7 Things You Didn't Know About Germany! | Feli from Germany

German prisons, Oktoberfest, and the infamous Autobahn... you might think that you know all about these things but I bet you don't 😏 Let's change that!

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ABOUT ME: Hallo, Servus, and welcome to my channel! My name is Felicia (Feli), I'm 29, and I'm a German living in the USA! I was born and raised in Munich, Germany but have been living in Cincinnati, Ohio off and on since 2016. I first came here for an exchange semester during my undergrad at LMU Munich, then I returned for an internship, and then I got my master's degree in Cincinnati. I was lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery and have been a permanent resident since 2019! In my videos, I talk about cultural differences between America and Germany, things I like and dislike about living here, and other topics I come across in my everyday life in the States. Let me know what YOU would like to hear about in the comments below. DANKE :)
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[FelifromGermany]

What's something about Germany/the US/your home country that completely BLEW YOUR MIND when you found out about it? 😅

[WujiErTaiji]

My dad has been in prison in Germany and escaped during "Freigang" after he was in there for 4 years and after living in Germany for a couple of months he managed to escape to the Philippines for seven years (I swear this is true). When he came back he technically would've needed to go back to prison for 3 more years but the judge looking at his case let him go after two weeks because he decided his initial sentence was to long. This is probably something unimaginable in most countries.

[char]

Hi, recent new subscriber from the UK!

I've been (slowly) learning German for over a decade and watching a few of your videos has really helped with understanding some of the cultural nuances of a country and its language that you just can't get from years of school-teaching, textbooks and Duolingo! 😅

People typically connect the UK and Germany with aristocracy, football and historical wars but both share a massive motorsports culture. A big avenue to the German language for British kids from engineering families I grew up around was through watching the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft - Die DTM - on the MotorsTV and Eurosport channels at weekends.

It was a pretty big deal 15-20 years ago because most of the best drivers at the time were either British (driving for Mercedes) or German (usually driving for Audi). It came off the back of a superstar German driver named Frank Biela and Audi turning up in the British championship in the late 90s and dominating everyone so a lot of us wanted to see if the Brits could go to Germany a few years later and get some friendly revenge - which they occasionally did!

I guess you could call it a 'Dinner for One' type of tradition except for 90s and 00s British kids from racing families. For me it weirdly meant knowing the meaning and pronunciation of terms like 'Rennen' und 'Unfall' before even Vater und Mutter. Even years later, well into my adulthood, I still hear meme phrases like *"SCHIEB IHN RAUS!"* among friends - all thanks to the DTM.

Random but thought you might appreciate hearing what got a whole community of British kids into the wide world of German language and culture!

[lenaameling]

It isn't really the companys that pay your wedge for sick days. I mean they do pay you but they get the money back from the insurance company the employee is registered in. If you are sick for more than 6 weeks for the same reason, you don't get payed fully anymore and you start getting "Krankengeld" directly from the insurance company. So thank god we have a good health insurance system in Germany!

[jonlynn]

I lived in Germany for 22 years total. When I moved back to the US some of the questions I got (well still get) really show me we Americans sometimes 'just don't get it' My biggest gripe is the question "How can you drink hot beer?" After years of trying to explain the simple (to you and I) but seemingly complex explanation to my fellow just walk away now🙄

And trying to explain the bretzen, wonderful could go on and on, but just one more big issue. Try and explain the wonderfulness of fresh Brotchen, to this day I cry for what my American family will never get to

[GGysar]

00:00 Intro
00:45 It's not illegal to break out of prison
02:22 Litokam ad
04:31 Germans get 4-6 weeks of vacation
05:57 Prostitution is legal
07:01 The Autobahn has speed limits
09:04 Oktoberfest is not a cultural holiday
10:32 Nazi symbols are illegal
12:04 German Taxis are Mercedes
13:24 Outro

[roerd]

A slight correction regarding sick days: only up to six weeks are paid by the employer. After that, people are paid a reduced amount by their medical insurance instead. (This is not per year, but for a single illness, though. If you fall ill with a different cause, the previous sick days are not counted towards that.)

[blondkatze]

From northern to southern Germany there are many festivals that you can visit all year round. City festivals, Lake festivals, music festivals, etc. Yes, in southern Germany is the Oktoberfest the most famous folk festival. In the north there is also the Bremer free market, the Hamburger Dom, the Oldenburger Kramermarkt, etc. They have been a very long time and they also have an old historical history. I would recommend visiting the beautiful Christmas markets throughout Germany during the Christmas season, it is worth it.

[katiemossi]

Feli, I love your videos! I was born in Bavaria to American parents so I was back in the states before age 2. I am mostly German and part Austrian by heritage. Your videos help me learn about my "homeland"! Plus you're super cute and expressive! ❤

[marcromain]

Is it just me or is Feli talking much louder since she moved to the US for good? 😉

[brendamertes]

Thank you so much for addressing the myth of Oktoberfest!

[annahopp]

I do miss the German Autobahn where you can drive 250 kmh (155 mph) at 4am, only to get a highbeam flash from someone behind you that wants to pass.

[HaleyMary]

The 4 to 6 weeks of vacation sounds amazing! In Canada, I've never been able to have more than two weeks off. I must say sometimes if I'm feeling really stressed during the winter months and also just want to hibernate away from the cold weather, I wish Canadians could take at least a month off to relax.

[frhaber]

You should come to Kitchener, Ontario, Canada next October for our 'Oktoberfest' which is second largest in the world, next to Munich. This area was settled by a large number of Germans, and Kitchener was known as Berlin, until the First World War.

[Ruskieit]

You look so cute when you smile Feli! Would love to see some vlog of yours

[AllStars]

Who knew?? Not us in the US. Another cultural gem of a video!! Excellent!!

[christopherbova]

Yes please do a video about the German philosophy of prison

[IggyStardust]

My first wife took me to Germany back in 2005, and I felt SO at home there. My family came to the US from Germany in the late 1800s, so I carry German blood in me. My first wife, Rose, was born in Munich, and before she died in 2006, she wanted to go back for the last time. She took me with her, and we spent 3 magical weeks there. Two weeks in Munich with her mother, and one week in Zandt with her brother's family. We attended Oktoberfest several times, and I was absolutely floored by how nice everyone was. I still celebrate "Oktoberfest", and go to the local variations when we can afford it, because "any reason to drink a lot of good beer" works for me. =D

[Texas-Chris]

Mercedes are very well built cars. I have seen the old models that were built back in the 70s with the diesel engines still running and selling for a lot more than you would expect a 40 year old car to be worth. I’m not a big drinker so Octoberfest is more of an opportunity to celebrate family and good food to me. Blessings to you Feli and Ben !!!

[dirtcop]

When Eisenhower went to Germany after WWII he was impressed by the Autobahn. He probably reflected on his cross country trip in the US after WWI. It was alarming. In the 1950s he proposed the Interstate system, which drew a lot of ideas from the Autobahn. There is a popular Octoberfest in Missouri in a town named for a first century German hero, Herman. He defeated 3 Roman legions in Germany, nearly wiping them out.