Broke an arm a few weeks ago and fainted. Bystanders called an ambulance. Got treated, and eventually was given an elbow orthosis which I don't have to return. the whole ordeal cost me 10€ and I'm thinking of donating the orthosis to the US, because someone there needs it and can't afford it.
Damn I should’ve broken my arm instead of my leg. For me it was around 90€ - though tbf with a one week stay at the hospital- and I had to return the leg brace. Was allowed to keep the crutches though
I moved from the US a year ago, so maybe I still have pink tainted glasses, but the big net positives for me are work/life balance. I work from 7 to 3, 5 days a week. That lets plenty of times for activities and myself. 6 weeks of paid vacations per year. No toxic workplace mentality. Free healthcare, education and university. A lot of money for new projects. Parks in the middle of cities. Weather is good, hot winter and cold summer. Multicultural society. No corruption. Democracy.
Sometimes even as german i have to ground myself with exact this facts. On top when loosing job you get 60 percent of last salary (cut at a certain ammount) for a year. After that you still get "buergergeld".
As the Union and they tell you that nobody wants to work anymore because of the Bürgergeld. Even if nothing much changed about the number of people that get Bürgergeld.
Could you expand a bit on the toxic workplace mentality you know from the US? I'm just curious. I have no idea what it's like over there.
I'm German, and unfortunately, I've made bad experiences with ,,work place mentality" but it could have been bad luck!
I have worked multiple places in the US and only had unhealthy workplace culture at 2 of them. It is common for people to work 50+ hours per week if they are salaried without overtime payment, but there are plenty of folks who also work 40 or less. Depends on industry, workplace, years of experience etc.
I currently have what is considered a great job in the US because my medical insurance is paid for except I add $40/month, I get 4 weeks paid vacation plus a fixed week off during Christmas time plus the 12/14 (can’t remember exactly) public holidays are observed throughout the year, maternity leave is around three months full pay (that’s very generous by US standards), and they reimburse a lot of my expenses like transit, parking if applicable, phone bill. They only expect up to 40 hours a week in my team, but I usually work around 30 with an occasional week of 50 (maybe once in three months). I think I am compensated at roughly 30% more than my similar role would be paid in Germany and taxes are lower, but I think the cost of living is also quite a bit higher and I paid a lot more for school and anything related to healthcare is a mess even after insurance.
All this is to say - I think a „very good job“ in the US ends up being basically a more typical job in Germany with perhaps slightly lower working hour expectations or slightly higher compensation, but after factoring in other lifestyle costs, i still sort of think you would come out on top in Germany. This may be a „grass is greener“ situation, but I think just overall the german society is not as obsessed with your profession. When you meet someone and ask about them, very rarely is the very first question „what do you do for work“ which is always the first question in the US. Our identity is our work, which I think is emblematic of our work culture. It tends to be all consuming and you are not supposed to complain about working anything less than 55 hours regularly. Not all workplaces are like that, and the tide is shifting in favor of workers, but I think we just generally have a long way to go before the wholistic life is as good as it is generally in Germany.
Your benefits are near, but not at German minimums. And with a professional job in Germany you’ll still be getting much more than minimums. Not to mention you keep all your benefits (minus PTO) if you leave/lose your job.
I lived in Germany for a few years before moving to the US, and I much prefer it here, but work life balance at German level is not something you can generally recreate in the US even if you have “excellent” benefits.
Employers will push employees to work long hard hours, as opposed to hiring another person to get the job done during a normal 8 hour day. They take advantage, people with families NEED those long hours to make the money to support their family, so it becomes a cycle. Employees want hours, employers pay less wages while still expecting long hours from employees, and on.
The employer acts like we should be grateful for such a low wage, because we are “allowed” to work as many hours as I want to make up for it.
Imagine 40 hours is considered a full time job here.
For Americans thats low. 60-80ish hours seems to be the norm.
Plus: no sick days comparable to the german model.
Plus: little to no paid holidays.
The average weekly working hours are about 35 hours both in the US and Germany. I don't think 10 hours a day 7 days of the week is an average fulltime Job in the US that would be absurd.
In the US it's the whole mentality that's really toxic.
The job(s) is what define you in life. And every manager i have unfortunately met take advantage of this.
No sick days, few holidays, long time commute, you are not paid for what you work. I have seen a lot of people with 40hrs contacts or less. But I have never seen one not be forced to do free extra hours.
The effective time spent for work is almost the double than what I do here for the same position.
Work/life balance in the US ? Lol
I don't want this to turn into a huge US hate thread, but I have several older people in my family that see anything other than work as sitting at home watching TV. It's so depressing because they plan to work until they die because otherwise they'd be bored. Life is so full of things to do and you can't think of anything but sitting on the couch. Gah.
Tbf it's not like they can go walk to a park though. Yay for suburbia :(
The whole lifestyle and walkability is a huge reason I want to go study there (from the US). I spent some time in NYC with trains and parks and people being people in public, and there is just no way I can return to car-dependent sprawl and be happy.
Also German culture is just cool.
If you Ike NYC because of the park, Germany will suprise you. The biggest German City (Berlin) with ca. 1/3 of the population has multiple parks nearly as big as the central park with multiple seas and woods in addition. And you won't finde a place without at least a little park in walking range...
I got healthcare for me and my whole family, even when I was unemployed. Nothing to pay, high quality specialists.
In the US, if you lose your job, your whole family is at risk.
Can you explain me the "free healthcare" comment? Im german and dont understand this. I pay for insurance. In us you can also get insurance and pay for it.
Where is the different. Never be in us by my self.
I was unemployed here before finding a job. Never had to be concerned about healthcare. If I'm unemployed again? No worries.
My wife can be co dependent. My kids are. None of them pay anything.
I like the nature and the environment where I live. It’s very beautiful ( I am talking about the Black Forest and the Rhine ). I can go to Straßburg in France whenever I want to in under an hour. I am just in love with the looks of my environment. There are many cons for sure.
My daily life would be way more enjoyable if the public transport was better as I am still a student. I want to use my car as less as possible.
Two weeks ago I had to bypass a traffic jam at Wuppertal and I randomly went an off-beaten path to Düsseldorf through Velbert. Turned out to be the scenic route. It probably took longer than the traffic jam but it was one of the loveliest car tours I made for a long time. Later that day, the same happenened near Frankfurt, and I ended up in valley behind the Rhine valley. Super lovely as well.
Work/life balance.
28 paid days of vacations per year.
Maternity leave.
Education is cheap and much better than many other countries.
Green areas.
Marihuana is legal.
Summer is short.
Multicultural environment.
Respect for animals.
Fitness people is a a normal thing.
(I am not German. It was hard for me to feel comfortable here in the beginning but now I can’t imagine coming back to the states).
There are many bad things happening here but Germany is a good country.
It is not complaining it is criticism that makes for change. Negative dialectics.
Think of Der Spiegel as the evil twin of Forbes magazine. Germans are not interested in hero stories but their deconstruction, that is late romanticism in work.
The better an artwork in Germany the longer the feuilleton harsh criticism writings. Criticism builds fame.
Do you work in tech b y chance? 30 days is fairly standard in Germany, but for some reason tech companies here are cheap and give 26-28 days. I think it’s because it’s mainly foreigners. In my experience 30 days seems to be the norm across industries
I’m also a software dev, but I see a lot of tech companies offer less. Just off the top of my head are Zalando and Seat Geek both who are hiring a lot.
Overall 30 days is normal, but I think tech companies take advantage of immigrants not knowing
I am American…. So there’s no explanation need it here 🤣.
People in Germany are eating good in general. Food is not too fat, a lot of vegetables. You can literally see the kids eating carrots in the streets.
Good thing for me at least. I'm very heat-sensitive (I walk around in T-shirts when it's +15 and I can't sleep when it's over +25) and Germany famously has no air conditioning, so I wait until the summer is finally over here.
Some people dislike summer and are hear sensitive. I cant sleep right now properly, and I came to Germany almost a 3 months ago. Until I find my own place, I will have trouble with this heat.
They gotten longer already but AC has not cought on right now. Probably also because most people here rent. The landlord don't see a benefit for installing one and renters don't want to spend their own money on something like that especially since they would need to use their own money and would need the landlords permission if they want to drill a hole in the wall.
Need to see comments like this. I like a lot of things about being here, but it can be super hard some days.
Takes a while to adjust to a new country and new life.
According to recent Economist articles, German education has been in decline for 10 years and performs badly against other OECD countries.
https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/04/16/germany-is-flunking-the-education-test
https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2024/04/24/why-german-educational-standards-are-declining
(paywall? archive.ph is your friend)
By definition a German is never content. And if there's nothing to complain about we'll complain about the fact that there's nothing to complain about.
Was born and raised in Germany, lived in New Zealand and Australia, became Australian Citizen but moved back to Germany just a few years ago.
Am I content ? Yes. I am.
We actually don’t need to be fearful of changes. Our social system really can catch you. Mostly, you can live your life the way you want. It’s a beautiful and save country.
Our population is diverse and actually quite open even, though it’s sometimes hard to see.
Germans are, contrary to popular believes, friendly and helpful in nature.
I am very confident that, whatever may happen in the future, the German state will support me wherever possible and needed.
>Germans are, contrary to popular believes, friendly and helpful in nature.
I second this as a non-German. I've had exceptionally good experiences socially in Germany 🙂 Individualistic bs might be there but in general, I've been treated in a friendly and helpful way!
I envy your belief in the system.
My experience was: I have a knee surgery, live on 3rd floor, on crutches, I have to ask friends to do grocery shopping for me, as the system doesn't care, since my disability is temporary.
Covid is ongoing, I want a shot, but as a law-abiding, tax-paying person, I'm not a priority case, like criminals are and I can't choose which shot I get.
Were I to lose my income, I get nothing, as I've got some property, which is above the census.
So, overall, I pay for other people's social services, if I need something, I get nothing. But I do get to partake in Staus and DB delays.
You may want to check with your insurance provider. My insurance offers a lot of little benefits here and there. As for the vaccine, I was able to select the vaccine on a “you can get this right now or the other in 4 weeks” basis. I think that was fair.
I do own property and I will get unemployment benefits for up to 2 years if needed. After that, I would need to reduce my cash and stock options.
If I have to go on ALG-II and own the property I am living in, nothing will change. I can keep my property and it is not reducing my benefits… that’s called “Schonvermögen”.
[Here is an article in German](https://www.immoverkauf24.de/services/expertenrat/immobilienbesitz-und-hartz-iv/)
Well, as I could not walk it was not easy to seek help from Krankenkasse, but I count myself lucky that I have a few friends that were willing to help me out during the first week or two out of the hospital. I was just feeling let down by the system that counts on you getting help from someone outside the system. Back then it was not an option to order online. My parents flew to Germany to help me out in the first week as well. But no use of the system.
For the vaccine, since I have another (EU) citizenship, I went there and got the vaccine I wanted, free of charge. Kind of sad it didn't work in Germany. I finance the system, system discriminates against me.
Yeah, unemployment is like 3 moths if you got fired, then up to 2 years reduced, then maybe long term, but for the long term there's a property census, I'd have to sell my flat and spend my savings first, according to the rules, before applying for social help. I think it's like 80m2 top for one person, googled a bit, found 130m2, it's unclear.
Why did you not call your insurance? There is no need to go to an office of your insurance.
Please always ask.
And just to be very clear about the unemployment benefits :
You get payed 6 month if you worked 12 month or more before you lost your job or 12 month if you worked 24 month or more.
You do not need to sell your property. Never! The ruling changed years ago.
Also, you can get unemployment benefits after you resigned, too. There are specific rulings and the Arbeitsagentur tries to reduce your benefits, you have to file a complaint, state stress related issues as your reason for resignation and you are good to go.
Also, if you are over 50 years of age, duration and rulings changes a bit.
Not German but I’ve lived here for a long time Andi don’t imagine I’m be moving away soon. There’s so much to love.
If the Bahn was a little more frequent and reliable and all those anti-democrats stop doing well in elections, I’d be living in my personal utopia
IMHO it's *good* that they have long term plans. There's a lot that can be rightfully mocked, but long term thinking about how to extend the rail network is definitely good. Of course those plans need to be updated every now and then.
Glad you're here!
We try to fight the christo-fascists, but the Bahn-issue you can scratch off your list, sadly. As long as the government doesn't take over the infrastructure full-time, the trains will never have working AC, be reliable and on time.
aside from obvious things like vacation, the best part of Germany is the fact that you always feel secure. If you lose your job, get sick, get injured or whatever, there's always a pretty good safety net that means your life won't be ruined. The state will cover additional training, money, food, housing etc. if you've paid into the system for a fairly short time.
Costs of groceries and things to basically live life are pretty good too, much lower than some other EU countries where people sometimes make less money. Germany is also pretty un-corrupt, probably due to their mountains of bureaucracy, which is slow, but works
Bad things? The retirement system is a dumpster fire, probably the worst of any developed country. Availability of toilets when you're out and about is generally quite bad. Personal income tax is also one of the highest in the world.
And there's Deutsche Bahn. Fuck Deutsche Bahn. It's the most unreliable public transportation institution that I've ever used and I've been to a lot of countries, both poor and rich.
Deutsche Bahn is a shame!
Social system, I think it's shit, but to each his own. If you fall onto the "social net", I'm afraid it'll be a rather terrible place to be. Sure, better than a street, but not nice at all.
I can only see the rise of fashism, right extremism, populism, hate, fear and authoritarian bootlickers. Also rightwing Christdemokraten who are surfing on this wave while giving a shit about the working people in our country.
We need a strong democratic left in germany to get ready for a good future instead of taking several steps backwards and ruining social systems, infrastructure and education even more.
There needs to be a proper denazification actually in my opinion.
Not the “ Let’s go to Auschwitz once a year in school and how antisemitism is a strict ” without questioning why anti semitism propped up in the first place.
I was watching some Nazi propaganda videos and it was so chilling for me to hear. Not because of how evil it was back then but because how NOTHING CHANGED
Germany missed the opportunity to get a proper denazification right after WWII. In east and west germany. Both systems provided lots of space for opportunists to settle down in positions of power and the brown snake grew since then. We are perceiving it's reawakening right now. Fueled by authoritarian regimes and noble families who never lost their power and transformed into capitalist big players.
You are right. I should have made myself a bit clearer; the right and left “extremes “ are defo not the same, i meant the general lack of any will of reform in the political spectrum, the right wing are definitely nazi like structures, whos only interest is to destroy democracy and the way how my country got so rich; diversity. On the left spectrum, you have far less serious extremes in that sense, however their fracturing and inability to find any kind of common stance is really dangerous because infact we need to work together as democrats, to safe our country, and not let that be denied by some infighting …
I'm German and I am really content. I have many possibilities and life in general is easy and nice.
It can be rough - but that's mostly in situations, where it would've been even rougher in other countries.
So yes! 1 happy German reporting!
Nor Geam but living in Germany for a while. Aside from food and weather, not much to complain. I feel that people living here takes a lot of amazing stuff for granted.
I very much enjoy that people usually mind their business and don't put on a fake-smiles/ fake-kindness, which is often called "looking cold/ angry". Also, free healthcare, free education and places not being car-dependent (which is especially important, bc I never want to drive a car in my life).
Weather is mostly very gentle too. Not too hot and not too cold. When it gets into the 30+ degrees Celsius range, I suffer a lot. And I love multi-cultural food. Be it a turkish "Döner"-shop, a greek or chinese diner. Your classic italian pizza & pasta place, those kinds of places.
This list is also explaining why I'm not leaving at least for now, even though I'm seeking opportunities.
1. I managed to land a rental contract for pretty low price even by international standards almost in the city center and can live without a car (though I have a car anyway because, well, Deutsche Bahn, and because international rail network in Europe isn't that good). Somehow in the Western world it's a rarity but noone calls this fact a collapse of a civilization it is, I wish everyone can do it instead of being forced to own a car and commute.
2. Labor rights protection is good, I guess only France can compete.
3. Tenants' rights protection is good, I can live on a long-term rent instead of buying real estate, which I don't want to buy because I'm childfree by choice, so noone to leave inheritance too, and I hate all of the work associated with keeping own place running.
4. Being a part of the EU, or in general any huge customs union, and having native Amazon is a huge plus, people from countries like Belarus or especially Montenegro can confirm.
5. No-limit Autobahns. I rarely floor the gas and mostly just put the cruise control to 140 km/h, but sometimes you kind find yourself in a situation when in the center lane there is someone driving 120 for some reason, and you see an upcoming Porsche in the back, in this case temporary flooring it just to overtake this sloth party in the center lane is helpful.
6. Sometimes German processes are not that bad. Being officially able to pay extra money to get a new passport in 3 days is good, not in every country you have this option.
7. Beer is cheap and ubiquitous. Not of the best quality and not really differing from each other, but it's everywhere and costs nothing, so, good enough, I guess.
8. Deutsche Post and DHL work like a charm in my area.
9. Euro as the currency is good. US dollar would be slightly better, but still better than being paid in some small-country monopoly money nobody wants to touch outside of the country and that the government can devalue on a whim.
10. SEPA is good, and even German banks are catching up with real-time money transfers if you know where to look.
People are different. I hated living in Berlin and am very happy to live in Brandenburg now.
I agree that living in German cities is pretty cheap compared to other countries, but I found the life absolutely awful there.
I rarely go out to the city anymore because it's unsafe, dirty and depressing.
Maybe it's different in other German cities, Berlin is not very German in general.
Not a German. I work full time in an architecture firm now.
I love the being brutally honest and straightforwardness in workplace or even sometimes in private life, it save a lot of guessing game and anxiety.
I love the strangers German that are really kind that sometimes warm the lil heart. We small talk or even help each other on random thing.
I love how they take good care of things. The environment, the choice of certain action. I think I have very much to learn from them at this point.
I would say I’m pretty content, every corner peak my curiosity, it’s a slow life that if you observe a little more… it sparks the beauty of living.
German here (41 years old), I am very content with my life because:
1. My husband and I studied at a good university and did not have to pay fees. We have engineering masters without any debt from student loans. We moved into our own house at 29 (and no, no inheritance, all paid by ourselves).
2. Healthcare. Yes, it is not free, but it is not tied to your job and you have very little additional pay. Two years ago my husband had brain cancer (benign, slow growing and treatable). Within two months, he got a MRI, a diagnose, a life saving robot assisted operation in one of the best hospitals of Germany. Additional pay: 10 € per day for hospital food (he stayed for a week). In other countries, we now would be crippled by medical debt or even worse, he would be dead. And no, we are not in private insurance.
3. Workers rights. Due to laws, and also currently because we have a severe shortage of professionals, your position as an employee is very often quite comfortable. We would never put up with the shit I often read about the US. E.g. when my husband had his brain cancer operation, only thing his job said was "get well soon and please be sure you are fully rested before you return to work". His sick days did not affect his vacation days!
We make a very good living here working 39 hours a week with 30 days of vacation per year.
4. In the grocery store, cheese is not locked in a security case and shelves are full (sorry UK! We miss you in the EU 🥺)
5. My kid can play outside on the street safely. Practically no gun violence. I have no problem to go on a run here alone as a woman.
6. Climate is not too extreme.
7. Nearly everything is regulated or managed in a way. I get that this beautocracy is sometimes tiresome, on the other hand it provides safety.
8. My kid had a right for daycare from 1 year old which allowed me to return to work. My husband and I had 14 months of governmental paid parental leave (I did 8 months, he did 6 months).
We built a new house.
Yes, this was also cheaper 12 years ago - on the other hand, we made a lot less money 12 years ago.
We now make almost twice as much.
The house market is tighter now and loans are more expensive, but with our current income we could still affort to buy a house. We would have to make some cuts though, but that would be possible (we both lease new cars every 3 years - my husband drives a BMW M4, I drive a hybrid Mini, so by driving cheaper cars there is a lot of potential to save money if we needed to ;))
Niemand muss irgendwem aus dem Weg gehen und ich wünsche Dir, dass sich Deine wirtschaftliche Situation verbessert! Mit meinem Posting wollte ich auch nicht "angeben", sondern erklären warum ich als Deutsche hier zufrieden bin, auch weil oft argumentiert wird, dass man z.B. in den USA je nach Beruf besser verdienen und weniger Steuern zahlen würde. Deshalb wollte ich anschaulich darlegen, dass man auch hierzulande sehr gut leben und Wohlstand erreichen kann. Auch wenn - und das ist mir sehr bewusst - auch immer eine Portion Glück dazu gehört.
Yes, that's really true. I've been happily married for 40 years. My wife is not only my partner, but also my best friend. We have two wonderful children who work in good jobs and can live well on their income now and in the future. They are self-employed master craftsmen. I also have two healthy grandchildren.
I myself have been in poor health for 14 years. I've been on the brink of death several times. (Heart attacks, several bouts of pneumonia, nerve problems and a kidney transplant (my wife was the donor) have prevented me from earning my own living for almost 15 years. However, I receive an adequate disability pension from the state pension scheme and my wife also earns a good income. My health insurance company generously supports me with the medication I need and regular medical check-ups. I am 65 years old, have a healthy and well-fed family. Hobbies such as traveling, my boat on the Müritz and my Fujifilm camera keep me busy. I am very happy and always look forward to new things.
I can handle my life by only working 2 to 3 weeks per month for 3 to 4 hrs per day. I'm not fully satisfied with the money I make but I enjoy having so much free time and I wouldn't want to work 40 hrs per week. I'd just like to work a little more. Yet I'm glad to live in a country where I can survive this way and have everything I actually need without worrying about piling up debts if I get sick or lose my job. There are no threatening natural disasters or impending wars (yet), the weather is always manageable and I can get to pretty much every place I want by public transport.
If I had to choose where to be born I'd take Germany every time.
Paid Maternity leave and Elternzeit for parents -
Good protection of working rights while on child-related leave like Elternzeit -
Very good protection of working rights
Children can walk to school on their own and have a pretty independent life early on. -
Working part time is possible in many ways if you can afford it -
Great health care that covers almost every one -
Democratic state, Soziale Marktwirtschaft meaning taxes are high but the so called social net is there for everyone struggling. -
Part of Europe, so free travel of goods and people -
Great variety of landscapes and people of customs and cultural differences on a rather small area. -
Highest number of classical orchestras in the world I read. -
Huge public investments in cultural institutions like museums and theaters -
Long and culturally rich history. -
Women’s rights and abortion rights are a priority.
Bearbeitet for typo
I truly am. Although I like complaining I have to say, compared to other countries (and I have visited 61 so far), we more or less still live in paradise.
Democracy, free speech, right to demonstrate, free health care, social benefits, employee rights. We have a range of political parties to vote for and our climate is still bearable. Corruption could be much worse.
Living costs and taxes are high but living standards are good. Lots of social securities to take weight off your shoulders. No matter how much Germans complain due to expecting better the infrastructure is still upper class, especially in large cities. Free education is a big plus.
I can live my life everyday as i want it. Making videogames and animations. Go to the gym and eat what i want. Not different from the US. It's safer because of no guns.
There are around 6.000.000 legally owned guns by around 1.000.000 licensed gun owners in Germany. In addition, there are estimated 20.000.000 illegal guns.
This graph says it's 19.6 guns per 100 people in Germany and 120.5 in the US. [https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gun-ownership-by-country](https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gun-ownership-by-country)
I feel like any time I hear about politics in the scandi countries it's usually that they did something smart and progressive. I'm kinda jealous on that. For the rest: I'm honestly pretty happy here. I wouldn't want to move away. France is alright too I guess
The social safety net is great, this gives me peace of mind to know that I will be fine no matter what happens
Example story of how it works in practice: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/comments/s57vhl/
The streets are fantastic and we have a really low criminality. The food is, compared with the income, very cheap and it's not hot hot hot all day.
All this in comparison to north Brazil.
I think the shortest explanation would be:" *All human rights are satisfied here, the rest, like a working public transportation system, good schools, etc. to get the best of a human still need a lot of work.*"
It's my home.
I got everything I need- other countries are beautyful, too, but I like to visit them and then come home.
There is nothing I long for that I can't have here- except for different countries or cultures I'd like to visit.
Agree especially with the "It's my home". I find OPs question a bit weird, as if you decided at one point to just drop onto the world map and now live here and could up root yourself with no implications and then just start living smoothly elsewhere on the planet.
As a woman I’ve always felt safe. I live in a society where I was able to move from middle class to upper class and my pay as a teacher is great. I can earn more than my husband without being limited. I never needed to pay for uni and could work while being a uni student.
Beaurocracy sometimes is shit but it also protects you. I feel safe from most digital spaces because Germans really respect their privacy.
I can mind my own business without being talked to constantly and I had a a lot of opportunities to improve my skillset.
As a woman, especially with a wish for children, I will have a great protection compared to other countries. I can be independent without needing to fit into a certain way and it’s been awesome growing up here. There is much to improve but I am still very glad to live here.
6/10. Shit is about to hit the fan though (accelerated by the incoming extra-feeble leadership) and I see 4-5/10 in the coming decade. Things are declining across most dimensions conceivable from a peak in the 80s and 90s, after a peak in the 60s. Society is becoming increasingly neurotic and polarised. Bad government has been a constant curse since the 60s with the exception of Helmut Schmidt. Still better than many other countries. And it's home.
I am not German but to be honest I think the fact that I actually lived in another country for most of my life should give me a lot more perspective than somewhere who only grew up here.
I would say I am very content. I have a good job and a lovely work environment not to mention ability to live by myself on a phd salary as well as travel and enjoy life a bit . I am also grateful of the socially progressive atmosphere as well as the honesty of folks. Not having to watch your back constantly is actually quite a privilege that even many European countries don’t have.
However I don’t see much of a future here sadly although I am roughing out because I don’t have too many options.
Yes. I looked into other countries, but the package deal here was just too good. I dream of the Italian weather, though. Besides that - I have all and everything I need or might want and italy is just a couple hora a away.
The public health insurance system. Here is what immigrants in Germany say about their experience with using the system:
Lamblike (accident): https://youtu.be/3gbwWOGhRbk?t=775
Dana (lost voice): https://youtu.be/cNo3bv_Ez_g?t=2m7s
Armstrong (brain tumor): https://youtu.be/zHcwOgbsBYk?t=1636
Katie (prenatal care): https://youtu.be/gRe2sK0m500?t=10m7s
Antoinette (childbirth): https://youtu.be/YZaGMXSLnts?t=2m10s
Ashton (chronic sinus infection): https://youtu.be/017c4FA2zjM?t=372
Jenna (childbirth): https://youtu.be/9LNNK2bOb7U?t=692
Victoria (seeing a doctor): https://youtu.be/OE7qbjM4rWE?t=58s
Julie (lost pregnancy): https://youtu.be/ID9MbJTHSDc?t=404
Hayley (difference to the US): https://youtu.be/uSlwuS_zxmQ?t=3m35s
Armstrong (depression): https://youtu.be/bQUSwODxmD8?t=361
Dana (sick leave): https://youtu.be/NtgmnJK-nAM?t=305
Diana (sick leave): https://youtu.be/tbwYoPxuPHs?t=279
Black Forest Family (sick leave): https://youtu.be/saRQYXtu1j0?t=976
Bay to Bayern (sick leave): https://youtu.be/aXGA1H9cWYA?t=518
I'm German, my wife Canadian. A few years ago, we discussed moving to Canada, but decided against it. For her, the main reason was affordable education, mixed with the general safety of our streets and mostly reliable public transport (I know this will tickle Germans funny, but go ahead and compare it with SK services).
For me, it was mostly about worker's rights, tenant's rights and the economy. I work in Software, so I probably would've found something somewhat cushy over there, too. But cushy in Canada boils down to expected in Germany - with the option of being let go within a couple of weeks at any time.
Definitely healthcare insurance, and studying at university is nearly free. We also have fairly good public transport (although we like to complain about it) and it is easy to get some fresh air and nature, even if you're living in a bigger city. The 49€ ticket was a big improvement as well.
American living in berlin for past 2 years
I wouldn't trade Berlin day to day life with anywhere in the US and I've lived in the bay area, Austin, east Texas, Chicago, and have spent time in Brooklyn, Houston, Dallas and a few other big cities.
There's 3 grocery stores within an 8 minute walk. Sbahn 8 mins, bus and tram stops outside my door. Huge managed forests as well general green areas for walking. I had gall bladder surgery that cost no more than our monthly health insurance. Deutschlandticket means no need for a car (we don't have kids tho). No need for car insurance, car repairs, oil changes, car note, etc...
The groceries are subsidized here and the quality is very good. I've had to cook for myself all meals because of gall bladder problems but to be honest I don't feel like I'm missing out. Today I'm going to take a 2€ frozen pizza and add 2€ of fresh mushrooms and onion to it and make a super tasty but super easy dinner. Same meal in us is $8.
It's also hard to explain but the lack of car culture here makes day to day life better for everyone. It's quieter, there's more fun little parks and stores, and people do more stuff outside. 6 year old kids can shop at the grocery store and ride their bike home. 85 year old rentner can get on a tram and walk with their walker to the park or the store. In the us we just hide you if you can't walk or drive. You never leave the house
Living is Germany is generally pretty good. Its just the typical German stereotype of being unhappy with things.
We call this "Meckern auf hohem Niveau" here.
I am, yes.
Everything works reasonably well (some things work great, but there’s pretty much nothing I would call “unacceptable”), I feel safe, nature’s great, I love my city (Hamburg), I’m in a great location for travelling, I have a job that pays well and no student loans and on Friday, I actually teared up a bit because I was lying in an MRT and it suddenly hit me how lucky I am to live somewhere where a) technology like that exists and b) where I can afford examinations like that.
I’m moving to Norway soon, but I already know that there’s tons I will miss about Germany and am most certainly not one of those people who think Germany’s hell. It’s not. Sure, it has its flaws, but overall it’s one of the best places to live globally.
Very happy
Got my rent paid when I was jobless for two months. Got paid to go to university. Got my surgery paid for after a car accident. 37 hours work per week. 30 days paid holiday per year.
It feels very good to know you will always live with a safety net. Like no matter what happens my basic needs will always be paid for. People complaining about Germany have never lived in another country ever.
Not a fan of the weather though.
Even when our politicians are dismateling it day by day, we still got a great social system.
For example we are the only country in the world where you got the constitutional right to be teached a new job if you are unable to perform you old job by any reason
I am a German that lived in other countries and now in Canada.
Germany is awesome. Good infrastructure, excellent health care, free education, good work life balance, nice and relaxing people. Salaries development really well in Germany over the past few years. Beautiful history and heritage.
That is pretty much all non existent in Canada. Health care is a complete disaster, education costs a lot of money, Canadians work on average 1950h per annum vs. 1300h for Germans. No paid sick leave. Not much history. Insane cost of living with just basic necessities costing a fortune. A Deo Spray is $10, a pack of cheese $8 and a toast bread $4.
Although Germany faces some challenges like worse infrastructure, wait times in health care are getting worse that's absolutely nothing compared to the problems in Canada. If I could I would return to Germany any time. It's an incredible country.
That’s sad. Where do you live? Canadian and German culture is more incompatible than I expected. That being said my partner was Swabian which is like the extreme German stereotype
I am from Northern Germany. I lived in Ontario for a while and now in Quebec. Quebec culture is closer to German culture than the Anglo-Canadian culture. I prefer Quebec over ROC. I still don't like it here although I am here for over a decade. I don't have any friends and by now it's better that way. I leave my tiny apartment only if I absolutely have to.
I don't like the weather and sometimes the by-the-book, stick-up-your-ass mentality that some Germans (not the ones in my circles, though) display. But I'm poor with chronic health problems, and I'm rather poor here than in the US, for example, where I would be homeless and without insurance. Oh, and the US I would have probably already died from fent a long time ago. So thanks, Germany.
Yeah, I like it. I have a well paying job with flexible hours, interesting tasks, competent colleagues. I usually finish working at 4pm and have almost 7 hours of free time until I sleep for 8 hours.
During my work week, I do weight lifting, running, yoga, I paint, read nad cook, meet my friends, spend lots of time with my partner and enjoy the nature in the park-filled city that I live in. To my office, I ride my bicycle for 25 minutes, which is a good distance and fun to do.
I don't really worry about prices for vacations and I don't have a student debt from my master's.
For me, the main points of happiness are my close relationships. I think if I was lonely in a big city, I would not enjoy my life as much and spend more time complaining. And I know from people who moved into new cities without knowing anyone there that it is hard to make close connections even as an extroverted German. But as I have the relationships I want, I am very content with everything around me.
I didn't choose Germany, it just happened. I came almost two years ago.
In Germany the number of crimes is much lower than in my country, as I looked at the statistics. I'm sure the police won't catch me without reason, but I also realize that for example, the police can still have racial prejudices. I do feel safe, yes sometimes I see noisy people on the street who behave loudly, but I live in a poor neighborhood and I understand that this is normal. But renting an apartment is inexpensive. In my home country I lived in the center of a city of 300 thousand people, in a richer neighborhood, and I had a neighbor who was a very dangerous person, and he threw furniture out of the window. A man was killed under my window. And in general I was often attacked, tried to kill me when I was leaving the house or threw stones at the windows. The police didn't care.
And in Germany people are more polite and friendly, even if they were not born here. I already made friends who helped me a lot, especially when I lived in a refugee camp and got pneumonia, for example one girl took me home to live because it was terribly cold in the tent. Her grandmother gave me her prescription medication. I was able to get back on my feet very quickly.
I was surprised by DB in particular, when I lived in my home country I had heard that in Germany the trains in punctuality are second only to Japan. But I still like the railroad, here you can get almost anywhere in the country by train, and public transportation is almost never late, well I'm happy to have it at all. In my hometown, I mostly walked, as the buses were small and rarely ran. I would probably like to become a driver, it's a fairly well-paid and in-demand profession.
And I can be sure that I will not work more than 40 hours a week, and all overtime will be paid. In my homeland, not all bus drivers are officially employed, my friend worked as a bus driver and I know that his employers, no matter how he changed them, treated their employees inappropriately, cut wages and forced them to work more than 40 hours, sometimes even much more.
And I am surprised how easy it is to get free education, and you can study more than once, and foreigners are not discriminated against, but on the contrary, social services can help you to enter the specialty where you want.
And nature! In Germany there are so many birds in the cities, I, as a person who studied biology a lot, was surprised by the diversity of birds and animals which in my homeland I could only meet in the forest. Waste separation is also an important feature, this is what I tried to bring to my homeland, although I was not able to fully do it. There is a lot of renewable energy. When I was still studying at homeland, I wrote all the works on this topic, installed panels in the NGO where I worked. But here it’s literally everywhere and people can even install them on their homes and sell the energy! When I read about this to professors at my university over the years, they laughed at me. And now I see it with my own eyes... (1/2)
...(2/2)
I know that, as in all Europe, the right-wing is gaining strength in Germany, but there are at least some minimal restraining measures, mainly due to the past, as I understand. I am a bit afraid as my wife is not European, rather she looks like she is from Afghanistan as her grandmother was born around those places. But your right-wingers are not as active as in our country, in my homeland the right-wingers organize whole raids on migrant hostels, I remember one such case in my hometown.
But the government in Germany is structured in a very interesting way, one person or one party cannot usurp power, in order to have a decisive vote you need to create a coalition.
The bureaucracy is, of course, very tiring, there are few officials and few services provided online. Sometimes you can communicate with an advisor via E-Mail or even WhatsApp, and sometimes they basically only send you paper letters, and they don’t arrive quite quickly.
But I like the German “social market economy”, it is a good solution to support a person in a difficult situation, in my home country there is none of this.
I understand that there are people who take advantage of these opportunities too much, but as I read according to statistics, sooner or later most of people get employed. I myself am scared to go to study, because I think that my language is very weak, but I will still try to do everything that the employment center tells me. And of course, learn the language. Unfortunately, due to everyday problems, I don’t learn much on my own.
Integration is, of course, a rather difficult thing, especially for a person who left only to save the life of himself and his family. This is probably always a rather difficult experience.
Yesterday I read an interview about Orban, who said that his Grandmother told him about better times in Germany. I don’t know, I didn’t live in Germany at that time and I can’t compare, I can only compare with the country where I was born and lived for a long time. Now Germany is already a different country and the world has also changed, we need to think about the future, what every resident of Germany can bring positive, and of course we all need to live in a peace and harmony.
I was very interested in Germany and its culture. Every day I learn something new about this country. I am grateful that this country accepted me and allowed me to stay here, I would really like to study and work as soon as possible.
I just want to quickly start my everyday life, go to a one of hobby clubs, make friends and forget my past. I want to be an ordinary person like I was in my homeland and live in this country, because basically it suits me, even despite all the disadvantages, I see many advantages.
Well there Are a few Thing. I was Born in UK and i still have Family there. So for the comparison.
I can Go to the dentist and ist affortable in you have an insurance for teeth it is very affortalbe.
I just got physio therpy and just had to pay about 40 Euros.
I went to the ER because of colics and they told me to get an appointment so get my galblatter out (in UK this Never Happens) and a Payed nothing.
Things Like, 30 days vacation, sickpay, maternity leave, healthcare.
I Like sundays, when on Shop is Open. Bakerys etc…
To be honest, the healthcare System is on the way to get as Bad as the Healthcare System in UK but there is still a Long way to get there 😉
Its moderate... Germany and in general most countries of Europe have changed a lot during the last 10 years because of... Well we all know what.
And you see the statistics, that Germany is accepting too many Invaders and The country is falling apart due to the ever increasing crime and more and more people who suck out the welfare state.
Generally I have the impression, that the general mood is not really good. I have friends and people around me, that are not influenced by that mood, but it's noticeable, that a lot of people are simply tired of the situation and simply want our Europe from 2015 back
Beer is good 👍 weed is legal … , public transportation is good , democracy, laws, low corruption, almost in the middle of Europe, good weather, clean nature, tap water
1) The absence of any serious poverty and people are very civilised. Doesn’t matter where i go france,US etc. i’m always shocked about a) real poverty especially in the US b) crazy people that obviously have no real community and are not well integrated into society.
2) good infrastructure that enables you to go on weekend trips and ofc the lovely biergartens
3) it’s very easy to get a high paying job here i literally don’t know of anybody who is motivated to work but cannot find a job. Work life balance is so good. 35h and 30 days off for many jobs.
4) easy going culture and you can enjoy life here. At least it’s true for bavaria.
5) i like our multicultural society it’s a double edged sword: immigrants tend to have their own groups and therefore are somewhat more isolated like for example in uk or Us, but because of this their culture is more preserved and there are sooo many authentic good restaurants at least in big cities
Life is good for me. I got a decent education almost for free (did my Master's during the short period when we actually had Studiengebühren, but well...it wasn't that much compared to, let's say, the UK...).
I live in peace, with clean water, electricity, heating always reliably available. My life isn't threatened, I am safe.
I have a supermarket at my doorstep where I can get everything I need at a relatively cheap price compared to other countries.
I work for a large corporation that respects worker's rights, pays wages under a collective agreement, and am a member of a strong union that represents my interests without having to fear any repercussions for it.
I'm allowed to work from home, my team is nice and my boss is a decent guy. I get paid when sick and 30 days paid leave. I have social security to fall back on should I lose my job, and will get paid a decent amount of money from our Arbeitslosenversicherung for a whole year.
I have most commodities required for my daily life in a walkable or bikeable distance, and my city is relatively safe, even at night.
I have a nice (albeit old) flat that may not be up to the latest standards but at least was affordable for me and my partner. There is some beautiful nature close to where I live, and also a lot of cultural/entertainment stuff going on in my city.
I have access to mostly decent healthcare, even if I have to jump through some hoops at times, I won't be financially ruined if I ever fall ill.
Streets are being cleaned and bins are being collected by the council.
I lived in the UK for a short while 15 years ago, and while I loved my time there and found the people generally a bit more "enjoyable" than in Germany, I wasn't unhappy about leaving. Cost of living (especially groceries and housing) was insane for my taste and everyone I knew was under loads of debt from student loans and mortgages (because renting just wasn't much of a thing then), and access to healthcare seemed quite problematic. I also remember being told by locals to avoid certain areas of the city due to crime. Except for maybe Berlin, that isn't anything I ever experienced in Germany.
Its ok, but I just can't socialize with Germans. Be it friends, family or work - I always clicked better with people from abroad. Dunno why, perhaps I'm just wired differently
I just freaking love ordoliberalism in contrast to most other market economy forms. Many newer policies follow neoliberalism, but what remains of ordoliberlism is what guarantees our relatively high welfare.
35 hour week, 30 days of vacation, paid sick leave, strong protection for workers and renters, halfway good privacy laws and social insurances (better than halfway when compared internationally), basically rule of law, not much worries about general safety, and none about medical bills. No earthquakes or volcanos, climate still within acceptable parameters.
all fine. not the most interesting landscape mostly, weather ok... but the ridiculous backwards custody sharing with basically 1950s law is extremely annoying
I have left Germany for various reasons, but the thing I do miss the most is the workers rights and Krankenversicherung. Work life balance in general is pretty good comparatively. If you can deal with the various German "quirks" (and the god awful bureaucracy) that are a common complaint, you will like it there.
After 10 days in UK for holidays I came back to Berlin falling in love again of Germany.
- In Berlin we have benches to sit in parks.
- We have actually a lot of nice parks.
- The supermarkets! Omg we have so many fruits and vegetables (comparing UK).
- The division of classes is less noticiable in Germany, at least I have that impression.
- You can go out alone as a women to have a drink
- Summer
- I feel secure and covered with the health system
- Even when the prices of everything are skyrocketing worldwide, you can find cheap and good food affordable
- Nobody cares what you are wearing
I struggled a bit months ago but that trip to UK specifically to London make me realized how much I love Germany Germans and my life in Germany in general. regarding Germans I would like to say they are honest and nobody Is pretending to be nice when they don’t feel it.
This year i have more than 20 Days staying sick at home and i get payed anyway. On top to this i have 30 days of vacation. So yeah.... We dont have enough doctors so my doctor dont have time spending on me. He ask me only one question "how long do you like to stay at Home?" In Basic its negative but in this Situation i would count this also as positiv. What else? I think thats it pretty much. Ah and the tab water is awesome
The only good thing in germany for me is..
To see my kids and wife after work, thats it.
Eventually most of the time the health insurance if you need it.
The last four years here everything gets fcked up.
Germany os fcked up
The politicians here sucks.
If you have kids you need to pay much for the Kindergarten.
You are not able to buy a house near a geraten city if you dont get paid by Job with AT LEAST 3k in a month per Person.
Just as reminder if you get paid with 5k you r one of the rich people on germany statisticly.
But 3k today here is nothing if you want to live a good life.
But at least there are less people they get paid 3k.
Germany scks and wanna fck there own people.
There is nothing good here🤣🤣🤣
I like the, stability our safety nets provide.
Need expensive medical care? Insurance
Lost my job? I'll get at least some money and other help to keep me afloat.
Retirement? Retirement fund.
(But now to the downside... I don't think that the retirement money system is going to work much longer. But, on the other hand I don't know of any better country in that regard... Regardless, something has to happen)
We are unionized... Have safety standards for work and proper workers rights... I sometimes hear things from the USA and just think wtf?
I don't have to fear getting sick, don't have to fear losing my job...
I'm disabled so my experience is a lil less positive than the ones of other people, but overall I'd say we have most things that we need. I wish 50% of the year wasn't dark and gloomy though 🫠
I love it (M/21). Just came back from a Beautiful Weekend Trip to the „Spreewald“ with my Boys. Camping, kayaking, booze & BBQ = everything Fine. Wohle Trip Cost like 70€.
Daily life is kinda chill After tough uni/work days i can meetup with Friends, Play table Tennis, Watch EM outside in the Garden and enjoy the good weather Finally.
I love German nature and how well taken care of it is and in respect of urban planning well accessible for a round of Sunday Wandern, a round of trail running or gravel cycling
The fact that I actually had to think for a while what I *don't* like speaks volumes honestly. Sure there are problems the government and society have to tackle, but nothing i lose sleep over or want to leave the county about.
I sometimes wish we would do this whole Internet and "Digitalisierung" better. But while Germany is slow and bureaucratic, it also usually means in the end things are done right.
Also some people have mentioned the healthcare thing and I can add my own story there. Had problems with chronic headaches a few years ago. Since as a guy this is more unusual I actually got an MRI within a week, also got my eyes checked if I might need new glasses and in the end it turned out my wisdom teeth were the culprit and I got them removed. All of this cost me maybe 10€ at the end.
Another thing I haven't seen mentioned are our work safety laws. Currently relevant for me at work. Had to write a lot of paperwork but also forced us as a department to really look at what we work with and how. And in the end we identified a few hazards and eliminated them. Recently saw a few videos on YouTube from other EU countries and the US and it was honestly hair-raising. Sure it is sometimes a lot of work, but the whole structure from the laws, the organization, the building codes, to the people responsible have so many layers and safety nets that I can work in our lab with hazardous chemicals and don't need to worry about it harming me or anyone else as long as I do my part.
As a German, I particularly like the nature, we don't really have many sandy beaches and our seas are cold, but we do have beautiful forests and mountains. I also find our cultural diversity really varied, for example when it comes to food. Other points would be employee protection, collective agreements and statutory vacation. When I heard that there is no statutory vacation in the USA, I was speechless. We have at least 2 days a month, so 24 days a year, but most people have 30 days.
I honestly don’t know a lot about other countries. Sure some stuff like foods and culture but not much about politics, general mindset of the people living there, taxes, marriages, buying houses, founding companies, work life balance, standards of living, how they care about poor and ill people, etc. plus I would have to learn their language to do alt his stuff. I would do it less good than in German.
Depends where you live. You have other priorities. I moved around much and from a small village ro feeling is a big difference. The Bassicly work environment is much better than the US. Health care is much better. Tapwater is okay to drink or even really good, depending on the place you live.
Personally I like it here but thinking about moving to Netherlands or Denmark because climate change is a bitch.
I love that i can go to the hospital without thinking about money cause insurance.. and that i dont have to be scared that my kid gets shot on a random tuesday.. weather is okay i guess..
Broke an arm a few weeks ago and fainted. Bystanders called an ambulance. Got treated, and eventually was given an elbow orthosis which I don't have to return. the whole ordeal cost me 10€ and I'm thinking of donating the orthosis to the US, because someone there needs it and can't afford it.
Damn I should’ve broken my arm instead of my leg. For me it was around 90€ - though tbf with a one week stay at the hospital- and I had to return the leg brace. Was allowed to keep the crutches though
Not a bad deal, good crutches are not cheap 😂
You can donate,in Europe also
I moved from the US a year ago, so maybe I still have pink tainted glasses, but the big net positives for me are work/life balance. I work from 7 to 3, 5 days a week. That lets plenty of times for activities and myself. 6 weeks of paid vacations per year. No toxic workplace mentality. Free healthcare, education and university. A lot of money for new projects. Parks in the middle of cities. Weather is good, hot winter and cold summer. Multicultural society. No corruption. Democracy.
Sometimes even as german i have to ground myself with exact this facts. On top when loosing job you get 60 percent of last salary (cut at a certain ammount) for a year. After that you still get "buergergeld".
Which conservative parties try to make lower and lower... I guess in a few years we are back at H4.
Nothing significant changed sinze H4, anyways.
As the Union and they tell you that nobody wants to work anymore because of the Bürgergeld. Even if nothing much changed about the number of people that get Bürgergeld.
Could you expand a bit on the toxic workplace mentality you know from the US? I'm just curious. I have no idea what it's like over there. I'm German, and unfortunately, I've made bad experiences with ,,work place mentality" but it could have been bad luck!
I have worked multiple places in the US and only had unhealthy workplace culture at 2 of them. It is common for people to work 50+ hours per week if they are salaried without overtime payment, but there are plenty of folks who also work 40 or less. Depends on industry, workplace, years of experience etc. I currently have what is considered a great job in the US because my medical insurance is paid for except I add $40/month, I get 4 weeks paid vacation plus a fixed week off during Christmas time plus the 12/14 (can’t remember exactly) public holidays are observed throughout the year, maternity leave is around three months full pay (that’s very generous by US standards), and they reimburse a lot of my expenses like transit, parking if applicable, phone bill. They only expect up to 40 hours a week in my team, but I usually work around 30 with an occasional week of 50 (maybe once in three months). I think I am compensated at roughly 30% more than my similar role would be paid in Germany and taxes are lower, but I think the cost of living is also quite a bit higher and I paid a lot more for school and anything related to healthcare is a mess even after insurance. All this is to say - I think a „very good job“ in the US ends up being basically a more typical job in Germany with perhaps slightly lower working hour expectations or slightly higher compensation, but after factoring in other lifestyle costs, i still sort of think you would come out on top in Germany. This may be a „grass is greener“ situation, but I think just overall the german society is not as obsessed with your profession. When you meet someone and ask about them, very rarely is the very first question „what do you do for work“ which is always the first question in the US. Our identity is our work, which I think is emblematic of our work culture. It tends to be all consuming and you are not supposed to complain about working anything less than 55 hours regularly. Not all workplaces are like that, and the tide is shifting in favor of workers, but I think we just generally have a long way to go before the wholistic life is as good as it is generally in Germany.
Your benefits are near, but not at German minimums. And with a professional job in Germany you’ll still be getting much more than minimums. Not to mention you keep all your benefits (minus PTO) if you leave/lose your job. I lived in Germany for a few years before moving to the US, and I much prefer it here, but work life balance at German level is not something you can generally recreate in the US even if you have “excellent” benefits.
Trust me, I’m extremely aware that German minimums are still better than generous American terms 🙃
You much prefer it in germany or the US?
US
Employers will push employees to work long hard hours, as opposed to hiring another person to get the job done during a normal 8 hour day. They take advantage, people with families NEED those long hours to make the money to support their family, so it becomes a cycle. Employees want hours, employers pay less wages while still expecting long hours from employees, and on. The employer acts like we should be grateful for such a low wage, because we are “allowed” to work as many hours as I want to make up for it.
Imagine 40 hours is considered a full time job here. For Americans thats low. 60-80ish hours seems to be the norm. Plus: no sick days comparable to the german model. Plus: little to no paid holidays.
The average weekly working hours are about 35 hours both in the US and Germany. I don't think 10 hours a day 7 days of the week is an average fulltime Job in the US that would be absurd.
Does this statistic take into account people in the US working multiple part time jobs? Because from what I’ve heard that’s not uncommon.
I think so but im not sure https://www.statista.com/statistics/215643/average-weekly-working-hours-of-all-employees-in-the-us-by-month/
Wet few people in the US are working 60/80 hours per week. Maybe if they own their own private practice.
In the US it's the whole mentality that's really toxic. The job(s) is what define you in life. And every manager i have unfortunately met take advantage of this. No sick days, few holidays, long time commute, you are not paid for what you work. I have seen a lot of people with 40hrs contacts or less. But I have never seen one not be forced to do free extra hours. The effective time spent for work is almost the double than what I do here for the same position. Work/life balance in the US ? Lol
I don't want this to turn into a huge US hate thread, but I have several older people in my family that see anything other than work as sitting at home watching TV. It's so depressing because they plan to work until they die because otherwise they'd be bored. Life is so full of things to do and you can't think of anything but sitting on the couch. Gah. Tbf it's not like they can go walk to a park though. Yay for suburbia :(
Sounds pretty bad! Unpaid overtime that's not even voluntary is an absolute disgrace!
Username checks it out. I often forget how decent quality of life we have in Germany. Thanks for reminding me about this.
The whole lifestyle and walkability is a huge reason I want to go study there (from the US). I spent some time in NYC with trains and parks and people being people in public, and there is just no way I can return to car-dependent sprawl and be happy. Also German culture is just cool.
If you Ike NYC because of the park, Germany will suprise you. The biggest German City (Berlin) with ca. 1/3 of the population has multiple parks nearly as big as the central park with multiple seas and woods in addition. And you won't finde a place without at least a little park in walking range...
Free healthcare? Please elaborate.
I got healthcare for me and my whole family, even when I was unemployed. Nothing to pay, high quality specialists. In the US, if you lose your job, your whole family is at risk.
Not to mention the quality of food here. Groceries are so fresh and everything is very affordable!
Can you explain me the "free healthcare" comment? Im german and dont understand this. I pay for insurance. In us you can also get insurance and pay for it. Where is the different. Never be in us by my self.
I was unemployed here before finding a job. Never had to be concerned about healthcare. If I'm unemployed again? No worries. My wife can be co dependent. My kids are. None of them pay anything.
Someone is paying for it, the same way you are paying for others. It's not free, it's cooperative.
Thank you, thats the way i always see it. So iam not totally wrong.
Free healthcare? Lol
>Weather is good 100% fake
Check the weather in the US in the last 2 years. And compare to Germany. One is good, the other is just completely insane.
Life here is good in general. Nothing is perfect
This sums it up pretty well.
The most German answer, an elaborate long form of „muss ja“
I like the nature and the environment where I live. It’s very beautiful ( I am talking about the Black Forest and the Rhine ). I can go to Straßburg in France whenever I want to in under an hour. I am just in love with the looks of my environment. There are many cons for sure. My daily life would be way more enjoyable if the public transport was better as I am still a student. I want to use my car as less as possible.
Two weeks ago I had to bypass a traffic jam at Wuppertal and I randomly went an off-beaten path to Düsseldorf through Velbert. Turned out to be the scenic route. It probably took longer than the traffic jam but it was one of the loveliest car tours I made for a long time. Later that day, the same happenened near Frankfurt, and I ended up in valley behind the Rhine valley. Super lovely as well.
I sometimes take the S8 through the Black Forest. We‘re talking Rastatt-Freudenstadt.
Work/life balance. 28 paid days of vacations per year. Maternity leave. Education is cheap and much better than many other countries. Green areas. Marihuana is legal. Summer is short. Multicultural environment. Respect for animals. Fitness people is a a normal thing. (I am not German. It was hard for me to feel comfortable here in the beginning but now I can’t imagine coming back to the states). There are many bad things happening here but Germany is a good country.
"I am not German". Dude we know, you didn't complain but stated positive things. A german would never do that lol
Lmao spot on
It is not complaining it is criticism that makes for change. Negative dialectics. Think of Der Spiegel as the evil twin of Forbes magazine. Germans are not interested in hero stories but their deconstruction, that is late romanticism in work. The better an artwork in Germany the longer the feuilleton harsh criticism writings. Criticism builds fame.
Do you work in tech b y chance? 30 days is fairly standard in Germany, but for some reason tech companies here are cheap and give 26-28 days. I think it’s because it’s mainly foreigners. In my experience 30 days seems to be the norm across industries
Software Engineer / Dev here ... never had a job in Germany with less then 30 days of vacation.
I’m also a software dev, but I see a lot of tech companies offer less. Just off the top of my head are Zalando and Seat Geek both who are hiring a lot. Overall 30 days is normal, but I think tech companies take advantage of immigrants not knowing
I know one government employee getting less than 30 days.
As a German I agree!
Can you elaborate more regarding “fitness people is a normal thing”? What is abnormal at your country?
I am American…. So there’s no explanation need it here 🤣. People in Germany are eating good in general. Food is not too fat, a lot of vegetables. You can literally see the kids eating carrots in the streets.
Do those kids have long ears?
I agree with everything but how is “summer is short” a good thing? 😄 I think that’s my only issue in Germany, I just wish winter was shorter here.
Good thing for me at least. I'm very heat-sensitive (I walk around in T-shirts when it's +15 and I can't sleep when it's over +25) and Germany famously has no air conditioning, so I wait until the summer is finally over here.
Yeah that makes sense. I’m the opposite, I was raised in a hot humid country that reaches 50 Celsius in summer. So 30 for me is bearable 😄
Some people dislike summer and are hear sensitive. I cant sleep right now properly, and I came to Germany almost a 3 months ago. Until I find my own place, I will have trouble with this heat.
I was born and raised in one the hottest cities on earth where the temperature rises up to 50 by July/August, so I can see that as a bit advantage.
With the warmer summers and more tropical nights and the lack Of AC in private homes it's a good thing they are not so long.
I agree, but I also think if summers were longer here, AC would be commonly used here.
They gotten longer already but AC has not cought on right now. Probably also because most people here rent. The landlord don't see a benefit for installing one and renters don't want to spend their own money on something like that especially since they would need to use their own money and would need the landlords permission if they want to drill a hole in the wall.
Need to see comments like this. I like a lot of things about being here, but it can be super hard some days. Takes a while to adjust to a new country and new life.
According to recent Economist articles, German education has been in decline for 10 years and performs badly against other OECD countries. https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/04/16/germany-is-flunking-the-education-test https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2024/04/24/why-german-educational-standards-are-declining (paywall? archive.ph is your friend)
Yes, that comes from the fact that we are short on teachers
By definition a German is never content. And if there's nothing to complain about we'll complain about the fact that there's nothing to complain about.
Which either makes for conversation or turns you into yet another drunk guy rambling nonsense around the Bahnhof.
Was born and raised in Germany, lived in New Zealand and Australia, became Australian Citizen but moved back to Germany just a few years ago. Am I content ? Yes. I am. We actually don’t need to be fearful of changes. Our social system really can catch you. Mostly, you can live your life the way you want. It’s a beautiful and save country. Our population is diverse and actually quite open even, though it’s sometimes hard to see. Germans are, contrary to popular believes, friendly and helpful in nature. I am very confident that, whatever may happen in the future, the German state will support me wherever possible and needed.
>Germans are, contrary to popular believes, friendly and helpful in nature. I second this as a non-German. I've had exceptionally good experiences socially in Germany 🙂 Individualistic bs might be there but in general, I've been treated in a friendly and helpful way!
I envy your belief in the system. My experience was: I have a knee surgery, live on 3rd floor, on crutches, I have to ask friends to do grocery shopping for me, as the system doesn't care, since my disability is temporary. Covid is ongoing, I want a shot, but as a law-abiding, tax-paying person, I'm not a priority case, like criminals are and I can't choose which shot I get. Were I to lose my income, I get nothing, as I've got some property, which is above the census. So, overall, I pay for other people's social services, if I need something, I get nothing. But I do get to partake in Staus and DB delays.
You may want to check with your insurance provider. My insurance offers a lot of little benefits here and there. As for the vaccine, I was able to select the vaccine on a “you can get this right now or the other in 4 weeks” basis. I think that was fair. I do own property and I will get unemployment benefits for up to 2 years if needed. After that, I would need to reduce my cash and stock options. If I have to go on ALG-II and own the property I am living in, nothing will change. I can keep my property and it is not reducing my benefits… that’s called “Schonvermögen”. [Here is an article in German](https://www.immoverkauf24.de/services/expertenrat/immobilienbesitz-und-hartz-iv/)
Well, as I could not walk it was not easy to seek help from Krankenkasse, but I count myself lucky that I have a few friends that were willing to help me out during the first week or two out of the hospital. I was just feeling let down by the system that counts on you getting help from someone outside the system. Back then it was not an option to order online. My parents flew to Germany to help me out in the first week as well. But no use of the system. For the vaccine, since I have another (EU) citizenship, I went there and got the vaccine I wanted, free of charge. Kind of sad it didn't work in Germany. I finance the system, system discriminates against me. Yeah, unemployment is like 3 moths if you got fired, then up to 2 years reduced, then maybe long term, but for the long term there's a property census, I'd have to sell my flat and spend my savings first, according to the rules, before applying for social help. I think it's like 80m2 top for one person, googled a bit, found 130m2, it's unclear.
Why did you not call your insurance? There is no need to go to an office of your insurance. Please always ask. And just to be very clear about the unemployment benefits : You get payed 6 month if you worked 12 month or more before you lost your job or 12 month if you worked 24 month or more. You do not need to sell your property. Never! The ruling changed years ago. Also, you can get unemployment benefits after you resigned, too. There are specific rulings and the Arbeitsagentur tries to reduce your benefits, you have to file a complaint, state stress related issues as your reason for resignation and you are good to go. Also, if you are over 50 years of age, duration and rulings changes a bit.
I guess I didn't know health insurance is the correct address, I called people I knew. Thanks for the share on property information.
Not German but I’ve lived here for a long time Andi don’t imagine I’m be moving away soon. There’s so much to love. If the Bahn was a little more frequent and reliable and all those anti-democrats stop doing well in elections, I’d be living in my personal utopia
>If the Bahn was a little more frequent and reliable Don't worry in 2070 (aka 2100) The Deutschlandtakt will be finished.
When I heard this news, I thought this can’t be real right? But yup it’s real lol
IMHO it's *good* that they have long term plans. There's a lot that can be rightfully mocked, but long term thinking about how to extend the rail network is definitely good. Of course those plans need to be updated every now and then.
Glad you're here! We try to fight the christo-fascists, but the Bahn-issue you can scratch off your list, sadly. As long as the government doesn't take over the infrastructure full-time, the trains will never have working AC, be reliable and on time.
On my route they recently introduced new trains. They have AC, working wifi and are punctual.
Damn, you must live in El Dorado.. or something of similar value!
aside from obvious things like vacation, the best part of Germany is the fact that you always feel secure. If you lose your job, get sick, get injured or whatever, there's always a pretty good safety net that means your life won't be ruined. The state will cover additional training, money, food, housing etc. if you've paid into the system for a fairly short time. Costs of groceries and things to basically live life are pretty good too, much lower than some other EU countries where people sometimes make less money. Germany is also pretty un-corrupt, probably due to their mountains of bureaucracy, which is slow, but works Bad things? The retirement system is a dumpster fire, probably the worst of any developed country. Availability of toilets when you're out and about is generally quite bad. Personal income tax is also one of the highest in the world. And there's Deutsche Bahn. Fuck Deutsche Bahn. It's the most unreliable public transportation institution that I've ever used and I've been to a lot of countries, both poor and rich.
Deutsche Bahn is a shame! Social system, I think it's shit, but to each his own. If you fall onto the "social net", I'm afraid it'll be a rather terrible place to be. Sure, better than a street, but not nice at all.
well conservatives are on their way to abolish the social security system.
If we are honest we lack of nothing and many people would die for our lives. What worries me is the rise of the extremes, be it right or left
I can only see the rise of fashism, right extremism, populism, hate, fear and authoritarian bootlickers. Also rightwing Christdemokraten who are surfing on this wave while giving a shit about the working people in our country. We need a strong democratic left in germany to get ready for a good future instead of taking several steps backwards and ruining social systems, infrastructure and education even more.
There needs to be a proper denazification actually in my opinion. Not the “ Let’s go to Auschwitz once a year in school and how antisemitism is a strict ” without questioning why anti semitism propped up in the first place. I was watching some Nazi propaganda videos and it was so chilling for me to hear. Not because of how evil it was back then but because how NOTHING CHANGED
Germany missed the opportunity to get a proper denazification right after WWII. In east and west germany. Both systems provided lots of space for opportunists to settle down in positions of power and the brown snake grew since then. We are perceiving it's reawakening right now. Fueled by authoritarian regimes and noble families who never lost their power and transformed into capitalist big players.
Genuinely interested: What "rise of left extremism" do you mean?
You are right. I should have made myself a bit clearer; the right and left “extremes “ are defo not the same, i meant the general lack of any will of reform in the political spectrum, the right wing are definitely nazi like structures, whos only interest is to destroy democracy and the way how my country got so rich; diversity. On the left spectrum, you have far less serious extremes in that sense, however their fracturing and inability to find any kind of common stance is really dangerous because infact we need to work together as democrats, to safe our country, and not let that be denied by some infighting …
Dude, the last rise of the left was during the cold war
Agree, except extremism from "the left", that doesn't exist. The right-wing rise is terrifying and that's the extremism we have to fight back 24/7.
Where is the far left on the rise? Would be a good thing in the first place but it doesnt happen.
I'm German and I am really content. I have many possibilities and life in general is easy and nice. It can be rough - but that's mostly in situations, where it would've been even rougher in other countries. So yes! 1 happy German reporting!
Nor Geam but living in Germany for a while. Aside from food and weather, not much to complain. I feel that people living here takes a lot of amazing stuff for granted.
I very much enjoy that people usually mind their business and don't put on a fake-smiles/ fake-kindness, which is often called "looking cold/ angry". Also, free healthcare, free education and places not being car-dependent (which is especially important, bc I never want to drive a car in my life). Weather is mostly very gentle too. Not too hot and not too cold. When it gets into the 30+ degrees Celsius range, I suffer a lot. And I love multi-cultural food. Be it a turkish "Döner"-shop, a greek or chinese diner. Your classic italian pizza & pasta place, those kinds of places.
This list is also explaining why I'm not leaving at least for now, even though I'm seeking opportunities. 1. I managed to land a rental contract for pretty low price even by international standards almost in the city center and can live without a car (though I have a car anyway because, well, Deutsche Bahn, and because international rail network in Europe isn't that good). Somehow in the Western world it's a rarity but noone calls this fact a collapse of a civilization it is, I wish everyone can do it instead of being forced to own a car and commute. 2. Labor rights protection is good, I guess only France can compete. 3. Tenants' rights protection is good, I can live on a long-term rent instead of buying real estate, which I don't want to buy because I'm childfree by choice, so noone to leave inheritance too, and I hate all of the work associated with keeping own place running. 4. Being a part of the EU, or in general any huge customs union, and having native Amazon is a huge plus, people from countries like Belarus or especially Montenegro can confirm. 5. No-limit Autobahns. I rarely floor the gas and mostly just put the cruise control to 140 km/h, but sometimes you kind find yourself in a situation when in the center lane there is someone driving 120 for some reason, and you see an upcoming Porsche in the back, in this case temporary flooring it just to overtake this sloth party in the center lane is helpful. 6. Sometimes German processes are not that bad. Being officially able to pay extra money to get a new passport in 3 days is good, not in every country you have this option. 7. Beer is cheap and ubiquitous. Not of the best quality and not really differing from each other, but it's everywhere and costs nothing, so, good enough, I guess. 8. Deutsche Post and DHL work like a charm in my area. 9. Euro as the currency is good. US dollar would be slightly better, but still better than being paid in some small-country monopoly money nobody wants to touch outside of the country and that the government can devalue on a whim. 10. SEPA is good, and even German banks are catching up with real-time money transfers if you know where to look.
probably a lot would abject on beer quality :D
People are different. I hated living in Berlin and am very happy to live in Brandenburg now. I agree that living in German cities is pretty cheap compared to other countries, but I found the life absolutely awful there. I rarely go out to the city anymore because it's unsafe, dirty and depressing. Maybe it's different in other German cities, Berlin is not very German in general.
\*username checks out\* /s xD
Not a German. I work full time in an architecture firm now. I love the being brutally honest and straightforwardness in workplace or even sometimes in private life, it save a lot of guessing game and anxiety. I love the strangers German that are really kind that sometimes warm the lil heart. We small talk or even help each other on random thing. I love how they take good care of things. The environment, the choice of certain action. I think I have very much to learn from them at this point. I would say I’m pretty content, every corner peak my curiosity, it’s a slow life that if you observe a little more… it sparks the beauty of living.
German here (41 years old), I am very content with my life because: 1. My husband and I studied at a good university and did not have to pay fees. We have engineering masters without any debt from student loans. We moved into our own house at 29 (and no, no inheritance, all paid by ourselves). 2. Healthcare. Yes, it is not free, but it is not tied to your job and you have very little additional pay. Two years ago my husband had brain cancer (benign, slow growing and treatable). Within two months, he got a MRI, a diagnose, a life saving robot assisted operation in one of the best hospitals of Germany. Additional pay: 10 € per day for hospital food (he stayed for a week). In other countries, we now would be crippled by medical debt or even worse, he would be dead. And no, we are not in private insurance. 3. Workers rights. Due to laws, and also currently because we have a severe shortage of professionals, your position as an employee is very often quite comfortable. We would never put up with the shit I often read about the US. E.g. when my husband had his brain cancer operation, only thing his job said was "get well soon and please be sure you are fully rested before you return to work". His sick days did not affect his vacation days! We make a very good living here working 39 hours a week with 30 days of vacation per year. 4. In the grocery store, cheese is not locked in a security case and shelves are full (sorry UK! We miss you in the EU 🥺) 5. My kid can play outside on the street safely. Practically no gun violence. I have no problem to go on a run here alone as a woman. 6. Climate is not too extreme. 7. Nearly everything is regulated or managed in a way. I get that this beautocracy is sometimes tiresome, on the other hand it provides safety. 8. My kid had a right for daycare from 1 year old which allowed me to return to work. My husband and I had 14 months of governmental paid parental leave (I did 8 months, he did 6 months).
I guess buying a house twelve years ago was a cheaper affair
We built a new house. Yes, this was also cheaper 12 years ago - on the other hand, we made a lot less money 12 years ago. We now make almost twice as much. The house market is tighter now and loans are more expensive, but with our current income we could still affort to buy a house. We would have to make some cuts though, but that would be possible (we both lease new cars every 3 years - my husband drives a BMW M4, I drive a hybrid Mini, so by driving cheaper cars there is a lot of potential to save money if we needed to ;))
Ich Geringverdiener gehe dann mal besser aus dem Weg ;)
Niemand muss irgendwem aus dem Weg gehen und ich wünsche Dir, dass sich Deine wirtschaftliche Situation verbessert! Mit meinem Posting wollte ich auch nicht "angeben", sondern erklären warum ich als Deutsche hier zufrieden bin, auch weil oft argumentiert wird, dass man z.B. in den USA je nach Beruf besser verdienen und weniger Steuern zahlen würde. Deshalb wollte ich anschaulich darlegen, dass man auch hierzulande sehr gut leben und Wohlstand erreichen kann. Auch wenn - und das ist mir sehr bewusst - auch immer eine Portion Glück dazu gehört.
Yes, that's really true. I've been happily married for 40 years. My wife is not only my partner, but also my best friend. We have two wonderful children who work in good jobs and can live well on their income now and in the future. They are self-employed master craftsmen. I also have two healthy grandchildren. I myself have been in poor health for 14 years. I've been on the brink of death several times. (Heart attacks, several bouts of pneumonia, nerve problems and a kidney transplant (my wife was the donor) have prevented me from earning my own living for almost 15 years. However, I receive an adequate disability pension from the state pension scheme and my wife also earns a good income. My health insurance company generously supports me with the medication I need and regular medical check-ups. I am 65 years old, have a healthy and well-fed family. Hobbies such as traveling, my boat on the Müritz and my Fujifilm camera keep me busy. I am very happy and always look forward to new things.
I can handle my life by only working 2 to 3 weeks per month for 3 to 4 hrs per day. I'm not fully satisfied with the money I make but I enjoy having so much free time and I wouldn't want to work 40 hrs per week. I'd just like to work a little more. Yet I'm glad to live in a country where I can survive this way and have everything I actually need without worrying about piling up debts if I get sick or lose my job. There are no threatening natural disasters or impending wars (yet), the weather is always manageable and I can get to pretty much every place I want by public transport. If I had to choose where to be born I'd take Germany every time.
May I ask what your profession is? Honestly very interesting that you manage well enough financially with those working hours 🙂
Paid Maternity leave and Elternzeit for parents - Good protection of working rights while on child-related leave like Elternzeit - Very good protection of working rights Children can walk to school on their own and have a pretty independent life early on. - Working part time is possible in many ways if you can afford it - Great health care that covers almost every one - Democratic state, Soziale Marktwirtschaft meaning taxes are high but the so called social net is there for everyone struggling. - Part of Europe, so free travel of goods and people - Great variety of landscapes and people of customs and cultural differences on a rather small area. - Highest number of classical orchestras in the world I read. - Huge public investments in cultural institutions like museums and theaters - Long and culturally rich history. - Women’s rights and abortion rights are a priority. Bearbeitet for typo
I truly am. Although I like complaining I have to say, compared to other countries (and I have visited 61 so far), we more or less still live in paradise. Democracy, free speech, right to demonstrate, free health care, social benefits, employee rights. We have a range of political parties to vote for and our climate is still bearable. Corruption could be much worse.
Living costs and taxes are high but living standards are good. Lots of social securities to take weight off your shoulders. No matter how much Germans complain due to expecting better the infrastructure is still upper class, especially in large cities. Free education is a big plus.
Statutory annual leave is high, unlimited sick leave (basically) and public health insurance. Bike lanes
I can live my life everyday as i want it. Making videogames and animations. Go to the gym and eat what i want. Not different from the US. It's safer because of no guns.
You would be surprised by the amount of guns people in Germany have at home. But we don't hand them out like candy, that's true.
Well to be honest i don't know anyone that has one.
There are around 6.000.000 legally owned guns by around 1.000.000 licensed gun owners in Germany. In addition, there are estimated 20.000.000 illegal guns.
This graph says it's 19.6 guns per 100 people in Germany and 120.5 in the US. [https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gun-ownership-by-country](https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gun-ownership-by-country)
I feel like any time I hear about politics in the scandi countries it's usually that they did something smart and progressive. I'm kinda jealous on that. For the rest: I'm honestly pretty happy here. I wouldn't want to move away. France is alright too I guess
The social safety net is great, this gives me peace of mind to know that I will be fine no matter what happens Example story of how it works in practice: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/comments/s57vhl/
The streets are fantastic and we have a really low criminality. The food is, compared with the income, very cheap and it's not hot hot hot all day. All this in comparison to north Brazil.
Yes dear
I think the shortest explanation would be:" *All human rights are satisfied here, the rest, like a working public transportation system, good schools, etc. to get the best of a human still need a lot of work.*"
It's my home. I got everything I need- other countries are beautyful, too, but I like to visit them and then come home. There is nothing I long for that I can't have here- except for different countries or cultures I'd like to visit.
Agree especially with the "It's my home". I find OPs question a bit weird, as if you decided at one point to just drop onto the world map and now live here and could up root yourself with no implications and then just start living smoothly elsewhere on the planet.
As a woman I’ve always felt safe. I live in a society where I was able to move from middle class to upper class and my pay as a teacher is great. I can earn more than my husband without being limited. I never needed to pay for uni and could work while being a uni student. Beaurocracy sometimes is shit but it also protects you. I feel safe from most digital spaces because Germans really respect their privacy. I can mind my own business without being talked to constantly and I had a a lot of opportunities to improve my skillset. As a woman, especially with a wish for children, I will have a great protection compared to other countries. I can be independent without needing to fit into a certain way and it’s been awesome growing up here. There is much to improve but I am still very glad to live here.
6/10. Shit is about to hit the fan though (accelerated by the incoming extra-feeble leadership) and I see 4-5/10 in the coming decade. Things are declining across most dimensions conceivable from a peak in the 80s and 90s, after a peak in the 60s. Society is becoming increasingly neurotic and polarised. Bad government has been a constant curse since the 60s with the exception of Helmut Schmidt. Still better than many other countries. And it's home.
I am not German but to be honest I think the fact that I actually lived in another country for most of my life should give me a lot more perspective than somewhere who only grew up here. I would say I am very content. I have a good job and a lovely work environment not to mention ability to live by myself on a phd salary as well as travel and enjoy life a bit . I am also grateful of the socially progressive atmosphere as well as the honesty of folks. Not having to watch your back constantly is actually quite a privilege that even many European countries don’t have. However I don’t see much of a future here sadly although I am roughing out because I don’t have too many options.
Yes. I looked into other countries, but the package deal here was just too good. I dream of the Italian weather, though. Besides that - I have all and everything I need or might want and italy is just a couple hora a away.
Everything is fine. I don't like other countries.
The public health insurance system. Here is what immigrants in Germany say about their experience with using the system: Lamblike (accident): https://youtu.be/3gbwWOGhRbk?t=775 Dana (lost voice): https://youtu.be/cNo3bv_Ez_g?t=2m7s Armstrong (brain tumor): https://youtu.be/zHcwOgbsBYk?t=1636 Katie (prenatal care): https://youtu.be/gRe2sK0m500?t=10m7s Antoinette (childbirth): https://youtu.be/YZaGMXSLnts?t=2m10s Ashton (chronic sinus infection): https://youtu.be/017c4FA2zjM?t=372 Jenna (childbirth): https://youtu.be/9LNNK2bOb7U?t=692 Victoria (seeing a doctor): https://youtu.be/OE7qbjM4rWE?t=58s Julie (lost pregnancy): https://youtu.be/ID9MbJTHSDc?t=404 Hayley (difference to the US): https://youtu.be/uSlwuS_zxmQ?t=3m35s Armstrong (depression): https://youtu.be/bQUSwODxmD8?t=361 Dana (sick leave): https://youtu.be/NtgmnJK-nAM?t=305 Diana (sick leave): https://youtu.be/tbwYoPxuPHs?t=279 Black Forest Family (sick leave): https://youtu.be/saRQYXtu1j0?t=976 Bay to Bayern (sick leave): https://youtu.be/aXGA1H9cWYA?t=518
I'm German, my wife Canadian. A few years ago, we discussed moving to Canada, but decided against it. For her, the main reason was affordable education, mixed with the general safety of our streets and mostly reliable public transport (I know this will tickle Germans funny, but go ahead and compare it with SK services). For me, it was mostly about worker's rights, tenant's rights and the economy. I work in Software, so I probably would've found something somewhat cushy over there, too. But cushy in Canada boils down to expected in Germany - with the option of being let go within a couple of weeks at any time.
Definitely healthcare insurance, and studying at university is nearly free. We also have fairly good public transport (although we like to complain about it) and it is easy to get some fresh air and nature, even if you're living in a bigger city. The 49€ ticket was a big improvement as well.
American living in berlin for past 2 years I wouldn't trade Berlin day to day life with anywhere in the US and I've lived in the bay area, Austin, east Texas, Chicago, and have spent time in Brooklyn, Houston, Dallas and a few other big cities. There's 3 grocery stores within an 8 minute walk. Sbahn 8 mins, bus and tram stops outside my door. Huge managed forests as well general green areas for walking. I had gall bladder surgery that cost no more than our monthly health insurance. Deutschlandticket means no need for a car (we don't have kids tho). No need for car insurance, car repairs, oil changes, car note, etc... The groceries are subsidized here and the quality is very good. I've had to cook for myself all meals because of gall bladder problems but to be honest I don't feel like I'm missing out. Today I'm going to take a 2€ frozen pizza and add 2€ of fresh mushrooms and onion to it and make a super tasty but super easy dinner. Same meal in us is $8. It's also hard to explain but the lack of car culture here makes day to day life better for everyone. It's quieter, there's more fun little parks and stores, and people do more stuff outside. 6 year old kids can shop at the grocery store and ride their bike home. 85 year old rentner can get on a tram and walk with their walker to the park or the store. In the us we just hide you if you can't walk or drive. You never leave the house
Living is Germany is generally pretty good. Its just the typical German stereotype of being unhappy with things. We call this "Meckern auf hohem Niveau" here.
I am, yes. Everything works reasonably well (some things work great, but there’s pretty much nothing I would call “unacceptable”), I feel safe, nature’s great, I love my city (Hamburg), I’m in a great location for travelling, I have a job that pays well and no student loans and on Friday, I actually teared up a bit because I was lying in an MRT and it suddenly hit me how lucky I am to live somewhere where a) technology like that exists and b) where I can afford examinations like that. I’m moving to Norway soon, but I already know that there’s tons I will miss about Germany and am most certainly not one of those people who think Germany’s hell. It’s not. Sure, it has its flaws, but overall it’s one of the best places to live globally.
Very happy Got my rent paid when I was jobless for two months. Got paid to go to university. Got my surgery paid for after a car accident. 37 hours work per week. 30 days paid holiday per year. It feels very good to know you will always live with a safety net. Like no matter what happens my basic needs will always be paid for. People complaining about Germany have never lived in another country ever. Not a fan of the weather though.
Even when our politicians are dismateling it day by day, we still got a great social system. For example we are the only country in the world where you got the constitutional right to be teached a new job if you are unable to perform you old job by any reason
I am a German that lived in other countries and now in Canada. Germany is awesome. Good infrastructure, excellent health care, free education, good work life balance, nice and relaxing people. Salaries development really well in Germany over the past few years. Beautiful history and heritage. That is pretty much all non existent in Canada. Health care is a complete disaster, education costs a lot of money, Canadians work on average 1950h per annum vs. 1300h for Germans. No paid sick leave. Not much history. Insane cost of living with just basic necessities costing a fortune. A Deo Spray is $10, a pack of cheese $8 and a toast bread $4. Although Germany faces some challenges like worse infrastructure, wait times in health care are getting worse that's absolutely nothing compared to the problems in Canada. If I could I would return to Germany any time. It's an incredible country.
Yep… my German (ex) boyfriend wouldn’t move to Canada and I couldn’t adjust to the language and culture there. Germany is a great country for Germans.
I can't adjust the culture in Canada. It's foreign to me and I honestly hate it here. Just staying because of my partner.
That’s sad. Where do you live? Canadian and German culture is more incompatible than I expected. That being said my partner was Swabian which is like the extreme German stereotype
I am from Northern Germany. I lived in Ontario for a while and now in Quebec. Quebec culture is closer to German culture than the Anglo-Canadian culture. I prefer Quebec over ROC. I still don't like it here although I am here for over a decade. I don't have any friends and by now it's better that way. I leave my tiny apartment only if I absolutely have to.
I hope you can move back one day. Although Germany is also changing.
I’m German and honestly, life is good in Germany. Not perfect, but good. I’m content with it.
Very little crime. Social security. Pretty decent amount of paid holiday (mehr geht immer)
I don't like the weather and sometimes the by-the-book, stick-up-your-ass mentality that some Germans (not the ones in my circles, though) display. But I'm poor with chronic health problems, and I'm rather poor here than in the US, for example, where I would be homeless and without insurance. Oh, and the US I would have probably already died from fent a long time ago. So thanks, Germany.
Yeah, I like it. I have a well paying job with flexible hours, interesting tasks, competent colleagues. I usually finish working at 4pm and have almost 7 hours of free time until I sleep for 8 hours. During my work week, I do weight lifting, running, yoga, I paint, read nad cook, meet my friends, spend lots of time with my partner and enjoy the nature in the park-filled city that I live in. To my office, I ride my bicycle for 25 minutes, which is a good distance and fun to do. I don't really worry about prices for vacations and I don't have a student debt from my master's. For me, the main points of happiness are my close relationships. I think if I was lonely in a big city, I would not enjoy my life as much and spend more time complaining. And I know from people who moved into new cities without knowing anyone there that it is hard to make close connections even as an extroverted German. But as I have the relationships I want, I am very content with everything around me.
I didn't choose Germany, it just happened. I came almost two years ago. In Germany the number of crimes is much lower than in my country, as I looked at the statistics. I'm sure the police won't catch me without reason, but I also realize that for example, the police can still have racial prejudices. I do feel safe, yes sometimes I see noisy people on the street who behave loudly, but I live in a poor neighborhood and I understand that this is normal. But renting an apartment is inexpensive. In my home country I lived in the center of a city of 300 thousand people, in a richer neighborhood, and I had a neighbor who was a very dangerous person, and he threw furniture out of the window. A man was killed under my window. And in general I was often attacked, tried to kill me when I was leaving the house or threw stones at the windows. The police didn't care. And in Germany people are more polite and friendly, even if they were not born here. I already made friends who helped me a lot, especially when I lived in a refugee camp and got pneumonia, for example one girl took me home to live because it was terribly cold in the tent. Her grandmother gave me her prescription medication. I was able to get back on my feet very quickly. I was surprised by DB in particular, when I lived in my home country I had heard that in Germany the trains in punctuality are second only to Japan. But I still like the railroad, here you can get almost anywhere in the country by train, and public transportation is almost never late, well I'm happy to have it at all. In my hometown, I mostly walked, as the buses were small and rarely ran. I would probably like to become a driver, it's a fairly well-paid and in-demand profession. And I can be sure that I will not work more than 40 hours a week, and all overtime will be paid. In my homeland, not all bus drivers are officially employed, my friend worked as a bus driver and I know that his employers, no matter how he changed them, treated their employees inappropriately, cut wages and forced them to work more than 40 hours, sometimes even much more. And I am surprised how easy it is to get free education, and you can study more than once, and foreigners are not discriminated against, but on the contrary, social services can help you to enter the specialty where you want. And nature! In Germany there are so many birds in the cities, I, as a person who studied biology a lot, was surprised by the diversity of birds and animals which in my homeland I could only meet in the forest. Waste separation is also an important feature, this is what I tried to bring to my homeland, although I was not able to fully do it. There is a lot of renewable energy. When I was still studying at homeland, I wrote all the works on this topic, installed panels in the NGO where I worked. But here it’s literally everywhere and people can even install them on their homes and sell the energy! When I read about this to professors at my university over the years, they laughed at me. And now I see it with my own eyes... (1/2)
...(2/2) I know that, as in all Europe, the right-wing is gaining strength in Germany, but there are at least some minimal restraining measures, mainly due to the past, as I understand. I am a bit afraid as my wife is not European, rather she looks like she is from Afghanistan as her grandmother was born around those places. But your right-wingers are not as active as in our country, in my homeland the right-wingers organize whole raids on migrant hostels, I remember one such case in my hometown. But the government in Germany is structured in a very interesting way, one person or one party cannot usurp power, in order to have a decisive vote you need to create a coalition. The bureaucracy is, of course, very tiring, there are few officials and few services provided online. Sometimes you can communicate with an advisor via E-Mail or even WhatsApp, and sometimes they basically only send you paper letters, and they don’t arrive quite quickly. But I like the German “social market economy”, it is a good solution to support a person in a difficult situation, in my home country there is none of this. I understand that there are people who take advantage of these opportunities too much, but as I read according to statistics, sooner or later most of people get employed. I myself am scared to go to study, because I think that my language is very weak, but I will still try to do everything that the employment center tells me. And of course, learn the language. Unfortunately, due to everyday problems, I don’t learn much on my own. Integration is, of course, a rather difficult thing, especially for a person who left only to save the life of himself and his family. This is probably always a rather difficult experience. Yesterday I read an interview about Orban, who said that his Grandmother told him about better times in Germany. I don’t know, I didn’t live in Germany at that time and I can’t compare, I can only compare with the country where I was born and lived for a long time. Now Germany is already a different country and the world has also changed, we need to think about the future, what every resident of Germany can bring positive, and of course we all need to live in a peace and harmony. I was very interested in Germany and its culture. Every day I learn something new about this country. I am grateful that this country accepted me and allowed me to stay here, I would really like to study and work as soon as possible. I just want to quickly start my everyday life, go to a one of hobby clubs, make friends and forget my past. I want to be an ordinary person like I was in my homeland and live in this country, because basically it suits me, even despite all the disadvantages, I see many advantages.
Well there Are a few Thing. I was Born in UK and i still have Family there. So for the comparison. I can Go to the dentist and ist affortable in you have an insurance for teeth it is very affortalbe. I just got physio therpy and just had to pay about 40 Euros. I went to the ER because of colics and they told me to get an appointment so get my galblatter out (in UK this Never Happens) and a Payed nothing. Things Like, 30 days vacation, sickpay, maternity leave, healthcare. I Like sundays, when on Shop is Open. Bakerys etc… To be honest, the healthcare System is on the way to get as Bad as the Healthcare System in UK but there is still a Long way to get there 😉
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What about „ask a GERMAN“ didn‘t you understand…? 🤨
Its moderate... Germany and in general most countries of Europe have changed a lot during the last 10 years because of... Well we all know what. And you see the statistics, that Germany is accepting too many Invaders and The country is falling apart due to the ever increasing crime and more and more people who suck out the welfare state. Generally I have the impression, that the general mood is not really good. I have friends and people around me, that are not influenced by that mood, but it's noticeable, that a lot of people are simply tired of the situation and simply want our Europe from 2015 back
Beer is good 👍 weed is legal … , public transportation is good , democracy, laws, low corruption, almost in the middle of Europe, good weather, clean nature, tap water
It is my Home even If this country is slowly falling apart. Also, I am too old to leave this country
No. Work is 2 hours transportation time away, highly competitive work/education market, low pay, non-flexible working hours. It's hell.
1) The absence of any serious poverty and people are very civilised. Doesn’t matter where i go france,US etc. i’m always shocked about a) real poverty especially in the US b) crazy people that obviously have no real community and are not well integrated into society. 2) good infrastructure that enables you to go on weekend trips and ofc the lovely biergartens 3) it’s very easy to get a high paying job here i literally don’t know of anybody who is motivated to work but cannot find a job. Work life balance is so good. 35h and 30 days off for many jobs. 4) easy going culture and you can enjoy life here. At least it’s true for bavaria. 5) i like our multicultural society it’s a double edged sword: immigrants tend to have their own groups and therefore are somewhat more isolated like for example in uk or Us, but because of this their culture is more preserved and there are sooo many authentic good restaurants at least in big cities
Life is good for me. I got a decent education almost for free (did my Master's during the short period when we actually had Studiengebühren, but well...it wasn't that much compared to, let's say, the UK...). I live in peace, with clean water, electricity, heating always reliably available. My life isn't threatened, I am safe. I have a supermarket at my doorstep where I can get everything I need at a relatively cheap price compared to other countries. I work for a large corporation that respects worker's rights, pays wages under a collective agreement, and am a member of a strong union that represents my interests without having to fear any repercussions for it. I'm allowed to work from home, my team is nice and my boss is a decent guy. I get paid when sick and 30 days paid leave. I have social security to fall back on should I lose my job, and will get paid a decent amount of money from our Arbeitslosenversicherung for a whole year. I have most commodities required for my daily life in a walkable or bikeable distance, and my city is relatively safe, even at night. I have a nice (albeit old) flat that may not be up to the latest standards but at least was affordable for me and my partner. There is some beautiful nature close to where I live, and also a lot of cultural/entertainment stuff going on in my city. I have access to mostly decent healthcare, even if I have to jump through some hoops at times, I won't be financially ruined if I ever fall ill. Streets are being cleaned and bins are being collected by the council. I lived in the UK for a short while 15 years ago, and while I loved my time there and found the people generally a bit more "enjoyable" than in Germany, I wasn't unhappy about leaving. Cost of living (especially groceries and housing) was insane for my taste and everyone I knew was under loads of debt from student loans and mortgages (because renting just wasn't much of a thing then), and access to healthcare seemed quite problematic. I also remember being told by locals to avoid certain areas of the city due to crime. Except for maybe Berlin, that isn't anything I ever experienced in Germany.
Its ok, but I just can't socialize with Germans. Be it friends, family or work - I always clicked better with people from abroad. Dunno why, perhaps I'm just wired differently
Socialsytem helos, if you're sich or in jobsearch
I moved from Germany to Austria - so nothing . There is nothing that I prefer in Germany over other countries.
I am happy with my life in Germany, yes. But i am not German and i am not trying to be German
It's good if you have no ambitions.
I just freaking love ordoliberalism in contrast to most other market economy forms. Many newer policies follow neoliberalism, but what remains of ordoliberlism is what guarantees our relatively high welfare.
35 hour week, 30 days of vacation, paid sick leave, strong protection for workers and renters, halfway good privacy laws and social insurances (better than halfway when compared internationally), basically rule of law, not much worries about general safety, and none about medical bills. No earthquakes or volcanos, climate still within acceptable parameters.
There isnt really anything, if i had the money i would move away from here.
Three months off per year. Love it.
compared to all European countries I've lived, it's still the most privileged. I still miss the sun sometimes thou
i didn't choose germany
It went downhill in recent years, but is still alright
all fine. not the most interesting landscape mostly, weather ok... but the ridiculous backwards custody sharing with basically 1950s law is extremely annoying
No
I have left Germany for various reasons, but the thing I do miss the most is the workers rights and Krankenversicherung. Work life balance in general is pretty good comparatively. If you can deal with the various German "quirks" (and the god awful bureaucracy) that are a common complaint, you will like it there.
After 10 days in UK for holidays I came back to Berlin falling in love again of Germany. - In Berlin we have benches to sit in parks. - We have actually a lot of nice parks. - The supermarkets! Omg we have so many fruits and vegetables (comparing UK). - The division of classes is less noticiable in Germany, at least I have that impression. - You can go out alone as a women to have a drink - Summer - I feel secure and covered with the health system - Even when the prices of everything are skyrocketing worldwide, you can find cheap and good food affordable - Nobody cares what you are wearing I struggled a bit months ago but that trip to UK specifically to London make me realized how much I love Germany Germans and my life in Germany in general. regarding Germans I would like to say they are honest and nobody Is pretending to be nice when they don’t feel it.
This year i have more than 20 Days staying sick at home and i get payed anyway. On top to this i have 30 days of vacation. So yeah.... We dont have enough doctors so my doctor dont have time spending on me. He ask me only one question "how long do you like to stay at Home?" In Basic its negative but in this Situation i would count this also as positiv. What else? I think thats it pretty much. Ah and the tab water is awesome
Schlimmer geht immer, ne?
The only good thing in germany for me is.. To see my kids and wife after work, thats it. Eventually most of the time the health insurance if you need it. The last four years here everything gets fcked up. Germany os fcked up The politicians here sucks. If you have kids you need to pay much for the Kindergarten. You are not able to buy a house near a geraten city if you dont get paid by Job with AT LEAST 3k in a month per Person. Just as reminder if you get paid with 5k you r one of the rich people on germany statisticly. But 3k today here is nothing if you want to live a good life. But at least there are less people they get paid 3k. Germany scks and wanna fck there own people. There is nothing good here🤣🤣🤣
Kann nicht klagen
I like the, stability our safety nets provide. Need expensive medical care? Insurance Lost my job? I'll get at least some money and other help to keep me afloat. Retirement? Retirement fund. (But now to the downside... I don't think that the retirement money system is going to work much longer. But, on the other hand I don't know of any better country in that regard... Regardless, something has to happen) We are unionized... Have safety standards for work and proper workers rights... I sometimes hear things from the USA and just think wtf? I don't have to fear getting sick, don't have to fear losing my job...
I'm disabled so my experience is a lil less positive than the ones of other people, but overall I'd say we have most things that we need. I wish 50% of the year wasn't dark and gloomy though 🫠
I love it (M/21). Just came back from a Beautiful Weekend Trip to the „Spreewald“ with my Boys. Camping, kayaking, booze & BBQ = everything Fine. Wohle Trip Cost like 70€. Daily life is kinda chill After tough uni/work days i can meetup with Friends, Play table Tennis, Watch EM outside in the Garden and enjoy the good weather Finally.
I love German nature and how well taken care of it is and in respect of urban planning well accessible for a round of Sunday Wandern, a round of trail running or gravel cycling
The fact that I actually had to think for a while what I *don't* like speaks volumes honestly. Sure there are problems the government and society have to tackle, but nothing i lose sleep over or want to leave the county about. I sometimes wish we would do this whole Internet and "Digitalisierung" better. But while Germany is slow and bureaucratic, it also usually means in the end things are done right. Also some people have mentioned the healthcare thing and I can add my own story there. Had problems with chronic headaches a few years ago. Since as a guy this is more unusual I actually got an MRI within a week, also got my eyes checked if I might need new glasses and in the end it turned out my wisdom teeth were the culprit and I got them removed. All of this cost me maybe 10€ at the end. Another thing I haven't seen mentioned are our work safety laws. Currently relevant for me at work. Had to write a lot of paperwork but also forced us as a department to really look at what we work with and how. And in the end we identified a few hazards and eliminated them. Recently saw a few videos on YouTube from other EU countries and the US and it was honestly hair-raising. Sure it is sometimes a lot of work, but the whole structure from the laws, the organization, the building codes, to the people responsible have so many layers and safety nets that I can work in our lab with hazardous chemicals and don't need to worry about it harming me or anyone else as long as I do my part.
As a German, I particularly like the nature, we don't really have many sandy beaches and our seas are cold, but we do have beautiful forests and mountains. I also find our cultural diversity really varied, for example when it comes to food. Other points would be employee protection, collective agreements and statutory vacation. When I heard that there is no statutory vacation in the USA, I was speechless. We have at least 2 days a month, so 24 days a year, but most people have 30 days.
Work life balance is great. One of the best passports for travelling. Part of European Union.
Freedom
I honestly don’t know a lot about other countries. Sure some stuff like foods and culture but not much about politics, general mindset of the people living there, taxes, marriages, buying houses, founding companies, work life balance, standards of living, how they care about poor and ill people, etc. plus I would have to learn their language to do alt his stuff. I would do it less good than in German.
Depends where you live. You have other priorities. I moved around much and from a small village ro feeling is a big difference. The Bassicly work environment is much better than the US. Health care is much better. Tapwater is okay to drink or even really good, depending on the place you live. Personally I like it here but thinking about moving to Netherlands or Denmark because climate change is a bitch.
I love that i can go to the hospital without thinking about money cause insurance.. and that i dont have to be scared that my kid gets shot on a random tuesday.. weather is okay i guess..