ist die große Frage. In diesem Sinn noch einen schönen Tag.
@@danielhopkins2277 The architect was saying this during the induction: Mr. Chancellor, Mr. Bundespresident, Members of the Kuratorium, Distinguished guests, My Family, My Friends, My Colleagues! I speak as an architect and as just another human being; this is a momentous day for all of us. It is and has been a humbling experience. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work together with my colleagues and with members of the Kuratorium to finally be here today. Yes, there has been debate, controversy, and disagreement among us, as Paul Spiegel has pointed out. But this is healthy, and I believe it has brought us to a better project than when we began. It is clear we will not have solved all of the problems, or have satisfied everyone present. But this cannot have been our intention. To have done so would have been to have done nothing. To have known our result before we began, we would not have begun. Much of what we have produced is the result of the confidence that the members of the Kuratorium had that we would together succeed. But today’s success is not our purpose, for it is only transitory. Rather, our purposes have been twofold. First was to establish a permanent memory, to record what has been in this capital city. Second, and perhaps more importantly, was to begin a debate with the openendness that is proposed by such a project, allowing future generations to draw their own conclusions. Not to direct them what to think, but to allow them to think. For these reasons we have challenged most existing ideas of what a memorial could be. We were not trying to be provocative in itself but rather attempting something that would simply convey the ordinariness, the mundanedness, that all of those who suffered experienced. And perhaps it is in this simplicity that the work becomes provocative. In this course we have all taken risks, but for me personally, I have learned when to fight for what I believed was right for the Memorial, as well as to back down when I was wrong. I want to say that I was wrong about the inclusion of the Ort [Information Centre]. I think the Ort and the field together are very important. As the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben writes in »Die Zeit« this week: there are two ideas of memory. One is the unforgettable, which is the silence of the field; the other is the memorable, which is recorded in the archives, in the Ort. Together they are what make this memorial possible. As I said at the beginning, this experience has been humbling, and it is important for me to reiterate that. But perhaps most of all, through this process I have become closer to my Jewishness. Orthodox or reform, religious or secular, Ashkenazi or Sephardi, German or Pole, we were all the same in their eyes. For now it remains for me to become silent, to give this Memorial to the German people, now and in the future, and to let your Memorial speak to and for the German people and to the world. At heart I am a New Yorker, but from today, part of my soul will always remain here in Berlin. Thank you. The request that future generations should make their conclusions is there, but there is no request to have "fun" in that monument ... at least if this would be not the ignorant conclusion the future generations would make.
The cash thing was correct before covid - especially because there was a " minimum prize cap" on cards (of 20 € or up - card is ok) . Since covid that has changed, most places take cards even for such small amounts as 0,01€.
I live in Hamburg and I prefer crossing roads at the traffic lights, but especially if the streets are regularly empty or traffic is slow, it is okay to cross wherever you think is safest. I've seen mothers crossing roads that way with their children. As a German, I guess you see pretty quickly where you can cross and where you can't. BUT if you want to cross at a street light, always wait for at least five minutes before you decide to cross when it is still red. It's good etiquette
The claim about the traffic lights is not entirely correct. I am from Cologne. When someone stops at a red light here, it's usually people who aren't from the city. I only stop at red when children are waiting at the traffic lights. ✌🏼🍀
8:11 It actually is reasonable to say that because sometimes there will just be a iron plate with the information in the ground and it's quite easy to overlook. But sometimes like in my home city we have things quite similar to that and it was just made for people to climb, have fun,etc.
Of course we jaywalk!we just drive to italy first...more serious:don't do it ,when kids are around.there are even signs: don't jaywalk, be a role model
Hey, I was born in Cologne and lived in Germany my whole life, but actually I didn't meet many people that want you to take off your shoes in their apartment / house. It's kind of a thing that some people want, but most people don't in my experience. Also, it is a nice gesture but not really necessery or expected by most Germans to bring presents with you :-) PS: Nice video though
interesting. here, in the eastern part of germany, we see it as rude if people don't take off their shoes. guess it depends on where in germany you are.
You don't HAVE to bring over flowers and stuff to a German's house. It's polite, if they're older, but, if younger, not necessary. If in doubt, ask. Wearing shoes inside depends on where you are. This is not a general rule. If in doubt, ask. Cash is king. More control of what you spend. And when. Etc. If looking around alone, have like 50 Euros. Family of like 4? 200. And that depends on where you go. McDoofy? Fine. "Restaurant of endless pleasures of the Divine realm"? Go bancrupt. :P Germany isn't necessarily cheap. Germany and cash have a looooooooooooooooooong history... 1929. Wheelbarrels of money after ONE shift to buy 2 loafs of bread and some extras. That was it. Every day wives with children would go out to collect the money and spend it ASAP to get something, as inflation was skyrocketing beyong any belief. And still: cash is king. Irrational? Aye.
Walters World is an amazing channel and as for his videos about Germany I never had anything to complain (I´m german)! He travelled a lot und it shows.
I'm from a smaller town in Germany so I don't min crossing the street on a red light since there's not that much traffic anyway, but I don't do it if kids are around. For the "don't wait" part: again this could be because of me being from the country side but I've never had a waitress or a waiter stand next to me while I choose what to get, even when visiting bigger cities. They hand out the menus and come back after a while. And if they don't just make eye contact and raise your hand, they'll be with you shortly. Yes Germany is moving towards cashless pay but you still have to pay cash in a lot of places. So always bring cash, you don't want to sit on a 60€ bill in a bar when they only take cash. I haven't seen a place yet that doesn't accept cash anymore.
Money is king. Visa credit cards cost the merchant €1.70 in fees. PayPal 3% + standard fee. These operating costs should be made more expensive. Cash money no fees (0€). Germans know maths. With Americans you can really doubt it ;-)
I am a foreigner living in Germany for more than 20 years, and what is shared in the videos are all true. I love the Germans and their observation of the their rules. It a normal thing for Germans, however foreigners might have difficulties with something they aren't grown up with. Germans are hard to get into contact with but once you do, oh boy, you have friends for life. Germans aren't proactive in someone's else needs. Do not expect they come to you proactively and ask you if you need help. However, they are extremely helpful if you ask or need help. And be exactly with your needs. If you generalize you needs, they would say they do not know.
DON'T put your microphone on top of your table, right in front of you. Because, every time your hands touch the table it sounds like you punsh the microphone. ^^ Schöne Grüße aus Deutschland. Wbr, shnoopx
Referring to crossing the street on red: There is an old joke. What is the difference between Munich, San Diego and New York? Munich: If you get caught jaywalking by the police, they tell you don't do it again. San Diego: You get a fine ($10). New York: Standing ovation if you survive it....
Hi Mert! I love your videos. May I ask what part of the UK you hail from? Now, as you asked for your vieles opinion: concerning J-walking: It's ok so long as noone is inconvenienced by it and as long there are NO KIDS WATCHING. That would be extremely frowned upon, because it models dangerous behaviour to kids. Concerning the desecration of shoa monuments: stupid and thoughtless people do that, that's who. As a typically outspoken German, I would def give them a piece of my mind. Concerning visitor's gifts: especially if it is your first visit to someone's house, you want to bring a more upmarket bottle of wine / bunch of flowers/ box of chocolates in a nice gift bag. If it's a regular Visitenkarte with friend's, just bring a casual bottle or some snacks you'd like to eat together, no gift wrap needed.
Don´t think Germany is just great. We also have a lot of Dark Corners here ,too...unfortunately Here is little Example of a DON`T... That make us Germans really Angry. th-cam.com/users/shorts84hllnocZj0 Greets from the Ruhrpott^^
There is a half-joking kinda saying here in Germany, that we’d stop at a red light in the middle of the night even when there’s not a single soul in sight, simply because the traffic light is red. For my mom, this saying is true. As for crossings, well traveled roads have crossings where cars have to stop when people wanna cross them, and you absolutely have to look if cars are coming before crossing -- German drivers are not the nicest, and the style is especially bad on Sundays. Then it’s called “Sonntags Fahrer” -- Sunday driver. And as a Don’t, I personally consider idolizing the army, war veterans, and the country as taboo topics. Where I grew up, no one likes talking about it -- it’s very skillfully avoided without anyone noticing. Considering what happened in Germany during the wars, after and before them too, it is a very unpleasant topic. If it’s not unpleasant, then you either don’t know enough, or you’re very good at dealing with this kind of thing. Also, as a personal observation, I would like to say that public transport in the countryside, or rather every city that isn’t a major one like Berlin, Hamburg and such, is kinda sh+t. Train? 2 hours late, won’t drive for the next few months, rails are too unmaintained. Bus? Comes once a day, if you’re lucky -- in summer it might be too hot, and in winter the bus might not make it over the little hill between villages ‘cause the road iced over. Another difference between city and countryside, which means towns and villages, is that the way people grow up differs quite a lot. City : designer clothes, brands, expensive, much slang, drugs, bullying, makeup, ... Countryside: ...very innocent, brands are cool but not important, bullying isn’t common, drugs are a HUGE scandal, makeup is kept to a minimum, and some people are even descendants of nobles... At least that’s my experience. Oh, and we have volcanos! I recommend Maria Lach, that’s a volcano lake in the Eifel. And Trier, my birth place, is a city that has existed as a settlement for at least over 3000 years. There is also a nice little castle called Drachenburg (dragon fort) near/in Königswinter. And the Lüneburger Heide (heather) is very nice, too, just not in summer at 30°C... Thanks for reading, have a nice day!
Well the Holocaus Memorial in Berlin was specifically designed to be used for normal stuff like selfies and parcour or whatever. This shall put the rememberance into everyday life. It prevents putting unnecessary hurdles between rememberance and people and it prevents rememberance becoming some sort of ritualistic act.
12:50 "Cashless" is more and more accepted, but we trust what we can touch. Also: if you figet for money people get annoyed, even if they don't show it. If you eat at a table at the restaurant it is good tone, to give a round 10% tip (10€, 15€, 20€, 25€...)
I'm trying to break it down from a German perspective 1. Don't assume Germans are bad - I think the notion that Germans are bad might be explained by our strict behaviour. Like you said, we love our rules and we are very honest and straight forward which many tourists don't expect, I guess. And I think we have a sense of sarcasm but it is buried very deep. For example If you piss off a waiter, they will verbally own your a**. So don't do that, please. 2. Don't cross against the light - Absolutely agreed. This has to be one of the top rules in Germany. However there is one point I'd like to make here: We follow that rule for an additional reason. Children. If you see a child anywhere near you when you're about to jaywalk, you better believe people are coming after you. Which is something we normally never do. But if you corrupt our children, uh lord! You are gonna get it! Well, not that dramatically. but you get the idea 3. The deposit - I like this one because it is basically up to you if you wanna pay extra or put in some work and get your money back. I'm sure you know this already, but it's not just on Christmas with the Glühwein mugs but pretty much on all bottles. So I for example have to return my bottles every week or twice a week, but it never ever feels like a chore. 4. (I guess you are missing a chapter in your video :)) invitations and hospitality - To be honest I never heard that you bring something with you for the people who invited you if it's just a casual visit. I will say that it's never a bad idea though. If it's some sort of a party and there will be food planned for everyone, it's definitely expected you bring some food. Traditionally self-made salad or cake. 5. Memorials - Use common sense here and be a good person! No need for a text wall here, otherwise I'll be in a very bad mood 6. Don't wait - This one is interesting since I know for a fact that this is not always the case. He mentioned Munich/ München at the beginning of the video so my guess is that he refers to restaurants in the middle of town where there are masses of people. My advice is that you remember there is a difference between busy parts of town and the rest of town. Yes, I completely agree we love being efficient and want to get things done, absolutely 100% correct. However in restaurants we again follow certain rules. One of which is: This is not fast-food! Good things take time to make. We also want you to have a good time when you visit our restaurant. Personally the best feeling in the world is people smiling with an unparalleled satisfaction because you made them something delicious or in general an experience that they will never forget it. There are definitely both extremes in Germany. 7. Autobahn - nothing to add here. He is 100% correct 8. Don't expect stores to be open on Sundays - That is always the biggest surprise for tourists and I'm not gonna lie, this always makes me laugh at their reaction. "So, what if you need to buy groceries on Sunday?" "Well, you're s*** out of luck, mate!". Of course there are a few options like gas stations or "Spätshops" (late stores, I think) where you can buy everything you need for three times the price. Also on Sundays and this is the reason I said "This has to be one of the top rules in Germany" since this is the other one. Sundays are considered holy days in Germany. Try to be as quiet as possible and forget about doing construction or listen to loud music. This is a big one because in combination with stores being closed means that you basically can't do things on Sundays except maybe write the longest TH-cam comment in history. 9. Don't forget to have cash - Correct, Cash is indeed king 10. Don't expect half timbered houses - Also correct. It depends heavily on the countryside. Heart of town - usually (!) modern. More outside of town or countryside - usually (!) timbered. My god, this turned into an essay here. I hope it was at least helpful or educational for at least any one person, otherwise I'm sorry for the wall of text because, you know, it's Sunday...
... We do have our own share of jaywalkers, especially at night and less frequented streets, but please don't. We Germans can get really upset during driving and you don't want to make everyone worried you gonna get run over... And YES, PLEASE first try driving the 100 km/h on Bundesstraße before using the autobahn. It is NERVE WRECKING to have someone driving with a 100 km/h before you, while you can't go left, cause it is the most left line. We are to some extend patient, but especially bmw and mercedes drivers (who WANT to max out the speed) tend to use light...horn? We call it lichthupe. It's when you switch your lights to wide range lights and then back again, so the person before you notices you. It will be horrifying, if you aren't used to the speed. I myself normally drive 130 km/h cause I want to save money, but I am used to up to 180 km/h... At 200 even I get nervous... But many want to drive fast for as long as possible because we have many maintanance going on, where you are only allowed 80 km/h. And in general. We have rules, so you need to abide to those rules or you gonna get verbally smacked. You totally gonna get called out. And our service staff doesn't smile all the time, cause why should they? ... In america it is normal for a waiter to come every two to three minutes? THAT is horrifying to a german! We love to have time to ourselves to talk and eat in peace. The waiter often is faster than you could look through the menu, so mostly we first order drinks and as the drinks come, we order food directly. After that the service will mostly come if they see your plate is empty or you stopped eating for quite a long time and it looks like you are full. Or if you signal them (quietly), that you need something. And no one will tell you to give tip. They will be highly happy, but it is more of a polite thing than a must. And yes. Math is hard enough as it is, so just state the amount you wanna give. And germans ARE quite polite. You just need to approach us politely with an "excuse me..."... And it is easily to happen to sound impolite for a german, cause we are efficient and we have grammatical ways to be polite. We use "Sie" instead of "du" and in the end you just switch the pronoun. So in english we will likely sound rude, cause we don't see the necessaty to tell you to make a step to the side by phrasing it something like "excise me. Would it be probably possible for you make a step to the right amd let me through?" ... We are more like "I'm sorry, could you please let me go past you?" and in german it would be "entschuldigen Sie, könnte ich bitte vorbei?" And the younger generation is quite good in English, so it will gonna be a hassle to learn german, cause we are so efficient, we will be like: "But it's easier and faster in english", so you may need to just speak german no matter what, so you force your talking partner into german xD But we will be delighted to help, always. And if we don't know we probably gonna point you to someone who might be able to answer it. And I don't think bringing a gift if you are invited is a must... At least not in my generation... It will be seen as nice and probably used during your visit, but not mendatory (at least as far as I know... But then my parents didn't grow up im germany, so it could be a whole story to my parents just being raised diffrent and not knowing and so teaching us... But I did never really see that as a custom) And yes. It is a really big honor to have a german call you "friend" there are so many things for us in between "friend" and "stranger" and we just call people we are really close with as "friends". But if we have a friend, we gonna be there through thick and thin. You gonna move into a new house? Call and we come help you carry your stuff. You don't understand something in german? We gonna help you through the whole process, even if a german born and raised here himself won't understand "Beamtendeutsch". As long as it is physically possible, we gonna have your back! If we call you a friend...
The "don't step on a memorial" advice doesn't need to be mentioned, this should be clear to everybody, independent of the nationalty. The view of Germans being given: they are nice, friendly, correct, efficient and hospitable. This is a very nice view, but it really depends on the situation. Many Germans are economically not save, and the living costs in Germany are high, some of them even have two jobs to pay their bills. Of course the situation is different in the rich and industrial south/sout west as in more rural areas of the east, or areas with old and dead or dying industries (e.g. Ruhrgebiet). All areas also have their own starters, but the situation of the plain people is different living in Bayern or MeckPom. What can be said a really big majority is aware of the German history, and respects it deeply. Concerning Autobahn, this is similar to riffles in the US. If there was a referendum about 130 km/h as maximum speed this would be chosen, but a big lobby blocks this. Unlimited speed is simply nonsence in every aspect (risk, consumption, CO2) ... but the people who paid 100k bugs for a car want to use it (and have their lobby). You can't cruise on many German Autobahnen due to the traffic (incl. many trucks) and narrow and restricted lines. It doesn't make sense to drive 200km/h on a two lane Autobahn with trucks. Some Germans use special events for racing. Sunday in the very early morning is a time for racer, or if an event brings the people to stay home (e.g. semifinals in soccer)
Yes, well. He is mostly right. As alway, reality is more complicated.... Disrespecting (Holocaust) memorials: Yes, you definitely should not do that. These are reminders of the darkest times we experienced and recently we have enough $%*& people of our own who think it's all just a big joke. Just don't. Taking off your shoes: Yes, this is still a thing, although I have the feeling it is not as strict as it used to be. If in doubt, just ask. Small presents when visiting someone: Same thing. If you are invited as more or less a stranger, get something small like flowers or wine or beer or potato chips... Among friends that meet regularly, like once a week or something, this would be a bit excessive, though. ;-) Driving fast on the Autobahn: Well, I don't do it, and I'm German. It is dangerous, bad for the environment, and stessful. Then again, I'm from the Rheinland where most of our motorways are broken, in repair, or otherwise blocked by a million people wanting to get to their jobs, so fast driving is only possible during e.g. the night and in rural places with less traffic. Friendly people: Mostly true. The younger the person you are talking to the more they tend to be open towards foreigners. But we had some economic problems recently (COVID, inflation) and there is a general feeling of unhappiness in the air, which in turn gives rise to some silly ideas from the past. (Sadly this seems to be a trend among other countries as well...) Generally, people in cities are more open, people in small villages can be a bit suspicious. But mostly we try to be helpful and open to new experiences. Jaywalking, traffic lights: Depends on where you are. Somewhere in Cologne or any other bigger city people are regularly ignoring traffic lights. Again, in more rural areas people tend to wait even if there is no car around as far as the eye can see. Yes, it is forbidden to just cross the street, and frowned upon if there are small children around, but people do it. Also: Beware of bikers! They tend to ignore traffic lights even if pedestrians or cars are crossing! I know that, because as a person using a bicycle quite often I get annoyed when everyone stops in fear when they see me. ;-) And the most important thing: We tend to be terrible Klugscheißer (know-it-alls) as you can see from this comment! :D
About the thing at the beginning with crossing the road, I did see some comment about it but I've recently experienced something that, in my opinion, points out again why we dislike it so much. As some others said, we simply dislike when people don't follow the rules IF there's a red light, if there's none, obviously you may just cross the street but just recently in a rather small city I was driving with my mother and I've had my license for exactly 3 months. Picture this, you're driving with 50km/h cause you're in a city and this is the maximum you're allowed to drive, then you see there's a crossroad about 50m ahead and to your right on the sidewalk is a delivery car parked. You cannot look lächelnd it and suddenly you see a woman standing right behind that car attempting to cross the road. Where she can't see ANYTHING. And that is what pisses us off, if you literally see the crossroad, USE IT. Those extra few meters won't hurt you. Like, why would someone think it's smart to just crossing the road when you're invisible behind said delivery car, where is the common sense. So yeah that's that for me xD
I think we have a big problem with discipline of the younger generation. No patriotizm, nearly no empathy and patience in every situatation. There is a big difference in between North and South Germany in case of the minds. It takes a long time in North Germany to get a friend (the word Freund has nothing to do with the American word "friend"). A friend in North Germany means somebody for your whole life and if one of them is in trouble, the other one will be there without asking. This is what we call a FRIEND in North Germany. For foreigners its therefore not so nice to go to a pub alone, if you are in the northern part exept maybe Hamburg. In Düsseldorf you can join a pub alone and you will have many people to have fun. Sure, there are differences in between the rural areas and the cities. But there a things which are everywhere the same. One, very impotant one is to be punctual. And in case of visits (except the younger generation) you ALWAYS have to make an appointment! Just to drop in is NOT a good idea. Germans like to plan... And if you do so - the guy is right - you have to bring just a little "attention" (Flowers are perfect). In case of the traffic light, I just had been standing at a red traffic light and one guy went by red. The woman beside me were shouting "Kids murderer!". Nice. I like that!
I think one major thing is: be sensible and sensitive, when it comes to the history or WW2 and the Third Reich. People will surely talk about that time, when you ask them. But don't make fun of it, don't display any swastika or SS-runes (e.g. tattoos) and don't show the Hitler salute. Both will be prosecuted and you could get fined or worse.
most people on Autobahn and myself too drive with a speed of 100- 130km/h. Big cars containing business men drive up to 160 (as CEO i did it too) and very few are faster. My opinion it is very relaxing to drive and not to get sweaty hands.
I never got sideeyes for crossing a red light. But typically does are less traveled roads, not some main road. Sometimes our streets don't have buttons to push and it's correlated to time / other lights and instead of stopping the main road, I just cross the red light at a tiny road (never in my life did I see the light on green). 😂 And bringing gifts? That's not typically german imo. Sure, if you have a get together you kinda speak about what is needed. Eg yesterday we grilled outside and 2 brought salats, other bread or fruit and stuff. But it's not something you have to do but it's nice to split up and what friends are for..? 😆 But for formal business like meetings this is true! :) Cash: Nope, I usually don't have cash on me nowadays. I just use my phone or have my card for backup. If I know I need cash, I'll get it beforehand but typically no more cash for me (for a few years now).
1. My ex boyfriend ones said to me. You're a German you have to act like that. That made me angry. Because I'm not a stereotype. Yes, I'm German, but not like any other, I'm an individual. 2. Crossing the road when it's red light, I just do when there are no children around, and when I'm quite familiar with the area. Because, there I know what to look for. If I'm not familiar, I could miss some dangerous corners, where things can come from. 3. Yes, that's what the deposit is for. So you care about the money, and don't let bottles or mugs lying around. Or if you don't want to carry the empty Bottle with you for the rest of the day. Place it under or next to a bin. So homeless people can collect them. 4. I wouldn't say, that you HAVE to bring something with you, when you visit. It's a nice gesture, but for me it's not important. 5. Take off your shoes is important. Some want you to do this outside the apartment, at some you can do it at the entrance area inside the apartment. And the reason is understandable, nobody wants the dirt from the streets everywhere inside. 6. I'm afraid there are even disrespectful Germans doing stupid things at memorial grounds. That should be a reminder for all. Don't be disrespectful at such places. 7. Yes first you get your menu. Then you have time to get through it and desight what you want. My tip: start with the drinks. And tell the waiter you did not desighted yet for the food. They'll come back later. Or you can order the food when they bring you the drinks. And a good sign for a waiter that you want to order, is when you close the menu and put it to the side. 8. I hate driving Autobahn. 9. Sundays are holy, so everything for shopping is closed. But since Covid, paying by credit card is more and more possible. You should just know if there is a minimum price from when you can use your credit card. Because the shops have to pay for that service to the bank. And they'll lose money, if you pay just 1 euro by card. And when you're on markets or somewhere, where the Internet connection is not well functioning, they could have problems with the machine for paying by card. My don't s are: Don't come here with a set and done picture of Germany and Germans. Come here with a open and free mind and heart. You're gonna love it and we gonna love you.
For concentration camps I have some advice, epsecially for Dachau. Do not go to Dachau in summer. It looks like a really nice park during thus time we have benn there with school. And there are flowers even a small river. Go there in autumn or like winter. Its bettee. Dachau does not have that grim atmosphere like Auschwitz in Krakow. It was also badly hit during WWll. Also this is a common rule. Like I already mentioned these places do not look as grim anymore. Do not abuse the camps for beautiful nature fotos. And do not make selfies infront of random parts of the buildings before your tour, cause in Dachau you might later realize that you have been standing infront of an unused gas chamber. Another thing is asome people have inadequate coping mechanisms like being overly figgety or laughing. If you have these coping mechanisms please inform the staff. And if it gets real bad leave your group and take a break. Otherwise you will end up on a very uncomfortable spot. Dachau has the same rules as Auschwitz no model selfies infront of the gates. Also for Auschwitz no selfies on the remaining railway! Sidenote: You might find gates missing. They got stolen numerous times. Infact Dachau was missing a wing when we arrived. Yeah that actually happens. Do not a ask me why. I was told that they wanted to sell it but Idk. Also obviously no Führer-jokes. And yes the german word for guide is Reiseführer but it is different than "der (The) Führer. No Nazi salutes and jokes. You can be charged with a crime called Volksverhetzung if you really take it too far and you can be removed from the memorial site Last but not least do me a favor and visit our Euthanasia memorial in the Tiergartenstraße. It is a blue glas wall. Not that spectacular but it deserves a bit more attention. That Nazi-crime is forgotten too often. Also a tip for the Holocaust memorial: You can let your tiny kids play. In the middle there is a museum and the guests and staff prefer silence there so let them power out. Otherwise do not go there with tiny kids at all. Otherwise I can recommend Berlin Underground as well.
I gotta add 1-2 don'ts to the list: first it's important to know your trash. Many people make jokes about german trash separation but it really takes the recyceling game to another level. Please don't throw paper, plastics and food garbage together - we have at least 3-4 different trash cans for that and we love seeing foreigners separate their trash right! :') At the countryside it's also common to greet people that pass your way, even if you don't know them. It's disrespectfull to just walk pass them, depending on where you are. Ofc not in the citys. And a fun fact: If you don't look each other in the eyes when you "cheers" your drink, u'll have bad sex for 7 yrs so never look away!!k
Let's start with traffic lights: of course you can cross the street anywhere, but if there is a traffic light, use it, it will save a lot of discontent and trouble. On the subject that Germans are "bad people": In general, we are really very open-hearted and friendly, we just don't always seem that way. Especially in northern Germany, a gruff tone is everyday life. My last point is about half-timbered houses: here in northern Germany, for example, they don't exist at all. I grew up with reed-roofed houses, and on every vacation in the rest of Germany I saw half-timbered houses everywhere. But still, we have soooo much other amazing architecture to marvel at. So just visit our beautiful country without expecting all those stereotypes.
The Autobahn is actually history in terms of no speed limit. There is probably a low one digit percentage of the Autobahn network left which has no speed limit. And even there is so much traffic, that you have typically a defacto speed limit of 130km/h or less. The "no-speed limit on Autobahn" is only a myth these days!
I was at the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, when I was visiting the Netherlands with my class and at the entrance they specifically asked to not take pictures inside and be quiet and respectful. My class 30-40 15 year olds were quiet and simply looked around, but there were so many non Germans being utterly disrespectful. And it simply pisses me off that as eg. Americans they could be disrespectful to a certain extent without anyone saying shit about it. However if I as a German would've acted the way they did, I probably would've been at least heavily frowned upon. I have visited quite a few WW2 memorials simply because I am fascinated by history but also want to pay respect to all those who died by the hands of my ancestors. At quite a few of those memorials I acting at least as respectful as everyone around me, but the moment they heard me talk German some people really try to interpret my behaviour as disrespectful. I even once had someone do the Hitler salute to me at a Holocaust memorial, which made me highly uncomfortable. Idk I feel as if people from other countries expect us Germans to beg for forgiveness at those memorials, for something we weren't even alive for, while acting highly inappropriate without reflecting about their own behaviour.
As a German I would NEVER approach a stranger, who looks lost. If they ask me, I will absolutely help. You're an adult. You should know how to ask for help or how to get the directions you need. I will assume, that you don't need help. If you are a child all alone, that is a different story. All in all, Germans just assume, that you are a capable adult and don't want to impose their help on you. It's quite rude, if another person just assumes that you have no idea for some arbitrary reason. We are nice on a different level than for example an American.
It‘s a misunderstanding. You can cross the street at pretty much any place you like legally. What he was refering to are traffic lights. German pedestrians usually stop at the red (stop) light for pedestrians and don’t like people violating that (esp. when kids are around). And there is a fine for ignoring the red light. Not for crossing the street where no street crossings are around …
wrong. If there is a crosswalk you have to use it. §25.3 STVO
@@Kullioking True, you at least have to be like 50 - 100 meters away, depending on the street, to be freed from the duty to use the crosswalk.
That of course is varying by the area.
Also, if there is no police catching you, the possibility of you getting fined is about 0%
Spot on!
@@Kullioking No contradiction to what Erik said.
Its really about the kids.
The deposit is a big thing here. Even if you don‘t want it back, don‘t trow bottles in the trash can. There are people collecting them who depend on that money. So don‘t be the person who makes people search the trash. Put the bottles on the side of trash cans. Respecting others is such an important thing.
As a German, regarding the concentration camps: In 10th grade we had a class trip to the KZ Neuengamme, one of the biggest around my hometown Hamburg. It was pretty cold there because it was January, I had a skijacket and some thick trousers, so I wasn’t sparsely clothed. We also had a guide that did a great job, and I think that the coldness really added to the experience… I just couldn’t properly fathom that people would have to work in those temperatures with basically no clothes. If you visit a KZ I would recommend going there in winter, because it just adds to the experience. Because it was winter, everything was grey, I think going in the summer, the lushness of nature would have felt too comfortable. The coldness, and greyness of the winter perfectly set the mood for such a trip.
We went to Dachau in the heat of summer and let me tell you those 30° had the same effect. Imagining having to work at this heat, without any shade and not enough water humbles you quite a bit.
@@PickleInATree1 yes of course, thats the other extreme, whats important is in my opinion, that the trip/visit is not „enjoyable“
@@vice214 Yes absolutely, my opinion as well. The trip being enjoyable would destroy it’s entire sense.
When my class went to visit a KZ it was raining out of buckets and that also added up
Despite, or maybe because of the discomfort, I'm really grateful that it is mandatory (I think) for schools to have such a visit sceduled, when the history class reaches this stage.
I visited in 10. grade, than changed to schools and in 11. grade, we got it on our scedule for a selective visit on our school trip. Our hhistory teacher encouraged all of those who havent't visited yet, should do so now.
As a german I wouldn't necessarily agree with the "don't wait in restaurants" one.
Usually you get seated, order a round of drinks or whatever and then you have more then enough time to look through the menu to pick something.
I've never ran into someone who was bothered even if it took 15 minutes before I ordered my food.
But yes, there won't be someone asking every 2 minutes if you need something.. so you just might have to wait on them then :D
Also, there's a simple sign for showing whether you still need more time or have already decided: If the menu is open, you are still perusing it. If it's closed, you are ready to order.
I agree. It's okay to take your time. Also, in some restaurants you get seated and in some you just pick a table. In a cafe or bistro I usually just take a seat somewhere but in a proper restaurant I always wait and ask for a table. Most of the time they just say "Just sit wherever you like" but sometimes they seat you. The only thing that's really rushed is the supermarket checkout. You always have to be quick to put everything on the conveyor belt and quickly put everything back in your trolley to clear the checkout for the person behind you. I'm German and it still always stresses me out. Especially when my kids were still small and I had to watch them, throw everything back in the trolley, pay, make sure I don't drop my car keys ... *lol*
Yea if you need your time to choose, you need the time. No waiter becomes angry about that.
yep, usually you'll get to your seat, get the menu and order drinks, and by the time the drinks are brought over you order the food (or tell them you need more time) and it's really no big deal at all. it's not like they're suddenly gone just because they don't check on you every two minutes
@@LeyCarnifex or you simply ask the waiters for something when you get the chance
As for bringing gifts I suppose it depends on the occasion and your relationship with the people you visit. If it's a more formal occasion you would bring flowers, chocolates, a bottle of something or such. Or if you are at somebody's home for the first time and it's more of a formal relationship (business partner or such) you'd probably bring something, too. If it's a housewarming, you bring bread and salt and often a little gift for the new home but if you just go to visit friends you don't necessarily bring anything. At least you're not expected to. It's a nice gesture to bring some snacks or so but not necessary.
As a German and a Civil Engineer I want to share a fun fact of the Autobahn: If the signs don't show a speed limit, there is still a recommended speed limit of 130 km/h. The reason for that is, that for the design of the alignment, a speed of 140 km/h is considered. There are indeed some older sections of the Autobahn, where you really should not go faster than 140 km/h in the curves, I experienced that myself on the A8 once, I think.
And if you are faster than the "Richtgeschwindigkeit" (recommended speed) of 130, it is possible that your insurance will not pay for your crash.
And even if someone else is to blame for the accident, it is very possible that you get a part of the blame on you.
Don't forget the sign for "no speed limit". Then you're allowed to drive as fast as you want. But true, you should'nt exaggerate it. Safty first. And be carefull on the left side. Another one could be faster than you.
@@sonjaq.2372If you have a crash with more than 130 km/h you'll be dead! No need for an insurance company to pay for you anymore. 😂
@@Winona493Not if everyone creates the Rettungsgasse.
watch?v=7kPT7VHVTb8
There is no valid excuse not to do it.
@@Winona493not necsessarily. Modern cars have gotten very safe in that manner.
Additionally, since most cars on the Autobahn are still normal-sized and relatively light, your chance of survival of a high speed crash is much higher than probably anywhere else.
Also, the guarding rails on the Autobahn are designed to withstand these types of crashes at high speeds (to a point of course).
You will be (probably even heavily) injured, but not necsessarily dead. Stay safe!
The Last one always gets me. I mean as a German I know e don't all live in Fachwerkhäusern, but I also never even thought about another country not having a modern city scape. If I'd go to china I'd not expect people to live in bamboo made straw huts between rice fields only. That's a bit like expecting Cowboys on every corner next to a saloon when going to Washington DC. Maybe that's a german thing but I don't even know anyone else that would assume anything like that. Or am I just in a weird crowd and that's normal otherwise ?
Nah, you are normal. It‘s those other people who are ignorant.
To be fair, the architect of the holocaust memorial in Berlin encouraged people to "interact with it in any way they like". I think he wanted for some people to climb on it and some people to be enraged by those who do. In my opinion it's a brilliant way to spark controversy and make sure that people remember what those concrete blocks actually stand for. Never forget, never again!
"and make sure that people remember what those concrete blocks actually stand for."
Generally speaking, I think your comment is perfectly fine, but the quoted statement above is a little bit questionable, because I think not half of all those people doing parcours or duckface selfies on the memorial, actually know what the memorial stands for, they just chase the clout. And I really think that is not what the architect wanted by stating, that people should interact however they see fit. I was there and sitting on the lower stones at the edges of the park is perfectly fine, even climbing on them is not a big deal. But jumping around all over the place while holding a camera and doing the v with silly faces is literally ousting the background and reason of the memorial...
"interact", mmh. I am not sure if that goes for selfies and jumping from on stone to another, when people show no interested what the blocks stand for. So how can there be an interactions?
I would be furious to see someone be so disrespectful. If I saw someone being disrespectful in a KZ I would tell security or maybe even berate that person myself.
This is a mass murder site! It's a place to feel terrible and leave wanting to do and be better. The atmosphere there is so dark.
And yeah, when I heard about people being disrespectful to the memorial in Berlin, I judge them. I was there trying to feel, what it meant, what the artist was trying to say.
I don't fully get it as a lot of people don't, but just because it doesn't look like a memorial means, that you can do Parcours or picknicks on it. And no memorial of any kind is a place, where you can feed your narcissism!
You May consider that those kind of people see the blocks and start jumping over it and having fun, without knowing the meaning of it. Most people I know are lazy at reading. So if we talk about having visited the same city and I tell them that I was amazed by a former function of an old building, it reveals the they may have visit the same place but did not knowing about that former funktion. Why? Because the don't read!
I think in some percent of cases the tourist jumping over the blocks, it is just lack of knowlege.
Ducface in concentration camps on the other hand couldn't be excused.
Memorials are not meant to spark controversy dude
I strongly disagree on the "order right away in a restaurant" thing. It might be different in different regions or just big cities compared to villages where you'll also have smaller restaurants. But normally waiters want to gain money by selling you drinks. They might already ask you if you want something to drink right away while handing you the menu. But that's not about the food. You'll get your drink, get into first conversations with the people you're dining with, and sometimes even order a second drink before finally ordering food.
The unwritten sign that you want to order is either looking at a waiter while they are walking by or politely raising your hand at them, but waiters will see that you are ready to order when you close the menu or stop looking at it. So you won't have to wait for long if you don't order right away. Doing the "quick-hurry up" culture that Germans are famous for in restaurants is actually not very useful and won't make you much money as a restaurant owner. You want people to order second drinks and dishes, and that they'll only do if they have enough time to do so.
Thats very true.
Also, as you said, most German restaurants welcome you to stay as long as you like (as long as you order something every now and then), thus they gain money. There may be exceptions when its really crowded but thats not the norm like e.g. in restaurants in the States.
Agreed. I believe the creator of the original video is American and used to the over the top American restaurant service, where waiters check in on you every 5 minutes and ask you if you want anything else, offer refills, ask if everything is OK etc. He just didn't know that in Germany, waiters usually leave you alone to let you study the menu in peace and take all the time you want before ordering your food and you have to signal them that you are ready to order by closing the menu and looking their way and/or raising your hand when they look your way. If you do that, they will come to your table to take your order very quickly, unless the restaurant is very croweded and the food and drink deliveries are queueing up (in the latter case it is actually smart and might save you some time to be ready to order when they bring your drinks, in any other case that is certainly not a social rule and more the exception than the norm)
About the shoes in the house thing:
Not in every house you have to take your shoes off. I would say in about 70% it is the case tho, but it always depends on the person you are visiting.
I can give the advice to just ask "where should I put my shoes" when you are at someones place for the first time. Usually they will say where to put them or if you can keep wearing them, without getting in a weird moment.
Just to touch on the part about crossing streets:
If there is no red light you can just cross the road. If possible do it in a civilized manner and use pedestrian crossings or Zebra Streifen. If that is not possible just find any other suitable spot, but make shure to look left and right to not get run over.
If there is a red light, use it. Have a quick look and see, if there are any children around. If there are children around, lead by good example and wait until the light turns green. If there aren't any children around, proceed at your own discretion. Most people won't judge you, if you cross a red light, so long, as you don't interfere with traffic and you aren't setting a bad example for kids.
For the Autobahn: Yes, on some parts of it you really can drive as fast as you like. But there are two things to remember: The left lane is only for overtaking someone. If you're done with it, you should be change back to the right lane. The second thing: No matter, how fast you're driving... there is ALWAYS someone faster then you. Most of the other drivers wait patiently, that you switch back to the other lane.
But like in every other country, there are some really bad apples out there, who try to force you back
I take my time, regardless of the behaviour of the car behind me. I don't want to school anybody how to drive, but sometimes it's just not safe to switch to the right lane, because you have to squeeze your car in a far to small space.
Also people that ignore the safety distance tend to have almost no situational awareness. I leave even more space to the next car in front of me, if I have someone 1 meter behind me for the simple reason that I then can't break hard, because the car behind me would not have enough time to react.
I have to correct you: You can NEVER drive as fast as "you like" in germany. When there's no sign you can go as fast as the situation allows it without endangering anybody else.
Meaning: When there's any traffic you are basically not allowed to speed like a moron. German law expects you do be responsible.
@@miskatonic6210seems like a lot of Germans actually don't get that difference. At least that what it seems like when driving.
If you are part of an accident on the Autobahn and you were faster than 130, you will get a fine, even though you were not the reason for the accident
Running/playing around on the memorial in Berlin is actually COMPLETELY fine. It's what the architect intended.
"But there are no dead people under my memorial. My idea was to allow as many people of different generations, in their own ways, to deal or not to deal with being in that place. And if they want to lark around I think that's fine." -Peter Eisenman
I am Scottish living I’m Germany. I am glad you had this person on … he is correct. The Americans you had on was shameful. I lived also in the USA … I have dual nationality. Proud to be Scottish … I hope you and family can manage to visit Germany … you would love it.
Nice to meet you Wilma, thanks for watching my video. I hope I can too.
Hey, your comments about behaviour in a foreign country seem quite appropriate to me. But don't forget: The guys whose video you reactioned to are Americans, I am sorry to have to say that .. .. reg. disrespect: do you remember that woman who climbed up a Maya pyramid some weeks ago to make selfies dancing on the top although it was strictly forbidden and it would hurt the religious feelings of the native people? Same story. Nothing more to tell. It has all to do with respect - and the lack of it.
And of course the landscape and the region form and shape people and "friendliness" and openess. People in Franconia are like their dialect: a little clumsy, not very charming, terse - they need a lot of time to warm up and trust perfect stranger, they are not easily to be enthused but when the ice is broken they are very very welcoming, humerous (a very very dry humour! lol) and helpful. Viele Grüße!
Jaywalk and crossing the streets while lights are red: in my childhood it was not so strict and so pronounced. But at that time (70s) our society was very educational. And we believe that as adults, we need to set a good example for our children. How can I tell my child to stop at red pedestrian lights for the way to school if I don't do it myself and see others not complying with them?
So in Germany it's allowed to cross any normal Street at any point.
BUT if there is a Traffic light it usually means that there is traffic, so for safety reasons and to be able to cross the street the cars have to stop and we pedestrians can safely cross the street.
Of course if there's no traffic or at night time people cross the red light
😊 there is a unspoken rule if there are children standing at the red light we do not cross and try to be a good role model
❤
Modeling good behavior also helps recent immigrants to integrate. What with foreign famines and wars Germany and Europe in general have a lot of recent immigration. So for me it's not just children but immigrants too. Essentially anyone who is still learning the rules.
4:40 depends by daytime and street size but most important is that when in absolutely most cases we don’t cross it if there’re children near by u and can see that.. that’s something like social agreement, don’t do wrong things when kids around you
So if it’s 23pm and there is not so much traffic we cross also the red traffic lights
But in total yes, we all learn it in school: wait, look to the left, to the right, to the left again and then u can go 😄
On the topic of money on 12:55
The view regrading cash is quite mixed here in Germany, though it is very rarely "Cash vs Credit Card" but "Cash vs Debit Card" - Credit cards are a lot more rare in Germany and card devices support them less, but most people with a bank account do have a debit card, while people pretty much only have credit cards if they plan to visit or have visited a country like the US.
The usage then is also situational, I for example pay my groceries or gas pretty much always with my debit card, but on smaller shops, restaurants, etc., I usually use cash.
Reasons people have to prefer cash can be for example convenience (in the older generations), reduced traceability, support for the restaurant/shop because the banks have fees in wire transfer, being surer that when you tip in restaurants, money actually stays with the staff.
Specifically on phone-based money transfer, mistrust in the technology, the device, or implications on stolen devices come to mind.
But often it comes down to the personal preference.
Obligatory anecdote: A group at my workplace thought it would be nice to visit the close-by Christmas Market after work. When there, the HR person who initiated this plan noticed, that they might not be able to pay as they mainly use their phone for payments, while I (software engineer) would not for the foreseeable future trust my device enough to do more than being a 2-factor-athentificator when it comes to money. Both of us are in a similar age group, me being born 1994.
I don't see the Holocaust Monument as a historical monument.
There is no one buried and the place is not linked in a historical way.
The whole concept was to experiance the monument in the way you like and feel: walking, climbing, running and so on.
It was controversial from the beginning and I don't understand why the choose this design when they did not like the purpose of the design.
The architect himself had not the idea of a sacred place.
"SPIEGEL ONLINE: Now that the memorial is finished and open to the public, it probably won't be long before the first swastika is sprayed on it.
Eisenman: Would that be so bad? I was against graffiti protection from the start. When a swastika is sprayed on, it is a reflection of what people are feeling. If it stays there, it's a reflection of what the government thinks about people scrawling swastikas on the memorial. It's something I can't control. When you hand the project over to the client, he can do with it what he wants - it's his, he has the work. If you want to knock over the stones tomorrow, honestly, that's fine. People will picnic in the field. Children will play tag in the field. There will be mannequins posing here and films will be shot here. I can well imagine how a shootout between spies in the field would end. It's not a holy place."
It is a difference when you go to a concentration or forced labour camp where real people suffered and died.
I would not set places like Buchenwald or Auschwitz the same as the Holocaust memorial.
Typical situation at a restaurant would be:
You sit down somewhere. A waiter arrives and give you the menu and asks if you know what you want to drink. You can always say you'll decide later. It's not frowned upon. He goes to get the drinks, comes back a few minutes later and asks if you know what you want to eat. You place your order.
So, no hurry.
You probably don't know what happened to Estonia, all cashless Society hacked by Russia,as I told you ,germans are culturally conservative.we love to test waters before sailing.
Nice quote Emilia :) !
Ever since a Nazi party (AfD, which has creepingly transformed itself from a Euro-critic party into a Nazi party) has been squatting in our parliaments, becoming more and more radicalised and gaining more and more support, respect for the victims of National Socialism has dwindled.
As a result, disrespectfulness against the victims and the memorials has become more and more socially acceptable, which is of great concern to many of us Germans.
the part with the present is nice, but noone will expect it ever.
i think the "germans are rude" stereotype exists because we do tend to have rather stern resting faces 😅
(just to deter any nay-sayers: obviously that's not a rule. not everyone is like that. but i live here. i see the tendency daily. and i see it in myself. walking past a window, i often am like "oops. gotta look a little more friendly" 😂)
- Don't jaywalk with children in sight. That's the big rule as far as I'm concerned. You need to know the rules before you can figure out when to break them. But on occasion I really just wait for red for no real reason.
- I stopped using Paypal once a lawyer explained their TOS and what audacities they have in there (we decide whatis wrong, we decide the fine, we take it from your bank account - what dio you mean 'due process'? Sue us!). Since then, I absolutely prefercash and had to cancel some services that need it. Going cashless is good for authoritarianism and banks earning on the debt, but its convenience makes people happily trade in freedom. And control. There's no thought behind "ah, just charge my credit card", no feeling that you just spend money like going to the ATM gives you.
Big Brother is watching
Hi Mert, I really like your channel and your genuine interest in Germany and its people and culture, so both thumbs up! I would have two comments. First on the friendliness of germans. This can vary quite a bit between areas. I found that in the south people are much more friendly, while in the north people are more reserved. And in Berlin area the locals can even come across quite rude in the first place. We call it "Berliner Schnauze" which is very blunt or provocative when you are not used to it. But actually they don't mean to be rude and it is rather a certain sense of humor. Secondly, on the cash payment thing. Germany is also getting there but very slowly. Corona changed a lot but in particular elder germans still prefer their cash. Before Corona you could only pay cash in a bakery for example, this has changed now. But at most Döner places they still only accept cash. I hope you can make it to Germany some day so you can make your experience first hand and I am pretty sure you will like it :)
Nice introduction to this video from a civilized European. Thanks for that.
Would non Europeans be uncivilized?? 🤔🤔 Wdym by "civilized europeans"??
@@strandkorbst9643 This question never came to my mind. I was just talking about the situation he was starting to explain his discomfort about.
He was talking about some guys or should I say buffoons he reacted a couple of days ago and how much disrespect to they've showed. They were from the US. In opposite to them Mert happened to be a Scotsman with manners, hence a civilized European.
@@teotik8071 ok, just keep in mind that the likelihood of being uncivilized doesnt have anything to do with being American
The absence of "half timbered houses" in the heart of big cities has a kind of sad historic background.
Building with stones and concret is faster and sturdier, after the area was burned down and distroyed in WW2.
I'm sure it's the same thing in french and englisch big cities.
06:10 That realy depends on the house. There are households that will tolerate no shoes at all and there are households that have like "Shoe free zones"
For example, by Family home, a house from the late 1800s, base level is mostly covered in timber flooring and tiles. That is the area where a visitor would not be asked to take of their shoes. But if you want to go into the "Privat" or "Living Area" where there is carpet on the floor, you will be asked to take of your shoes.
That is of course different in every household, so it is best to just ask if you should take off your shoes.
Exactly
My parents allow guests to keep their shoes on, but at my aunts and uncles you have to not wear them inside. Then at my sister's in laws you get house slippers.
It really depends on the household. Do they mind the mess shoes make? Or do they want their guests to feel more comfortable? I'd say it's 50/50.
Also a long time friend or someone staying longer might have different rules, too. It's difficult, so everyone asks. Or they just start to remove their shoes and the family tells them, if they don't have to.
Or tiles. Especially people with dogs would usually have tiles and nobody is asked to take their shoes off for tiles
@@4Curses true, but tiles are usually only in the ground level floor, not upstairs.
Our house had a “no shoes” policy for so long, that when someone came in wearing their shoes which, considering we lived in a village, could’ve stepped in all kinds of sh+t and other stuff like snails beforehand, it made me feel really offended. Meanwhile at my grandparents’ house, if you’re not wearing shoes, you gotta wear slippers, that’s just how things go. After all, everyone has their own house rules.
I am german and no one who visit my house has to put off his shoes . I also do not know everyone who wants this to do by their visitors.
I also do not want to bother a visitor by buying a gift for me .
The traffic in germany gets more and more dangerous because the behaviour of people is very ruthless
Nah, i hate when people want to keep their Shoes on, when they stay longer than Just a few minutes. It's dirty.
So you sit inside your house with your shoes on?
You deserve to be shamed.
I think keeping your shoes on is ok when you're just dropping by and don't intend to stay or you're carring something but if you're sitting down with your shoes on I'd find you weird. Even more so if there's carpet around. That makes me even cringe when I see this on TH-cam.
It depends on the household. I lived in a family of 6 and we never took our shoes off. In most other people's places I'd have to take my shoes off.
I have to say something about the jewish monument. Yes, you see people climbing, sunbathing (even in bikini) on the stones, jumping etc. And yes, this is a very hot discussion in the public. Critics say: You don´t behave that way at a memorial site. The architect himself says: "If you hand the project over to the client, then he does what he wants with it - it belongs to him, he disposes of the work. If people want to knock over the stones tomorrow, let's be honest, it's fine. People will picnic in the field. Children will play tag in the field. There will be mannequins posing here and films will be shot here. I can well imagine a shootout between spies ending in the field. It's not a sacred place."
- Peter Eisenman: Interview at Spiegel Online (2005)
Love your accent, it’s so cool to listen to! Regards from Germany 👋😁
I just love your Scottish accent.
Thank you very much
Oh yes I love that dialect too :))
Definitely a great channel to follow. His Biergarten video is really famous, if you learn more about this essential part of the German culture
I have a little anecdote to jaywalking in Germany: I was going home late in a big city and stood at the red light out of habit. I could see no cars because it was foggy. A guy to my right started to cross the road on a red light and out of the fog, red and blue police lights flare up and their microphone beeps. "Wouldn't do that if I were you."
Generally, the rule makes people at least look around before jaywalking and often times people stay still when they see little kids because they don't want to set a bad example. The red light shows who was raised by strict german parents.
Im German and grew up in in a small village that had only 1 single traffic light that was on the way to the local school. On it there was a sign, that reminded ppl to stop at red and be an example for children. That always stuck to my head. Now i live in a big city in Austria and here a lot of ppl dont care. Only a few weeks ago i saw a women with a girl around 10y jaywalking acrolls a street with 4 lines... the whole traffic had to stop for that dumbass and she was grinning from ear to ear as if she was proud of that accomplishment. Many years ago i was at a workshop and when we had our big break during the day, me and another dude that was there went to a nearby super market. For that we had to cross a narrow street with a traffic light. He always went if it was red and no cars approaching, i always stopped...he asked me if i was autistic cause i felt the need to wait for the traffic light to get green, lol.
Yeah, that's pretty much it. There's a big difference between smaller towns and bigger cities. As with a lot of other things I feel like people in the bigger cities are generally more liberal :)
Im german..and learned from my grandfather :" If you can...Help Others ..bei kind..!"... !!!!😊
4:25 *_"Jaywalking in Germany"_*
Don't do that in Germany. We really take this very seriously. Not because we love following the law, but because we want to be a good example for children.
12:55 *_"Cash is King"_*
Yes you're right. Due to Covid19 we was asked to pay contactless, because we wanted to prevent sharing the virus through our money. I think that there is started a movement at this point and we will use credit cards more frequently now.
Sadly people these days went again all back to using cash and the old behaviour of seeking for hours through all the pockets in their clothes the find the last penny they need. I really hoped Covid would make it better, but it was only for the time it lasted 🙄
@@beldin2987 My experience is exactly the opposite... people messing around with their cards to pay an amount of 1.50 euros. Nothing but time thieves! And as far as looking around with small change is concerned... These are mostly older people who are just as overwhelmed with card payments. And it gets even better when a card doesn't work, for whatever reason... I've had to experience this 3 times as a spectator at gas stations alone. It's an exhilarating feeling when the attendant takes away your car keys and ID and you then walk to the nearest ATM, which is little more than a kilometer away, hoping your card will work there. A good old friend of mine, a mechanical engineer, was once the victim of a data breach that could easily have cost him $6,000. Only the choice of his vacation spot back then saved him. He was on holiday in Iceland and used his card at a machine. And half an hour later, someone in Turkey cleared the 6000 euros. The bank suffered because it was impossible to get from Iceland to Turkey in such a short time. In fact, his data had been tapped by a criminal gas station tenant when he went on a motorcycle tour in the Swabian Alb. I could tell endless more stories about credit and debit card hassles, but you unfortunate child, you won't understand me anyway...
@@melchiorvonsternberg844 It was like that with cards maybe 8-10 years ago or whatever, where it also took quite some time after you put in the card until it got prcessed and so on, but now i have to just put it on the reader for a second, and when i'm at the grocery store where i always go shopping, i mostly don't even have to put in my number anymore. So faster isn't really possible with cash.
And even if its just 1.50 .. personally (when i still used cash) i mostly just payed with a 10 euro bill maybe or a 2 euro coin or anything that was fast and easy to do, but so many then first start to seek for their purse, then they slowly start counting single pences, and maybe if they don't have enough they search another purse they have hidden in another pocket, or maybe they have coins buried in the pockets of their jeans .. dammit ..
Legally jaywalking can be an offence but it depends on the distance of a traffic light / crosswalk. The exact figures depend on local regulations but usually when you're more than 50m away from a crosswalk / traffic light, you can cross the road. Of course crossing the road should not put anyone in danger or hinder the traffic.
If theres chidren around, yes. If there are no children, and no cars in proximity, go for it. In fact i was honked at and flipped off by multiple cars for pressing the button that lets pedestrians cross the road
Regarding 11:24, StVO (road traffic regulations) § 30:1 dictates that "unnecessary" driving is prohibited and can be fined up to 100 Euro. Especially for climate related reasons, most Germans won't drive their car at all or on Autobahn if not otherwise required. This also means that we just don't "go for a drive" to free our minds, or I very rarely hear about it here. Overall a great mindset to have, and with the increasing ease of public transport, makes it easier to reduce our impact on our world, too.
To all the germans watching this, that are not living in bavaria: Am I the only one whose "intrusive" thoughts instantly were like "Munich - thats Bavaria, not germany" xD
(for everyone non-german: its a kind of insider in germany that bavaria counts as a foreign country as a joke xD)
I would recommend the Rewboss channel. It gives you a British view on life in Germany. This video is about supposed don'ts in Germany that aren't really don'ts:
th-cam.com/video/IA7OaZuDfWI/w-d-xo.html
I think the reason why foreign people think we are bad is bc of two worldwars of course - and bc a lot of germans like to live peacefully. There is not much communication with strangers on the street (aside from festive activities of course and it also might differ from region to region) but you really will get on the bad side of a german if you are too loud and noisy and overly extroverted with everyone. We like to be approached in a quiet and respectful manner xD
I've also heard a lot that our language sounds aggressive to foreign ears and that might also be a reason why people think we are unkind...
I’ve had that experience with the language as well. I’m a native speaker, and lived there for a bit, but when we moved away, and later came to visit, I would find that German sounded kinda… harsh. Not sure how to describe it. Especially among the younger population (think “Hey Alter! Was is? Soll’n wir einen saufen gehen?”)
13:00 Yes, since covid, a LOT of places have switched to be able to pay cashless, but Cash is still a big thing in places like christmas markets and little food stands and stuff like that... places that are to small to have a card reader.
The jaywalking thing is something that's more or less strictly seen depending on the region, location, and situation.
In bigger cities within more traditional regions, you're more likely to get reprimanded for crossing on a red light, even if the street is empty, but in more diverse regions it's more about the situational awareness. Don't cross on red while children are around because they might pick this up as a habit while not having the awareness of danger an adult will have, but on a Saturday morning on an empty street no one will bat an eye - again depending on the region.
Also the thing about waiters in Germany... it might be more extreme in bavaria, but in other regions you can ask the waiters to come again a few minutes later if you don't know yet what you want to order. Depending on how busy it is, it might take a while before they appear again though.
The German government and banks are definitely trying to get towards a cashless society, and younger folks tend to be more open about using cards and phones for purchases, but a lot of the smaller shops and older people are apprehensive about cashless payments. The tech for making cashless payments is tied to a monthly fee for the system itself as well as for the bank dealing with them, so unless you're making so much money that you don't mind paying these fees, or you get so many customers who want to only pay cashless that they make up the potential majority of your profits, it's a financially sound decision to not offer cashless payments.
On the customers side the decision is often due to having a physical object that makes it blatantly clear how much money you actually have and how much you'll have left after a potential purchase, which can cause you to re-evaluate how much you actually need or want something. Another reason is privacy. Not everyone who could potentially be able to get a look into your bank account needs to know every kind of purchase you have made over the years. The fewer purchases they can track, the better.
True with the autobahn! Get yourselves up slowly on it and observe the flow and habit of traffic for a while before going on the fast lane. Especially: always look in your rear mirror and always blink in good time before you change lanes. It's often difficult to judge how fast other cars are approaching you from far back, if you're not familiar with such speeds!!! Suddenly they're right behind you and start honking like crazy 😉
13:34 Germans often think of Cash beeing the safe thing. You have the most controle over your money... also you are always prepared for anything that could come up if you have cash with you.
I left Germany for New Zealand in the early 90s to study in New Zealand. My tutor always said to me that he really hopes I'd soon developed a sense of humor.. he was American and i told him that he shouldn't worry too much about it as we Germans occupy a large part of Michigan/Illinois with a quarter of the population being of German decent. 😂
And people from Illinois are known for their taste in humor? had no idea
He was obviously provoking.
Cash or cashless depends on the generation using it. My children are more prone to paying with their mobiles than me but I do use credits/debit cards occasionally.
And using cash prevents one from falling into the debt trap a lot of Americans are prone to.
I stopped using Paypal once an online lawyer explained their TOS and what audacities they have in there. Since then, I absolutely prefercash and had to cancel some services that need it. Going cashless is good for authoritarianism and banks earning on teh debt, but its convenience makes people happily trade in freedom. And control. There's no thought behind "ah, just charge my credit card", no feeling that you just spend money.
We Germans just really love our data to be safe, I imagine. When having your cash, nobody will be able to look unnoticed into your savings. The state will not know you payed at a certain shop for certain items just by checking your credit card info. Same goes for all the companies connected to contactless paying. I'd rather know who (can) know about my personal information. And ofcourse paying 20 euros feels more realistic when using cash. A piece of paper in my hand makes me realize the amount of ice cream I could buy with that better than a number on my phone.
Well you also could say what walter said is a stereotype .
But i think other cultures (american) are much more superficial and become friend just for the moment of show.
One thing about taking your shoes off when entering a home:
In some other countrys this is an almost spiritual thing. It is a gesture to show respect and modesty.
In germany we just don´t like dirt on our floors.
In terms of crossing the road: people here in Germany do cross roads pretty much anywhere but when you're already at a stoplight you wait the freaking half a minute or whatever for the green light XD If you desperately want to walk when there isn't a green light fight a spot where there isn't a traffic light XD
people in berlin have been caught pissing at that jewish memorial he mentioned
lots of the younger ppl, including me, use cashless payments, but alot of old ppl stick to cash
The thing with cash has mostly changed after covid yes you will be able to pay cash everywhere and you might find places that only accept cash but ever since covid most places will accept cards but dont expect anyone to accept a check
its BS with the jaywalking. Sure it can be that a old lady holds you like he said but in general I think it is like in the most countries. Jaywalking in a big city is quiet common.
Since you were rly confused about ppl disrespecting the holocaust monuments i want to share 2 storys. First i once saw a girl on tinder who had a photo of her doing a handstand in that monument on her profile. Rly pissed me of. Second story was when i actually was in Berlin and saw some ppl rly staning on the stones and also yelling while "inside" the narrow ways. So yea, sadly there are idiots who dont repect the history behind the monument and those ppl should get slaped in the face.
4:29 something you can kinda do is just go away from the i forgot how it was called triple light thing and then just cross the road there.
about the lights crossing: I'm a German and I have never seen anyone bothering whenever someone would cross the street when the red light is on
I'm from Austria, but I just wanted to tell my single Geman Autobahn story (which coincidentally was also my first solo experience on a highway since getting my license)
I was driving an older company owned Fiat Doblo (max speed 161 km/h) to make a quick delivery over the weekend
I was going between 100 and 130 most of the time because whenever I tried to go any faster the car started to make concerining noises
At some point, in a more rural area, I went around a turn and saw three long trucks driving up a decent incline in front of me, so I started to accelerate a bit so I could overtake them (accelerating is being very generous here, because of the incline the car barely picked up any speed)
Distances are hard to guess at those speeds, but when I got close to them I was already pretty far away from the turn
I checked my mirrors, couldn't see anybody and switched to the other lane (only two lanes because it was a rural area)
But then when I was halfway past the three trucks, I suddenly had a car behind me who kept flashing their headlights trying to get me to change lanes
And honestly, I would've...
The issue: the three trucks were so close behind each other that me trying to squeeze in even if I tried to and I also couldn't really go any faster because I was already going full throttle
So yeah... Autobahn was fun...
I know that feeling. I was going something about 140 in the left lane, so of course I had a german car behind me, flashing their lights at me.y Only issue was, we had not reached the border yet and were still in Austria. German drivers really can be entitled idiots on the Autobahn.
Don't get stressed out by those idiots. I always slow down, when someone is that pushing. I stay on the left lane until I pass the car I was overtaking and then slowly go on the right lane again. Gotta teach them the lesson that the more they push the less they get what they want. And YES I find it very exhausting to drive on the Autobahn and I definitely hope that we will get a speed limit some day. The fact that you can drive as fast as you want definitely brings out the worst in the people. They can't handle the power.
It‘s also illegal to flash the lights to signal the person in front of you to move aside. Don‘t let yourself get stressed, although you have to understand that whenever there‘s no speed limit, you have to watch behind you if there‘s a car on the “fast lane”, as you can easily misguess their speed and it could end up dangerously.
As an Austrian car owner, where many of us own smaller cars with top speeds around 160-180 because that's by far enough for our highway limit of 130, I also have such stories.
Whenever I have to go on the German Autobahn, once I switch to the left lane, I keep one eye on the rear view mirror. If a little dot appears on the horizon that frantically flashes its headlights, I know I have about 2 seconds left to get back into the right lane. Because that's how long (or rather how short) it will take for that German Porsche or Audi or whatever doing 205+ to sit right behind my car and sniff my exhaust with me going pedal to the metal at 165. Now try to find a large enough space between trucks doing 80-100 in the right lane.
Like, of course I'm not sticking around on the left lane for fun, but often there's just no way to get back into the right lane that quickly.
I really wish Germany would only have no limits sections when there are 3 lanes and would limit all 2 lane sections of Autobahn to more reasonable speed limits. Because these speed differences are pretty dangerous when you have nowhere to go. I don't mind high speeds per se, eg. my parent's car is much bigger and more powerful, so, yes, I've driven 200 myself on occasion and if the weather and visibility are good and there's enough space for everyone there's nothing to it. But 2 lanes and a mix of slow trucks, medium speed cars and then some people going 200+? Not so good.
@@katharina7195Ist leider beides Nötigung. Du kannst, wenn Du einen Zeugen hast, Anzeige erstatten wegen Nötigung. Und selbst, wenn Du nicht unmittelbar etwas davon hast, so kriegt der Typ irgendwann Probleme, wenn sich derlei Anzeigen stapeln. Dann braucht der das 49€-Ticket.
Erzieherische Maßnahmen stehen den Bedrängten nicht zu. Und solche selbsternannten Sheriffs halten mit ihrer Rache dann auch die auf, die eigentlich ganz manierlich fahren, weil jemand dann links mit 100 gaaaanz langsam ein paar LKW überholt, die 90 oder 95 fahren.
Und da krieg ich dann einen Fön auf beide Idioten.
Sollen sich die Drängler und die Racheengel doch auf einem Rastplatz duellieren und uns andere fahren lassen, denn ich bekomme diese Zeit vom Racheengel auch nicht zurück.
4:17 i did that once but my entire class did that too so it was peer pressure but there were no cars. I don't remember how many people are in my class.
A small suggestion, I follow A Brit in Germany, he lives in Frankfurt and before that he lived in China. Just a suggestion !
Ok will check that out thanks
There is an interview with Peter Eisenman, the architect of the memorial on Spiegel Online from a couple of years ago. He said: "Menschen werden im dem Feld picknicken. Kinder werden in dem Feld Fangen spielen. Es wird Mannequins geben, die hier posieren, und es werden hier Filme gedreht werden. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, wie eine Schießerei zwischen Spionen in dem Feld endet. Es ist kein heiliger Ort." English: "Interview with memorial architect Peter Eisenman. "People will picnic in the field. Children will play catch in the field. There will be mannequins posing here, and movies will be shot here. I can well imagine how a shootout between spies will end in the field. It's not a sacred place." So I think in a typical German maner there are many Germans who take the significance of the memorial more seriously than it was actually intended.
Nun, es stellt sich die Frage, wieviel weniger "ernst" man diese Sache nehmen kann und darf. Fest dürfte doch wohl stehen, dass man reflektieren sollte, ob das eigene Verhalten nicht vielleicht einfach respektlos ist.
@@heha6984 hat weniger mit Respektlosigkeit zu tun, sondern mit menschlicher Kreativität. Was man zweckentfremden kann wird der Mensch auch zweckentfremden, und dieses Denkmal ansonsten ziemlich langweile Monument ist sehr leicht anderweitig zu nutzen.
Da hätten die Leute die das genehmigt haben einfach besser nachdenken sollen, und das nachdenken jetzt nicht von denen fordern die sich nicht dafür interessieren bzw es nicht einmal wissen.
Da sind beispielsweise die Stolpersteine aus Kupfer oder Bronze deutlich klüger, da durch das vermeintlich respektlose drauftreten dafür gesorgt dass es lesbar bleibt. Sprich, solange du da nicht gerade deinen Kaugummi draufspuckst o.ä. ist es praktisch unmöglich wirklich respektlos dazu zu sein.
Es ist einfach ein langweiliger und sinnfreier Ort, der leider auch nicht allen Opfern gewidmet ist. So groß und mitten in einer Stadt... da hätte man definitiv was kreativeres machen können, was scheinbar auch dem Architekten selbst klar ist. Gedenken muss nicht immer langweilig und traurig sein, insbesondere da hier ja nicht einmal Opfer begraben liegen oder große Gräueltaten stattgefunden haben.
@@danielhopkins2277 Schon mal drüber nachgedacht, dass "Kreativität" durchaus respektlos sein kann? Es geht doch nicht darum, ob ein Denkmal schön ist oder langweiig oder grade Dir nicht gefällt, sondern WOFÜR es steht. Wie weit doch die Wahrnehmung auseinanderdriften kann: In München, glaub ich, war's, wo die Stolpersteine abgeschafft wurden (auch auf Bestreben der jüdischen Gemeinde), weil man es eben für respektlos hielt, das Andenken, welches jene Steine repräsentieren, im wahrsten Sinn des Wortes "mit Füßen zu treten" - ist nicht von mir, diese Begründung. Man wird immer irgendeine Rechtfertigung für alles finden - ob man auf jeden Rechfertigungszug ohne weitere Reflektion aufspringen muss, ist die große Frage. In diesem Sinn noch einen schönen Tag.
@@danielhopkins2277 The architect was saying this during the induction:
Mr. Chancellor,
Mr. Bundespresident,
Members of the Kuratorium,
Distinguished guests,
My Family,
My Friends,
My Colleagues!
I speak as an architect and as just another human being; this is
a momentous day for all of us. It is and has been a humbling
experience. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work
together with my colleagues and with members of the Kuratorium to finally be here today. Yes, there has been debate,
controversy, and disagreement among us, as Paul Spiegel has
pointed out. But this is healthy, and I believe it has brought
us to a better project than when we began. It is clear we will
not have solved all of the problems, or have satisfied everyone
present. But this cannot have been our intention. To have done
so would have been to have done nothing. To have known our
result before we began, we would not have begun. Much of
what we have produced is the result of the confidence that
the members of the Kuratorium had that we would together
succeed. But today’s success is not our purpose, for it is only
transitory. Rather, our purposes have been twofold.
First was to establish a permanent memory, to record what
has been in this capital city. Second, and perhaps more importantly, was to begin a debate with the openendness that
is proposed by such a project, allowing future generations to
draw their own conclusions. Not to direct them what to think,
but to allow them to think.
For these reasons we have challenged most existing ideas of
what a memorial could be. We were not trying to be provocative in itself but rather attempting something that would simply
convey the ordinariness, the mundanedness, that all of those
who suffered experienced. And perhaps it is in this simplicity
that the work becomes provocative.
In this course we have all taken risks, but for me personally, I
have learned when to fight for what I believed was right for the
Memorial, as well as to back down when I was wrong. I want
to say that I was wrong about the inclusion of the Ort [Information Centre]. I think the Ort and the field together are very
important. As the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben writes
in »Die Zeit« this week: there are two ideas of memory. One is
the unforgettable, which is the silence of the field; the other is
the memorable, which is recorded in the archives, in the Ort.
Together they are what make this memorial possible.
As I said at the beginning, this experience has been humbling,
and it is important for me to reiterate that. But perhaps most of
all, through this process I have become closer to my Jewishness. Orthodox or reform, religious or secular, Ashkenazi or
Sephardi, German or Pole, we were all the same in their eyes.
For now it remains for me to become silent, to give this Memorial to the German people, now and in the future, and to let
your Memorial speak to and for the German people and to the
world. At heart I am a New Yorker, but from today, part of my
soul will always remain here in Berlin.
Thank you.
The request that future generations should make their conclusions is there, but there is no request to have "fun" in that monument ... at least if this would be not the ignorant conclusion the future generations would make.
Some German people do the disrespectful thinks to
The cash thing was correct before covid - especially because there was a " minimum prize cap" on cards (of 20 € or up - card is ok) .
Since covid that has changed, most places take cards even for such small amounts as 0,01€.
I live in Hamburg and I prefer crossing roads at the traffic lights, but especially if the streets are regularly empty or traffic is slow, it is okay to cross wherever you think is safest. I've seen mothers crossing roads that way with their children. As a German, I guess you see pretty quickly where you can cross and where you can't.
BUT if you want to cross at a street light, always wait for at least five minutes before you decide to cross when it is still red. It's good etiquette
The claim about the traffic lights is not entirely correct. I am from Cologne. When someone stops at a red light here, it's usually people who aren't from the city. I only stop at red when children are waiting at the traffic lights. ✌🏼🍀
Cash equals privacy.
8:11
It actually is reasonable to say that because sometimes there will just be a iron plate with the information in the ground and it's quite easy to overlook. But sometimes like in my home city we have things quite similar to that and it was just made for people to climb, have fun,etc.
Of course we jaywalk!we just drive to italy first...more serious:don't do it ,when kids are around.there are even signs: don't jaywalk, be a role model
Hey, I was born in Cologne and lived in Germany my whole life, but actually I didn't meet many people that want you to take off your shoes in their apartment / house. It's kind of a thing that some people want, but most people don't in my experience. Also, it is a nice gesture but not really necessery or expected by most Germans to bring presents with you :-)
PS: Nice video though
interesting. here, in the eastern part of germany, we see it as rude if people don't take off their shoes. guess it depends on where in germany you are.
You don't HAVE to bring over flowers and stuff to a German's house. It's polite, if they're older, but, if younger, not necessary. If in doubt, ask.
Wearing shoes inside depends on where you are. This is not a general rule. If in doubt, ask.
Cash is king. More control of what you spend. And when. Etc. If looking around alone, have like 50 Euros. Family of like 4? 200. And that depends on where you go. McDoofy? Fine. "Restaurant of endless pleasures of the Divine realm"? Go bancrupt. :P Germany isn't necessarily cheap.
Germany and cash have a looooooooooooooooooong history... 1929. Wheelbarrels of money after ONE shift to buy 2 loafs of bread and some extras. That was it. Every day wives with children would go out to collect the money and spend it ASAP to get something, as inflation was skyrocketing beyong any belief. And still: cash is king. Irrational? Aye.
Walters World is an amazing channel and as for his videos about Germany I never had anything to complain (I´m german)! He travelled a lot und it shows.
just to make something clear "I never had anything to complain" is one of the highest forms of praise one will get from us germans ;)
I'm from a smaller town in Germany so I don't min crossing the street on a red light since there's not that much traffic anyway, but I don't do it if kids are around. For the "don't wait" part: again this could be because of me being from the country side but I've never had a waitress or a waiter stand next to me while I choose what to get, even when visiting bigger cities. They hand out the menus and come back after a while. And if they don't just make eye contact and raise your hand, they'll be with you shortly. Yes Germany is moving towards cashless pay but you still have to pay cash in a lot of places. So always bring cash, you don't want to sit on a 60€ bill in a bar when they only take cash. I haven't seen a place yet that doesn't accept cash anymore.
Money is king.
Visa credit cards cost the merchant €1.70 in fees. PayPal 3% + standard fee. These operating costs should be made more expensive. Cash money no fees (0€).
Germans know maths. With Americans you can really doubt it ;-)
I am a foreigner living in Germany for more than 20 years, and what is shared in the videos are all true. I love the Germans and their observation of the their rules. It a normal thing for Germans, however foreigners might have difficulties with something they aren't grown up with. Germans are hard to get into contact with but once you do, oh boy, you have friends for life.
Germans aren't proactive in someone's else needs. Do not expect they come to you proactively and ask you if you need help. However, they are extremely helpful if you ask or need help. And be exactly with your needs. If you generalize you needs, they would say they do not know.
Do you agree with all of these? Are there any other things a person should not do in Germany?
DON'T put your microphone on top of your table, right in front of you.
Because, every time your hands touch the table it sounds like you punsh the microphone. ^^
Schöne Grüße aus Deutschland.
Wbr, shnoopx
Referring to crossing the street on red:
There is an old joke.
What is the difference between Munich, San Diego and New York?
Munich: If you get caught jaywalking by the police, they tell you don't do it again.
San Diego: You get a fine ($10).
New York: Standing ovation if you survive it....
Hi Mert! I love your videos. May I ask what part of the UK you hail from?
Now, as you asked for your vieles opinion: concerning J-walking: It's ok so long as noone is inconvenienced by it and as long there are NO KIDS WATCHING. That would be extremely frowned upon, because it models dangerous behaviour to kids. Concerning the desecration of shoa monuments: stupid and thoughtless people do that, that's who. As a typically outspoken German, I would def give them a piece of my mind. Concerning visitor's gifts: especially if it is your first visit to someone's house, you want to bring a more upmarket bottle of wine / bunch of flowers/ box of chocolates in a nice gift bag. If it's a regular Visitenkarte with friend's, just bring a casual bottle or some snacks you'd like to eat together, no gift wrap needed.
Don´t think Germany is just great. We also have a lot of Dark Corners here ,too...unfortunately
Here is little Example of a DON`T... That make us Germans really Angry.
th-cam.com/users/shorts84hllnocZj0
Greets from the Ruhrpott^^
There is a half-joking kinda saying here in Germany, that we’d stop at a red light in the middle of the night even when there’s not a single soul in sight, simply because the traffic light is red. For my mom, this saying is true.
As for crossings, well traveled roads have crossings where cars have to stop when people wanna cross them, and you absolutely have to look if cars are coming before crossing -- German drivers are not the nicest, and the style is especially bad on Sundays. Then it’s called “Sonntags Fahrer” -- Sunday driver.
And as a Don’t, I personally consider idolizing the army, war veterans, and the country as taboo topics. Where I grew up, no one likes talking about it -- it’s very skillfully avoided without anyone noticing. Considering what happened in Germany during the wars, after and before them too, it is a very unpleasant topic. If it’s not unpleasant, then you either don’t know enough, or you’re very good at dealing with this kind of thing.
Also, as a personal observation, I would like to say that public transport in the countryside, or rather every city that isn’t a major one like Berlin, Hamburg and such, is kinda sh+t. Train? 2 hours late, won’t drive for the next few months, rails are too unmaintained. Bus? Comes once a day, if you’re lucky -- in summer it might be too hot, and in winter the bus might not make it over the little hill between villages ‘cause the road iced over.
Another difference between city and countryside, which means towns and villages, is that the way people grow up differs quite a lot. City : designer clothes, brands, expensive, much slang, drugs, bullying, makeup, ... Countryside: ...very innocent, brands are cool but not important, bullying isn’t common, drugs are a HUGE scandal, makeup is kept to a minimum, and some people are even descendants of nobles... At least that’s my experience.
Oh, and we have volcanos! I recommend Maria Lach, that’s a volcano lake in the Eifel. And Trier, my birth place, is a city that has existed as a settlement for at least over 3000 years. There is also a nice little castle called Drachenburg (dragon fort) near/in Königswinter. And the Lüneburger Heide (heather) is very nice, too, just not in summer at 30°C...
Thanks for reading, have a nice day!
Well the Holocaus Memorial in Berlin was specifically designed to be used for normal stuff like selfies and parcour or whatever.
This shall put the rememberance into everyday life. It prevents putting unnecessary hurdles between rememberance and people and it prevents rememberance becoming some sort of ritualistic act.
12:50
"Cashless" is more and more accepted, but we trust what we can touch.
Also: if you figet for money people get annoyed, even if they don't show it.
If you eat at a table at the restaurant it is good tone, to give a round 10% tip (10€, 15€, 20€, 25€...)
I'm trying to break it down from a German perspective
1. Don't assume Germans are bad - I think the notion that Germans are bad might be explained by our strict behaviour. Like you said, we love our rules and we are very honest and straight forward which many tourists don't expect, I guess. And I think we have a sense of sarcasm but it is buried very deep. For example If you piss off a waiter, they will verbally own your a**. So don't do that, please.
2. Don't cross against the light - Absolutely agreed. This has to be one of the top rules in Germany. However there is one point I'd like to make here: We follow that rule for an additional reason. Children. If you see a child anywhere near you when you're about to jaywalk, you better believe people are coming after you. Which is something we normally never do. But if you corrupt our children, uh lord! You are gonna get it! Well, not that dramatically. but you get the idea
3. The deposit - I like this one because it is basically up to you if you wanna pay extra or put in some work and get your money back. I'm sure you know this already, but it's not just on Christmas with the Glühwein mugs but pretty much on all bottles. So I for example have to return my bottles every week or twice a week, but it never ever feels like a chore.
4. (I guess you are missing a chapter in your video :)) invitations and hospitality - To be honest I never heard that you bring something with you for the people who invited you if it's just a casual visit. I will say that it's never a bad idea though. If it's some sort of a party and there will be food planned for everyone, it's definitely expected you bring some food. Traditionally self-made salad or cake.
5. Memorials - Use common sense here and be a good person! No need for a text wall here, otherwise I'll be in a very bad mood
6. Don't wait - This one is interesting since I know for a fact that this is not always the case. He mentioned Munich/ München at the beginning of the video so my guess is that he refers to restaurants in the middle of town where there are masses of people. My advice is that you remember there is a difference between busy parts of town and the rest of town. Yes, I completely agree we love being efficient and want to get things done, absolutely 100% correct. However in restaurants we again follow certain rules. One of which is: This is not fast-food! Good things take time to make. We also want you to have a good time when you visit our restaurant. Personally the best feeling in the world is people smiling with an unparalleled satisfaction because you made them something delicious or in general an experience that they will never forget it. There are definitely both extremes in Germany.
7. Autobahn - nothing to add here. He is 100% correct
8. Don't expect stores to be open on Sundays - That is always the biggest surprise for tourists and I'm not gonna lie, this always makes me laugh at their reaction. "So, what if you need to buy groceries on Sunday?" "Well, you're s*** out of luck, mate!". Of course there are a few options like gas stations or "Spätshops" (late stores, I think) where you can buy everything you need for three times the price. Also on Sundays and this is the reason I said "This has to be one of the top rules in Germany" since this is the other one. Sundays are considered holy days in Germany. Try to be as quiet as possible and forget about doing construction or listen to loud music. This is a big one because in combination with stores being closed means that you basically can't do things on Sundays except maybe write the longest TH-cam comment in history.
9. Don't forget to have cash - Correct, Cash is indeed king
10. Don't expect half timbered houses - Also correct. It depends heavily on the countryside. Heart of town - usually (!) modern. More outside of town or countryside - usually (!) timbered.
My god, this turned into an essay here. I hope it was at least helpful or educational for at least any one person, otherwise I'm sorry for the wall of text because, you know, it's Sunday...
... We do have our own share of jaywalkers, especially at night and less frequented streets, but please don't. We Germans can get really upset during driving and you don't want to make everyone worried you gonna get run over...
And YES, PLEASE first try driving the 100 km/h on Bundesstraße before using the autobahn. It is NERVE WRECKING to have someone driving with a 100 km/h before you, while you can't go left, cause it is the most left line. We are to some extend patient, but especially bmw and mercedes drivers (who WANT to max out the speed) tend to use light...horn? We call it lichthupe. It's when you switch your lights to wide range lights and then back again, so the person before you notices you. It will be horrifying, if you aren't used to the speed.
I myself normally drive 130 km/h cause I want to save money, but I am used to up to 180 km/h... At 200 even I get nervous... But many want to drive fast for as long as possible because we have many maintanance going on, where you are only allowed 80 km/h.
And in general. We have rules, so you need to abide to those rules or you gonna get verbally smacked. You totally gonna get called out.
And our service staff doesn't smile all the time, cause why should they?
... In america it is normal for a waiter to come every two to three minutes? THAT is horrifying to a german! We love to have time to ourselves to talk and eat in peace.
The waiter often is faster than you could look through the menu, so mostly we first order drinks and as the drinks come, we order food directly. After that the service will mostly come if they see your plate is empty or you stopped eating for quite a long time and it looks like you are full. Or if you signal them (quietly), that you need something.
And no one will tell you to give tip. They will be highly happy, but it is more of a polite thing than a must. And yes. Math is hard enough as it is, so just state the amount you wanna give.
And germans ARE quite polite. You just need to approach us politely with an "excuse me..."... And it is easily to happen to sound impolite for a german, cause we are efficient and we have grammatical ways to be polite. We use "Sie" instead of "du" and in the end you just switch the pronoun. So in english we will likely sound rude, cause we don't see the necessaty to tell you to make a step to the side by phrasing it something like "excise me. Would it be probably possible for you make a step to the right amd let me through?" ... We are more like "I'm sorry, could you please let me go past you?" and in german it would be "entschuldigen Sie, könnte ich bitte vorbei?"
And the younger generation is quite good in English, so it will gonna be a hassle to learn german, cause we are so efficient, we will be like: "But it's easier and faster in english", so you may need to just speak german no matter what, so you force your talking partner into german xD
But we will be delighted to help, always. And if we don't know we probably gonna point you to someone who might be able to answer it.
And I don't think bringing a gift if you are invited is a must... At least not in my generation... It will be seen as nice and probably used during your visit, but not mendatory (at least as far as I know... But then my parents didn't grow up im germany, so it could be a whole story to my parents just being raised diffrent and not knowing and so teaching us... But I did never really see that as a custom)
And yes. It is a really big honor to have a german call you "friend" there are so many things for us in between "friend" and "stranger" and we just call people we are really close with as "friends". But if we have a friend, we gonna be there through thick and thin. You gonna move into a new house? Call and we come help you carry your stuff. You don't understand something in german? We gonna help you through the whole process, even if a german born and raised here himself won't understand "Beamtendeutsch".
As long as it is physically possible, we gonna have your back! If we call you a friend...
The "don't step on a memorial" advice doesn't need to be mentioned, this should be clear to everybody, independent of the nationalty.
The view of Germans being given: they are nice, friendly, correct, efficient and hospitable.
This is a very nice view, but it really depends on the situation. Many Germans are economically not save, and the living costs in Germany are high, some of them even have two jobs to pay their bills. Of course the situation is different in the rich and industrial south/sout west as in more rural areas of the east, or areas with old and dead or dying industries (e.g. Ruhrgebiet). All areas also have their own starters, but the situation of the plain people is different living in Bayern or MeckPom.
What can be said a really big majority is aware of the German history, and respects it deeply.
Concerning Autobahn, this is similar to riffles in the US. If there was a referendum about 130 km/h as maximum speed this would be chosen, but a big lobby blocks this. Unlimited speed is simply nonsence in every aspect (risk, consumption, CO2) ... but the people who paid 100k bugs for a car want to use it (and have their lobby). You can't cruise on many German Autobahnen due to the traffic (incl. many trucks) and narrow and restricted lines. It doesn't make sense to drive 200km/h on a two lane Autobahn with trucks. Some Germans use special events for racing. Sunday in the very early morning is a time for racer, or if an event brings the people to stay home (e.g. semifinals in soccer)
Yes, well. He is mostly right. As alway, reality is more complicated....
Disrespecting (Holocaust) memorials: Yes, you definitely should not do that. These are reminders of the darkest times we experienced and recently we have enough $%*& people of our own who think it's all just a big joke. Just don't.
Taking off your shoes: Yes, this is still a thing, although I have the feeling it is not as strict as it used to be. If in doubt, just ask.
Small presents when visiting someone: Same thing. If you are invited as more or less a stranger, get something small like flowers or wine or beer or potato chips... Among friends that meet regularly, like once a week or something, this would be a bit excessive, though. ;-)
Driving fast on the Autobahn: Well, I don't do it, and I'm German. It is dangerous, bad for the environment, and stessful. Then again, I'm from the Rheinland where most of our motorways are broken, in repair, or otherwise blocked by a million people wanting to get to their jobs, so fast driving is only possible during e.g. the night and in rural places with less traffic.
Friendly people: Mostly true. The younger the person you are talking to the more they tend to be open towards foreigners. But we had some economic problems recently (COVID, inflation) and there is a general feeling of unhappiness in the air, which in turn gives rise to some silly ideas from the past. (Sadly this seems to be a trend among other countries as well...) Generally, people in cities are more open, people in small villages can be a bit suspicious. But mostly we try to be helpful and open to new experiences.
Jaywalking, traffic lights: Depends on where you are. Somewhere in Cologne or any other bigger city people are regularly ignoring traffic lights. Again, in more rural areas people tend to wait even if there is no car around as far as the eye can see. Yes, it is forbidden to just cross the street, and frowned upon if there are small children around, but people do it. Also: Beware of bikers! They tend to ignore traffic lights even if pedestrians or cars are crossing! I know that, because as a person using a bicycle quite often I get annoyed when everyone stops in fear when they see me. ;-)
And the most important thing: We tend to be terrible Klugscheißer (know-it-alls) as you can see from this comment! :D
Germany is definitely moving towards cashless payment... Just in a veeery different pace than other European countries like Sweden. 😂
About the thing at the beginning with crossing the road, I did see some comment about it but I've recently experienced something that, in my opinion, points out again why we dislike it so much.
As some others said, we simply dislike when people don't follow the rules IF there's a red light, if there's none, obviously you may just cross the street but just recently in a rather small city I was driving with my mother and I've had my license for exactly 3 months.
Picture this, you're driving with 50km/h cause you're in a city and this is the maximum you're allowed to drive, then you see there's a crossroad about 50m ahead and to your right on the sidewalk is a delivery car parked. You cannot look lächelnd it and suddenly you see a woman standing right behind that car attempting to cross the road. Where she can't see ANYTHING.
And that is what pisses us off, if you literally see the crossroad, USE IT. Those extra few meters won't hurt you.
Like, why would someone think it's smart to just crossing the road when you're invisible behind said delivery car, where is the common sense.
So yeah that's that for me xD
I think we have a big problem with discipline of the younger generation. No patriotizm, nearly no empathy and patience in every situatation. There is a big difference in between North and South Germany in case of the minds. It takes a long time in North Germany to get a friend (the word Freund has nothing to do with the American word "friend"). A friend in North Germany means somebody for your whole life and if one of them is in trouble, the other one will be there without asking. This is what we call a FRIEND in North Germany. For foreigners its therefore not so nice to go to a pub alone, if you are in the northern part exept maybe Hamburg. In Düsseldorf you can join a pub alone and you will have many people to have fun. Sure, there are differences in between the rural areas and the cities. But there a things which are everywhere the same. One, very impotant one is to be punctual. And in case of visits (except the younger generation) you ALWAYS have to make an appointment! Just to drop in is NOT a good idea. Germans like to plan... And if you do so - the guy is right - you have to bring just a little "attention" (Flowers are perfect). In case of the traffic light, I just had been standing at a red traffic light and one guy went by red. The woman beside me were shouting "Kids murderer!". Nice. I like that!
I think one major thing is: be sensible and sensitive, when it comes to the history or WW2 and the Third Reich. People will surely talk about that time, when you ask them. But don't make fun of it, don't display any swastika or SS-runes (e.g. tattoos) and don't show the Hitler salute. Both will be prosecuted and you could get fined or worse.
most people on Autobahn and myself too drive with a speed of 100- 130km/h. Big cars containing business men drive up to 160 (as CEO i did it too) and very few are faster.
My opinion it is very relaxing to drive and not to get sweaty hands.
I never got sideeyes for crossing a red light. But typically does are less traveled roads, not some main road. Sometimes our streets don't have buttons to push and it's correlated to time / other lights and instead of stopping the main road, I just cross the red light at a tiny road (never in my life did I see the light on green). 😂
And bringing gifts? That's not typically german imo. Sure, if you have a get together you kinda speak about what is needed. Eg yesterday we grilled outside and 2 brought salats, other bread or fruit and stuff. But it's not something you have to do but it's nice to split up and what friends are for..? 😆
But for formal business like meetings this is true! :)
Cash: Nope, I usually don't have cash on me nowadays. I just use my phone or have my card for backup. If I know I need cash, I'll get it beforehand but typically no more cash for me (for a few years now).
1. My ex boyfriend ones said to me. You're a German you have to act like that. That made me angry. Because I'm not a stereotype. Yes, I'm German, but not like any other, I'm an individual.
2. Crossing the road when it's red light, I just do when there are no children around, and when I'm quite familiar with the area. Because, there I know what to look for. If I'm not familiar, I could miss some dangerous corners, where things can come from.
3. Yes, that's what the deposit is for. So you care about the money, and don't let bottles or mugs lying around. Or if you don't want to carry the empty Bottle with you for the rest of the day. Place it under or next to a bin. So homeless people can collect them.
4. I wouldn't say, that you HAVE to bring something with you, when you visit. It's a nice gesture, but for me it's not important.
5. Take off your shoes is important. Some want you to do this outside the apartment, at some you can do it at the entrance area inside the apartment. And the reason is understandable, nobody wants the dirt from the streets everywhere inside.
6. I'm afraid there are even disrespectful Germans doing stupid things at memorial grounds. That should be a reminder for all. Don't be disrespectful at such places.
7. Yes first you get your menu. Then you have time to get through it and desight what you want. My tip: start with the drinks. And tell the waiter you did not desighted yet for the food. They'll come back later. Or you can order the food when they bring you the drinks. And a good sign for a waiter that you want to order, is when you close the menu and put it to the side.
8. I hate driving Autobahn.
9. Sundays are holy, so everything for shopping is closed. But since Covid, paying by credit card is more and more possible. You should just know if there is a minimum price from when you can use your credit card. Because the shops have to pay for that service to the bank. And they'll lose money, if you pay just 1 euro by card. And when you're on markets or somewhere, where the Internet connection is not well functioning, they could have problems with the machine for paying by card.
My don't s are:
Don't come here with a set and done picture of Germany and Germans. Come here with a open and free mind and heart. You're gonna love it and we gonna love you.
For concentration camps I have some advice, epsecially for Dachau. Do not go to Dachau in summer. It looks like a really nice park during thus time we have benn there with school. And there are flowers even a small river. Go there in autumn or like winter. Its bettee. Dachau does not have that grim atmosphere like Auschwitz in Krakow. It was also badly hit during WWll. Also this is a common rule. Like I already mentioned these places do not look as grim anymore. Do not abuse the camps for beautiful nature fotos. And do not make selfies infront of random parts of the buildings before your tour, cause in Dachau you might later realize that you have been standing infront of an unused gas chamber.
Another thing is asome people have inadequate coping mechanisms like being overly figgety or laughing. If you have these coping mechanisms please inform the staff. And if it gets real bad leave your group and take a break. Otherwise you will end up on a very uncomfortable spot. Dachau has the same rules as Auschwitz no model selfies infront of the gates. Also for Auschwitz no selfies on the remaining railway!
Sidenote: You might find gates missing. They got stolen numerous times. Infact Dachau was missing a wing when we arrived. Yeah that actually happens. Do not a ask me why. I was told that they wanted to sell it but Idk.
Also obviously no Führer-jokes. And yes the german word for guide is Reiseführer but it is different than "der (The) Führer. No Nazi salutes and jokes. You can be charged with a crime called Volksverhetzung if you really take it too far and you can be removed from the memorial site
Last but not least do me a favor and visit our Euthanasia memorial in the Tiergartenstraße. It is a blue glas wall. Not that spectacular but it deserves a bit more attention. That Nazi-crime is forgotten too often.
Also a tip for the Holocaust memorial: You can let your tiny kids play. In the middle there is a museum and the guests and staff prefer silence there so let them power out. Otherwise do not go there with tiny kids at all.
Otherwise I can recommend Berlin Underground as well.
I gotta add 1-2 don'ts to the list: first it's important to know your trash. Many people make jokes about german trash separation but it really takes the recyceling game to another level. Please don't throw paper, plastics and food garbage together - we have at least 3-4 different trash cans for that and we love seeing foreigners separate their trash right! :') At the countryside it's also common to greet people that pass your way, even if you don't know them. It's disrespectfull to just walk pass them, depending on where you are. Ofc not in the citys. And a fun fact: If you don't look each other in the eyes when you "cheers" your drink, u'll have bad sex for 7 yrs so never look away!!k
Let's start with traffic lights: of course you can cross the street anywhere, but if there is a traffic light, use it, it will save a lot of discontent and trouble. On the subject that Germans are "bad people": In general, we are really very open-hearted and friendly, we just don't always seem that way. Especially in northern Germany, a gruff tone is everyday life. My last point is about half-timbered houses: here in northern Germany, for example, they don't exist at all. I grew up with reed-roofed houses, and on every vacation in the rest of Germany I saw half-timbered houses everywhere. But still, we have soooo much other amazing architecture to marvel at. So just visit our beautiful country without expecting all those stereotypes.
The Autobahn is actually history in terms of no speed limit.
There is probably a low one digit percentage of the Autobahn network left
which has no speed limit.
And even there is so much traffic, that you have typically a defacto speed limit of 130km/h or less.
The "no-speed limit on Autobahn" is only a myth these days!
I was at the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, when I was visiting the Netherlands with my class and at the entrance they specifically asked to not take pictures inside and be quiet and respectful.
My class 30-40 15 year olds were quiet and simply looked around, but there were so many non Germans being utterly disrespectful.
And it simply pisses me off that as eg. Americans they could be disrespectful to a certain extent without anyone saying shit about it. However if I as a German would've acted the way they did, I probably would've been at least heavily frowned upon.
I have visited quite a few WW2 memorials simply because I am fascinated by history but also want to pay respect to all those who died by the hands of my ancestors. At quite a few of those memorials I acting at least as respectful as everyone around me, but the moment they heard me talk German some people really try to interpret my behaviour as disrespectful.
I even once had someone do the Hitler salute to me at a Holocaust memorial, which made me highly uncomfortable.
Idk I feel as if people from other countries expect us Germans to beg for forgiveness at those memorials, for something we weren't even alive for, while acting highly inappropriate without reflecting about their own behaviour.
As a German I would NEVER approach a stranger, who looks lost. If they ask me, I will absolutely help.
You're an adult. You should know how to ask for help or how to get the directions you need. I will assume, that you don't need help.
If you are a child all alone, that is a different story.
All in all, Germans just assume, that you are a capable adult and don't want to impose their help on you. It's quite rude, if another person just assumes that you have no idea for some arbitrary reason.
We are nice on a different level than for example an American.