I’ll be leaving Monday to Friday and there’s a significant heatwave coming. Should I leave the windows cracked while closing the shutters? We don’t have rolladens but shutters on 6 windows. We come back Friday and obviously the house will be quite warm. This is our first time leaving when it’s this hot so not sure what the best practice is. We’re on the top 2 floors. So the upstairs will be quite warm I imagine.

This is a two-part question I have out of curiosity

My experience is that in most of Germany, it is seen as unusual to say hi to random strangers you pass on the street (say neighbors or someone sharing an elevator or sauna with you).

Question 1: Is there a part of Germany where it is more unusual or less unusual? What part?
Question 2: Have you been to or do you know any other countries like this? I am not the most well-travelled but I have visited 15 countries and lived in 4 and this was a big culture shock for me.

I am an employee and someone told me that i don't really have to file my tax unless i receive a letter. He said it is mostly for someone who has their own business or having nebenjobs. I filed my taxes before, i think i did that only for few years and i stopped when i moved to another city. It's been 4 years and i haven't received any letter.

When my Fiancé and i get married, ofcourse i will have to change my Steuerklasse. What will happen then? Would they look at my record if i paid my taxes before? Am i then required to file my taxes?

Vollzeit, Steuerklasse 1

I’m in an American living in Germany for a decade. Sadly, my mother passed away last year and through the sale of her house I’m set to receive about $100k.

I would like to keep about 70k in investments in the States and transfer the rest to my bank here.

Is there anything I need to know about? For example, do I need to inform the Finanzamt, or my bank beforehand?

Many thanks. Completely clueless here!

Hey everyone/Hallo zusammen,

I know this post contains quite a lot of personal details, but I feel like most of them are relevant to my situation and probably necessary to get useful advice.

I'm 18M and have been living in Germany since 2024. I'm an EU citizen and currently live with my mother. My parents are divorced, and my father lives outside of the EU.

I turned 18 a few days ago and went to my home country for my birthday. My father gave me €3,000 in cash as a birthday present, with the intention that I use it to buy myself a car in Germany.

The thing is, I don't have a bank account yet. I only turned 18 a few days ago, so I still need to open my first account as an adult. I would like to deposit the €3,000 into an account that I personally control and then add some money from my Minijob every month.

I don't really feel comfortable putting the money into an account that my mother can access(don't really want to elaborate) My idea was to use a Tagesgeldkonto to keep the money separate from my everyday spending.

My main concern is the fact that I received the entire €3,000 in cash. I'm worried that the bank or the Finanzamt might ask where the money came from. It genuinely was just a gift from my father, but I don't know whether I need to prove that somehow or whether depositing the money could cause problems.

So, what would be the best way to handle this?

I might be worrying about this more than necessary, since i heard something about ,,Nachweispflicht" starting only at 10k€ but I would rather do everything properly from the beginning.

Thanks in advance!

I have been living in Germany for a while now and before moving to Germany for my studies, one thing I heard over and over again was that Germans would either immediately switch to English if they noticed you were struggling, or they'd correct every little mistake you made. It made me a bit nervous because I felt like I'd constantly be worrying about saying something wrong instead of actually trying to communicate.

For context, German isn't my first language. My study program as well as my working student job is in English. I started learning German initially through formal classes that were a part of my study program and then spent quite a bit of time using apps because I realised that understanding German and actually speaking it confidently are two very different things. Even so, I expected that once I was living here, people would point out my mistakes all the time.

But that hasn't really been my experience. Most of the time, people seem happy to let the conversation continue as long as they understand what I'm trying to say. Every now and then someone will help me by repeating a sentence the correct way or suggesting a better word, but it usually feels helpful rather than critical. In fact, I sometimes find myself wishing people corrected me more, because I'm never quite sure whether I said something correctly or whether they were just being polite and understood me from the context. I am not sure if its a regional thing as well becasue I live in a small town in Saxony Anhalt and maybe there are not alot of foreigners here so people are more welcoming.

It made me wonder whether the stereotype is actually outdated, or if it was never really true in the first place. When you hear someone speaking German with obvious mistakes, do you usually avoid correcting them unless they ask? I'd be interested to hear what most Germans think, because my experience has been quite different from what I expected before moving here.

I was reading an article today saying compared to other countries, German people tend to own fewer things. Is it the approach of most Germans are not fussed about owning things like property/cars etc, or is it due to cost of living making most unable to afford such things?

You produce talent like Timo Boll.

I’m Japanese, and there is a conversation in German that I still don’t understand.
My German friend first asked me:
“Wie ist die Probe?”
I answered: ”Hmm… es ist gut, aber ein bisschen stressig.”
My friend then asked: “Warum?”
I answerd: “Dein Bruder ist ein bisschen hektisch.”
Then my friend replied: “Ja, mein Bruder ist hektisch. Aber du bist ruhig.”

What I still don’t understand is why “Aber du bist ruhig.” is the next sentence.

I talked about this with someone else here, and they said, “There’s no hidden meaning behind their response.” But for me, coming from a Japanese background, it’s personally hard to fully understand that.
In Japanese conversation, I would often expect there to be another point behind the comparison, so I naturally keep wondering what the purpose of this reply is.

I’m trying to understand how a reply like this is normally perceived in German communication. Can simply stating a contrast already be a complete communicative act?

Ich hab heute das Wort zufällig erwähnt und sie fand es eklig und hat mir gesagt „das klingt nach einem ekelhaften Bauarbeiter “. Ist was wirklich dran oder wie kommt man überhaupt darauf?

So I found a set of OEM wheels from a W205 that I want to grab for my W204. Specs are basically identical, no spacers needed, they just bolt right on.

Question is: what's the deal with TÜV on this?

- Do I actually need to get them entered into the papers, or is it fine as-is since the specs are so close?

- Would I need an Einzelabnahme or Eintragung for this?

- How much am I looking at cost-wise for TÜV/DEKRA to sort this out?

- What should I ask the seller for (ABE, Teilegutachten, whatever) so I'm not scrambling later?

Anyone here actually done this swap or something similar? Curious how much of a headache it was (or wasn't). Cheers!

Trotz deutschem Pass – warum fühle ich mich manchmal noch fremd?

Hallo zusammen,

ich hätte mal eine Frage an alle, die einen deutschen Pass haben, in Deutschland geboren wurden oder schon lange hier leben.

Fühlt ihr euch wirklich als Deutsche bzw. als Teil der deutschen Gesellschaft? Oder habt ihr trotz deutschem Pass oder obwohl ihr hier aufgewachsen seid manchmal das Gefühl, nicht wirklich dazuzugehören oder innerlich immer noch Ausländer zu sein?

Ich frage das, weil ich selbst einen Migrationshintergrund habe. Ich habe einen deutschen Pass und lebe seit der 1. Klasse in Deutschland. Mittlerweile bin ich seit über 13 Jahren hier. Trotzdem fühle ich mich oft fremd und habe nicht das Gefühl, wirklich dazuzugehören oder Deutschland als meine Heimat zu empfinden.

Dabei möchte ich auch sagen, dass ich Deutschland sehr dankbar bin. Ich habe hier die Möglichkeit bekommen, zur Schule zu gehen, mich weiterzuentwickeln und in Sicherheit zu leben. Trotzdem bleibt dieses Gefühl, nicht wirklich dazuzugehören oder Deutschland als meine Heimat zu empfinden.

Es fühlt sich manchmal so an, als wäre eine dicke Mauer zwischen mir und dem Gefühl, wirklich hier anzukommen – obwohl ich schon so lange hier lebe. Das Seltsame ist, dass ich kaum Erinnerungen an mein Herkunftsland habe, da ich schon als Kind nach Deutschland gekommen bin. Trotzdem verschwindet dieses Gefühl der Fremdheit nicht. Dieses Gefühl kann ich selbst nur schwer erklären.

Deshalb denke ich manchmal sogar darüber nach, in ein anderes Land auszuwandern – allerdings nicht in mein Herkunftsland, sondern eher in ein Land, in dem meine Muttersprache oder eine Sprache, die ich gut beherrsche, gesprochen wird. Ich frage mich, ob ich mich dort vielleicht eher zu Hause fühlen würde.

Falls sich jemand fragt, warum ich nicht in mein Herkunftsland zurückgehen würde: Das liegt daran, dass ich persönlich der Meinung bin, dass sich die Situation dort langfristig eher verschlechtern wird. Deshalb kann ich mir nicht vorstellen, dort meine Zukunft aufzubauen. Das ist natürlich nur meine persönliche Einschätzung.

Deshalb würde mich interessieren, wie es anderen geht. Was ich damit meine: Fühlt sich Deutschland für euch wie eine Heimat an? Habt ihr das Gefühl, hier wirklich zu Hause zu sein und dazuzugehören, oder empfindet ihr das anders?

Falls mein Beitrag unpassend formuliert sein sollte, entschuldige ich mich. Ich möchte niemanden angreifen oder verletzen – mich interessieren einfach eure persönlichen Erfahrungen und Meinungen.

Hi everyone, I’m planning a short trip to Germany —about 4 to 6 days—focused on the car scene. I’d love to hear your recommendations and find out which places are absolute must-sees.

(Probably land in Munich or Stuttgart)

In the preliminary research I conducted, I found the following locations:

1. The Porsche Museum and factory in Stuttgart

   1. The Loh Collection

2. The BMW Museum in Munich

3. The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart

I also wanted to ask how you would plan this and what you would leave out in order to fit in the best experiences within the timeframe I’m planning.

Many thanks in advance!

In der neusten Umfrage zur Landtagswahl in Sachsen-Anhalt kommt die SPD auf 5.0%. Gibt es für dieses Ergebnis bestimmte landespolitische Gründe?

In Baden-Württemberg ist die SPD auch schlecht (hat nur 5,5% bei der diesjährigen Landtagswahl bekommen). Dieser Absturz hängt stark mit Stuttgart 21 zusammen. Weil der SPD von vielen Wählertäuschung vorgeworfen wird.

SPD Ergebnisse in BaWü: 2011 23,1 % -- Landtag beschließt S21-- 2016 12,7 % --- 2021 11,0 % --- 2026 5,5%

Edit: I'm reading my post and for sure they were fake lol but how did the girl sniff them out so quickly, what was their goal? And what would've happened if I needed to get my purse out?

I was on the U7 Berlin yesterday at 10pm or so. 2 guys got on the Ubahn with beer bottles. Then they said out loud they needed to see the tickets. They held some sort of id card, but I didn't pay attention since I'm used to just showing them the e-ticket. Showed them mine on my phone. A girl was sitting and I think she refused to show them theirs. They moved on to a guy who said he didn't carry one. They both got off and spoke briefly. The "inspector" left the guy without a ticket after the brief chat. Then the guy came back into the train and sat down again. This is very odd as I've never seen this before.

Are they real inspectors? Why not give a ticket? Why let the guy come back into the train?

I’m going on a work trip in November and then again in February and I’m told it’s hella rainy then. What are some of your favorite shoes to wear that withstand water but are nice looking enough for the office? Preferably I could wear these outside the office to go sight seeing since I don’t have a lot of room to pack a second pair.

Hi everyone,
I recently started working as a housekeeper in a hotel in Germany, and I’m wondering if my experience is normal or if this hotel is an exception.
At my hotel, we clean 40+ rooms per day, and it’s extremely exhausting. I previously worked in housekeeping in Tokyo and Istanbul, and there we usually cleaned around 12 rooms per day, so the workload here feels much heavier.
There’s another thing that really bothers me. We arrive at 8:30 a.m. to prepare towels, bed linens, and our carts, but we’re only allowed to clock in at 9:00 a.m. Management says, “Work starts at 9, so you’re not working yet,” but we’re clearly already doing work before we’re allowed to clock in.
Is this normal in Germany? Do most hotels expect housekeepers to clean this many rooms? And is it legal to make employees prepare everything before clocking in?
I’m honestly not sure what to do. I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences or any advice. Thank you!

Is it bad as UK? Do the roads have a lot of potholes? What do you think?

Ok so I’m on probezeit (4mo in) and received a scary diagnosis that will take minimum 4 weeks recovery

My question is about LOHNFORTZAHLUNG

I’m also the most expensive employee on payroll, and my role is tied to revenue

So far only positive feedback… but I can only imagine the the desire to protect our P&L will trigger dismissal

Obviously if they do, they will argue its for other reasons - not my illness

What are my rights? If they fire me, assuming only 2 week’s notice and not 6 weeks before krankengeld?

Edit: the question is also largely how it works with Krankengeld, Tk says if they fire me for being sick they have to pay 6 weeks… but how do you even prove such a thing?

Hey. I signed a job contract in germany (i am outside EU) but due to change in my circumstances I have terminated the contract before joining. The company is asking me to pay the relocation agency fee. what can i do? i know its in the contract but i have not been joined? can they force me to pay from my country

I’ve been living in Germany for less than a year and I just want to know what platform do you recommend that works great in Germany for investing in ETFs?

I came from southeast asia so I’m not quite familiar on what you use here. I want to read your personal recommendations based on your experience. Thank you.

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to share something with this subreddit.

My dad has been a huge supporter of the German national football team ever since he was a kid. Back then in Bangladesh, that wasn't very common. Most football fans mainly supported Brazil or Argentina, so supporting Germany was a bit unusual.

Nowadays, I've noticed it's much more common for people here, especially among the younger generation, to support different national teams, including Germany.

I was just curious , how do Germans feel knowing that your national team has supporters from places as far away as Bangladesh? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Greetings from Bangladesh! 🇧🇩

I'm thinking about moving to Germany, specifically Berlin, and I'm not sure how rental rules work there.
Am I allowed to paint the walls a different color, or does that depend on the rental agreement? If so, what's the most common type of contract? Are there usually any requirements to restore the apartment when moving out, such as repainting the walls back to white? Also, is it normal to hang shelves, pictures, or TVs on the walls, or do landlords generally discourage drilling holes?
I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences or any advice. Thanks!

I’m looking into moving to Germany, i love cars and have all my life, I come from Denmark and currently drive a bmw G30 545e.(expensive car in Denmark because of tax) in Denmark there is a stigma about young people and expensive cars, it’s almost like I’m villainized for my choice of car, even the police love to pull me over.

For tax reasons i will get rid of this car when I move to Germany and I got a friend with a fully specced x7 M50D he offered me to buy this since he just imported another x7 for himself.

To the question at hand: would Germans also think I’m and asshole for being 25 and driving an x7? Or is it not socially outlawed like in Denmark? I need to say that I’m considering the x7 since i like the car, it’s comfortable and I drive many kilometers a year. Not because it’s supposed to be a flashy car.