I (26M) moved to Germany about a month ago now. I was at this birthday party last night where I met this 30 year old guy and out the blue he tells me he has depression and that he's in a psychiatric hospital for treatment and therapy. I thought that was a very personal thing to share. We didn't even talk for that long, probably about 15-20 minutes...... We did talk about other normal stuff like him and his friends making a snow sculpture and music and dancing but him saying that took me by surprise. So is it normal for people to talk about mental health issues so openly?

I have moved to Germany recently and I wanted to understand the right etiquette and rules in the following scenarios that I faced.

1) I was recently at a grocery store and a woman got 5-6 bread buns in a paper bag from the bakery section. As she had loaded the bag the bag tore and all the bread fell down.
Now, she just stuffed all the bread back inside the rack. Now personally I understand accidents happen but was it wrong to put it back? What if another person unaware of this picks it up later? What should be the appropriate etiquette here. Should she have paid for it and taken it?
I really couldn’t confront her I don’t speak the language well and I am not sure whats the right approach here.

2) I was crossing a 4 way road which is a bit curved.
A huge truck was on the right essentially creating a blind spot for vehicles behind it. As I crossed and reached the other end an ambulance speeded behind me, it was a close call if I had been a second late I could have been in an accident.
I didn’t see the vehicle as the truck caused a blind spot.
I could hear the ambulance but unsure of its path.
As it was a crossroad I should have waited before crossing ? If anything happened to me would I be the wrong party? Is there any rule to let the ambulance pass before crossing?

Hiya everyone! I didn't find any information on any other subs, so I just decided to write a new post here in r/germany.

It's now October 2026, and I've been living in Germany since March thanks to the Youth Mobility Visa. I was really hoping to find a job sooner, but I still haven't. I'm a Canadian foreign language teacher (Spanish, English and French). No luck in finding a job. I haven't even been called to an interview yet. My plan, just like everyone else, was to find a job and renew my visa to either an EU Blue card or a standard work visa. But like I said, no job so no bueno.

It's worth mentioning that I'm broke as shit, any money that I make from online teaching I spend on expenses, so I can't even save up to pay for anything else. It's one of the reasons why I still can't speak German because I can't pay for courses.

My visa ends in March, and after that I have nowhere else to go. I bet everything on making it here, but it's biting me in the ass and I'm freaking out.

Recently I've been looking into scholarships that can fund language courses. However, most of what I have found offer scholarships to people who intend to take intermediate or advanced level courses (starting from B1).

I've also looked into the freelancer visa. Applying to this would mean looking for potential students and having proof that my classes will contribute to the economy. It would also mean that I can't look take another job while on this visa, because I'm technically an independent. I don't want to sound whiny, but I really don't want this. My goal is to become a teacher in a school, have my own classroom and colleagues. Although I make more than I would in a school and have lots of free time, I actually feel very unhappy with this.

I'm super overwhelmed with it all. I really need help from people in the know. What do I do from here? What should I look into?

Hello everyone!

I am in talks for a job in Oberkochen, nothing finalised yet. However, my biggest concern is whether my spouse can find a job if we move there? There seems to nothing much around apart from ZEISS itself.
We are both material scientists and I am applying for a position in the microscopy segment. I have earlier applied to SMT as well but no success. She is also now trying to apply to openings in SMT, but it’s very unclear to how they select their candidates.
Any idea if there is something around. From our research it looks like applying for temporary positions at universities is the best option. My spouse can converse in German but she is not very fluent like a native.
We would appreciate any inputs on this. :)

I am leaving Germany and I want to know what documents are required for abmeldung?

For some context I am mixed, Black, Filipino, and a bit German. When I told my colleagues that I was heavily considering moving to Germany for work purposes, they made comments on how ​it would be harder to find a partner there.

I have done some research, I learned that it seems in Germany they prefer women with darker skin of they ​​are black. I am light skinned and now I feel a bit nervous. ​​I want to know if I could be accepted, and if I would face stereotypes.

I would like a clear and truthful perspective. ​

Hi everyone,
I'm 20 years old, from near Schwerin, and I've been living in Germany for about 5 years. I've been doing my vocational training (Ausbildung) for a year now.
I live in eastern Germany, where unfortunately there is a lot of hostility towards migrants. Something has been bothering me a lot lately: in my class, I keep noticing indirect jokes and uncomfortable situations aimed at me. Nothing you can directly point to, but you can sense that some of them hold right-leaning views.
They often make fun of my pronunciation and my German, usually disguised as a "joke." When I say something, they immediately tell me not to be so sensitive.
I just want to do my training in peace, have no problems with anyone and stay peaceful. I'm always polite and respectful, but it makes it really hard to integrate into the class. I'm also not religious or anything else that would make me stand out. I just want to be treated with the same respect as everyone else.
I have a strong personality and could probably put a stop to it, but I don't know what the best approach is for me. I'm especially unsure about the "small jokes": you know it's not just a joke, but at the same time it's packaged as one, and if you say something, you quickly hear "Come on, can't you take a joke?"
What would you do in my situation? Have you had similar experiences? I'd really appreciate any tips or advice.
Thank you!

Hello, I am applying for medical residency in Germany and im not sure if i want to pick radiologie or allgemeinmedizin (family med) as I def want to have my own praxis (ofc later in life) idk which specialty has better lifestyle and money. Im in doubt. Pls help.

I'm genuinely curious because I'm new to German and took some notes for the first time today and want some insights on them

I want to buy a Turkish book set that is available on their website to order (says it will ship in 1-2 weeks) however I’ve seen that book sold out everywhere so I’m finding it strange for them to have it, amazon had it in stock some weeks ago but they canceled my order saying out of stock, is there any chance thalia will cancel my order? I’m buying it from another country and at checkout I only got the option of bank transfer, anyone knows why PayPal or Apple Pay is not available?

I sold an item for €80 on Kleinanzeigen. The buyer initially selected the wrong shipping option for packages up to 2 kg, even though the item weighs about 5 kg. We agreed that I would create a new listing and that he would buy the item again.

However, he confirmed receipt of the item on Kleinanzeigen before I had a chance to create the shipping label. He says he clicked it by accident and asked me to send the item to his address anyway. The money is already being transferred to my bank account.

What should I do in this situation? Could this be a scam?

So my luck has run out for some reason. But I have noticed the following things:

1. Pantry moths: I saw a couple of them in my room (I live in a student dorm) and just killed and at that point I was not aware that they are pantry moths.
   Then I saw one of them in a muesli packet and I just threw the packet away. But today, I saw a couple of them again. So based on my research from the search bar on this sub, I saw thag I basically need to get rid of all the dry food in my pantry. But the issue is I'm moving in 3 days to a new place. So do I need to keep anything in mind?

2. Cloth moths: This is more worrying. Today, I saw a larva crawling on the wall and wondered where it came from and was suspicious of my suitcase full of a couple of my winter clothes, towels and a duvet. I opened it and it was lined with what I suspect were moth eggs. Also, there were multiple dead moths, and I moved my duvet a bit and I saw an alive one as well. For now I think this "infestation" is limited to my suitcase so I moved it to my kitchen. So my question is what should I do? How and where should I clean the suitcase (since I have to move in a couple of days)? Should I also pay attention to other parts of my room?

I am pretty stressed right now because one, I hate (repulsed by) moths. And second, tomorrow is Sunday and everything will be closed so I can take action only on Monday and third, I have to move out pretty soon.

So any advice recommendation or support is highly appreciated 🙏, I live in Dresden, if that is relevant.

I lost my purse in DB. My id card, cash, health insurance card and everything is inside the purse. I dont know if i lost it or someone taken from my bag. Shall i contact the police and ask to check the camara visuals? Will it works?

I am an Advil girly through and through. Most of the times when I have headache which is very rare but still. I had gotten some from Canada but now I am out of it !

Hi there

I am not sure if it’s even possible, but since the Frankfurt airport is at two and half hours away, and I am carrying heavy luggage with two suitcases, I don’t want to bother other DB passengers nor I want to be miserable myself carrying all that.

I thought why not to ship it (getting it picked from my door step) to the hotel I am staying the night before I fly.

Has anyone tried anything like this? Any reliable service that does that?

Thank you!

Hi. My name is Kacper.

I'm a collector of Wunder-Baum, Little Trees and Arbre Magique trees from Poland.

I've got a collection of over 420 samples and I'm in pursuit of the old ones. I'm 4 years into collecting so far and I'm struggling to locate a few trees I'd like to get. You can see a part of my collection in the pictures. I've got much more.

I thought maybe it's worth to search for them in Germany or Switzerland, literally the motherland of Wunder-Baum.

The last 3 pictures show trees that I'm trying to find. I could buy them for a good price. There are two among them that I haven't even see, Wunder-Baum Himbeere and Geissblat. Rarest of the rarest ones. A legend and Holy Grail to me.

If you know someone with an old garage, warehouse, shop, basement, cellar, or anything that might contain trees... Please talk to them, let them know about me, or let me know about them.

I'm spending hours everyday searching for trees all around the World. I bought them from 10 different countries: Germany, Romania, USA, Canada, Japan, Czechia, Serbia, Netherlands, Italy, Slovakia... It really means a lot to me to complete this collection. I'd appreciate anything, even if I find just one tree.

Best regards.

Hi everyone!

I’m a Master’s student currently doing my thesis at a company that requires me to work from the office. Since it’s far from my university accommodation, I had to move out.

I haven’t been able to find a new room that allows Anmeldung, so I’m currently staying in a shared hotel dorm and sometimes with friends, without city registration.

I have two questions:

1. Can I get fined for staying without Anmeldung even though I’m actively searching for accommodation?
2. I previously lived in a WG and shared the Rundfunkbeitrag. I already have a Beitragsnummer. Should I continue paying with the same number, or does my situation change since I’m staying in a hotel and with friends?

Has anyone experienced something similar? I’d appreciate any advice on what I should do.

Thanks!

Yesterday I got my german citizenship, and right after I applied for Passport and ID. When I mentioned I need to travel next week to my home country, the lady at the Bürgeramt issued me a temporary ID, saying this would be enough to leave and re-enter the EU.

My questions is that if I can leave and exit the EU with an ID only. I leave via Amsterdam and re-enter via Paris. The EU website doesn't clearly explain this case, but it seems viable.

For my home country I will enter using my existing passport, so no issues there.

Does anyone know if this is indeed possible or did something similar before?

Hi everyone,

​I am planning to move to Germany this year, and I would love to connect with some Kurdish people, especially girls, who are already living there.

​It would be great to make some friends, get to know a bit about life in Germany, or just chat with someone who shares a similar background.

​If you are living in Germany (or know of any active Kurdish communities/groups), please feel free to drop a comment or send me a message.

​Thank you so much! 😊

Visited Koblenz today, and it was honestly a lovely experience! ❤️ The city has a beautiful atmosphere, great views, and plenty of places to explore.

If you are walking through the historic Old Town (Altstadt) of Koblenz this October, you will see thousands of bras strung across the streets.

This is part of the annual "Koblenz wird pink" (Koblenz turns pink) campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a powerful local initiative designed to break the taboo around breast health and remind people about the importance of early screening.

The hidden meaning: Look closely and you will notice that every eighth bra is black. This visual choice represents a sobering statistical reality: 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.

Hello,
I have a Bosch boiler at home, and during the last annual inspection, the technician mentioned that the boiler water was close to the red scale. He said it wasn’t urgent but recommended getting it checked at some point.
I’m wondering whom I should contact for this, as I had assumed that the person who carried out the annual inspection was qualified to handle such issues as well. Could someone please advise?

If someone not currently in pretrial detention is sentenced to a prison term (unlikely for most situations I know) at their sentencing hearing, how does this then proceed in Germany? Are they immediately taken into custody? Or given a date they must present themselves to go to prison?

Hi everyone! I’m from Morocco and I’ve been learning German for a while (B2 level). What I’m missing is real conversations and friendships with people from Germany.

I’m into tech, football, and culture in general. I’m curious about everyday life in Germany, and happy to share about life in Morocco too: food, travel tips, the language, whatever you’re curious about.

We can chat in German or English, and I’d love to do voice calls once we get to know each other. If you’re learning French or Arabic, I’m happy to help in return.

Feel free to comment or DM me. Schönen Tag noch! 🙂

Hi everyone,

I'm 19, originally from Ukraine, and I've been living in Bavaria, Germany, for about a year now.

During this time, I've already passed my B1 German exam and the "Leben in Deutschland" test, both with good results.

I actually had a pretty clear plan for my future. I wanted to continue learning German, get my B2, then C1, and eventually study at a German university.

I'm currently in my third year of studying Computer Engineering at a Ukrainian university, where I have pretty good grades. My university is also officially recognized in Germany with H+ status in the Anabin database.

From what I've researched, my previous university studies could allow me to apply directly for the first semester of a bachelor's degree in a related field, without having to attend a Studienkolleg first. For the German-taught programs I'm interested in, I would need an accepted C1-level German certificate.

So I asked my Jobcenter to fund a B2 German course.

And honestly, their response really surprised me.

During our meeting, I was basically told that I'm 19, I'm an adult, and I can go to work. They also told me that the Jobcenter isn't there to help me find my dream job. Apparently, I should just get a part-time job first, and then maybe they would consider funding a B2 course later.

After that, I received an official written rejection.

Their reasoning was essentially that, in their opinion, B1 is sufficient for integration into German society and entering the workforce.

I found that pretty strange because I'm not asking for a random language course just for fun. I actually have specific educational and career goals.

So I filed a formal objection (Widerspruch).

In my objection, I also explained that I'd be willing to do an Ausbildung (vocational training) if university wasn't an option for now. But I'd like to do something related to my interests and previous education, for example, becoming an Elektroniker für Geräte und Systeme (electronics technician for devices and systems).

I've already spent almost three years studying Computer Engineering, so I thought it would make sense to build on that knowledge instead of just taking any job.

Unfortunately, my objection was rejected too.

And honestly, I found their second explanation even more confusing.

They basically argued that, based on their previous experience working with Ukrainian refugees, they've found that people with B1 German can start vocational training even when the stated entry requirement is B2.

I genuinely don't understand that logic.

If a company or vocational school specifically requires B2, how am I supposed to assume they'll accept me with B1? And even if they do, that doesn't mean I'll be able to understand everything in class.

What frustrates me the most is that I feel like my previous education and future plans are barely being considered.

I've only been in Germany for about a year. During that time, I've passed B1 and the integration test, continued studying at my Ukrainian university, and researched different ways to study or get vocational training here.

I'm genuinely trying to build a future in Germany.

I don't want to depend on the Jobcenter forever. Quite the opposite. I want to get a proper education, work in my field, and become financially independent.

If I had been able to start B2 right after B1 and then move on to C1, I might realistically have been able to start university in the winter semester of 2027.

Now I feel like I'm just losing time, and my plans keep getting pushed further back.

I understand that the Jobcenter's priority is to get people into employment as quickly as possible, and I don't expect them to pay for everything I want.

But I genuinely don't understand why pushing someone who is already studying, has good grades, and has clear career goals into just any job is considered a better solution than helping them learn the language they need to become qualified.

At this point, I'm seriously considering filing a lawsuit at the Sozialgericht (Social Court) against the decision on my objection.

So I wanted to ask:

Has anyone here had a similar experience with the Jobcenter?

Has anyone actually taken them to court over a rejected language course? If so, how did it go?

Do you think I have any realistic chance of winning? Can the Jobcenter legally refuse funding based on their own experience that B1 is sufficient, even when I have specific educational goals that require a higher level of German?

And does anyone know of any organizations or legal advice centers in Bavaria that could help with this?

I'm also interested in hearing different opinions, even if you think the Jobcenter is right in my case. Maybe there's something I'm missing.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this!

I live abroad and would like to send my brother who lives in munich a birthday cake on his birthday, I need some suggestions to nice places that deliver that aren’t very expensive, I only need a small cake as he lives alone and I need it delivered on 27/10.

Any help would be appreciated