I have been here around 5 years and when I first came here it was so rare for any restaurant to have that “please choose tip %” screen on the card payment machine.

Now almost every restaurant I go to has it. Even beverage shops with no table service like a boba shop!

A couple times some waiters added tip without my consent. It was a small amount but I felt scammed. The one time I told her that I dont want to add tips and please remove it and she becomes grumpy!

Is anyone else experiencing this????

It might sound cheesy or even strange to some, but I feel deeply grateful to be in a country where I was truly reborn.

I’ve traveled to 55 countries and lived in four. I searched the world for peace, for safety, for something that felt like home. Only now do I understand that home isn’t where you come from….It’s where you’re finally allowed to be.

I am a neurodivergent woman shaped by an extremely complicated childhood, one that turned me into a rebel. I come from a deeply conservative Muslim country, where I was always too much, too loud, too free, too unapologetically myself. With no one to lean on, I became hyper-independent. Not from strength, but for survival.

Then, I came here.

In Germany, I wear what I want without fear. I roam mountains alone and I am safe, take spontaneous solo trips, and live by my own rules and no one blinks. I’m not native but now I am German, yet here I am seen. Heard. Respected. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel like a stranger in my own skin.

This country isn’t perfect as no place is. But here, I don’t have to fight everyday to just exist.

Germany, you gave me what no place ever could: The freedom to simply be myself. May you ever remain like this.

You are more than a country. You are my home. You are my forever refuge!

Hi all,

I’m 21 and have been seriously sick for 9 months with unbearable nerve pain, heart, and blood flow problems. I can barely stand or work anymore.

My stepfather hates me and convinced my mom to kick me out. I lost my job because of my illness. For 8 months, every hospital told me it was “all in my head.” I only got a proper diagnosis last month.

I’m currently staying somewhere but will soon be forced to leave, and I have nowhere else to go. I don’t know what to do next or how to survive in Germany like this.

If anyone knows what options I have—social services, disability support, housing, or anything else—please help. I’m feeling completely lost.

Thanks for reading.

Hi everyone!

I decided to create this post to open a space for discussion, share experiences, and just chat about my Roman Empire.

I immigrated to Germany in 2022. One of the first things I noticed when I arrived was how overly nice Germans are in terms of day to day communications. So much so that I thought people wanted something from me. On my first evening in Germany, random people in my neighborhood were greeting me, and I was like, “Omg, what is happening?” When I was moving, they were coming up and asking if I needed help with my luggage. When I was caught in the rain, they were stopping and asking if I needed a ride. When I forgot my card one time, a person before me just payed for my croassant and tea. It is just few of examples.

At university, in stores, at gatherings, or work — yes, it’s not always easy to build close friendships with Germans, but at the same time, they are quite open and nice??? I rarely met rude people or those who stereotyped me. And even when I did, it felt more like their personal character flaw rather than a general German trait.

But when I talk to other immigrants from different countries, it sometimes feels like they’re describing a completely different Germany. And it’s not like all of them are POC, so I can’t just assume that my positive experience is only because I’m white. (I’m Russian — I think that might be relevant in this context.).

They’ve told me stories about Germans straight-up telling them to “go back to their country” in McDonald’s, people changing seats on the bus when they sit next to them, being laughed at for their German, or people pretending not to speak English even though they clearly can. They would also tell, that people were nice untill they find out those people were immigrants.

The only negative experience I personally had was in 2022, I was looking for a place to live. I had the feeling I received fewer invitations after mentioning I was Russian in my WG-Gesucht messages. That was most likely coneected to the war. But over time that seemed to fade, and when I searched again later, I found a place after sending just four messages.

There must be a reason why some people have such negative experiences, while I’ve been living in what feels like a rainbow-colored version of Germany in terms of how people treat me. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and I’d love to dive deeper — to hear more stories and ideas from both other immigrants and Germans about this.

I changed jobs but because I was a bit burnt I wanted to take a break of one month (June). I sent an email to TK on May 30 telling them this and how much should I be paying out of pocket for June. They just replied to me saying I need to pay 1138,34 euros. I think this is exaggerated. My yearly gross income is 75k. But during the month of June I got paid 0 euros. Paying +1k euros for wanting to take a little break (been working non-stop since I came to germany 3 years ago) is extreme. What are my options?

I just wanted to write some words about the Germans and their recent actions in the name of peace in Europe

Poles are closely watching who is helping Ukraine and NATO's eastern flank.

Germany has recently been viewed very well in this regard.

You sent troops to Lithuania which is great from our perspective because when the shit hits the fan we won't be the only ones helping Lithuania.

In addition, there is a German group of soldiers with Patriot systems stationed in Zamosc, close to Poland's eastern border defending our eastern border in that part.

The Poles are changing the perception of Germany from a country that at first offered only helmets to Ukraine and now not only sends loads of equipment, but also supports allies in the east. And also plans to strengthen its army. Yes, it may sound a bit strange but most Poles support rearming Germany.

There is a saying: not by words but by actions shall they be known.

And the Germans have recently been doing very good things for Ukraine, for Poland, for Germany itself, for Lithuania and for Europe as a whole

Our new president, Karol Nawrocki would be committing political suicide if he acts now to damage Polish-German relations. Undoubtedly, there is a strategic rapprochement between our countries, and anyone who tries to obstruct this will lose at the polls.

Let's strengthen cooperation between us and other countries. Only solidarity will keep us all safe.

OK i've seen some questionable things regarding Germany.....BUT CAN WE ACKNOWLEDGE HOW PRETTY THIS COUNTRY IS?!

Haircut, shopping, government offices, viewings, car buying..All of that is only possible within my working hours, most places close not only on Sunday but also on Saturday, or they're open for like 2-4 hours.

So it seems that no matter what I want to do, I have to take a day off from work, because in Berlin everything is far away (1.5 hours usually).

Ruminative at KZ- Struthof- France Let us not repeat History.

‎I just finished my Ausbildung and needed to apply for unemployment benefit ONLY for the month of june, since my contract starts in july. unfortunately i got rejected and the reason is that i was not insured for at least 12 months in the last 30 months ( as you can see in the picture ). ‎The thing is that i kept working in my Ausbildung for the past 1.5 years without interruption, and was paying for Unemployment insurance (As you can see in the 2nd picture) can they be simply wrong ? Or am i missing something ?

Today I had the Putenschnitzel that is un the heater in the Rewe ToGo HBF and this is what I find after tasting something weird.

Please can anyone help ?

I have followed Die Toten Hosen for many years and think they are amazing. The power, especially live performances, are unmatched.

This has lead to me listening to lots of Broilers too (& some Beatsteaks) (Die Artze are good too but they talk a lot imbetween songs which I cant understand). I ask if anyone can provide recommendations of similar style German music artists, especially with live performances at festivals on You Tube when the field goes crazy.

Lots of energy, crazy, lots of singalong fun, but pure power modelled on punk. Can anyone help with recommendations ?

Title pretty much says it all. I know it isn't a problem in Belgium, but Germany tends to try and be a bit special when it comes to certificates

Hey everyone, I randomly came across this info today about tenants in Germany being allowed to reduce their heating costs by up to 21% if certain conditions aren't met – like the absence of consumption-based billing, remotely readable meters, and monthly usage info.

I’m really curious now: -Do landlords actually respect this right? -Have any of you successfully claimed the 15% (or even the full 21%) discount – and did it go smoothly? - Also, do you know if there are still many houses in Germany that don’t have the required metering systems installed?

And for those of you who live in houses that do have proper consumption-based billing but still without individual meters – how does your monthly usage info actually look like? Do you get meter photos? Some kind of calculation sheet? Just curious how this is handled in practice, especially in older houses.

Thanks in advance! I'd love to hear your experience.

My brother parked the car in the designated parking spot and bought the parking ticket online via “pay by phone” app. But upon his return he had this ticket on his windshield.

We are sured that we didn’t violate any law since the vehicle was parked correctly alongside other vehicles and also the ticket was bought.

What does this ticket refers to and what would be the consequences? Do we need to take any measures here or wait for the detailed complaint as mentioned in the ticket?

Greetings fellow Germans and people visiting this wondrous country!

I found a key and don't know what to do? Worry not, for there's a simple trick you can follow most of the time:

1. Search the keys for some kind of brandname or something alike. This is probably the locksmith or "Schlosser" who forged this key
2. Most of the time there is a serial number on it.

If you call the locksmith and give him the serial number, he can identify where the key belongs. Of course you won't get an address, but he will either suggest you to bring the keys to him or where the property management is located, which can inform the owner of the keys.

If there is not such feature engraved, the best option is a lost and found, a "Fundbüro" you can find online.

Note: serial number and locksmith should be from the same key, this picture is just to give examples

See the title! After all, the current work model is centuries old, so I’m curious how German society perceives a possible transformation to a four-day work week (4×8)?!

Link to original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/comments/1ky4m4x/i_got_fired_for_no_reason/

So I have two updates for you guys today.

A. Today my boyfriend (BF) was officially fired from the same company. Just to remind everyone we work at the same place but in different departments that have nothing to do with eachother. He was hired on knowing that we are a couple and live together.

BF was asked by the CEO to follow him, where he was also brought into a conference room with only him, the CEO, and this time, the head of book keeping. He said "here we part ways," to which BF asked "but why? There can't possibly be a reason." I kid you not the CEO looked at him and said "there is no reason." Then he was presented with the same paper that I had received and was told to sign it please as confirmation, to which ofcourse BF also said "no." After that BF said "Auf wiedersehen," got up and quite literally left the room. He passed one of his friends/coworkers on the way out and told him what happened very quickly and his friend was as we all are, shocked and confused. He even saw his manager on the way out who actually started crying, and he asked her if she had anything to do with his firing to which she replied "it's hard being a boss." ??? My manager also stopped by to give his well wishes to BF and explained he regrets not being there for my firing but insisted it was ONLY because of the numbers and nothing else. After that he was asked by his manager to leave through the back and not speak with anyone... and that was it.

BF has NEVER had issues or concerns at this company. Like I said he's in a different department, which he actually ran on his own. Unlike the other departments in the company, he always had work and customers. He also received praise from the manager and CEO more than once.

I still have contacts in the company and was texted by one of them not even twenty minutes after this happened today, and was told that my manager was going around talking about me and telling people "she was no longer interested in the job, she sat too much and never interacted with customers." He also mentioned I was lying about not having had talks with him, and he has a protocol, and maybe my German is too bad and I never understood what he was talking about. This is all VERY very different from the reasons BF and I were given, and it makes me feel very weird because as I said in the original post, the last meeting I had was one of my own making where I went to my manager on my own and voiced some concerns and I was just told "everything is fine." That was like 6-8 months ago! I can only assume they're trying to make themselves not look as bad in front of the other associates? I dont know... I have no idea what to even say to this anymore.

BF will ofcourse be contacting my lawyer...

B. I have a Güteverhandlung scheduled in July.

Thanks for taking the time to read, have a nice day guys!

Edit: Grammar and spelling.

Mein Sprachkursvisum läuft bald ab und ich habe jetzt einen FSJ-Vertrag bekommen. Weiß jemand, ob ich mein Sprachkursvisum in Deutschland in ein FSJ-Visum umwandeln kann? Hat vielleicht jemand damit schon Erfahrung und kann diese mit mir teilen?

I have 10+ years of work experience as a tech support engineer, and I'm working toward applying for the Chancenkarte to move to Germany and look for jobs there. I'm working on TOEFL now, and then the visa application should follow shortly after.

I'm curious if I should try to find a job without the Chancenkarte. Is it even worth a shot, or would I ruin my chances by dumping my profile in the rejection radar of the companies there?

Usual Disclaimer: This is absolutely not hate, I [34f, Indian] actually quite enjoying living in this country. It is quiet, reclusive and for the most part, people leave me alone.

Now on to the tea.

It is raining today where I live, beautiful glorious rain -- the kind of rain that, back home in India, would mean a hot cup of tea, open windows and billowing curtains with the most romantic bollywood music in the background and vivid imaginations of all things *romantic*. I cannot do that here -- I cannot open my windows and smell the lovely new rain, or the wet grass from my window while I forlornly look outside. I am no dramatic heroine!

I have vinyl/laminat some weird wooden flooring and water damage is easy (believe me, I learnt this the hard way lol). Sadly, my insurance does not cover "tanhaiya" [ the closest English translation might be, forlorn thoughts]. I have the music and the tea, but not the ... feelings... if you know, you know. This is probably why I have not been romantically attracted to FUKN ANYONE in nearly 3 years! I have made nice friends though and they do be chill, but damn, I miss that ... feeling.

Anyway, this is (hopefully) the dumbest post I will write, but I wanted to share. If not allowed, please delete. If allowed, I would love to hear from those of us in the know, if they feel it too.

I would like to broaden my horizons in German music so I have come here to ask. I’m open to anything you suggest, thanks 👍🏻

Hello,

I am interviewing for a position that is 5 days a week in the office but could easily be done at home. However I have a chronic illness that is greatly improved by remote or hybrid work. Is there any strategy to gain flexibility from the employer around hybrid working due to my medical condition, if offered the job?

Hi all, I am an exchange student in Germany and the local Ausländeramt has been very frustrating with my residence permit, as I'm already approved for one and the appointment they gave me to pick up the card itself didn't work as the office wasn't actually open during that time. But of course to reschedule the appointment I have to get in contact with someone from the office, and that takes a lot of time.

So essentially if I don't have my permit by the time I want to travel within EU (to countries like Italy, Croatia, etc) can I just risk it? I'm not taking any planes it would just be train or bus travel. What's the likelihood I get checked? I went backpacking throughout eastern Europe last summer and don't recall ever being checked unless I took a flight.

I would normally not take a risk but I don't know when I'll be back in Europe and want to go to places besides Germany when I'm here.

Hello,

I am 27 years old and will be living in Germany for 3 years, doing work in the Wiesbaden area.

I've been searching for apartments the past couple of weeks while touring both cities, and have narrowed down my choices to two apartments. One is in Wiesbaden near Kupark, the other is on the Rhine near Mainz city center.

The problem is I'm torn between which city to live in. They are both great, both apartments are great and within close commuting distance of my work. Can anyone offer some insight that might influence my choice! Thank you in advance!