5 Unbelievable Lies America Taught Me About Germany 🇩🇪

[@PassportTwo]

Are there any lies the other way around that Germans have been told about the US that you’ve found to be false?? BTW, If you want to check out that amazing wine tour and wine pairing class, you can sign up here: bit.ly/3CefzOf

[@ZebSound]

That we started WW....oh...no that one is true :(

[@petrameyer1121]

Of course, a ß is not a B, it is a whip! :)

[@MeowMeow6118a]

I'm from germany, and i never saw a gun irl :D

[@jennyh4025]

That the USA are „the greatest country on earth“ and that anyone can get rich if only they try (no money or connections needed). Both have been proven wrong to me by my family in the USA.

[@dutchman7623]

I went to NY to see cowboys on horses chasing Indians, didn't see a single one of both. But it still is 'the Center of the World' they said, but it smelled after something else, piles of garbage and filthy streets. There are a lot of false images about the US in Europe as well, but with a little bit of reading and a closer view, you can quickly see through the decor. What struck me was the poverty in large cities, homelessness, and addiction. And a lot of 'fake' were tourists come, and exaggeration of 'happiness' as well. The US is an interesting country, with a lot of beautiful landscapes and many nice people, but just as anywhere else in the world it isn't paradise.

[@VOLTAIRE_DORTMUND]

The biggest lie Americans are told about Germans is that Germany is all about lederhosen, half-timbered houses, sauerkraut, pretzels, white sausage and beer. Many Americans are also taught that you can drive as fast as you want on every German Autobahn.

[@PassportTwo]

This is true...but we had to change it up and not make another video about this stereotype of "all of Germany is just like Bavaria" 😂 To add onto the autobahn lie, most Americans also think the Autobahn is just a single famous road 😅

[@VOLTAIRE_DORTMUND]

That's funny. There are about 122 Autobahnen in Germany and on most of them there are so many traffic jams every day that you often stand more than you drive.

[@franhunne8929]

c@@VOLTAIRE_DORTMUND You are just using them at the wrong hour of the day - go for nights, between 2 and 4 am .. they are much emptier then. OK, it has been a while since I drove on a Autobahn. It has been a while since I drove period

[@Cau_No]

@@PassportTwo That 'single famous road' exists, it is the AVUS in Berlin, which basically is hostorically the first Autobahn of Germany.

[@eisikater1584]

@@franhunne8929 You're aware that you should only drive at a speed where you can stop within the range of your headlights at night? Agreed, German deer are smaller than moose or American elks, but I wouldn't want to hit one anyway, and they roam at night. There are no fences, and it's not uncommon to see an animal on the autobahn now and then.

[@matkys]

I'm Czech, not German, but in beer consumption that doesn't matter(and in terms of culture, we are much closer to Germans and Austrians cause we shared 1000years of history with them. We are basically Germans with Slavic language). I'm an abstinent but I really like the taste of beer, so I drink only non-alcoholic beer. Also the Czech culture revolves about beer and a lot of Czechs are abstinents now, so you can buy non alcoholic beer even at local pub in your village with 200 inhabitants.

[@TheMissileHappy]

I do the same in Germany. Beer just tastes great, but I don't like alcohol and I feel like it has become more normal to drink non-alcoholic beer at least among younger people.

[@theoderich1168]

I'm curious - do many Czechs actually describe themselves as a kind of German with just a different language ? There sure is a lot of shared history and similarities like the beer-brewing, engineering, mining.....

[@michaelscheuner]

@@theoderich1168 I'm a German of Czech descent, so the other way around works too. Also, drinking a cool Budzvar (not non-alcoholic) right now.

[@matkys]

@@theoderich1168 Depends on the generation. Before WWII about third of the Czechoslovakian population was Sudeten German.After the war all Germans were violently deported to Germany (lot of Czechs actually defend this awful action) after that the Communists started massive anti-german Slavic brothers propaganda that lasted 40 years. The relationships between countries are better now, but there are still dumb people (mainly Facebook comments) that still blame Germans for the war and shit. I stand with my claim, that we are culturally Austrian and German (cuisine is also similar, we eat Schnitzel and potato salad and a lot of meat with dumplings) but if you asked Czechs on the street, the majority would disagree with me. Actually there are some people in Czechia that believe in Pan-Slavism and support Serbia and shit

[@theoderich1168]

@@matkys Thank you very much for replying, that is very interesting to know; geographically Czechia sure is a part of the central European area, like the German speaking neighbours.... Have a good weekend and greetings from the Teutoburg Forest

[@minischembri9893]

Well, there is a difference between owning a gun in Europe/Germany and in the USoA. No 1: No gun can be owned privately unless you prove that you have a clean police sheet and are mentally sane plus have a GOOD reason why you should own one. No 2: You must make sure that NOBODY has access to your gun. We hat one school shooting many years ago and the FATHER of the shooter was prosecuted as he didn't care about its inaccessibility enough ! No 3: Being a hunter in Germany is very EXPENSIVE ! Apart from having to pass a very difficult test where you prove that you can say which hair belongs to which animal or footprint or what the local or regional or federal laws concerning hunting are you also No 4 : have to either OWN your hunting ground or "rent" it. You are then No 5 : RESPONSIBLE for the sustainability of your forest concerning flora and fauna. That said there are illegal gun owners.......

[@seanthiar]

you forget all members of shooting clubs and weapon collectors in Europe.

[@chrisrudolf9839]

@@seanthiar No, he didn't. Being an active member of a shooting club counts as a good reason under German law. The mere membership isn't enough though, you first have to prove that you actually train there and have decent results (marksmen clubs have loaner weapons that you can use for training under the surveillance of a trusted member there). License administration can also demand licensed gun owners to provide proof that they still have a need for it every once in a while (e.g. still train actively as a sport marksman). Weapon collectors who don't have any other reason to own a gun may only own guns that have first been rendered unusable (which has to be proven by a certificate of a licensed gun store). There are some exceptions for some historical weapons and rebuilds of those, mainly for front loading black powder weapons.

[@ralfweissenborn734]

@@seanthiar And you forget the German War Weapons Control Act, which among other things prevents the private ownership of assault rifles. In addition, many guns in shooting clubs are owned by the club and members' private guns are also stored at the club. The rules for storing weapons are very strict in Germany. Among other things, it must be ensured that weapons and ammunition are always stored separately in different, spatially separate safes. This also applies to gun collectors. Speaking of collectors, I've seen videos on YT of an American gun collector owning a German 8.8 anti-aircraft gun and ammo. He also shoots with it at collectors' meetings in the USA. That would be completely impossible in Germany.

[@helloweener2007]

No3 Can confirm that. A relative has a hunting area and he pays every year about 5.000 EUR for the disposal of boars that are to radioactive.

[@chrisrudolf9839]

Additionally, there is a big difference in who is allowed to actually carry a gun. Sport Marksmen are only allowed to carry their weapon at the ready on a licensed shooting range (no training in your private backyard!). Additionally, they are allowed to transport the weapon from their home to the shooting range or weapon trader and back (duh), but only unloaded and in a locked container. Likewise, hunters are only allowed to carry while in the specific area for which they have the hunting rights (or an area where they have been officially invited as a guest hunter by the rights owner). At home, weapon owners have to store their weapons in locked safes and separate from the ammunition (separate safe or separate locked compartment within the safe). You can take them out on your own property for cleaning, showing or in preparation of a specifically expected self defense situation, but you are not allowed to e.g. keep a weapon in your night stand drawer "just in case". Also, every gun you own has to be registered with the authorities and as a registered gun owner you are obliged to let officers enter your home for a surprise inspection whether you adhere to the regulations for storing them at any time during the day (though it rarely ever happens in practise unless the administration has been tipped off that you violate those rules). Getting a license to actually carry a gun in public for self defense is VERY difficult in Germany. In addition to the hurdles you already have to pass for legally owning the gun, you have to prove that you are under a serious death threat and that other measures of protection (restraining orders, available police protection) are not sufficient for your safety. Even most of private security personell only carry pepper spray or tazers, only high profile body guards might carry guns.

[@ladybundlebrent3562]

I'm German and I have to confess I was never at the Oktoberfest and I dislike beer so much 😂 but yeah, wherever you go in the world and tell others you're German they immediately think of Bavaria 😂

[@ladybundlebrent3562]

To answer your question: I don't drink alcohol. Never. I don't like it ^^ but I know many people who drink alcohol-free beer, especially when they need to drive later or are around kids

[@patrick6449]

@@ladybundlebrent3562 bist du ein Mädchen?

[@ladybundlebrent3562]

@@patrick6449 Es heißt immer es gäbe keine dummen Fragen, aber deine beweist das Gegenteil. Ich bin erwachsen! Und das Geschlecht hat nichts damit zu tun, ob eine Person Bier mag oder nicht. Ich bin im Freundeskreis die Einzige, die kein Bier trinkt.

[@bbn365]

hallo lady bundle, ich mache mir sorgen um dein Wohlbefinden. Es ist nun 2 Wochen her seit dem du dich Geoutet hast. Ich hoffe das hatte keinen negativen Einfluss auf dein leben und das all deine freunde noch mit dir befreundet sein wollen. mfg dein besorgter Landesnachbar!

[@Nikita_Akashya]

@@ladybundlebrent3562 Ich trinke auch nicht. Meine Schwester trinkt aber. Ich mag Alkohol nicht. Schmeckt nicht. Und Bier stinkt. Rauchen tu ich auch nicht. Aber viele Leute in meinem Umfeld trinken. Ich find das total ok und es stört mich auch nicht, solange niemand versucht mir Alkohol aufzuschwatzen. Es gab mal ein Silvester wo die eine Frau einfach nicht gerafft hat, dass meine Schwester und ich keinen Sekt wollen. Gruppenzwang existiert leider noch etwas. Vor allem bei den alten leuten. Zumindest soweit ich weiß. Aber in meiner Familie bin ich auch die einzige die nicht trinkt. Schöne Grüße aus Köln.

[@ElchiKing]

On the topic of yards: If houses in (historic) city centers have yards, they are usually in the back or enclosed by various houses, while the front is dense. This is in part because there is not much space, but in part also because it makes more sense than a front yard: If I want a yard for growing plants and recreation, a busy road is usually not the best place for it. (Also, in many cities there are Kleingartenkolonien, but people owning or renting their parcels are a very own kind)

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

And in a couple cases the roads were simply widened after the war, but the houses were rebuilt on the old spot.

[@jkb2016]

This is perhaps the best sponsor placement i've seen in years. Well transitioned. Hut ab!

[@PassportTwo]

Vielen Dank 😊

[@knudvoecking]

@@PassportTwo I used that service for a boat trip through Berlin. Really good and recommendable.

[@VOLTAIRE_DORTMUND]

I agree. The first time I watched an advertisement in a KZbin video to the end.

[@julezhu1893]

I (a German) have never really liked the taste of beer, however I do enjoy mixed drinks such as Radler or less-sweet, non-alcoholic alternatives such as Fassbrause. So now I can enjoy a trip to the "Biergarten" without having to stick to standard soft drinks.

[@peterkoller3761]

Fassbrause? I always thought this was a euphemism for beer, like Hopfenkaltschale or Hopfentee...

[@zero.Identity]

yikes. just yikes

[@zero.Identity]

@@peterkoller3761 no its basically a sweet softdrink like aheu brause. but already mixed

[@R-T_BK79]

@@peterkoller3761 It was a euphemism at one point until some brewerys started to make mixed drinks named like that

[@venomous2058]

I´m german too and .. well, same. I don't like the taste of pure beer at all, but Radler and Berliner Weiße Waldmeister ... so, yes - mixed drinks are okay. And I would never choose any drink over another JUST because it has alcohol in it. On the contrary, I'm not a big fan of alcohol.

[@ralfweissenborn734]

In Germany, only beer is drunk? With a consumption of 6.65 kg of coffee per capita - 8th place on the list of coffee drinkers worldwide - we Germans drink the USA - 18th place - easily under the table with 4.43 kg. Source: Coffee in Numbers - Coffee Report 2017

[@redcrafterlppa303]

I think the part was about alcoholic beverages. But there we also don't only drink beer. Wodka, Jägermeister, korn, berliner luft, apfelwein... Germany is more than beer when it comes to alcohol too.

[@sisuguillam5109]

And theres tea. We do drink so much tea!

[@jennyh4025]

@@sisuguillam5109 are you Ostfriese?

[@sisuguillam5109]

@@jennyh4025 part of my family very much is!

[@seanthiar]

One big lie that is always forgotten is the christmas pickle where everyone in the US "knows" its a German tradition and no German ever heard about that "tradition". BTW if somebody wants to know more about guns should search for the channel of Joerg Sprave a German weapon nerd. A short add on to the Umlaute ä, ü, ö and ß for non German with a standard keyboard. You can replace ä with ae, ü with ue, ö with oe and ß with ss. For example you can write Muenchen or Duesseldorf if you don't have an ü or Koeln if you don't have an ö. Btw German isn't the only language with additional letters. The Scandinavian countries have additional letters too. Sweden, Norway and Denmark have Æ (sounds like the German Ä) , Ø (sounds like the German Ö) and Å is like a long O. Finland have the same letters Norway has but added the German style ä, ö, and ü.

[@PassportTwo]

Christmas pickle is not forgotten about, we just talked about it in a different video that you can find here 😂: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWfShaB7jLSkndE

[@picobello99]

Sweden has ä and ö just like Finland and Germany. Denmark and Norway have æ and ø 😉

[@uteziemes5633]

The only sensible replacement for ß that ever existed was :s. Those who worked in telex or typewriters used this because they had learned that replacing ß with sz or ss is a really bad idea. - - - Then suddenly everyone who had access to it started typing their texts into computers and the Internet. Most of them had no idea what mistakes you can make when replacing the ß and how to avoid them. This is why ideas that professionals had long since discarded had made a comeback. - - - ss has never been a suitable substitute for every ß. Since the last spelling reform, it's even completely nonsensical to use ss as a replacement; because in all words in which ss has ever fitted as a substitute, the ß was already officially replaced by ss in 1998. The words that are still spelled with ß today are pronounced completely differently than words with ss. And in surnames, place names and street names, which of course were not affected by the rule change, you should definitely not use ss or sz as a replacement; because the names often also exist in these versions, but they belong to other people, places, streets. It should also be considered that exchanging ß for ss can change the meaning of a word (example: body measurements > body mass).

[@beyondEV]

Joerg doesn't need a gun. His homemade "toy" (yes a toy according to gun law) will go clean trough military grade body armor. and his "safety" t-shirt, can stop sabot tank rounds, but he refuses to admit it ;)

[@andreaweber8059]

Actually. The Chrismas pickle IS a tradition in my extended family ( I am German). So that does exist.

[@theresabu3000]

Regarding gardens - we not only have large "Wohngebiete" (living regions) where there's mostly houses for families, in villages and outer spaces of cities. There's also the tradition of "Schrebergarten" - a collection of small gardens where you can rent your back garden - mostly in quiet outer spaces you can walk or bike to. It's popular when you have high density buildings with 4 to 5 story buildings. But we also have large public parks and places for kids to play (Spielplatz) in denser areas - good for meeting other people.

[@peterdung8308]

From my consumer perspektive, alcohol free beer also becomes more popular due to improved quality. Frankly, 30 years ago, alcohol free beer tasted like horsepiss (or how I Imagine it to taste). 15 years ago it was better, but still had an aftertaste that took some getting used to. Today, alcohol free beer is quite good and not too different from traditional beer with alcohol.

[@EyMannMachHin]

Apart from the taste of alcohol-free beer, when it was first introduced I hear a lot of people go "Why the f.. do I want alcohol-free beer. I'm not drinking it for the taste." ;)

[@arcuskhozar]

Exactly. The only thing in beer that isn't perfect is the alcohol. Back in the days alcohol-free beer tasted awful. Impossible to drink. I only say Jever Fun (which still tastes awful). Nowadays it tastes most of the time okay, some are good or even great. Up to this day my personal favorite is Bitburger 0% or Bitburger Drive as it's named internationally. Unfortunately it's not exported to many/all countries in the world 😮‍💨

[@helenevoyer5317]

Thanks for the video and the bloppers at the end, it showed the reality of creating content for KZbin. From 🇨🇦

[@larsg.2492]

You can substitute a Umlaut with the used vowel and an e. Sticking with your example, Küchen can also be written as Kuechen (especially in crossword puzzles), if you don't want to look up the ascii code or are unaware of the keep-pushed-for-variants method.

[@manub.3847]

In earlier times, when printing books/newspapers, : ae;oe;ue or instead of ß-ss were often written.

[@Hoschie-ww7io]

Why make such a fuss. I usually say there is no way around and that’s the way they have to write it. Weirdly it works perfectly and they always write it with ä, ö or ü

[@larsg.2492]

@@Hoschie-ww7io Not intended to make a fuss. Please don't get me wrong. If you teach it that way and it works than good for you. Keep it that way. 👍🏻 All I wanted to say was that there are always exceptions from the rule.

[@Llortnerof]

@@Hoschie-ww7io When handwritten, that's perfectly reasonable. But not every font even has the letters, so it may be for purely practical reasons.

[@reinhard8053]

@@Hoschie-ww7io There are exceptions. In IT it is sometimes better to write ae instead of ä, because there are different representations for the letter. Some programs and filesystems may have problems with it. Or if you exchange a document between Linux and Windows or with different browsers or database applications, you might geht in trouble. In coding it is sometimes allowed, but you should never use it. Even in HTML you might see effects.

[@dansattah]

Being Syrian-German, I don't drink as much alcohol as my mother's side of the family, but I do take a glass in social situations, if Radler isn't available. I really hate that tingly feeling of wine in my throat, so I dilute it with water, unless we're at a restaurant and try a local house wine, e.g. in Spain and Portugal. I prefer the North-German stereotypes much more. Seafood, sailing, swimming, and a rather introverted, reserved mentality over all. About the bananas: After watching one of the food-related shows on the public broadcasting TV, I have learned that monkeys prefer to open it from the bottom because the peeling is much easier with less of it sticking to the pulp. I tried it out, then stuck with it.

[@carlosdumbratzen6332]

Tbh only barbarians drink none diluted wine ;)

[@Phosphoros47]

I absolutely respect having sponsors like local beverage companies for the Spezi-Verkostung or the vineyard tour. That’s really cool and fits into your videos.

[@cold_fire]

The heaviest lie I heard about Germany is, that we are socialist. We are social, but not socialist.

[@Niklas0657]

My non-alcohol beer consumption skyrocketed when I stopped seeing it as beer without alcohol - which is somewhat lame - but a soft drink with beer flavor - which is fantastic. I don't have decide any more between a boring sparkling water and some overly sweet, artifically tasting soft drink but I can get a soft drink with low sugar and beer flavor.

[@Javawocky92]

4:07 I always took Germany as a beer celebratory culture where beer was used to mark special events and to celebrate holidays not "oh look it's 3pm on a Tuesday get the keg"

[@yvonneschonberger197]

We have a Garden.In a Gardener Club .( Gartenverein , Schrebergarten).Many Germany who live in a Apartment have such a garden. Where they can stay with the Family over the Weekend,plant some flowers and vegetables on there own.

[@leonlowenstadter9223]

Beer & Alcohol: Non-alcoholic beer had an increasing demand as the limits on "driving drunk" were reduced step by step and I would say the Germans accepted that driving drunk is not a sign of strength and manliness any more. Secondly, US beer contains less alcohol, which might be relevant for tourists from the US. With view to consumption habits: You almost never see someone drink alcohol at an work place (except addicts and celebrations) whereas this seems quite common in US TV productions.

[@TimoWolf200]

A German pils has between 4,8% to 5,3% vol alcohol. Lighter American beers eg. Bud Light has about 4,2% and the normal Budweiser about 5% alcohol. I don’t think this is a big difference.

[@ralfp8844]

Alcohol free beer had a real boom, when a new kind of it has been invented. I remember that as a big step forward somewhere in the 90's. I don't like sweet beverage very much, and so do many beer drinkers. The new method was, to get the alcohol out of a fully brewed beer, with nearly no sugar left in it. That made it possible to brew nonalcoholic beer, that tastes as good as real beer. I guess that explains the boom.

[@NOLAGent1]

A cool video would be to cover those tiny little houses with gardens on the outskirts of cities that people rent the space for gardening. In German I believe they are called Schrebergarten or Kleingarten.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Hey Donnie! I was just watching your your vid, as I often watch your vids cuz they’re good 😅, and I see you mentioned us! Thank you, that was nice of you!

[@PassportTwo]

I also often watch your videos cuz they're great, hence the mention! 😊 Have a good time on your vacation!

[@moritzheintze7615]

2:18: Actually, sometimes it is better to avoid umlauts. E.g. in file names, because there are different standards and they may get garbled. To maintain readability, they are spelled out ae, oe and ue. This is also how it is done with names in e-mail addresses.

[@luiscaceres1768]

Great Video, thank You for your comments about this very interesting country. Luis

[@peterkoller3761]

The attitude towards guns, I think, also depends on whether you are in a city or in the country side. Where I live, in very rural part of Austria, there's a hunter or two in every other household. No hunting without a gun. And if you have a gun, you should also know how to handle it. So people go to shooting ranges on a regular basis.

[@beyondEV]

The difference to the US is, that we have guns for sport, hunting etc. we generally only take it out to do this activities. We don't run around with guns "for self protection from criminals" or simply to stick the point, that we have a right to carry. Because it's not "a right" we have no problem whatsoever to attach responsibilities to it. or get a permit. It's always funny to see the reaction of tourist, when here in Switzerland a few hundred soldiers board a train, with the guns to go home over weekend.

[@peterkoller3761]

@@beyondEVonly take guns out for recreational activities? your 5fold gun related death rate in the US compared to Germany proves the opposite.

[@VOLTAIRE_DORTMUND]

9:45 White socks and Birkenstocks… I think you are already Germanized 😅

[@PassportTwo]

Love when my “Easter eggs” are caught 😂 Nice catch!

[@heikokappes5190]

i just wanted to post the same when i saw that you were quicker

[@VOLTAIRE_DORTMUND]

@@heikokappes5190 yeah i'm a fast boy. My wife always complains about it 😉😁

[@justme9801]

I am an older German from Bavaria. We called beer "liquid bread" and it was traditionally part of the "Abendbrot". Drinking beer is an enjoyment like a good glass of wine for the French. In the older days every brewery had a "Wirtshaus/Gasthaus" or maybe the other way around, but while mother prepared the table for the Abendbrot the son, still a boy, was sent with a jug to the Wirtshaus to get it freshly filled. This was custom in the villages. Coming from Bavaria I know little about wine, so thank you for educating me about it.

[@jkb2016]

9:45 three years here and you're more German than I could ever be

[@PassportTwo]

Love when my “Easter eggs” are caught 😂

[@KitsuneHB]

Socks in sandals! Now he must complain more about this and that and he's a perfect german! :D

[@jk9554]

3:20 you can also substitute the umlauts and the "sharp s" with standard ASCII letters, though: ä > ae ö > oe ü > ue ß > ss

[@jonathanscott7372]

We have a large yard, or garden in Germany with an apple tree, a peach tree, a plum tree, black currants, red currants, white currents, gooseberries, three vines, plus raised beds with vegetables, as well as a lawn, and flower beds in front of the house. To the side of the house we have a driveway, and decorative trees. but we live in the country, with a tradition of self sufficiency. Our out building had originally a pigsty.

[@B.A.B.G.]

Never been so fast. Glad you're back.

[@PassportTwo]

Haha, congrats! Glad you are back for more as well 😊

[@AlBert-nx7po]

yeah, alcohol free beer is very common in Germany, even in pubs! And today the quality and taste is much better than several years ago. You can get really tasty ones without the sweetness, which they had at the beginning.

[@Morkvonork]

It is common to use ue, oe and ae instead of ü ö or ä if there is no way to use Umlaute in Germany.

[@Der_Kleine_Mann]

I usually drink alcohol-free beer when I have to/or want to drive afterwards, and don't only want to drink Coke the whole time. It is also very refreshing without having the down-effect of the alcohol. Good for sports and work.

[@CurryGinne]

It's true that we Germans drink non-alcoholic versions of beers from time to time. I've never really thought about it, but I think it's strongly related to the after-work culture that we have here and it's just part of it to drink a beer with friends in the evening - may it be with alcohol or not. However, one must also say that the taste also differs. Although both taste good.

[@aphextwin5712]

The two-dots-above-above-a-vowel diacritics is used for two different things. It can mark an umlaut and thus represent a different vowel sound, or it can be a diaeresis that indicates that two adjacent vowels are pronounced separately. In the latter sense, it is somewhat akin to indicating a stress on a ‘syllable’. In English, both usages essentially only occur in loan words (or ‘fake’ loan words like Mötley Crü). And while in English a loan word with a diaeresis still honours the original purpose of it when pronouncing the word (eg, naïve), it doesn’t do so with umlauts, either because the original sound doesn’t exist in English (ü) or tends to pronounced already like the German umlaut (eg, gang vs Doppelgänger). Since on top in English loan words with an umlaut are less common than loan words with a diaeresis, when an English speaker (particularly an American one, as diaeresis is more common there) comes across one, they associate it with either an indication to somehow put a ‘stress’ on that vowel or seeing it as completely inconsequential for pronunciation and relatedly also for meaning.

[@makebeatsnotwar6405]

WE LOVE THE MOSEL! Working on moving there this summer!!! Planning our great escape from America!

[@tunnelewok]

Wow - you've been just around the corner! That's really cool. I am a happy "Moselaner" from Cochem, so I was quite happy to see you waliking through some vineyards in Ellenz. 😉

[@lenderlender2290]

In the example of 3:01 the word "Küchen" would actually mean kitchens (plural) not kitchen (singular). "Küche" is the singular form.

[@PascalGienger]

Side note - on windows and Linux, on a US keyboard - select "US International" as layout and you'll accesss Umlauts easily via the " key: "a will result in a, "o as ö, "u as ü.

[@IxionDLF]

German here. I changed to alcohol free beer, because I love the taste, but didn't want to drink so much alcohol. Given, alcohol free beer does taste very different to alcoholic beer, but it has alot of similarities, which I find refreshing. It has become more and more normalized to drink non-alcoholic beer here, yet a good 15+ years ago it was not as common as nowadays. Alot of people try to live healthier and that includes cutting down on alcohol.

[@dirkschwartz1689]

The key difference between the U.S. and Germany regarding gun ownership is that in the U.S. there is a constitutional right to own them (though if I look at the wording and the historical context I feel like this has been applied overbroad in the past century) and in Germany you have to show a specific need to own and use a (restricted) firearm, like shooting sports or hunting. The discussion about U.S. gun legislation should be much more about solving social problems than about privileges and industry lobbies I think - but I don't want to mingle in another country's affairs too much. Just saying: It's not guns that kill people, it's people that kill people using guns.

[@dorothee2314]

There definitely are guns in Germany, but if you want to buy one, you need to have a „Waffenschein“, which means some kind of licence or permission to own one. Everybody who holds a permission is on a file. It is a criminal offence to have a gun without permission. Non alcoholic beer really has become more fashionable during the last 10 years, probably due to the fact that drunk driving is no longer considered as cool. German wine has improved during the last 30 years, too, go to a „Weinprobe“, you‘ll be surprised. We do have yards, but like most things in Europe, they‘re smaller. There are exceptions from this rule, though.

[@MSzero54321]

Um eine Waffe kaufen und besitzen zu dürfen benötigt man eine Waffenbesitztkarte. Der Waffenschein berechtigt dich zum tragen der Waffe. Der Jagdschein berechtigt zum Erwerb und Besitzt von Waffen die für die Jagd benutzt werden. Und selbst das ist vereinfacht dargestellt.

[@Klo1973]

White socks in sandals at 9:44. You really adapted well to German culture. ;-)

[@peterbreis5407]

You have a Mac, you can type all the accents by hitting the option key + U to get Ü, similarly you can got most of other accents with other associated vowels é, à, ï etc or consonants > ñ, ç etc.

[@helloweener2007]

You can write every sign or letter by pressing the Alt-Key and type the specific number for it on the num pad. For example ALT + 156 = £ And there is the windows tool "Zeichentabelle", I think it is called "Character Map" on the English Windows. It is there at least since Windows 95 but maybe longer. Never worked earlier versions. You can choose the font and copy any sign or create a sequence of signs and copy it to the clipboard and paste it from there.

[@aphextwin5712]

There are different ways to get to additional characters and symbols that are not printed onto your key caps that vary from operating system to operating system (Windows, Mac, Android, etc.). But I wonder why nobody so far has pointed out the most simple one: Switch your keyboard layout to the German one.

[@Blechfuchs]

Or do the ‘lazy’ way and make ä ae, ü ue, ö oe and the ß as double-s. This is actually the ‘official’ way if your keyboard layout or IT system doesn’t support Umlaute - or in latter case, you want to avoid compatibility issues. One might think this has become obsolete since UTF-8, but especially banks in their transactions and some governmental instances strictly forbid Umlaute (and other ‘special’ characters)

[@andreas74764]

My lifehack at a Volksfest is to drink alcohol free beer, if my friends peer pressure me to drink over my limit. Nobody suspects a thing. 😉

[@MrMastermind85]

das muss ich mir merken... sehr praktisch... ansonsten... radler alkfrei ist einfach lecker...

[@jisatsu25]

Ich frage mich, wie viele bei Parties und Volksfesten oder wo auch immer, Alkoholfreies trinken, dies aber den anwesenden Freunden verschweigen. Dazu müsste man iwie vorher dem Kellner flüsstern, dass er das Maß Bier mit Alkoholfreiem befüllt.

[@karlwiklund2108]

I haven't decided if I'll go this year. I'm kind of curious to see how it's bouncing back, but I have to admit, I've mostly found it to be a PITA with all the drunks on the trains.

[@dan_kay]

You savage! At a Volksfest, the least drunk is the designated driver. Not to be drunk at all is cheating.

[@martinjost5637]

I would say: Look for real friends ! Whoever tries to peer pressure you is probably not your friend. Whoever tries to peer pressure, when there are good reasons for your decision surely isn't !

[@martinweichert5110]

I love the Outtakes :)

[@saaaaaaaar]

Thanks for the video. It's always nice to watch the both of you. 3:22 Your "ß" is by the way in lower case - unlike the other letters you showed. There is also an uppercase equivalent (ẞ), but not all fonts support it.

[@apobangpo5435]

I think the difference about owning a gun is in America pretty much everybody could get it easier und in Germany it requires some stuff to be able to get it.

[@jonathanscott7372]

I think the only thing as a European that shocked me about America, was being warned not to go for a walk in the woods, as I may be shot as game. If game shooting happens in Europe, it is in private estates, or there are many warning signs, they are organised. Some deer shooting is late in the evening, or very early morning, but I have never heard of anyone ever being shot. Maybe also a cyclone warning, saying what to do, we rarely have cyclones in the parts of Europe, where I have lived. Also medical costs, I broke my ankle in Arizona, I had to have two pins put in my ankle. It cost around five times the European cost, but I had to combine two insurances to pay for it, and all the time I had threatening letters from America. That just doesn't happen in Europe. Practically everyone has medical insurance.

[@silazzzer]

7:41 Greetings from Austria! I only drink alcohol-free beer when I'm driving. Thanks for asking and have a nice day haha

[@silazzzer]

8:33 Yes, it is indeed not shamefull to ask for an alcohol-free beer also here in Austria.

[@thorstent2542]

he AVUS was, while Berlin was splitted, the start and endpoint of 3 from 4 permitted "Transitstrecken" through the GDR (East-Germany). Nowbody can imasgine the warm feeling we had.every time we came back from holydays and see the old "Funkturm" on the other side of the AVUS:

[@pjschmid2251]

How I peel a banana depends upon what I’m going to do with it. If I already have a knife in my hand because I plan on slicing it I will peel from the top because it effectively removes the little seedy bit at the bottom; I can make a small cut at the top to make peeling easy. If I’m going to peel a banana to eat it whole I will peel it from the end because it’s much easier and it doesn’t squish the banana.

[@xnuntius]

Kind of funny to see: German vinyards are organized in perfect lines/columns while in France they just plant the things as they find room

[@Mike39GER]

Interesting fact on gunownership. In Germany there are approximately 30 guns per 1000 people, in the USA it is 90 guns per 1000 people. But in the USA there are 10 times more people killed by gun violence.

[@tobyk.4911]

You probably mean "per 100 people" (instead per thousand) ?

[@srccde]

I'm not sure where you got those numbers but according to Wikipedia, there're around 121 guns per 100 people in the US, while in Germany it's around 20 guns per 100 people. I.e.: there are more guns in the US than there are people living there.

[@FlintlockFreddy]

The thing about the umlaut-dots is absolutely hilarious. I have no Idea how Americans got that Idea but I also know that the Umlauts are quite popular in Heavy Metal and there are quite a few Metal Bands who use them for their Band Names because they look so metal but pronouncing them as if the Letters had no dots. This led to a funny scene when the Band Mötley Crüe (pronounced "Motley Crew") came to Germany the first time and Fans where chanting their band name with the German pronunciation of the umlauts. They were definitely somewhat bewildered ;-)

[@felko300]

First thought on the Point of alcohol free Beer. "Radler ist kein Alkohol"

[@PassportTwo]

Lol, there’s another drink we had never heard of before moving to Germany!

[@verycreativ233]

@@PassportTwo Have you never heard of a shandy either? as a radler is basically the german version of a shandy

[@conbertbenneck49]

In Germany you don't buy a hunting license and then go off and shoot what you see... A hunter, (after training and schooling) rents his hunting area from a farmer. He is now hunter as well as game keeper. This is the reason why you find rehruecken, or wild boar on a menu. The hunter sells what he shoots to pay the rent on his hunting area. He is the one who erects his hunting blind to keep an eye on the health of his deer, and also uses it to do his hunting. As a licensed hunter he also wears his green uniform.

[@Ursus310]

I think you forgott to mention the "Apfelschorle" ... and for the question ... peeling from the side opposite to the stem is way easier, just squeeze and peal.

[@Saylor28]

I used to be a stem kind of guy, but once I realized the bottom was so much easier, I now peel from the bottom and use the stem as a handle.

[@spvdijk]

One of the first successful 0% beers was created in the Netherlands. It is called Bavaria. When the American army was stationed in Saudi Arabia just before the gulf war, the US army was not allowed to import beer (because it contained alcohol). So when the army learned about the 0% beer Bavaria, they tasted it. It was a success both for the US army and of course for the brewers of Bavaria.

[@jkosch]

I peel a banana from the stem. I feel it is easier to break the peel in that way without getting your fingertips dirty, since starting from the bottom needs more work for the sections to separate.

[@violin-schwerin]

alcohol-free beer used to be horrific, they've cracked it for many years now. I almost enjoy it more now, since I can drink without thinking about the alcohol. for wine though, alcohol-free is a no-go

[@denisdrumm971]

The rise of alcohol-free beer might be directly connected to a higher awareness that drunk driving isnt a trivial offence. Growing up in the countryside I was used to see people driving intoxicated and even bragging about it. Since so many people are really depended on their licence, it may helped to boost the trend or at least make people aware that drinking alcohol-free is even an option. And concerning the taste, that is roughly the same as with vegan options. 20/30 years ago you had only a handful of possibilities and their quality was subpar. But after more and more people started consuming it and companies tried to improve the quality it became a well accepted alternative. Same goes with the beer, since more people are drinking it, there is an incentive to improve it.

[@patrickrudiger8762]

Regarding wine: Yield restrictions per area are not a Germany specific thing. Those apply at least basically everywhere in the old world. They depend on the particular appellation the wine is released under. For example in Italy, requirements for a Barolo DOCG (maximum yield of 8 tons per hectar or 7.2 in case of single wineyard barolo) will be different when compared to a Langhe nebbiolo (10 tons). In general, rules for wine are much stricter in the old world than in the new world (US, south africa, australia). Both has its advantages. Strict rules in the old world assure quality and typicity for a certain regions (there are plenty of rules for each appelation including the regulation of the permitted grapes and quite a few restrictions on wine making techniques). This has advantages for consumers which know rather easily what they will get based on the appelation on the label. However, the system can often be a bit stubborn and reluctant to change, which can be a problem with changing winemaking techniques and climate. New world rules are way more flexible - which allows faster adaptations to changes and more freedom for winemakers but makes consumer life a bit more difficult.

[@ascaniusvotan2319]

Alcohol-free-Beer: The thing is, it is tasty, nutritious and low in (regular) sugar, so it is highly isotonic and helps you recover quickly after sports. 2ndly, there are a bunch of alcohol free radler, e.g. with grapefruit, cactus-fruit or maracuja, that taste like a lemonade-beer mixture and can also be obtained alcohol-free, so with alcohol -> a slight mood lifter (2,5%Alc) -> without alcohol simply a highly refreshing drink. Breweries are even selling their own homemade/breweriemade natural lemonades, for which as far as I know Paulaner's Spezi is the most famous one, bout the breweries are very creative in their products and they do a fantastic job at that!

[@martinkrautter8325]

The point of non-alcoholic beer is that it is basically a softdrink, but much much more healthy than eg. sodas..

[@chey_mz]

The sandals with the with socks. Perfection 👌

[@Teddybomber87]

Fun fact Attatürk loved the Ö and Ü from germany so much that he took them for the Turkish Alphabet. Before most people spoke more or likely arabic.

[@svenmueller]

What you call the bottom of the banana is actually the top when the banana is still on the tree. And yep, that's where I start prepping it, not at the stem.

[@robertozucchini]

Bavarian here. I only drink alcohol free beer in the case that I am the driver. And than it is Weißbier because it is put in to a glass, so people around me don't notice that I am the driver. Every time I order some lemonade or water there are bad jokes or comments why I am not drinking "right" stuff. Sometimes it is annoying, but after the years I figured out the glass trick. Alcohol free beer in beer glasses and cola in cocktail glasses with ice and fruits so it locks like a drink.

[@hellemarc4767]

If you don't have Umlaute on your keyboard, you can also spell "ue" instead of "ü", "ae" for "ä", "oe" for "ö". Or you can google a virtual keyboard and type the text there, then copy/paste... Or you just copy/paste the letter and use it when you need it. I have a German keyboard and I don't have some French characters like "c cédille" for instance. I've lived in and around Trier for about a year in the late 1980s. We used to buy the wine from the small Winzer in the villages directly. I peel bananas from the stem, but I heard that chimps do it the other way round.

[@Andreas_Cologne]

Alcohol free Radler - a great summer drink.

[@cellevangiel5973]

A reaction about the Umlaut. In dutch we don't have that but combine letters to a different sound such a oe, ui or ou. Then some German and Scandinavian book printers found it easier to put on Umlaut on. That saves a letter.That's why, a printers trick.

[@TrueThanny]

02:42 Not on any normal computer. Holding a key down makes that key repeat. There is no easy way to type a vowel with an umlaut on a normal US keyboard.

[@PassportTwo]

What kind of special unique computer do you think I have that I can do that? 😂 I just have a regular ol’ Mac and that’s how it works!

[@TrueThanny]

@@PassportTwo A small minority of people use Macs.

[@earlewhitcher970]

1st time viewer - so - two things: #1, if you are in the Mosel area you must, make that MUST go to Briedel on the Mosel just down river from Zell and visit the winery of the Kroth family. I was stationed at Hahn AB in the early 70's and had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Herr Kroth and sampling his excellent product. I understand the next generation has taken over the family business but I have no doubt they still make the best wine in the area. Oh, as to your question about peeling bananas - humans tend to peel using the stem, but the expert banana peelers - apes in general - peel from the stub at what we think of as the end or bottom of the banana. They don't have to deal with those annoying stringy things like we humans do.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

The letter holding for umlauts only works on android and with the the US-International keyboard layout (which isn't installed by default) or alt codes.

[@albertguder6605]

wine has also been produced in Rheinhessen ,which is actually the biggest wine producing area in Germany!!

[@boristhebat9484]

I am living in a rural place in Germany with no public transport which means I can‘t go anywhere without my car. In Germany it‘s also „ don‘t drink and drive“ so I switched to alcohol free beer years ago. In the beginning, this beer tasted awful but I kept on trying until I found a brand I am now happy with. Also, the breweries worked on the taste meanwhile. Until last year, all my friends were laughing at me because I switched to alcohol free beer and told me I was crazy. This year, oh wonder, the first one of them also changed! We cannot jeopardize our driver‘s licenses, so there you go! Alcohol free wine is still a no go for me that means I drink it at home. Peeling bananas: I use both methods ( not at the same time ! 😁)

[@HonourableHusband]

Not only do many German houses have substantial yards, the Kleingarten associations even give apartment dwellers the chance for a yard. I find them fascinating.

[@andreabartels3176]

They became increasingly more popular the last few years. Many German families live in appartements, without access to a garden. In big cities there are now waiting lists for a "Schrebergarten", because many parents love the chance to show their children how vegetables and fruits are grown, have a safe space for playing outside.

[@Tofusoldat]

Some times I peel from the stem towards the bottom but they are even crazy times and I peel the other way around. 🤪

[@MHG790]

11:46 I think it is reasonable to add a few thinks that make the difference to the US more clear: Most of the waepons in DE are "utility" weapons for hunting and much less high power sports weapons (most of them are BB guns or .22). There are probably close to no privately owned handguns that people are allowed to carry in daily life. The other thing is, that even a hunter is not allowed to carry their rifles around with them all the time or have them at home or in a car ready to shoot. In general, you have to have a good justification for owning one let alone using/carrying it. And when you do, there are a lot of regulations you have to follow.

[@EyMannMachHin]

I think the myth about the umlaut partly stems from the fact that the English language does have those double dots over vowels, too. It's called diaeresis and it's used to define that two following vowels should be spoken as two separate sounds. And guess what, German also has that rule in addition to the umlauts. Anyway, if you want to get out there and want to have a conversation in the language you are learning it is sound advice to ignore those, especially when sounds not native to your language are involved. Oh and I peel bananas from the stem.

[@segel1100]

only a word to the gardens ... in germany (and also in switzerland) .. people who don't have their own garden often have an allotment garden, it's a small rented garden - area to use .. many large cities offer this in their outskirts to enable people to have a garden

[@lilybliblablubb5023]

Yeah my dad drinks alcohol-free beer almost every day. He just really likes the taste and doesn't want to get drunk. I personally don't like the taste of alcohol at all, but alcohol-free sparkling wine is nice sometimes. It tastes different than the alcohol one but I prefer it. As a teenager, there was a lot of peer pressure to drink alcohol, but now it's relaxing and more and more alcohol-free versions are available which I think is great. It should be about taste and enjoyment, not losing control and vomiting

[@xcoder1122]

Drinking beer in the US because of its taste also wouldn't make much sense... considering the taste of US beer 😅 Actually I drink beer only at rare occasions, no matter if with or without alcohol, but what I sometimes enjoy is a Radler on a hot summer day (a mixture of beer and lemonade, very refreshing) and that can also be made with non-alcoholic beer as it will taste equally good.

[@HomeWorkouts_LS]

There's now a huge craft beer scene in the US & many people drink it for the taste. And yes we have Radlers also, they're great

[@xcoder1122]

@@HomeWorkouts_LS I was obviously joking about industrial produced US beer, which quite often has little in common with beer to begin with if you look at its ingredients, it's just some sparkling, alcoholic beverage that tries to imitate the taste of beer and even that only with limited success. Of course there have always been smaller local breweries in the USA that actually produced real beer but they are little known aside from insiders. No huge brand name, no big marketing, and if it's not the taste you are used to, you may not like it, as taste is also a matter of habit. E.g. root beer (which is no "beer" but makes a great example here) is not sold in Germany at all and as a consequences, the vast majority of Germans don't like it; well, actually they hate it and think it's somewhere between very strange and awful.

[@HomeWorkouts_LS]

@@xcoder1122 I don't like Coors or any AnBev beers but they actually do use hops, barley malt, yeast, BUT they add corn and/or rice unfortunately. Yes tastes terrible haha (And Root beer is just soda like Coca-cola, not related to beer at all.)

[@derpapito1391]

@@xcoder1122 Of course Root Beer is sold over here. There is actually a german brand . But it is a soda. Btw, everyone I introduced to root beer so far, liked it.

[@xcoder1122]

@@derpapito1391 Why does everyone have to tell me it's a soda? I know it's a soda. I wrote it's not beer! And you won't find it in most supermarkets. Try buying one at Lidl, Aldi, Netto, Rewe... in the USA it's sold everywhere where coke is sold. Here you may be lucky to get it at a bigger Kaufland or maybe a few Edeka. I only mentioned it as an example of "you like what you are used to" and sorry, but nobody I know likes it or can even tolerate it.

[@sirhc1528]

About the guns, in the northern parts, at least were I grew up, you have a yearly festivity (Schützenfest) to crown the shooting king (Schützenkönig/paar). That happend in every little village. There are specific clubs for it and it is viewed as a tradition and sport. Also, I now life in the south/south/east, BaWü and some people dont know about Schützenfest.

[@senittoaoflightning4404]

Wait really? That doesn't seem to be a thing in my area. I guess you're from Niedersachsen?

[@tillposer]

Isotonische Hopfenkaltschale? For me, it is the go-to refreshment after a hike, sports, any thirst-inducing activity. It serves very well to quench the thirst without the sugar or sweetener penalties. Alcohol-free beer came a long way and the art has matured in the last 5-7 years. It used to be barely drinkable, but nowadays it is actually rather enjoyable, especially Hefeweizen. In addition, you can drink it at any time of the day without getting tipsy. I usually don't get along with alcohol when the sun is over the yardarm.

[@andybarth5928]

by the in acknowlegment of foreign keyboards and filling out formulars - you can Ä Ü Ö can also written AE OE UE - - so München can -if needed- also written Muenchen ...

[@SeQuBu]

It’s because in German when you don’t or can’t write the Umlaut as is, for example “ü”, you would write it as "ue" Thus “Küche” would be written as "Kueche"

[@ingovb6155]

Indeed, well-assumed. I often drink (meanwhile) the alcohol-free version of beer. I enjoy drinking beer, but I do not enjoy being drunk so much. So that combines it both well and makes me often (not always) choose the alcohol-free version :)

[@stbauch1]

Non-alcoholic beer has always been my go to drink, when I was the driver of our group, and I got so used to it, that I order it instead of lemonade or soda nowadays, when I do not want to drink alcohol. Try alcohol free Weißbier (or Hefeweizen as we would say in Bavaria) mixed with Almdudler. It is one of the most refreshing sunmer drinks one can have. Even better with "Kristallweizen" I like your videos, big thumps up!

[@erikkoch3963]

Peeling banana from the bottom is much better because you dont have "Fäden".

[@berndhoffmann7703]

7:59 at home I just have alkoholfreies Bier, not wine though. Anyway usually I am just drinking alcohol when socializing. Soft drinks often have toooo much sugar. Another point is there is Radler sauer, means diluting beer with water not Sprite which is available as well in a alcohol free version. Anyway there are Bierfestivals and Winefestivals, one can drink beer or wine there :) the naming depends on the region if it is possible to grow wine or hops or brew. As I am living now in Franconia ther is so called Wine-Franconia and Beer-Franconia. :)

[@somebodystealsmyname]

I drink mainly alcohol free beer because I do like beer, but not like being drunk.

[@RealGestumblindi]

Nitpicking about the Küchen/Kuchen example: "Küchen" doesn't mean "kitchen" but "kitchens", it's the plural of "Küche". "Kuchen", on the other hand, is indeed the singular form for cake - *and* the plural as well! (confusing, isn't it?). One Küche, many Küchen; one Kuchen, many Kuchen. And what you surely know by now, there's another way to write umlauts if you don't have them on the keyboard, it was done often in the time of mechanical typewriters, and that is to write them as "ae", "oe", "ue": Kuechen. The ß can be substituted by "ss" and this is actually the way it is always written in Swiss Standard German where ß isn't used at all...

[@ichliebebaeumeweilbaum]

7:43 nah, I don't drink alcohol free beer, but I also don't like normal beer or any other alcoholic beverage xD