What you need to know before going to Germany

What you should know before going to Germany?

  • The currency is the EURO
  • Cars drive on the right side of the road
  • Not all Germans speak English
  • Germans have the best beer in the world. The “German Beer Purity Law” allows that the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops.
  • Germans are punctual. Never come late to an appointment.
  • We drink a lot of coffee
  • Germans don’t waste much time but try to find the cause of a problem and solve it.
  • Almost everything is regulated in Germany by law.
  • If you live in Germany permanently you must be health insured by law.
  • Germans may seem to be unfriendly at first, but once you know them they are very reliable and they will know you the next day and for a long time.
  • In other countries it is the other way round. Everybody is friendly to you but you are forgotten the next day.
  • In Germany you go into a pub and nobody will talk to you at first. If you finally have a nice conversation with somebody for a long time, you most likely made a friend. When you meet him the next day he will still be your frind as you are closer to his heart now.
  • The German mind thinks deeply and attempts to consider all possible consequences. In most countries the people thinks narrow and short-term. That’s why they never get anywhere economywise or politically. Germans think broad and long-term and try to integrate all possible outcomes in their decision.
  • A poor man can fight a rich man in Germany and win before the courts. The legal system works well. Just make sure you have proof before you seek a lawyer.
  • Germans are somewhat formal. So approach them carefully the first time. As soon as they know you everything is fine.
  • You can address someone in two different forms: du (you) Sie (you).
    • Du is used for friends, family members, colleagues and kids. “Sie” is used for people who you don’t know and your boss at work.
    • If you use “Sie” this keeps a respectful distance. You can’t go to a higher ranked person and say “Du” unless he is your friend and you talk to him privately, not at work. At work you should still address your friend with “Sie” as it may not be beneficial to you if others see that the boss is your friend. If you go to clubs, a chess club, for example, you can use “Du”.