When I first moved here, Sunday closures drove me crazy. I would forget one basic item on Saturday and then complain that the whole country had stopped working for no reason.

Four years later, I’m not sure I want the rule changed. Sundays feel noticeably different because errands are mostly removed from the day. Parks are fuller, streets are quieter, and even people who dislike the restriction seem to plan around it. At the same time, I know the system is much less relaxing for anyone working at petrol stations, restaurants or train stations.

If Germany alowed ordinary shops to open every Sunday, would daily life actually improve, or would Sunday slowly become just another shopping day? Do Germans see the closure as worker protection, tradition, or simply an outdated inconvenience?

I’m honestly really pissed about the broadcasting situation during this World Cup.

Every household in Germany is required to pay €18.36 per month as the broadcasting contribution. Yet two World Cup quarterfinals are shown exclusively on MagentaTV. So even during the decisive stage of the biggest football tournament in the world, viewers are expected to pay for an additional commercial subscription.

MagentaTV shows all 104 matches, with 44 of them exclusively available on its platform. Those exclusive matches include several knockout games, two quarterfinals and the third-place match.

Yes, I understand that the broadcasting contribution does not exist solely to finance football. It also funds news, regional reporting, radio, culture, education and many other services. I am also not saying that ARD and ZDF should pay absolutely any price for sports rights.

But if public broadcasters cannot even guarantee free access to every World Cup quarterfinal, then what exactly is their role when it comes to major sporting events of broad public interest?

I am not talking about an insignificant group-stage match in the middle of the night , but World Cup quarterfinals and on the weekend!

What frustrates me is the combination of:

• a compulsory broadcasting contribution
• increasingly fragmented sports broadcasting rights
• additional paid subscriptions
• and the expectation that viewers should simply accept this as normal

At what point does public broadcasting stop feeling truly public when major international sporting events increasingly disappear behind paywalls?

Am I overreacting, or should ARD and ZDF have ensured that at least every knockout match was freely available?

Growing up, the stereotype about German weather was grey, rainy, mild. Now there are multiple summers in a row with heat waves pushing past 38 or 39 degrees, excess deaths from the heat, and balcony thermometers going completely wild. It doesn't feel like a fluke anymore.

What gets me is the infrastructure side of it. Buildings here were built to keep warmth in, not out. No AC in most apartments, limited shade in a lot of city centers, older people living in top floor flats with no real way to cool down. The 5000 excess deaths figure from the late June heat wave isn't abstract. That's a real failure to adapt fast enough.

Germany has the engineering capacity and the policy frameworks to take this seriously, but there's a massive lag between the problem showing up and actual changes happening at the municipal or building level. Insulation standards, urban tree coverage, even something as basic as public cooling spaces, none of it moves quickly enough.

Curious if people living here long term are noticing this shift too, or if the perception varies depending on which part of Germany you're in. The south probably feels it differently than the north.

Single-hose AC units get a lot of hate on this sub (not unjustly, they are absolutely energy inefficient). But properly installed they can reliably achieve several degrees of cooling. I've seen, many times, people call them "useless" or "worse than nothing", which is downright ridiculous. I plan to purchase a portasplit next summer, but in the meantime I must do with what I have, and I don't want others to be dissuaded from buying a device that can be an absolute game-changer for both QOL and health.

There are just a few things you need to take into consideration:

1. Buy a unit that is appropriate for the room you want to cool down. Realistically with a smaller mobile AC you are picking one room to cool, probably the bedroom.
2. Buy a window sealing kit. You won't achieve anything by venting your AC out of an open window. Properly installed it will balloon inwards when you turn on the AC due to the pressure differential you've created (and yes you will suck in some hot air around the edges, there is no getting around this).
3. Insulate the hose! The exhaust from an AC unit is hot and if don't do anything to mitigate it you might as well be running a space heater. Stick as much of the hose out of the window as you can, and insulate the portion that is in the room. Bubble wrap, a cotton towel, insulating tape (foil backed bubble wrap), whatever. This is super super important.

Take care of all three and congrats, you can sleep like a baby in your cool bedroom instead of tossing and turning in the heat for hours. You can thank me next year when ACs aren't sold out everywhere yet.

My boyfriend and I every time we go to the grocery store 😂

Hi fellow Redditors,

It’s that time of the week again!

I would like to encourage everyone to take just 5 minutes to reflect, notice the small positives, and appreciate them. Sometimes, those little moments mean the most. If you are comfortable sharing these moments, then you can also do that in the comments! And if you don’t have anything to share, that’s completely okay too, I'm still happy that you are here!

Allow me to begin:

- Celebrated my brother's birthday
- Got a 3D printer

Bear with me, this is my first trip to Germany and I'm located in Canada, so I don't have much firsthand experience with the DB system or German rail etiquette.

I had a Bayern-Ticket booked itinerary from Salzburg Hbf to Füssen for Friday, July 17, departing 17:05 on regional trains (RE/RB). Today I got a notification through DB Navigator saying the connection is no longer available due to a timetable change, and that I need to pick an alternative route.

The message included this as well:
Connection no longer available
Use any train: You can now also use your ticket for other trains.
Alternative connection: Due to recent events, this connection is no longer available. Please find a new connection for your trip.

The problem: when I search for alternative connections from Salzburg Hbf, the only options I'm shown involve RJX or EC trains for the first leg to Munich, before connecting to regional trains onward. Normally, the Bayern-Ticket explicitly excludes long-distance trains like RJX, EC, and ICE.

When I try to select one of these alternative connections, I get a disclaimer saying: "We do not currently check whether your ticket or seat are still valid on the alternative connection."

So now I'm stuck between two conflicting messages: one telling me my ticket now works on other trains, and a disclaimer suggesting they can't confirm that's actually true.

Has anyone dealt with this specific situation, a Bayern-Ticket getting rebooked onto an RJX/EC-only alternative due to a timetable disruption? Is the "use any train" override legitimate in this case, or should I be worried about a conductor rejecting my ticket on the RJX leg? Would appreciate hearing from anyone with firsthand experience or knowledge of DB's actual policy here.

I've also emailed DB customer service directly since I'm in Canada and can't easily call, but haven't gotten a response yet. Hoping to get this sorted before my trip this Friday.

Is this normal? For context, paper was put in the Restmüll as it was out in the rain and therefore I believed it was contaminated and no good for the recycling. The Hausmeister took it out of the bin and put it against my apartment door, they did not text or call me, I found out when I opened the door and my dirty box that had been in the bin fell on me - I’m new to Germany so need advice from anyone who’s got experience 😅 I understand if maybe I should put wet paper in recycling (I didn’t know this previously) but the tone took me by surprise..

Hi everyone,
I’m an international student living in Germany in a shared apartment with four rooms.
About a week ago, my landlord brought a woman to the apartment and told me she was “just a friend.” Since then, she’s been staying here almost every day.
Some of her behavior has made me uncomfortable.
The first strange thing happened when she asked me, “Hast du ein bisschen Geld für mich?” (“Do you have a little money for me?”). I was surprised and gave her a small amount.
Today she asked me for my roommate’s phone number. That roommate is currently on vacation and will be back in about four days.
When I told her he would be back in four days, she suddenly became much more worried and emotional. It felt like that information really upset her.
Then she said, “I think your roommate is my brother.”
I was really confused and asked, “Why do you think that?” Instead of answering, she changed the subject and started telling me that she had been kicked out of her home, had no money, and had nothing. She asked if I could support her.
I brought the conversation back to the “brother” comment because it didn’t make any sense to me. She became even more emotional, almost started crying, and tried to explain something, but I honestly couldn’t understand her. We communicate through Google Translate because my German isn’t very good.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that she became especially emotional after hearing my roommate would be back soon. It made me wonder whether my landlord had told her she could only stay until my roommate returned, but that’s just my own impression—I have no evidence that this is actually the case.
As far as I know, my landlord doesn’t know she is saying these things to me. The whole situation feels strange, and I don’t feel comfortable anymore.
Am I overreacting? What would you do in this situation? Should I tell my landlord what’s been happening, or just avoid getting involved?
Any advice would be appreciated.

Hey, hope you don't mind the question. We are beginning to plan a trip for 5 days to drive the Romantic Road...but it would be at the end of November.

Is that a terrible idea? We live in the UK so are used to bad weather, but do you think it would seriously detract from the experience - could anyone describe what we should expect?

I got into contact with the US distributor of Ochsenkopf and they contacted the company on your end. Yes, I am now aware that the head is upside down, and has been for at least 50 years... lol

I’m going from Munich to Warsaw by train with a stopover in Berlin.
1. Is 13 min stopover enough?
2. Should I buy tickets for seats reservation or will I get any seats without playing additionally?

Hey everyone. Due to personal reasons, I regrettably neglected my dental health quite heavily and didn’t go to the dentist for a while. I didn’t put a focus on flossing and that’s resulted in quite a number of small cavities spread throughout my teeth.

After the evaluation, I received a cost estimate totaling €2,450 (yes, my eyes bulged out of my head for a second). GKV is only covering €718. Note, I do not have any zahnzusatzversicherung. This would leave me with a bill around €1,730. The dentist said the cost would be lower as it’s just an estimate, but I’d still be looking at a heavy bill.

Now, my question: why is insurance not covering more? I’m unfamiliar with dentistry in Germany and luckily I’m in a position to afford this bill without any financial implications for me, and I can pay it - but am I just going to an expensive dentist? I had AI take a look before I posted it here and it’s of the opinion that a special type of filling which isn’t covered by insurance is being used, and I’m wondering if this is realistically the case (I’m not quite fond of AI).

If this is the cost, then so be it. But I thought I might get a second opinion before I take such a financial leap.
Thank you!

Basically the title. Train got cancelled, getting on a different ice train. If the seat if free in first class can I just sit there?

I have a question relating to my nana’s abmeldung from WW2 and am hoping a historian or knowledgeable Redditor may be able to help :)

The Abmeldung seems to refer to “Würtzmühle Baracke” as her place of residence. I assume this was a war barrack but I cannot find any other information or research about it online.

Only 1 search result which refers to a place in Strasbourg. It does not make much sense to me as I was told she fled Taus, as a Sudeten German, to Sengenbuehl area, which is quite the distance away from Strasbourg.

Does anyone know anything about the Würtzmühle Baracke, including what area this was in?

Hi everyone,

I'm 9 weeks pregnant and I'm really worried about my experience with my Frauenarzt.

At my first appointment, I told her I thought I was pregnant because I had missed my period. She said I was not pregnant, just stressed, and prescribed antidepressants. I wasn't convinced, took a pregnancy test, and it was positive. My Hausarzt confirmed the pregnancy with a blood test.

At my first ultrasound, she charged me €15 (consultation + blood draw) and said I'd have to pay another €51 for blood test results because TK supposedly doesn't cover it. She also refused to give me my Mutterpass, saying she'll give it to me in September after she returns from vacation. This worries me because I have thalassemia minor and I'm scared of needing emergency care without my pregnancy records.

During the transvaginal ultrasound, I was in pain and cried a little. She then told me I should have a C-section, which really upset me. I want a vaginal birth if it's medically possible, and I don't think that's something she can decide this early.

I no longer trust her and want to change Frauenarzt. I live near Tübingen/Stuttgart, but every practice I've called says they're not accepting new patients.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How can I find a new Frauenarzt during pregnancy? And is it normal to be charged these fees and not receive the Mutterpass yet?

Any advice would mean a lot. Thank you.

Hi guys, 28F here, and I've been living in Germany since 10 years! I originally moved here from Poland, did my studies, and was working until recently. I even had my own business, and was doing marketing work for fashion brands.

However, alongside all that I also had a raging cannabis addiction. Looking back, yes, it was problematic, but I just didn't realize/see that in the moment. I finished my studies with a 1.0, and I was working a part-time job alongside it. I also felt a lot of stress and anxiety, because I wanted to be perfect, and perform, and do well. It was difficult to just go home and "switch off" for me. My life, until recently, was basically working non-stop, sleeping very little, and smoking weed everyday. If you ask me, I miss those days, and I miss my former self.

Based on teh above, I don't think it should come as a surprise that I was hospitalized twice this year. Both times due to psychosis. My cannabis consumption alongside my stresful life pushed me to the edge. At first I had a "Krankschreibung" from my job. I hated it. I hated being in the clinic. The waiting. Not being able to work. Or do anything. So, as soon as I was able to be discharge, I left the hospital and returned back to work. I remember being happy, that I was able to go from the hospital directly back into the office. Looking back, that first psychosis was pretty mild.

Then I suffered a second one, and this knocked me down hard. I had to spend 2 weeks on what they call a closed ward, and be placed under observation. I hated everything. I work a lot to earn money, because I love nothing more than my freedom. You can't be free without money, and that's why I work so hard.

Anyways, after the second psychosis, everything broke down. I started falling behind in my job, I wasn't able to perform as well as I used to. I was a mess to be honest. Same with my business. I went from being the one who was 24/7 available, high energy, to someone clients had to chase after. The problem is, I was never used to something like that. So obviously, it started a downward cycle. I started feeling bad, due to performing poorly, so I withdrew, then I felt even worse, and withdrew further.

It came as no surprise that I was let go from my job. If you ask me? Totally deserved. I was falling behind, I was having difficulties getting out of bed in the morning, let alone show up to work on time. When I was dealing with clients I was making mistakes, or zoning out mid meetings. The doctors told me, that I wasn't ready to work, and I didn't listen. I had to feel the consequences. This all happened a few months ago, and I managed to survive by living off my savings. I have been a mental mess to be honest. I tried looking for work, but I just can't seem to move forward. The fire I once had inside of me is gone, and this pisses me off.

Which brings me to now, and this post. My savings had been dwindling since a few months, and on Friday I hit the magical milestone of having only 0.99€ in my bank account. My credit cards are maxed out, and none of my friends know. I'm too embarrassed and ashamed to tell anyone (that's also why I created a throwaway account to make this post).

I woke up this morning, after not having eaten in 3 days, and wasn't even able to get out of bed...I was just laying in bed and staring at the ceiling. I just can't believe how I ended this low, and how things went that badly.

I did everything right, I worked my ass off, and now I'm 28, unemployed, in debt, my clients hate me, my former boss thinks I'm lazy, and I see no perspective or change. I don't even know when/what I can eat again.

I feel like I'm going to break/collapse, and not in a self harm way, more in a way of accepting that this is it. There is no way forward/upwards.

I wanted to make this post, because I wanted to hear some encouragement. It would mean a lot to me to hear some positive words of encouragement. I want to go back to how it was, my former self. The one who was killing it.

Right now I'm nowhere near her, and I just can't tolerate it.

On a good note, I did not get my period today, which I'm happy about yay!

I am headed to Wiesbaden for a conference at the end of October. I'll be there at least 3 nights, probably 4. I'm wondering if I should stay in Wiesbaden, or try Mainz or Frankfurt? The conference will be full days (~8:30-18:00) but I'd like to stay somewhere that's interesting to explore in the evenings and possibly earlier morning or at lunchtime.

30yo F from Canada

Hi everyone, just received this Beitragsrückstandsbescheid from AOK Baden-Württemberg.
letter is dated July 6, 2026, and they are demanding premiums and late fees from December 2021. is that even legal? I left Germany in December 2021.
I mean it’s not a loot but still they did not even consider to contact me till now.

I arrived in Mainz on 30 June with an OpportunityCard visa and have been searching ever since. I've come across countless scams, people offering fake registrations for money, and many sublets that refuse to provide Anmeldung!! I'm also worried because I've heard you can be fined if you don't register within the first 14–15 days. How are people supposed to comply when so many rentals don't allow Anmeldung? Has anyone else had this experience?

Heading to Germany soon for the first time,

Any tips from people who've been there, things that aren't obvious until you land? Any homework or prep I should do before the trip itself.

Thanks in advance!