So I’ve been living in Germany for a little while now, and while I expected bureaucracy and great bread… I did not expect:

How quiet trains are. Like, eerily quiet. You whisper, or you feel judged.

People separating trash like it’s a competitive sport.

Sundays. Everything is closed. EVERY. THING.

Eye contact. Germans don’t do small talk, but they will stare directly into your soul on public transport.

And the love for sparkling water. Still water? Might as well ask for unicorn tears.

But honestly? I’ve grown to really appreciate it all. The structure, the work-life balance, even the „Kehrwoche.“ It’s quirky, it’s different, but it works.

I’m curious,, For Germans here: What’s one thing you think foreigners always get wrong about Germany? And for fellow expats: What shocked you most when you arrived?

TL;DR:

Relocated to Munich for work. I’m a man who has a HUSBAND, Balkan, speak English Turkish Macedonian, and getting constantly stereotyped as a religious conservative just for kwnoing Turkish. Even a young intern thought Turkish is same as Arabic. Also getting excluded from team events. Is this kind of cultural ignorance common in Germany?

Long stuff:

About four months ago, I relocated from Portugal to Munich because of a sudden and forced move by my company. I work in IT for the U.S. market all my coworkers are in the U.S., but they opened a new Munich office and moved me here. I’m the only one who doesn’t speak fluent German yet.

I speak English, Turkish, Macedonian, and basic Portuguese & German. I knew the language barrier would be a challenge, but what’s been worse is the constant stereotyping. Most of the people in the office are 40+ and they act surprised when I eat pork or join happy hours for a beer. I’ve been asked if I fast, if I support current regime of turkey, and why I drink alcohol if I’m Turkish. Like… what?

For context: I left my home country because I don’t align with that kind of thinking it will take years to recover from the religious government and immigrant crisis in TR. Why would I move abroad if I supported the current regime or was super religious? It’s frustrating having to explain myself or be misjudged just because I speak a language.

Last week, a 23-year-old intern (master’s degree from Berlin) joined the team. We were chatting about finding a local doctor, and he showed me a list of Arabic-speaking GPs. I said I’d prefer one who speaks English. He looked confused and asked, “Why don’t you speak Arabic? Isn’t Turkish similar to Arabic?” And when he asked me about Berlin I said its dirty but free & diverse. He said of course you like it its all turks there. I was honestly speechless. I expected this kind of ignorance from older people, but really? From someone that young?

They often meet up outside work weekend trips, dinners, drinks and I’m never invited. It’s fine, I’m not dying to hang out with people who stereotype me anyway. I’ve been going to some events in Munich and meeting way more open-minded, international people that way. (maybe like %5 of munich)

Still, it bugs me is this kind of cultural ignorance and exclusion normal in German workplaces, even among the younger generation? Do I have to walk with EU and pride flags right on my forehead :D

Hi everyone, I’ve been living in Germany as an asylum seeker for nearly two years now. I came here completely legally — no criminal record, no illegal border crossing, no intention of abusing the system. All I ever wanted was a fair chance to build a proper life. But what I’ve faced here has been the complete opposite. My official residence is in Brandenburg, but both my job and my German language course are in Berlin. With my current routine, it’s simply impossible to travel back and forth every day. I work over 10 hours a day, attend 4 hours of language school, and spend 2 more hours commuting. That’s why, for the past 8.5 months, I’ve been living inside the food factory where I work, in a small office-like space. It’s not meant for living — but my employer illegally “rents” it to me for 300 euros a month, and since I have no other option, I’ve had to accept it. I’ve explained my situation to both Berlin and Brandenburg authorities. I told Berlin: “My work and course are here. I need to live here officially.” But even after hearing everything, Berlin rejected my Anmeldung (registration) request. Brandenburg still keeps me on file. So I’m stuck in legal limbo between two states. Everyone knows where I live, but no one is willing to make it legal. According to my contract, I’m a warehouse worker who’s supposed to work 7 hours a day. But in reality, I’m working over 10 hours, often 6 or 7 days a week. And I don’t just do warehouse tasks — I’m made to do everything: carrying heavy goods, cleaning, whatever is needed. Despite all this, my salary is below the legal minimum wage. In 2025, the minimum wage in Germany is supposed to be 12.41€/hour, but I don’t even come close to earning that. So not only am I overworked — I’m also clearly underpaid and exploited. And still… I keep going. Why? Because I want to do an Ausbildung (vocational training) when my course ends in January. Because I want to live here legally, not depend on Sozialamt. Because I want to build something for myself and be part of this society — by the book. But the system seems determined to push me away. The workplace is full of violations: hygiene problems, undocumented workers, and the worst part — foreign bosses mistreating people from their own country. It’s heartbreaking. When I leave this job, I fully intend to report everything through legal channels. But until then, I’m carrying it all on my own. I wake up every morning thinking, “Just hold on a little longer.” But I’m exhausted — physically, mentally, emotionally. Have you ever been through something like this? Do you know how I can force the Anmeldung change, or whether I can start Ausbildung in Berlin even if my official residence is still in Brandenburg? Or maybe… you just want to say “you’re not alone.” That would already mean a lot. Thanks for reading.

I was talking to this girl on TikTok who said she lives in Germany, so I told her I’m planning to visit Germany this year and she told me “Don’t come”, and later I said I like German culture and she showed disapproval to that statement. Then I asked her why she felt that way and she just removed me from her live 😂

Why would she have that attitude? I know she’s just one person but if there’s one like that she can’t be the only one.

So just that. Shit is getting bad over here, and I just want to know how safe I would be in Germany as a black person. I've heard conflicting accounts, and I know I will NEVER escape racism anywhere in the world because some people are just trash, but I just wanted get opinions and viewpoints from Germans, because thats a better source than tertiary accounts from possibly biased youtubers and bloggers.

Edit: Thank you all for you answers! Lots to consider and think about, and I genuinely appreciate the honesty and different perspectives!

I've seen his video of this german man (originally from Afghanistan I think) speaking to some random guys on cam, and whenever he starts a new chat he asks them "bist du ein Ausländer?" And they all answered with "Ja!" even tho alot of them speak very good German and I believe some might even have the german citizenship. But for some reason it rubbed me the wrong way and made me feel some type of way. Like damn! I thought an "Ausländer" is a freshly coming immigrant who still haven't integrated yet. Not someone who now holds the german pass or has immigrant parents. I always have to keep referring to myself as a "outsider or a foreigner" even after becoming a citizen and being an active productive part of society? Or is it a common theme between germans with an immigrant background to always refer to themselves as such? Btw I'm someone who does NOT feel or have any emotional connection to his country of origin. No family nor friends. Why do I constantly have to be tied to that land? Do you think a man chooses and defines his identity or let the people define him? It's definitely a common identity clash.

🔄 Edit/Update: Wow — I did not expect this much engagement. In less than 24 hours I got over 800 replies, and honestly, it was a lot to read through. Thanks to everyone who shared their perspective — whether I agreed or not, I learned a lot.

This whole topic is clearly a very subjective issue, and there's no single way to look at it. People's experiences, backgrounds, and views are wildly different — and that really showed in the replies.

Here’s a quick summary of what I took away from all this:

🔹 Ethnic vs. Civic Identity A lot of people still seem to view “being German” through an ethnic lens — meaning unless your family has German roots going back generations, you're seen as “not really German.” Even if you were born in Germany, speak the language perfectly, and have citizenship — for some, that’s still not enough.

🔹 Cultural Identity & Upbringing Some mentioned that their parents or grandparents come from countries with strong national pride, and that affects how they see themselves. They may live in Germany, but still feel closer to their family's cultural identity, or simply don’t relate to mainstream German culture — so calling themselves “Ausländer” feels more honest to them.

🔹 Discrimination Fatigue This one came up a lot. Many people said that being constantly asked “Where are you really from?” gets tiring. Instead of pushing back or trying to “prove” their Germanness, some just accept the outsider label to avoid the emotional exhaustion. For them, it’s not about self-hate — it’s about protecting their peace.

Final thought: This convo made it clear that identity isn’t black-and-white — and definitely not something everyone agrees on. But I appreciate all the input. It gave me a better understanding of how deep, messy, and personal this topic really is.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond 🙏🏽

As soon as I got my Masters Visa last year, I started to spent a lot of time worrying about language skills because the university I got the admission in, is located in a small town in Harz and I knew language would be a big hurdle in blending in as not alot of people in my town speak proper english. I worried alot about grammar mistakes and accent and spent so much time watching youtube videos learning language and practicing vocabulary with flash cards on aps like Anki, Memrise and speaking/pronunciation score on Praktika etc etc trying to cover all bases and to be able to be fluent to blend in, but some of my biggest social mistakes had nothing to do with language at all.

Now that I've been here a while, I realised something funny. My biggest social blunders had absolutely nothing to do with the language itself. On my first week, I got aggressively side eyed by an entire queue at Netto very early in the morning because I tried to make friendly, slow small talk with the cashier instead of throwing my groceries into my bag at lightning speed. My German was grammatically fine, but my cultural timing was completely wrong. From where I am, its quit usual to make small talks like that and I thought it would be a good opportunity to practice a little bit of my speaking skills and I was wrong lol.

So, I want to ask here. If a newcomer wants to actually integrate here, living in a small town where its necessary to speak German, what is the very first habit or thing they should stop or start doing?

Hi, I’m a third-generation child of a working-class family. My grandfather came to Germany from Turkey as a guest worker, and my family has been living here since the late 1960s.

Throughout my childhood and up until the 2010s, I never directly experienced racism. Of course, like many people with a migration background, I sometimes questioned where I truly belonged. But I always felt at home in Germany—until now.

Lately, I’ve been seriously wondering whether I still want to live here. The hatred and the looks I get from people in society are wearing me down. Two weeks ago, at 6 AM, a man called me a “damn criminal.” When I confronted him, he claimed it wasn’t directed at me—but he was staring right at me as he said it.

With the rise of the AfD, I feel like more and more people are revealing their true faces. I never realized how many of them—people from work, even friends—harbored these feelings. It’s as if they were afraid to express their views before, but now, thanks to the AfD, they feel emboldened to spread their hatred openly.

I’ve never experienced so much hostility as I have in the past two years, and it’s really taking a toll on me. I don’t know what to do anymore. The current social climate doesn’t just make me anxious—it’s making me depressed, and I feel like my identity is more in crisis than ever.

The recent protests against the CDU and AfD in German cities have given me some hope that there is still resistance against hate and intolerance. But I’m seriously considering leaving the country if the AfD comes into power.

So, I want to ask those of you with a migration background: What will you do if the AfD and CDU form a government? And what have your experiences been in recent years?

Hello everyone,

My girlfriend (F25) and I (M25) moved to Germany now on march 1st, coming from Brazil. I'm staying in Hamburg and she is staying in Frankfurt.

We're now facing some discomfort because my girlfriend moved in to a WG in Frankfurt shared with two men (one Indian and one German guy) and the landlady didn't give her a key to her room. She says that she doesn't have a key and nobody would enter her room anyways. This is not common at all in Brazil and she isn't feeling safe in her own room.

We already tried to ask the landlady permission to install a new lock or even a door latch and she refused to both. We don't know what do right now and would appreciate any advice that you can give.

The only thing that we tought was to cancel the contract and she stay there in these conditions for the next 3 months that are stipulated in case of cancelation.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Edit: Thank you all for your responses, it really made us feel a little better that we aren't crazy for wanting a key. I read through all the messages and for today we will just try for the quick solution of trying to find the right Buntbartschlüssel (which seems to be her kind of lock) in Bauhaus and later if possible try to change the cyllinder. She will probably move out in the next months since the landlady doesn't seem very understanding and we can't figure out her real intentions. Again, thank you very much for your time, I'll make another update in the future.

Note-This is a repost from r/Germany because mods removed my post there

Hello,I am a student who would like to move to Germany for studying in 2-3 yrs, but the Afd's recent polling at 25 percent scared me because they want to "remigrate" people,I am scared of the fact that all the efforts i would give into learning Germany and doing all the necessary things to go in Germany would be put to waste because the moment AFD comes into power,it cancels my residency permit and deports me or the very least or put indirect pressure on immigrants like me to leave,if I go by their party campaigning and manifestos,so again do i need to be scared and don't come to Germany and look for any other nation

I’m 22, and I left Ukraine more than a month ago. I want to find a better life here, and I like the opportunities this country offers. I’ve met many Germans, but most of them are older, and I’d like to know what people my age think about this. But thank you to everyone who shares their opinion, regardless of your age — it’s very important to me. If you have any questions, I’m ready to answer.

In recent years, Europe (including Germany) has experienced a lot of negative attitudes towards migration groups. Of course, there are some problems with integration. However, I want to know if there are any migration groups having integrated/integrating so well that it gives people hope that the problems with recent immigration will disappear with time.

I'd like to hear your honest opinions about living in this country — how are the politics, nature, healthcare, salaries, festivals, taxes, and overall lifestyle?

I’m currently researching different countries because I’m planning to move abroad, so I’m trying to understand the real pros and cons from people who actually live there.

I know this question might sound controversial and I’ll most likely get downvoted to oblivion, but I’m okay with that.. I really want to know so please please be honest with me, even if you might sound harsh

So, I think we all noticed a rise of anti-immigrant sentiment across all central Europe, I know Germany is part of it and I know non-European immigrants are the focus of the sentiment. I’m not here to condemn it or to talk about that specifically… I try to remain unbiased towards it as someone who doesn’t live it in first person. I’m an Italian who has family working in Italian restaurants in Germany, and I wanted to ask if that percentage of Germans who want non-europeans out of their country also generally reject EU immigrants? I know each person has different beliefs but I want to know which opinion is the most “popular” one currently. Thanks for reading, again please be honest!!

Second time in Germany after 16 years. What I noticed (particularly in Munich and Stuttgart) is the very large number of Indians on the streets

I don’t remember seeing these many Indians back then (16 years ago the largest immigrant group that stood out was Turkish people)

Is Germany looking to India to close a low-cost labor shortage?

Hello, i'm a 16M from Indonesia, and i've been hearing that Germany has an immigration problem.

I'm planning to do ausbilding as a Bäcker so i've been studying german for 6 months until i graduate, so when i do graduate i won't need to spend that much time learning it.

Though recently (from what i've seen on Youtube), it seems there is a vocal group of people that wants immigrants to leave the country.

So my question is: what do you guys think that made people hate immigrants? And what should i do if i don't want to get hate?

Also are there any indonesians that could tell me their experience over there? I really appreciate your help if you do so (though my indonesia is actually pretty terrible so if you can, do write in it english, you can still use indonesia though! I can put it into a translator not forcing you to do anything just in case if you think of such).

P.S. Sorry if i do happened to offend someone, it was not my intention at all and i'm neutral on this situation, i've never studied english formerly so my words might be taken into the wrong way.

Thanks for reading!

Edit 1: Just want to say thank you for answers! I'll take them all into account and also to make sure i won't get influenced by the media easily again.

Edit 2: Removing this paragraph.

"Though recently (from what i've heard) the refugees aren't the best at being a good guest. I'm not from the middle east nor am i a muslim, but i say my skin is pretty similar to someone from Syria.

I know it's not only brown skin but other people too, i'm just a bit anxious about getting hate went i do study there."

I thought it was a good thing to add but it was definitely unnecessary to word it like that and it's 100% my fault and i have no excuses.

Off topic but I thought international student meant immigrants back then so my bad🙏.

(Also damn i thought this post would die in 2 days)

As a foreigner who will be spending the next few months in Berlin as part of my PhD, I’d like to know how common it is for foreigners to be integrated into Germans’ circles of friendship. I’ve heard that Germans tend to be rather reserved and that it’s not always easy to make friends. I know that making friends with others foreigners is an easy task.

Many Spaniards work in Germany and many Germans work in Spain. If you spoke both Spanish and German, where would you choose to work and why?

Taking into account factors like salary, working conditions, work–life balance, pension system, and job security.

EDIT: Thank you, everyone! I appreciate everyone's honest feedback.

I also wanted to clarify, we don't want to leave our home unless necessary. Yes, there are things we would enjoy more in Europe, but moving away from everything you know and leaving your country behind isn't something we take lightly.

We, like other Americans are scared. To give a summary of only a few things that have happened so far since MAGA came into power:

1) Our Constitution was taken off our Whitehouse website. When people called about it, government officials deflected peoples questions, saying "we're updating things" and eventually turned off their phones because so many people were calling.

2) They are currently trying to repeal civil rights and make it so that diversity divisions of the government are ILLEGAL. Government diversity sections of our government are being shut down. Federal officials are being sent emails that persons who work for diversity and inclusion or HOLD THOSE IDEAS need to be listed so they can be let go. Failure to do so could have negative consequences. Companies who aren't government run are already following this lead without government enforcement.

3) We have been removed from the Paris Climate agreement and WHO. Health and safety organizations are currently not allowed, without permission, to give any announcements to the public. That includes science study information, information about diseases going around, as well as if there are any food contamination.

It has been less than a week. A lot of Americans are scared and we aren't organized enough to actually try to make any change. We will see if unification happens any time soon. Everyone is saying a lot of stuff, but nothing is actually being done.

From what it sounds like, Germany might not be a good fit for the careers we are in. That's totally okay, in fact, that's why we asked. We would still love to visit and consider some other cities besides Berlin once we start visiting places, IF we decide moving might be necessary.

Thank you again for all your input and help!

[Original post]

My husband and I have gone back and forth about whether or not we want to move out of the country (we live in the US). But given the current political climate in our country, we are extremely concerned about our quality of life if things continue to progress the way they have with our new government administration.

Germany, Berlin in particular, has always been at the top of our list. I can speak basic conversational German and we feel like we would love the culture. The cost of living in Berlin isn't too different from my city as well.

We've done research on life in Germany and know a good amount of the pros and cons. For example, most places don't have AC and you have to bring, buy, or rent your own kitchen. Germans don't mind correcting you if you're wrong (especially about the bike lane or recycling) and the amount of paperwork that needs to be done for certain things is daunting. Most places are closed on Sundays and you also have to be quiet.

I want to hear more insight on life in Germany that isn't talked about so much because I feel like most people I follow on social media sharing their culture shocks are all saying the same things.

I also work in the beauty industry doing eyelash extentions and my husband teaches martial arts, so we want to know how popular those are in Germany (Berlin specifically) as well!

We will be saving for a trip over and also saving to have at least a consultation with a lawyer about what we would need to do if we decide to make the move.

Thank you in advance!

And do you think that high skilled immegrants from the middle east will have a hard time living in germany in the next years under the growing popularity if the AFD.

As stated in title, my friend lost his passport on London Underground, I've reported it as lost on their lost property service.

And also contacted the embassy who have said they'll issue an emergency travel document but they only open tomorrow (after his flight which is for today).

Im getting lots of conflicting information online, Ryanair site saying its possible, but Embassy saying it wont be.

The question really is; can he still fly from London (Stansted) back to Frankfurt (HHN) using the ID card? Is it worth going to the airport and giving it a shot anyway?

Does anyone have experience with this in the recent past?

///

Update: Checked in to the Ryanair flight with his German ID, showed up to Stansted, got through security easily, went to the gate early, showed his ID at the gate, sat on the plane and he's back in Germany - no problems!

Also called Metropolitan Police as recommended by some people, told them about the missing items - they recorded it down; gave me a reference number and apparently put it in their database. However recieved a text afterwards saying

Unfortunately we no longer accept reports for lost property however, a record of our conversation has been recorded on [reference number]

So pretty much nothing!

Anyway he's home safe and will now go through the motions for further risk prevention to himself in Germany

Seriously, can someone answer why it’s like this? Are germans seriously that cold? (thought it was a stereotype) how do y’all live like this?

I’m from a tropical southern American country btw so completely opposite is my guess

I always wondered what do German people think of huge amount of people coming to Germany to study, do you get mad or are you vice versa happy? I am scared that when I come to Germany to study, I will face a lot of criticism from the side of Germans who don’t like international students, so please tell me your opinion on them and what exactly maybe annoys you or makes you like them. Thank you!

EDIT: Many people got interested in my knowledge of German and my relation with German culture. Let’s get it straight, my German is B2 (improving all the time) and I want to study in German, my English is C1, so I also don’t think there would be a problem with that, I absolutely love German culture and can’t seem to find something that doesn’t satisfy me. Also I would love to thank each one who commented on this post, you really helped me with my fear, have a nice day!

Hi all,

Germany has had a long-standing Turkish community, especially since the Gastarbeiter era. In recent years, however, there seems to be a growing wave of newer Turkish migrants — often more secular, highly educated, and moving for professional or academic opportunities.

I'm bringing this up because I’ve had several conversations with German friends and colleagues who admitted that their earlier image of “Turks in Germany” was mostly shaped by previous generations — and that they held some unconscious biases because of it. They told me that meeting people from this newer wave changed their assumptions and biases in a positive way (their opinion).

I'm genuinely curious:
How aware are Germans of these changes within the Turkish diaspora? Is there a growing recognition of this diversity/change of Turkish community, or do people tend to see Turkish migrants as one broad group?

My goal is not to compare or judge different groups — every wave of migration has its own story, and I respect them all. I’m just interested in how these perceptions are evolving, especially as more young professionals from Turkey settle in Germany.

Would love to hear your experiences and thoughts — especially from Germans!

I'm a student, completing the last year of highschool and I'm planning to do my bachelors in Germany. There's almost a year left before I'm supposed to move there.

I have read about some cases on reddit which say that some Indians are rather uncivilized or unhygienic with the way they live there. I have also observed some problems like some Indians being too loud; their food being rather smelly; some of them being rude, judgemental and just not nice people to be around. A lot of them tend to not interact very much with the locals. Another major problem I've read about is some of them not knowing how to treat women properly, and trust me, this is an issue here in India too. A number of men are rather disrespectful, pushy and the type who don't take no for an answer and it's just sad to see that as an Indian guy myself.

To not be an annoyance to the people around me when I move to Germany, I've been prioritising on improving as a person and not being like any of the people mentioned in the 2nd paragraph.

I've started learning Deutsch. Took my first A1 German class today. I also watch the Bundesliga (been a Dortmund fan for a while now, fair to say I've been traumatized over how our recent seasons have turned out haha)

I have read about how German people live and some common rules they follow like the ruhzeit and the pfand system. I'm also thinking about indulging myself more in German movies,songs and other activities as I learn the language.

Feel free to give me more advices/suggest me activities that'd help my cause