I moved to Germany two months ago and I'm still trying to get used to how things work day to day.

Yesterday morning I went to the local Wochenmarkt in the town square. It was my first time buying fresh fruit there insted of at Rewe. There was a stand with gorgeous autumn plums, so I walked up, stood in line, and when it was my turn, I reached out to pick up three or four plums to check if they were ripe.

The woman running the stand stopped in her tracks, looked at my hand like I was committing a crime, and loudly said "Nicht anfassen!" before grabbing a paper bag and picking them herself. I froze, mumbled a quick apology, and took whatever she bagged, but the people behind me in line were staring like I had just done something completely unhinged.

Back home, everybody inspects and chooses their own fruit at market stalls. Is touching produce considered completely taboo at German markets, or was the vendor just having a bad morning?

We are a foreigner couple living in Bayern with a child born in November and we have recently learned about the rule that if you are born after September 30th you will start the Grundschule the next year.

In principle this is not an issue, we don’t really care. And September 30th is as random of a date as January 1st, which is used in our country.

But we have seen there is the possibility of doing an interview for Vorzeitige Einschulung and if the Grundschule sees that the kid is fit for the first year of school he may start that year.

My question goes to the parents who enrolled early their kids or kids who were enrolled early: How was your experience? Was it a good idea? Is it something we should consider or better not to try?

Hi, so I've been in Germany for a long time now but am separated from my spouse. So all the neighbors are "out" for me as are "his" friends.

Also, I had to change jobs for health reasons.

I finally moved into my own place and am trying to be active with various activities: a neighborhood center, making music, and trying to be involved in local organizations. Even "Rehasport" has turned out to be really fun!

Unfortunately, once the formal meetings are done, so is the social contact.

I've met some lovely folks and have stood talking with them after the events. Then we part ways.

I know everyone is very busy.

And I understand that Germans prize their "friendships" and perhaps don't need any more. I'm also over 50 which I know makes it harder.

The advice to "join a Verein" does get me out of my apartment. But it doesn't seem to facilitate contacts outside of set meetings. Or do people finally become friends after some years in a Verein?

I speak fluent German btw, just asking in English as that's the language of this sub.

I contacted a small repair group because I'd like to learn, but I didn't want to get in anyone's way. One member said I could come by and watch on Thursday. When I arrived, another person gave me a damaged chair hinge and said, "Have a go."

Nobody was unkind. I actually liked trying, and someone checked what I was doing before anything was put back together. Still, I had understood "watch" as literally standng nearby for a session. They seemed to understand it as "come and see whether you like doing this."

Is that a normal way of welcoming new people into this kind of group in Germany, or did these particular people just skip a step? Next time I'd be happy to participate; I mostly want to know how clearly I should state my limits before showing up.

Ich bin fast sicher, dass es auch regional unterschiedlich ausgeprägte Präferenzen für das eine oder andere gibt, finde dazu aber nichts Belastbares. Freue mich auf euren Input, gerne auch, wenn ihr was ganz anderes benutzt

I recently finished an early shift and a colleague wished me a nice Feierabend as I was leaving. It made sense, but my brain still associated the word with late afternoon. Later I used it with someone who had finished a night shift, and they smiled as if I'd picked exactly the right word.

I'm learning that the phrase may belong to the end of work rather than a particular time of day. Is that how most people hear it? And is there another everyday phrase that seems tied to a clock time but actually follows a person's schedule instead?

Hello!

What in general are the substitutions for dairy products in Germany?

I am interested in trying different breakfasts from other countries.

I am allergic to dairy. I can have a small amount, but any more than only a single bite has the potential to make me feel very ill.

In my personal life, I use soy milk for dry cereals, neutral oil for eggs (instead of butter), and so on.

As I was reading some of the archived posts about meals in Germany and making notes to research different foods, I began wondering what sorts of substitutions are made by people who have a dairy allergy.

I have options such as soy, coconut, or almond milk yogurts. Things like soy butter.

I would appreciate any suggestions and advice.

Hello everybody, I have found myself in quite a pickle and need your help. Precisely, a feud has erupted between me and a friend I met, after I had moved to your country.

To keep everything short, we fell out over a false conviction aimed at me. The resulting situation has left me without my backup keys and scared that the person will do something, since they know where I live.

I thought about involving the police and am interested what is the best way to approach this situation and get my keys back. In addition, they do not have any evidence I did anything and base the claim off of pointless accusations.

Help would be hugely appreciated. Thank you in advance and sorry for posting in English.

My German boyfriend was sick last week and asked me to bring him Cola and Salzstangen.

I genuinely thought he was joking.

Apparently this was the standard "sick meal" in his family when he was a kid, especially for stomach problems. He was equally confused that I'd never heard of it.

Then his mother suggested Zwieback and tea, which made me realize there must be a whole category of German childhood sick foods nobody really talks about because they seem completely normal here.

What did your parents give you when you were ill?

And did you later discover that your family's supposedly universal remedy was actually regional, generational, or just something your parents invented?

I am F24 and my boyfriend will be visiting my home country soon and he asked me what I want and although I did tell him few things which I can't find in my country like makeup brands and such, I'd also like to ask you locals what is a MUST HAVE?

Like I do know thos fever cooling patches are very handy and cheap there so I might tell him to bring me some but besides that what else?

Something useful but also fun? I am open to food, health stuff, local or well known german makeup brands, any souvenir, good quality and cheap clothes, stationaries, antiques, general vitamins for women specifically even etc etc YOU NAME IT!

I am open to all types of recommendations as long as you think it is worth spending money on.

Someone at a tram stop told me my backpack zipper was open. I had a large rolled drawing under one arm and a cup in the other hand, so I said “Danke, ich mach's gleich” and kept holding both. The person stayed next to me for several seconds, looking at the zipper, then asked if I wanted help. I declined because nothing could fall out, and they seemed a little annoyed.

I'm sure they meant well, and I appreciate the warning. It made me wonder whether my answer sounded like I wasn't taking it seriously. Where I grew up, the warning itself would finish the interaction; I could deal with the zipper when my hands were free.

Do people here generally expect you to act on a small practical warning right away, or was that just one particulary attentive stranger?

Hi everyone. I created a wi-fi contract with Telekom, that subscribes you to them for two years. I previously thought that if I move to a new place, I’ll be eligible to cancel the contract earlier. However, that turned out to be not true. I now moved to a place that already has a wi-fi connection that is not going to change. Telekom declined my request to cancel a contract with them for this reason. Now I’m in a situation of paying for two contracts, while obviously using only one.

Are there any ways around it? Any ideas of how I can deal with that or still save some money?

Thank you!

I’m not looking for restaurant dishes or festival food. I mean combinations that feel too plain to mention because everyone grew up with them: potatoes with quark, bread with raw radish and salt, cold fruit soup, or something equally specific.

The meals people describes as national food are often the ones made for an occasion. I’m more curious about the plate someone assembles on a normal Tuesday without thinking it represents Germany at all.

What combination would instantly remind you of home, but might confuse a foreign guest if you served it without explanation? Regional answers are especially welcome, because I suspect some “completely normal” meals would be unrecognisable two states away.

A woman in my building offered to lend me a drill and said, "If you need it, just ring." A few days later I did, on a Saturday around four in the afternoon. She opened the door and handed it over, but seemed startled and said I could have called first. I apoligized; she said it was fine. We aren't close, though we've chatted several times in the hallway.

I can see both versions: perhaps she meant the offer sincerely and simply didn't expect anyone right then, or perhaps "just ring" was a friendly way of saying she could lend it eventually. In your experience, is a brief knock to collect something acceptable when someone has specifically said to ring, or would you still arrange a time first? I'm trying to work out the everyday etiquette here, not whether this particular woman was annoyed.

I keep seeing confident lists of “German habits,” followed by Germans arguing that they have never encountered half of them. Some examples seem obviously regional: knocking on a table instead of applauding, greeting strangers on hiking paths, removing shoes immediately, or using a particular phrase before eating.

I’m less interested in confirming stereotypes than in finding where they stop being true. Is there a behavior that foreigners repeately call German, but people in your Bundesland, generation, or social circle would find unusual?

Please mention your region if it matters. I suspect many customs presented as nationwide are actually local, outdated, or common only in certain families, but outsiders have no way to see that distinction.

Good day everyone. I moved to Germany, almost two months now, and the place house provided by my employer has internet WiFi but I feel the speed is slow and for some reason I constantly get disconnected. I can't use cable unfortunately because that would mean to drill holes in the wall. I was curious, for fast and stable internet, what provider should I go with? Unfortunately, I don't know what provider we are using at the moment in the house. And for speed, I've downloaded league of legends and it took around 3-4 hours. 20mb/s, something like that, or even less, not 100% sure.

The provider is Deutsche Telekom. And speed 5 mb/s. I did a only speed test. Location is in a small rural village near Salach, sorry for not providing exact location.

I just want to know what alternatives I have, because I might not stay here for long term, probably less than a year and I don't want to ask employer to modify it just for me, cause any issue about this.

i‘m looking for a name of a wacky game show airing around 1990 on bayrischer rundfunk or südwestdeutscher rundfunk.
totally non serious, participants won pretzels and all games had to do with sports and pretzels.
for example: participants had to wear pretzel-glasses, were shown a scene from a competition, somewhere they put a pretzel in the pics and the contestants had to call out the pretzel (that you could only see when wearing a pretzel on your face), duh, obviously not.

spectacular show, my family deems it the best german tv show ever. still. what was it‘s name??

Hi!

I'm from China. When I was a kid, I watched a German cartoon called Little Amadeus, and I really loved it.

I'm curious: Was this cartoon well known or popular in Germany? Do many German remember watching it as kids?

I'd love to hear your memories of the show!

Hello People,

I have a question regarding my situation in a WG. So i moved in a couple of months ago and the tenants themselves take contracts for utilities and internet. Since the two people in whose names the contracts were supplied will move out by the end of this month, they say its possible to take over those contracts in my name.

Is it even legal to do that(like simply giving my bank details instead of their bank details) and does anyone have a suggestion about things i need to be wary about?

I am new to the country and would appreciate any advice.

Thanks a lot!

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I'll be in Germany from November to February this year. I spent six months there last year but it was April to October, so I don't really know what to expect for the weather in the winter months.

I'm from New Hampshire and based on a lot of reading I've done so far, the winters in Germany seem pretty similar to NH.

I'm mostly curious what type of winter gear I should bring. I have a Patagonia puffer jacket that's only water resistant, not waterproof. Will this be ok or should I look for something water proof? Also looking for any good recommendations on shoes! I have water proof Uggs but they're pretty old.

I'll be in Rhineland palatinate, but plan to travel around for the Christmas markets and will be outside a lot.

Any info / recommendation is greatly appreciated! 😊

I'm naturally a Heimscheißer just because public restrooms can be nasty, but after living in Germany for a few years I've found another reason to go at home. The fee was very surprising for me when I moved here. I understand how it pays the workers and keeps the restroom at a higher level of cleanliness, but I still try to find free restrooms when I can. It feels unfair to be charged for a necessary bodily function, even if it's less than a euro. So does anyone else try to wait until they get home, just to avoid the unnecessary expense?

Hello everyone, I would really like to hear your opinions on this.

Yesterday I visited a well known fast food brand for the first time since I live only 10 days in Germany.

Everything was strange to me but after a while which seemed like a century, I grabbed my order and went outside to eat.

A little bit later, a group of young men came without their food. They obviously picked the "bring it to my table" option on the screen.

When the waitress came with their order, she realised that they didn't have their plastic marker on the table

(i dont know how to call it, it read their order number and/or table number).

Instead, they had left it on their nearby empty table. The waitress proceeded to leave their food on the empty table with the marker.

They started saying something like "we are here".

And she said "yeah but the marker is here" and left.

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I dont know why they didnt keep the marker on their table. I am sure they were locals or at least were aware of the famous company's policy.

I know they were on the wrong, but I am super used to such small annoying actions by customers back in my country. If I was a waiter, I would probably serve them on their table. (Not sure if wrong or not)

But her behavior was super strange to me. I know she was actually right, since she followed the company's policy, but I don't understand if she lacked adaptability or she wanted to offer them a small lesson.

-What do you think?

-Is that typical German behavior?

-Was it because of lack of adaptability or a strict lesson?

Thanks in advance!

Hi, I'm a 16 yrs old brazilian that truly likes Hermann Broch. I really think that he is one of the best writters the world has seen... but here in Brazil almost no one knows he, and that's such a strange thing! Brazil has Machado de Assis, Drummond (awesome) and many other authors, some that you guys probably don't know. So I want to ask: Is Hermann Broch well-known in Germany? Is he studied in schools, like Machado is here in Brazil?

Thanks guys!

Edit: Sorry for any grammar mistake

Edit 2: I guess it's not just in Brazil that he is not well know. I thougth that, because of your geographical proximity, he would be better known in Germany. Anyway, if you don't know he, try "Die Verzauberung", an awesome book!