Culture Shock: The Differences in Deutschland

While living in Germany for ten years, I had to adjust to all of the cultural differences between Germany and America. Trust me, there are a lot. I am listing several below, that I have come to learn throughout the past years. It seemed that not a month went by without learning something that I hadn't known before about the German culture, especially when spending a lot of time with my German friends and families.

Falls ihr das liest, bedanke ich mich VIELMALS für die Unterstützung und Hilfe in den letzten zehn Jahren, obwohl ihr es bestimmt unterhaltsam fandet mir zuzusehen, wie ich das erste mal die Weißwurst MIT Haut gegessen habe und meinen Maß nicht richtig gehalten habe. Und ihr lacht euch bestimmt im Moment auch über meine total schrecklichen Grammatikfähigkeiten den Arsch ab. Aber ohne euch, wären mir bestimmt viel mehr peinliche Sachen passiert. xD

Lifestyle and Behavior

• You will never see the elderly wearing shorts, tennis shoes and/or baseball caps. Ever.
• In the winter, nearly EVERYONE you see, even men and teenage boys, will be wearing a scarf and have at least one metal thermos of their favorite tea with them everywhere they go.
• You will find that German media such as television does not censor anything. If you were watching Jerry Springer in Germany, you would hear it without a single beep. Sexual topics are also much more open in Germany and sexual education is much more common and informative in schools than it is the United States.
• Don't be surprised if a German tells you straight to your face that your shoes are ugly, even if you didn't ask for their opinion. White lies are practically non-existent. This is not a sign of disrespect, though. Consider it a truthful, honest opinion, no matter how blunt it is and try not to take offense. I know it's hard. xD
• If a German shows they like you and enjoy your company, you can (in nearly all cases) be certain that this person likes you. The automatic American "hi-how-are-you-niceness" is something you will not see in Germany, so if the conversation is good, that is probably a good sign.
• "Gleiches Recht für Alle" (Same rules go for everyone) is something you will hear often. This is the main reason I learned German quickly. There were no special exceptions for me, just because I couldn't speak the language.
• Staring in Germany is more okay than it is in the US, where parents teach their children that staring is rude. So don't be surprised if you are being stared down by the old woman sitting across from you on the train, especially if you have colorful hair or piercings.
• Germans wear their wedding bands on their right hands.
• That Germans are all dressed in Lederhosen, Dirndl and forest green and brown hunting clothing is completely false. (Most of the time ;D) Germans have a very good sense of style and the fashion scene is rather chic. You rarely ever see anyone over 25 wearing a t-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes. (Sorry, Mom! ;D) As a matter of fact, tennis shoes are very uncommon. In comparison to the US, I find the German style a little more artsy-looking in your average teenager/young adult.
• There is no American football in Germany. There is "Fußball" (soccer), which nearly every German obsesses over. Crowds in the streets are also much more common. Whenever Germany wins during a big game (World Cup, European Cup), you will hear people honking, screaming, chanting, whistling and making noise in the streets for at least an hour. People will pile up into cars, sit on the hood and the trunk and hang out the windows, sometimes even driving tractors, holding flags and screaming their favorite soccer songs and chants at the top of their lungs. Either very entertaining or extremely annoying.
• I find that Germans don't get into physical fights as frequently as Americans. The fights tend to be more verbal. (This doesn't mean that a German won't kick your ass, especially when politics are involved. You do NOT want to be caught between left- and right-wings in a fight. Trust me.) Beware when debating, fighting verbally or arguing with a German; you'd best be armed with the ability to articulate yourself and the gift of improvisation, or I can tell you right now that you're doomed. You can also feel more safe to get into a verbal fight without being stabbed or shot at in Germany. But be careful, if insulting someone verbally or with gestures in traffic, you could end up paying a huge fine. And insulting a cop will allow them to legally throw you behind bars.

Communication

• When speaking to someone older than you, of higher authority or an adult, it is ESSENTIAL that you refer to them as "Sie" (formal version of "you") instead of "du". Saying "du" is only okay with someone you either know very well, or who has specifically said that it is okay. Otherwise, it is observed as disrespectful.
• Germans have a lot of respect for the elderly, so it is basically expected from you to greet the elderly with a friendly "Guten Tag" (good day), hold doors open for them and let them have your seat on the train.
• Ciao is not just Italian. It is frequently used to say "Goodbye" in Germany.
• Germans shake hands a lot, even if you've met several times. So it is always best to keep eye contact and your hands out of your pockets.

The Public and Transportation

• Phone booths and mail boxes are all yellow, except for the Deutsche Telekom phone booths. They're pink.
• Taxis are usually Mercedes Benz's or BMW's and are a tan color. They are often seen parked at a train station.
• In nearly every German restaurant, especially fast food restaurants in big cities, you will find a "Klofrau"; a woman who cleans the restrooms. It is expected from you to give her a few cents for keeping everything "clean". Some restrooms in public places such as the train station cost about 50 cents to get into, which is in your favor. Trust me.
• You can order beer nearly everywhere, including McDonalds. No, I am not kidding.
• Cars are common, but there are definitely not as many in Germany. Most Germans rely on public transportation; the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, Straßenbahn and Bus (trains, subway, buses and street trains) to get from A to B, which are located everywhere.  It is very uncommon to live in a town without its own train station. But don't get caught without a ticket, or you will receive a hefty 50 Euro or more fine from the Bahnpolizei (transportation police). We won't even get into the prices if you fail to pay the fee on time.
• You will find that gas prices are outrageous in Germany. This is meant to encourage people to use the public transportation or carpool, which is better for the environment. German metropolitan areas now require that any vehicle entering the city MUST have a clean air emissions certification sticker on the windshield, or they may not drive, unless the car is considered an antique.
• It is true - if you are on the far left lane of the Autobahn, you can basically drive as fast as you want (within reason and when not stated otherwise for rush-hour or weather reasons). But watch out. German drivers on the Autobahn, especially the ones driving the expensive German cars, are really fast and don't appreciate being slowed down.
• If you Jaywalk in Germany, you can expect to be ticketed if the police are around, or smacked by an elderly German woman's umbrella or purse.

The German Home

• When using the bathroom in a German home, sometimes you will find a shower and a sink, but no toilet. The toilet is in a completely separate room; sometimes with a sink, sometimes without. Bathrooms also almost always include a place to hook up a washer and dryer. I don't believe I have ever seen a laundromat in Germany.
• You will find almost no doorknobs in Germany. Most all of them are handles.
• Doors in a German home are always closed. It is a symbol of privacy. If the bathroom door is closed, don't stand around waiting. Because chances are, it is not in use and you will be waiting there for a long time.
• When looking for a new home in Germany, you will find that the kitchen is completely empty; cabinets, stove and all. You have to provide your own cabinets and appliances, which are required to be installed by a professional. Do-it-yourself is not okay.
• German homes are made from brick, and therefore have extremely thick walls and good insulation. Nearly all homes have basements.
• You will rarely ever find air conditioning in a German home. It is seen as unnecessary and wasteful. (And it's too cold to really need one in the first place!)
• When walking into a German home, you will find everyone's shoes right next to the front door. A lot of Germans have several extra sets of "house shoes" or slippers for their guests. Always be prepared to remove your shoes when entering a German home unless told otherwise. It would be best to automatically take them off and not ask if you can keep them on.

Food, Mealtime and Eating Out

• Germans generally have their warm, bigger meal at lunch. For dinner, there is usually "Brotzeit", which is made up of fresh bread, cheeses and meats.
• If you order pepperoni on your pizza, you won't find your favorite American pepperoni topping. You will have large, green hot chili peppers covering your pizza. If you want anything close to pepperoni, ask for a salami pizza.
• When you ask for a glass of water in a home or at a restaurant, you have to specifically ask for tap water, or you will receive a glass of mineral, fizzy water. The first time I experienced this was on our Lufthansa flight to Germany when we moved there. Asking for free tap water along with a meal in Germany is frowned upon. (Every time I've done this in Germany, which has been VERY often, I was looked at like I was crazy. xD)
• When you walk into a restaurant in Germany, you can sit wherever you'd like. You don't have to wait to be seated.
• When you are finished with your meal, leave your fork and knife in the 4:20 position. If you aren't finished and for some reason must put your knife and fork down, cross them on your plate and the waiter or host will know not to take it away.
• Unless eating at a "Imbissbude" (food stand), you will rarely ever see paper plates or bowls, even at a cook-out.
• The "Weißwurst" is a very popular sausage in Bavaria, often eaten with a glass of "Weißbier" to go along with it. However, there is a strict rule about the Weißwurst: you must lightly cut through the layer of skin and peel it off before eating unless you want to be looked at like a complete idiot.
• You will notice that when a German eats Spaghetti, they roll the noodles onto their fork by placing their fork in their spoon.

Shopping

• Generally, all shops and stores are closed at seven or eight PM, Sundays and all Holidays. Unless you want to pay the extra money at a 24 hour gas station (if the town you're in has one), you'd better get everything you need before closing. You will find that shops and stores are busiest right before a holiday or on the weekend, because everyone is stocking up.
• When you go shopping at the grocery store, make sure you have a Euro handy! All shopping carts require a Euro to use. You get it back once you return the cart. Good idea!
• Germany is a very "green" country and you have to pay for plastic bags at almost all grocery stores. Germans generally bring shopping bags/baskets/carts with them on a trip to the grocery store.
• Tax is included in German prices, so you always know exactly what you have to pay to the cent, which I find extremely practical.
• There are plenty of people who work at a store or shop, but don't expect to be asked by any of them if you need any help finding anything. You have to go to them and ask.
• Bookstores in Germany are for buying books only. If you want to drink coffee, go to a coffee shop. If you want to read, go to the Library. Most bookstores in Germany are actually very small and the chances that the book you want is not available at the store, is very likely. Almost all the books I've bought at German bookstores have had to be ordered and picked up on a later date.

Drinking and Smoking

• Germany is a heavily smoking country and it is not as frowned upon as it is in the States. I remember being able to smoke in restaurants until 2008, when they changed the laws to outdoors only. The smoking age was also 16 until September of 2007, when the age was changed to eighteen, which meant that I was legally allowed to buy cigarettes for only a few months and then had to wait to legally buy them until my eighteenth birthday. You will not find a lot of garbage on the streets in Germany, since, as I said before, Germans are very "green", but you will see cigarette butts EVERYWHERE. People habitually throw them on the ground.
• You will see cigarette vending machines all over Germany. Most all of them require a bank card or identification card with a chip inside, which states that you are eighteen. This is only practical in the sense that the stores aren't open as frequently as in the United States.
• Drinking in public is legal in Germany, so avoiding the public transportation systems late at night during the Oktoberfest might be a good idea, unless you don't mind excessive rowdiness, loud people, puddles of vomit in public areas, the smell of beer and broken glass. This is how it was when I lived in Germany. But recently, drinking alcohol has been banned in all public transportation. There was of course a protest which included a few thousand teenagers and young adults drinking and partying in the Munich S-bahns and causing damage to over 50 trains. The damage cost was around 100.000 Euros. o.O
• When you go to a party at a German's house, no matter what age, you drink beer in a bottle and in some cases, a glass. You will NEVER see the typical American college party red plastic cups.
• You can't turn a cap to open a beer, so don't even try it. You will need a bottle opener, or, as many Germans do it, a lighter, a robust surface such as a table or in brave cases, a strong pair of pearly whites. I have seen a million more methods, which I will not list here, because the list is too long. xD
• When you toast in Germany, you say "Prost!". Make sure to look the person you are toasting with in the eye. It's considered bad luck to not do so.
• "Vorglühen" is a German term for drinking before going out to drink. When using public transportation to get to a club, bar, concert, soccer game or party, it is normal to have a few beers or other alcohol along with you for the ride. (A friend let me know that drinking alcohol on trains, on the tram etc. is no longer permitted. Drunks or people transporting alcohol are still allowed to use public transportation.) Only in Germany. However, all the alcohl you have with you must be drunk by the time you reach your location, or it has to be thrown away or hidden in the bushes. Also, there are no bathrooms on the train, so if you are about to take a 30 minute train ride, you'd better either have a strong bladder or avoid drinking large amounts before using public transportation. I speak from experience.
• All bars and other places that serve alcohol except for some clubs, do not require an ID to get into. (Although for many places, you can enter at sixteen.) As long as you look around sixteen or older; sometimes the age doesn't even matter, especially when accompanied by an adult. Getting drinks underage is much easier in Germany that in the United States.

Law Enforcement

• Police officers wear green and khaki uniforms, which, as you can imagine are highly attractive. O.o (The design is slowly being changed to blue everywhere but Bavaria and Saarland.) They drive around in BMW cars and generally Mercedes-Benz or VW vans in Bavaria, which are the easy recognizable colors of bright green and white. (Like the uniforms, in all of Germany but Bavaria and Saarland, the colors are slowly being changed to bright blue and silver.) The vans are refered to as "Grün-Weißer Partybus" by many Teenagers and young adults. (The green and white party bus).
• Undercover police are very common in Germany. At the Frühlingsfest, (a mix between the county fair and Octoberfest, just much smaller) you would see them wearing Dirndl and Lederhosen, walking around, pretending to be enjoying themselves. How do you recognize them? They aren't drinking and snap their heads in the direction of a fist fight in an instant. When driving around on a daily basis, you recognize the black, fairly pricey German car. (The undercover police in our town were easy to spot, because of the license plate stating that the it's county was Rosenheim.)
• Police officers make security rounds around town on a regular basis. If you look at all suspicious (troublemaker appearance, young smoker, in a loud crowd, drinking etc.), you may be stopped by the police and searched or asked for your identification. If you don't have a valid ID on you, the police may take you into the station.
• If you are smoking underage and look that way, the Police may confiscate your pack of cigarettes and call your parents to tell them how naughty you were. In most cases, a German parent will truthfully tell the police officer that they gave the child the pack of cigarettes and scold them for taking their child's property. Smoking under eighteen is not allowed in public, but allowed in the home if approved by a parent. However, selling cigarettes to anyone under eighteen is illegal.
• You are required to sort your garbage by paper, plastic, remaining, compost and glass. If you fail to do so, you may find all of your garbage bags dumped in front of your door.
• Fishing and Hunting is only allowed with a license.
• You have to be eighteen to receive a driver's license in Germany and seventeen for a permit. Parents don't teach their children to drive, as many do in the United States and Driver's Ed is not offered in schools. You pay around 2000 Euros for your classes and license. While learning and on the driving test, you are required to drive a stick-shift. Automatics are very seldom in Germany.
• There is no right on red in Germany. If you turn right at a red light, you can expect to go for a ride in the Grün-Weißer Partybus.

By the way, just to be absolutely clear: these are of course all stereotypes. As a friend pointed out, of course not ALL Germans walk around in a scarf drinking tea in the winter. ;) What I am referring to in this post, is the big picture! No offense at all intended. :)