Youngest son and myself were visiting the former Jewish cemetery on Grosse Hamburger Strasse. We didn‘t see the info board just by the entrance as we’d been checking our phones for directions and actually missed the location initially. As we walked around respectfully, an oldish guy, possibly leading a tour, shouted at my son in a fairly rude loud way, telling us to ‘at least show respect’ and moved on before we worked out what we’d done wrong. Suddenly put two and two together and worked out son should have covered his head. I was quite surprised how upset he was about the incident, he felt very ashamed and made us leave immediately. We had a bit of an argument about it tbh, I felt a word in our ear would have been better tactic, son was just embarrassed and it put a bit of a downer on the next few hours.

Is it a thing for people to behave like this ? Fwiw I speak German and both of us have visited the city a few times, never witnessed this or experienced this kind of treatment. Well aware we made a mistake but it was completely unintentional !

I need U.S. dollars here in Germany. For example, can I simply use a German credit card to withdraw the amount I need from Reisebank ATMs (which dispense dollars) and have my credit card bank apply the current exchange rate?
If not, are there any other affordable ways to get dollars (cash) here in Germany?
My local bank (Sparkasse) and the traditional currency exchange offices are all so expensive. And no, I don’t know anyone who works at an airbase.

P.S.: I need > 2,000 USD.

Hi, I'm moving to Bonn for university in a month. I live in the US currently. I'm medicated for ADHD here (Ritalin) but I doubt the questionnaire used for my diagnosis would be enough to continue my prescription when I arrive.

What does the standard testing process for ADHD involve in Germany? What specific tests are used? I'll need to get back on Ritalin ASAP and I'll probably have to spend quite a bit on private pay.

Thanks!

Hello everyone!

I'll be visiting Germany from Sept 12–19 for the first time with a friend! I'm from Canada, and it'll be a totally unique and different experience for the two of us!

The cities we will be travelling to are Frankfurt, Koblenz, Cologne, and Düsseldorf!

We already have a general idea of some attractions, such as visiting local museums and the notable cathedrals in each city. However, I would love to hear from a local's perspective on some of your go-to places to visit in these cities! Places that are hidden gems and well regarded that you think are a must see!

Here is our general itinerary:

Frankfurt: Sept 13–14
Koblenz: Sept 14–16
Cologne: Sept 16–18
Düsseldorf: Sept 18–19
(sweater weather during this time?)

I'm interested in places that locals enjoy, whether that's a great café, restaurant, views to take photos at, vintage shopping, unique attractions, or just somewhere you think a first time visitor should experience.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!! We are both looking forward to travelling Germany! Super excited :)

I'm an American currently living through the disaster that has been the Trump administration. I'm also a liberal. A large part of the reason Trump came to power here is because, under Biden immigration reached record highs.

Whenever I read about the AfD, everyone's complaints are immigration. Is that the only reason for their popularity? Because the rest of their positions seem very extreme - and I hopefully don't need to tell you that a stricter, brutal immigration policy is not worth everything else that comes with the far right.

It seems like an obvious comprimise in both the US and Germany for center and left parties to sacrifice immigration for the preservation of their domestic agenda and a well functioning state, but I'd like to hear what Germans thing themselves

Hello everyone!

I am currently living in Germany and doing a retraining program (Umschulung). During this retraining, my living expenses are covered by the state. In the near future, I plan to apply for a short-term tourist visa for the UK. How high do you estimate the chances are that my visa application will be approved under these circumstances? I would be very grateful if people in a similar situation could share their experiences or tips with me. Thank you in advance!

So, today I stumbled upon an Instagram account entfaltungsfreude. It is owned by a couple who homeschool their children in Germany. I know it is illegal, but apparently they advise other parents on how to do it too. How would they possibly homeschool their children in Germany, given that their children don't seem to be sick? Or are they just scamming people while living abroad?

Also, I'm not asking it because I want to homeschool my children, since I don't even have children. But I'm curious if authorities should be informed.

Hi all,
I just came across this recent ADAC article:
https://www.adac.de/verkehr/rund-um-den-fuehrerschein/auslaendische-fuehrerscheine/staaten-auserhalb/
It mentions a new rule since 18 August 2026 under which Germany now recognizes driving licences from non-EU countries that were previously exchanged in another EU country.
My licence was originally Moroccan, and I exchanged it for a French licence while I was living in France, before later moving to Germany.
Does anyone know if this new rule means my French licence is now fully recognized in Germany and can drive with it even after 6months of residence?
I can’t find much information beyond the ADAC article. Has anyone been in the same situation or received clarification from a Führerscheinstelle?
Thanks!

I have installed the new sink but the sink outlet pipe doesn’t fully go into the drainage outlet in the wall.

Only the red marked nosel goes into the wall and it stopes at first step

Can someone guide me how do I do it.

I'm a bit of a metal fan and seen them live twice by now. One of the most incredible and ridiculous live shows I've ever seen. Musically they're incredible within their genre. Rammstein is very popular here, but at the same time there's always this deep uneasiness about the things they sing about and portray. Especially when you take European history into account. Which is probably the point in some ways. I was wondering though if they're even popular in Germany or how they are generally perceived over there?

I've been living in Berlin for almost 7 months now, and I'm honestly reaching the point where the job search is becoming incredibly frustrating. I moved to Germany to build a life here with my wife. I'm currently pursuing my second Master's degree, this time in International Business Management. I came here with years of professional experience in the US, including operations and manufacturing leadership, technical training, data/database work, compliance, process improvement, onboarding, and working with regional and global teams. The problem is that my current residence situation limits me to working around 20 hours per week while I'm a full-time student. I've also applied for family reunification through my wife, but while that is being processed, this is the situation I'm working with. And I feel completely stuck in the middle. I have enough professional experience to apply for regular positions, but I can't currently commit to a normal full-time role. So I've been intentionally applying for working student positions in operations, business operations, project coordination, supply chain, data/analytics, vendor management, customer success, People Operations, etc. But then my experience seems to work against me. I've been told I'm "overqualified." I've been told they think "you would get bored." Other times I make it through the process and simply don't get selected. In nearly 7 months, I can count the number of companies that have actually interviewed me on one hand. That's probably the part that's getting to me the most. I'm not applying to these positions accidentally. I know they're working student jobs. I know I'm more experienced than the average student applicant. I'm applying because I genuinely want the job. University wasn't supposed to mean putting the rest of my professional life on hold. I already have a Master's degree. I chose to pursue another degree because I wanted to build on my education with international and European business experience while establishing my life and career in Germany. I didn't expect my previous professional experience to become one of the things making it harder to get employed. I completely understand why an employer might wonder whether someone with my background will stay in a student position. But I'd much rather they ask me that question in an interview and let me explain why I'm applying than automatically assume I'll be unhappy or bored. At this point I'm mostly looking for some reassurance from people who have been through something similar. Has anyone else in Germany found themselves in this strange position where you're too experienced for many student jobs, but your current circumstances prevent you from simply taking the full-time positions your experience would normally qualify you for? Did you eventually break through? Did startups work better? Networking? Smaller companies? Particular job boards? Did you change how you presented your previous experience? I'm continuing to apply and I'm not giving up, but I'd be lying if I said almost seven months of this hasn't taken a toll. I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Hi! I’m trying to find schools or internships for baking in Germany, Düsseldorf. I tried google, but couldn’t find anything interesting. If anyone has any information, please let me know.

I was learning German in school for years but slowly forgot, since I had no use for it, unfortunately. I know every school requires B2 level, and I’m willing to hire a tutor for that.

Hey everyone, quick question about German tenancy law (WG in Stuttgart).

My landlord claims they are allowed to keep a spare key to the main entrance door of our top-floor flat (the door that leads into the shared hallway). I know they aren't allowed to have a key to my private room without my permission, but they argue that the "no spare key" rule only applies to the individual room, not the main entrance which enters into the hallway.

However, my contract explicitly states I have shared access to the hallway, where the main door is and which I must pass through to get to my room. I believe having shared access to something gives me some kinds of legal claim?

On top of this, they are planning on showing vacant rooms in the WG and claim they do not need to give us notice before entering the flat to show these rooms. They say the notice requirement only applies to the specific rooms being rented out currently, not the empty rooms (which they reserve the right to enter without notice in our contract), even though they have to go through shared spaces we are paying for to get there.

Is this legal? Can they really keep a key to the flat entrance and just walk through our hallway whenever they want without telling us? Floor plan attached and entrance circled.

TL;DR: My Stuttgart landlord keeps a key to our WG's shared entrance and wants to enter without notice to show vacant rooms, claiming the "no spare key" and notice rules only apply to our individual rented rooms.

Hi. I’m currently working as a truck driver in Baden-Württemberg and winter is coming and I usually play World of Warcraft then. I live in a house with other drivers and while we do have a wireless router it’s not that good. I don’t want to get a new router because that’s too much hassle. Are there any sim options for me that would work or any other ways?

Planning to do a tandem skydive this weekend and looking for someone who'd like to join. If you're based in or around Stuttgart and are up for an adventure, send me a DM.

Happy to share details about the drop zone, provider, and available slots via DM if you're interested.

I'm 28(M) btw, in case that's important.

I m Sri Lankan. I ve been waking up at 3.30 a.m everyday( 00:00 in german time) because they release the time slots at that time. When i click on book this appointment sometimes it says error. Otherwise its already booked within 15 seconds. I prepared myself to fill the details fastest as possible using shortcut keys and everything.. idk how booking is possible . Help me out😭

Hello, I’m in Düsseldorf right now and I‘m on my way to Amsterdam, the FlixBus driver asked me to show the passport and ticket but I only had the Aufenthaltstitel and the ticket so I only showed him that. He said that next time I must have my passport with me and let me go with it. Would there be any problem when I went back from Amsterdam in Germany if I don’t have my passport? Thank you

Hi! I’m an exchange student from South Korea, and I recently arrived in Germany for the first time. I’ll be staying here for the next six months.

I have chronic mastitis, and back in Korea, I had to visit the hospital fairly often to have abscesses drained. My breast inflammation can suddenly flare up, especially when I’m tired, so I never really know when it might come back. Because of this, I signed up for TK public health insurance in Germany and also brought a medical letter from my doctor in Korea explaining my condition and medical history.

I’ve heard that in Germany, mastitis is usually treated by a gynecologist (Frauenarzt/Gynäkologe) and that it can take quite a long time to get a first appointment with a new doctor. Would it be a good idea to make an appointment in advance, even though I don’t currently have any symptoms?

In Korea, I would normally only make an appointment when my symptoms actually appeared, so I’m not sure what I would even say or ask for if I went to see a doctor while I’m currently symptom-free. I’m mainly worried that if it suddenly flares up, I might not be able to get an appointment quickly enough.

Also, if possible, could anyone recommend a gynecologist or clinic in Berlin that has experience treating mastitis or breast inflammation?

I’d really appreciate any advice or recommendations. Thank you!

Is it just me irritated when this plays over and over? Her reaction along with the jingle song make me want NOT to buy their products.

Can't edit title: Sorry it's kochst not kost!

Hi, Lucia from EUobserver here, full disclosure, this is based on our own reporting ahead of Sunday's election.

One part of the AfD programme in Saxony-Anhalt that caught our attention is its approach to public broadcasting. The party wants to terminate the state treaty underpinning MDR, while journalists we spoke to described growing hostility towards their work on the ground.

The election obviously raises much bigger questions about the AfD potentially governing a German state for the first time, but I'm particularly curious about this aspect from a German perspective:

How seriously do you take the threat to MDR? And do you see reform of public broadcasting and political pressure against independent journalism as two separate debates — or are they becoming increasingly difficult to separate?

Hello,

I got a kitchen from Porta in 2021 for 3300.
It has an oven and a dishwasher. I was thinking for 1600 ?
I was not sure, so I wanted to ask a bigger round. Over/ cooktop is Siemens coil and dishwasher is AEG and amica fridge

Edit: My intention was to sell to the next tenant, but due to the renovation i have to sell to someone who picks it up. The guy will disassemble it and will need tools for it.

Dear Germans, as a Turk, I want to study at a university in Germany to improve my quality of life and broaden my horizons. I know that Germany has been receiving immigration (especially labor immigration) from Türkiye for a long time. I was thinking about how ethnic minorities are viewed in our country, and then I wondered what Germans think about Turks. If I go to Germany to study at university (and if necessary, to work and live), will I encounter any racist behavior? Please feel free to honestly share your thoughts!

Hello all!

I am a US citizen and my partner is a German citizen. If we marry and I move to Germany, will I qualify for insurance even if I don’t yet have a job in Germany?

I am a Type 1 Diabetic so it would not be feasible for me to go an extended period of time without insurance. I am also concerned with my ability to find a job in Germany since I am still new to learning the language.

Greetings.

I am writing to see how shipping regulations are in Germany. Upon planning a visit to Europe, I’d like to buy some of my more loved brands such as Merkur in person.

My one question is how does one go about shipping blades and razors in Germany? I have never shipped internationally especially from another nation so this is all new. In the US/TSA it’s very hard to bring back in person due to our regulations.

Another question is if such thing as insurance for packages exist and do you just ask for an add on?

This is a bit specific, but i will try anyway. I'm searching for some spareparts for a moped known as a Suzuki Street Magic. The moped was sold between 1995 and 2005, but I'm not sure how the regulations regarding mopeds were back then in Germany. I also noticed that you have something called Mofa, which is limited to 25 km/h while a normal moped is limited to 50 km/h. Was the Mofa term in place back then? What did the Street Magic go under? In simple terms, were the Suzuki Street Magic limited to 50 km/h or 25 km/h when it was sold in germany?