American Reacts to the DON'Ts of Visiting Germany...

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[neuralwarp]

The holocaust memorial was built as a staircase, giving two perspectives. You can be buried away among the blocks, or you can stand on top looking down into the darkness.
There's a difference between dancing on a grave, and walking on and around an art installation commemorating deaths. Art is designed to be explored from all angles. If the artist didn't want you standing on top, they'd have made it difficult or put up signs.

[fixzeichner]

We Germans sometimes run through red lights, especially at night. It is important to us that children do not take this as a role model and run across the street when it is red. We simply want to protect them from the risk of an accident. The cash thing is really a German peculiarity. One of the reasons for this is that we would like to have an overview of what we can and cannot afford. When paying by card you lose it very quickly and most Germans don't want to have debts (credits).

[marcheydorn]

Malta, 1 o'clock in the night, 4 people waiting in front of a red light... First question "So you are from Germany too?" And yes, we are :D

[josefineseyfarth]

I as a German do also J- walk, but ONLY if it's necessary for the sake of being punctual (e.g. for work), ONLY if there are no children or police around AND the street is clear so it's safe for me. Otherwise I'd stop at the red lights of course, like a good German does.

[josefineseyfarth]

It's not that the waiter hands you the menu and waits impatiently next to your table for you to make your orders. 😂😂
Most of the time, they'll return after a few minutes and ask for drink orders first, then bring your drinks to the table and when everyone's got his/ her drink, they'll take your food orders right away. That's how it is in 99% of German restaurants.
And of course they will check on you from time to time and ask if everything is fine, just not as often as in the US.
If you want to place another order or ask for the bill though, it's true that YOU have to make the waiter notice you.

[lynnhamps]

The memorial point really struck a chord with me, last time I was in Berlin, several idiots were posing on the piece and it made me so angry that I ended up telling someone how disrespectful they were being, and yes I'm afraid to say they were American 😞..they didn't even have the decency to look shamefaced, just walked away laughing about the 'stuck-up British' ...if having respect for the poor victims of an appalling war crime is stuck-up then I'm glad to be so!

[cpmahon]

I've been to Germany a few times and had a really good time. People definitely were friendly and also loved to practice their English, which was so often excellent. My parents used to take in German students when I was a child and we were fortunate to be invited to stay with some of their families. It's also a beautiful country, I would certainly recommend going.

[benlee]

The thing about "half timbered houses" is, that most of those "My life in Germany" videos are made in the south. If one of them would move to the North, they'd "only" see houses made of brick stone with stepped gables or on the countryside thatched houses.

[blondkatze]

The small children learned in school in Germany that you can only cross the street when it is green. So there are extra traffic lessons at our elementary school in the village. A traffic light was also set it up especially for little school children. So we adults are role models for the children. Germans do a lot to commemorate our history and take seriously so it is also important to commemorate all these many victims with dignity, you visit the memorials, the concentration camps, etc.

[LexusLFA]

"Bei Rot musst du stehen, bei Grün *darfst* du gehen". Absolute classic.

Do you really want to teach children that it is ok to jaywalk? Children are terrible at judging speeds and following rules. We want our children to live.

The "touristy" stuff at the camps is new to me but if this is true - these people have a special place in extra-hell reserved for them.

[Krokostad]

As others said: We wait on the red light because of children. There are even signs sometimes, saying "Den Kindern ein Vorbild" which means "a rolemodel for children". You think twice about crossing that street on a red light with such a sign 😁

[mikekelly]

Love Germany...been there twice...he's absolutely correct about everything. One of the most outstanding things is how friendly everyone is.

[swjmbj]

I find cultural differences fascinating. In Australia we just wander across streets and dont worry too much about Walk, Dont Walk signs and zebra crossings if there is no traffic. I wandered across a street in Nuremberg and was confronted by a group of Omas who gave me a good dressing down. There was a kindergarten across the street and I was a bad example to the children. I've learnt my lesson. When in Germany I always check for schools and kindgardens before wandering across a street.

[Rick]

Two more don'ts: keep conversations in public quite and don't bother other people with ringing mobile phones and phone talks, esp. in restaurants, cafes, trains, etc. The well behaved German is even going outside of the restaurant for a phone call.

[t.a.k.palfrey]

The pfand (deposit) is on glass and plastic bottles too. If you buy a 12-pack of water in a store, each bottle will attract a deposit of between 10 and 25 cents. So save them up and return them to stores, which have recycling machines which will refund your deposit as you put the bottles in the machine. This sum adds up quickly. Btw, the jaywalking thing applies chiefly at crossings. One often sees people crossing mid-block or across streets in smaller towns where there are shops both sides. Remember, at uncontrolled junctions, pedestrians take precendence over vehicles! You misunderstood one thing, Joel. On the whole, when eating out Germans take their time eating, chatting, drinking, etc. The advice given was to order soon after being offered the menu, as servers won't be visiting your table often.

[pauldenby]

I was at a completely empty street in Koln - no cars at all.. only three pedestrians and we all waited.. and waited.. and waited to cross (it felt like 5 minutes with no cars at all).. It's really weird for Brits as we would just cross, but in Germany (also Austria and parts of Poland), its massively important to wait. Same goes for pedestrians straying into cycle lanes (which can be quite easy).. you will get told off.

[beace]

The jaywalking thing: Germany is an extremely safe place. The children start going to school by themselves at 6yo, and you will see families with the tiniest kids (1, 5-2yo) cycling together. The kids have to learn the rules in order to keep safe. You will see posters beside the traffic-lights: "Be a good example for the children, wait for the green light". It is true: if you show to children that nobody else jaywalk, they won't. If you show them the rule is a bit loose, they will try to cross quickly one time... and there you go. You - as an adult - may be safe 99% of the time, but a kid as small as 6 doesn't have the same instincts and experience. That is also why German drivers will hit the breakes always - *always!* - in proximity of zebra crossings.

Edit to add: It is also part of their conception of society. Everybody is responsible for tbe good functioning of society and caring for the children, it's not just "their parents' business". That's why German Omas (Granny in German 😆) will scold you if you do something wrong. They feel like they are a little bit your Grandma too and they are entitled to it 😅

[derwidder]

Cash culture is very important in Germany, also because many old people don't trust the banks

[elli-mk]

Me, being born and raised right by the Harz mountains, absolutely melting at the mention of my beloved home as so many travel guides just completely forget about this beautiful region.

Thale, Quedlinburg and Wernigerode are smaller but definitely worthy destinations to visit.

[mclovin]

In Germany it is about efficiency, an pedestrians (crossing red light) are seen as a part of traffic and are fined the same as bicylce or car drivers. No exceptions for pedestrians! Also you are an exaple for the children. And as we are densly populated it is helpful when people follow rules, it would be chaos otherwise.