What People Get WRONG About GERMANY

[@familiecole]

Not only do the Germans think I’m from London, but recently there’s also been an assumption that the British are all monarchists. Amongst other things, as a Republican, a Yorkshireman, and a stay-at-home father of a disabled child, I surprise and silence many, particularly here in provincial Ostthüringen. A comment on efficiency. Bureaucracy does enable efficient organisation: One person, one function, no waste, what could be more efficient? However, if Person A responsible for some admin' function is not available then the process grinds to a halt. So it’s not an efficient use of the individual's time. I think it just demonstrates how there is a greater separation between the State (organised activity) and the individual here in Germany. I’ve attended appointments that had been cancelled without any warning, faced surly, patronising employees, and been completely ignored; but we as individuals have to accept it as we are subservient to the ‘bigger picture’. According to my neighbours, during Mittagsruhe, the individual householder is prevented from essentially making any noise whatsoever, whereas the tradesman/the organisation is free work. This separation is essentially built into the laws of the land! BTW an excellent, calming presentation. I shall be watching more…

[@britingermany]

Hello Republican stay-at-home Yorkshire father😉 that’s a very interesting point about the separation of the individual and the state, I hadn’t really thought about it in that way before. Thanks for sharing 🙏

[@Rabijeel]

Ah, Jesus. You choose to go as a very liberal Brit to the utmost narrowminded Part of Germany? Was it masochism or a helper complex making you move there trying to balance it out?

[@tobiMelka]

​@@Rabijeel, I wouldn't call Yorkshire people "liberal Brits"... As a foreigner living in and around London, I find them rather "traditional Brits" 😎 Besides, the golden rule of every EU country is 'The further away from the capital you live, the more conservative your views on life are.'😉 No matter where you were born originally... Also, my personal experience is that you cannot judge the country before you visit its people living in the countryside... 'cause they are the hard core of the local tradition... including the language accent/dialect, folklore, manners, cuisine and often even the religious practice 😘✨

[@peterplotts1238]

Despite its recent embarrassments and setbacks, most British do support the monarchy. Of course, there are Britains who, like you, belong to the Republican minority. Still, I should add that belonging to the Republican minority and favoring the dissolution of the monarchy is nothing to be ashamed of. You have the distinction of being an outlier.

[@HS-wp5vb]

Oh yes Mittagsruhe! Shut up, don't play music, keep the children indoors, don't hoover the carpet and for God's sake STOP practicing for the next Superstar saga. That said, it is all fantasy. There is no such law requiring "Mittagsruhe". People customarily abide to this long heeded rule by refusing to work and taking a nap, patronising anyone daring to discomfort their tranquility with any sort of noise or making them feel uneasy by showing the remotest form of activity. Very German? Almost Italian? You decide.

[@arnodobler1096]

The Germans are not exactly patriotic, but they are very REGIONAL patriotic! The reputation for efficiency probably comes more from engineering and labor.

[@britingermany]

Hello Arno! Happy Sunday 😀🙏

[@maxmustermann8247]

Look at our achievements, there's not really much to be proud of and we learn in school, that we germans are all bad people who startet WW1 and WW2 and killed many many ppl, so patriotism for our country as a whole is just not a thing. Not that i or my generation did any of this, but we're teached, that we're guilty...so no hard on when we see our flag (or listen to our national anthem, tha's only for TV).

[@bollomator]

If you say you're a patriot , you automatically are a nazi

[@hansberger4939]

Some are. Some aint. Bavarians are proud, sueben, and Kölner and some regions maybe more. But who is a patriotic nordrheinwestfale?

[@freewayross4736]

@@hansberger4939 Not the whole NRW but im a Ruhrpottler and proud of it im also proud of my ancestors that were Gladbecker pirates back then in the 1940s

[@schoppi9300]

You're a really good storyteller with a very pleasant voice. In German I would say "In der Ruhe liegt die Kraft" and you certainly have that. Keep up the good and balanced contributions.

[@britingermany]

Thank you that means a lot🙏

[@FFM0594]

I'm an Irish guy who lived happily in Frankfurt for 28 years. Then I moved 10 miles outside the city and it's a different world. I now live in the land of the Handtuch Krieger. You know, the ones who go on holiday and get up at 6 O'Clock to put their towel on a sunbed close to the pool.

[@britingermany]

Haha hilarious! Where is that? Königstein?

[@FFM0594]

@@britingermany Mühlheim am Main, between Offenbach and Hanau.

[@britingermany]

@@FFM0594 ahh yes I know it 👍🏻

[@hansberger4939]

Usually i m not staying in hotels with handtuchkrieger... but, last year in pattaya... mostly german guests. And bevor 7 o clock there were towels on all the pool beds. Weird!

[@hansberger4939]

@@britingermany Where the "Mülleimer" came from.

[@eisikater1584]

I'm Bavarian, and I like beer. So much for the stereotype. I'm not interested in football, however. Punctuality, yes, more or less. Accuracy, yes, definitely, but for a reason: If you do things right in the first place, you'll have less work afterwards and don't need a "customer relationship" department to fend off complaints. With immigrants, you forgot the Greek. When I was young, we used to have three Greek restaurants in my area, and I love Greek food. Now there's only one left because the younger generation follow their own path of life, and running a restaurant has never been easy. (btw, where's my Ouzo?) Contrary to what many people think, most Germans are more relaxed than it seems. We have a proverb, "Es wird nichts so heiß gegessen wie es gekocht wird." If there's an English counterpart to it, please let me know.

[@britingermany]

Good morning Eisi and cheers. 🍻Have you had your weiss Wurst already? 😉Yeah that’s a good one. As far as I know there’s not a great translation for that. Something like “things are not as bad as they seem”

[@eisikater1584]

@@britingermany Not really. Proverbs are hard to translate and even harder to explain. "You don't eat anything as hot as it was cooked" can refer to private as well as political debates. First, emotions run high, and everyone's on fire, and then, when the heat is gone, you let it simmer down and it's digestible for everyone, as a compromise. Proverbs are difficult. Why do you Brits say "out of the frying pan into the fire", and we Germans say "vom Regen in die Traufe"? Basically means the same, but why does an island folk where it's always raining (caution: stereotype!) use a fiery metaphor while we use a watery one? (Don't bother answering, I asked at least five English teachers, and none could tell.)

[@mattesrocket]

@@eisikater1584 yes, “things are not as bad as they seem” is definitely a wrong translation, it has nothing to do with "bad". My British friend says sometimes an expression to me, that would fit better, just can't remember. He says this frequently because I frequently "lass Themen zu sehr aufkochen" 🤣

[@rainerm.8168]

​@@eisikater1584 Great comment. You started moving into the exciting area of philosophy of language

[@eisikater1584]

@@rainerm.8168 Thank you, Rainer. I started, like probably everyone learning a foreign language, with simple vocabulary and grammar, but soon came to the conclusion (I was 14 or something like that) that language conveys ideas, traditions, folklore, and many other things. When I read a modern book from Britain (in English, of course) I am sure that I only understand half the references and allusions, and that's when I'm lucky. But translations usually are worse, sometimes to an extent that I thought, that's nothing to do with the original.

[@michaelutech4786]

I'm from close to Heidelberg. When I started to move around in Germany, I was utterly shocked about Germans (being one myself). For example, I worked for a year in Berlin and it felt like everybody was at war with me. When I returned and first entered a bakery, getting greeted with a warm smile and having a lengthy chat about nothing, I understood I'm back in Germany.

[@ebbyc1817]

Rrrright so Heidelberg is where people are warm * makes note * 📝 😂 But seriously, it's tough, sometimes...

[@mark9294]

It’s honestly so stupid.

[@jonson856]

Yeah Berlin is Ausland xD

[@MrSeedi76]

As a rule of thumb - the most annoying people come from the bigger (often richer) cities. Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin.

[@KitsuneHB]

People from Berlin mostly sounds like they are insulting you. :D

[@cesbi]

As a German, I really appreciate your critically honest takes on this country. It is very interesting to see things from an outsider's perspective.

[@britingermany]

Thanks you. That means a lot🙏

[@Tommusix]

German efficiency? I only go to my job and the inefficiency knock me down all 8hrs long I have to be there. The waste of time and ressources is really exorbitant. Thank you for sharing your critical experiences. And please, don't get me wrong, I love the British English plus your voice is very relaxing. I could listen for hours to you. Did you ever consider to start a new channel for ASMR content? ^^

[@Kristina_S-O]

Now you have mentioned it - it's true, most Germans don't know much about the UK aside from London. I unfortunately am no exception, I've only visited London and some places in the south. Why don't you help us out a bit? I would really enjoy a video about the differences of people and culture of the various regions of your beautiful island. I would also love a video on resemblance and common grounds of British and German people - there have to be some!? After all we're (distant) cousins with Saxons, Anglians and Danes being large groups of early settlers (aka invaders). I am from northern Germany and I often fell like we "Fischköppe" have more in common with the British and Scandinavian people and languages than with those in Southern Germany. Keep up the good job you're doing, I find your videos always to be very insightful and inspiring.

[@britingermany]

Thanks a lot for the Gedankenstoss😉. I have something planned for that😀

[@mynaturalperfume828]

Yes, you vikings.. 😂 South Germans are rather from different tribes...

[@KaiHenningsen]

@@britingermanyfairly common on KZbin: YT commenter: why don't you make a video about X? YT creator: thanks for the idea, I have something like that planned!

[@thepretorian5292]

@@mynaturalperfume828 south germans are mostly germanized romans. Germania superior (mostly southern germany and parts of rhine) was the under the roman empire, so lot of folks are germanic roman mixed

[@kulturfreund6631]

Germany has a capital city for each field. While Paris and London represent almost all top levels in the centralized country, Germany has a variety of them. (Pattern of a Federation) Berlin: Parliament/Administration , theatres, broadcasting, film, music, advertising, start up business, biggest population Hamburg: Research, Press, Commerce, Major Port, Stuttgart: High tech, automobiles Frankfurt: Finance, traffic and Aviation hub Munich: BioTech, Football, Tourism, Folklore, fashion, Film Business Ruhr area: Energy, coal, steel, heavy industry Leipzig: Book publishers, Culture, industrial fair Hannover: Biggest industrial fairs Cologne: broadcasting, amusement, modern art ... plus many other specific strongholds.

[@britingermany]

Yes indeed👍🏻

[@wjekat]

No automotive in Munich? BMW No insurance in Munich? Allianz and Munich Re Hmm…😀

[@kulturfreund6631]

I was talking about the >capital< in each field. I didn’t say Munich had no car industry. - Cologne develops builds European Ford vehicles, Wolfsburg has Volkswagen ... - Why overextend when just roughly depicting structural differences?

[@Hypercat0]

it is exactly like that!

[@swanpride]

Eh, Leibzig was traditionally the book publishing city, but the GDR successfully destroyed it. Nowadays publishing is shared between Munich and Frankfurt...I guess if I had to pick one capital, I would chose the latter, since it also gets the biggest book fair. Also, I think "culture" is a too broad term. It really depends on what culture you are talking about. For example, Mannheim is known for its music scene, Cologne for its gay community, Essen for Folkwang (meaning ballet and classical music), Babelsberg for movies aso.

[@Matahalii]

Cheers! I like your calm reflected and broad view. As a German I am always curious about the "outside view" on my own country. And in your videos I appreciate the love that shines through your explanations. Maybe one factor to Germany's diversity is the fact that Germany as one state is quite young. No, not 1989, but 1870.

[@britingermany]

Thanks a lot Niels. Yes I think that definitely plays. Role

[@nopartyforpapke]

This is really pretty accurate as far as generalizations can be accurate. I'm German myself and I can absolutely affirm that the regional differences are really huge, and sometimes I think that being grumpy is considered as being authentic in Germany. However there are lots of stellar experiences to be made if you take the time (caveat: maybe also in stellar dimensions).

[@britingermany]

Of course Stereotypes are rarely totally accurate but there's always a little truth to them

[@obenohnebohne]

I enjoy your calm and collected thoughts. Thanks for sharing them.

[@britingermany]

Thanks for watching 🙏

[@DeLambada]

My personal theory on the efficency stereotype: In many parts of the world there seems to be a logic in place that sees some people do the thinking and decision making and others do the working (I am exagerating). I believe in Germany traditionally the two were less separated which made it possible to adapt to everyday problems more quickly. 2 examples: The Bundeswehr (German Military) has a principle called 'inner leadership". Soldiers are not just meant to follow orders and carry out missions, but to understand the mission, its purpose and how it connects to conditions around it. In case these conditions change the soldiers are encouraged to update or adapt their mission without having to wait for new orders from their superiors. Basically they ask WWJD and lead themselves. Likewise German factory workers used to be highly trained in 3-4 years apprenticeshipments. Many daily decisions and a lot of problem solving were left to people on the shop floor. People were not just taught how this particular machine or that particular process worked but they were taught the basic principles that govern any machine or process (obviously there was some level of specialization). As these principles are universal you achieve a certain level of standardization without actually having to standardize individual processes. All of this makes for a more efficient production. On top of the good education workers would get more experienced over time more easily. It's easier to learn when you already have a system in your head that helps you connect the dots. In both cases, army and production, the idea of more autonomous workers/soldiers seems to be on a downward trend. I read an article recently titled 'Crisis of inner leadership'. In production today everything has to be idiot prove. You have to make 100% sure a process is carried out the exact same way everytime so you have ti regulate everything and cannot leave any decision to the shop floor. The logic is that you can gather some people of the street any time, show them their work for 5 min. and fire them if you don't need them any more. I am not sure though if that development is a German thing or if it's happening everywhere. But if I am right it explains why 'German Efficiency' isn't what it used to be. We are becoming more like the rest of the world, which includes good things and bad things.

[@manub.3847]

On the one hand you seem to be right, on the other hand I've noticed in my commercial job that a) more and more work is being shifted to the base (after all, the PCs do most of the work ;) ), b) on on the other hand, as a "smaller" employee, you get more responsibility without honest praise and recognition. With regard to the large buildings, I (apparently) notice that the delays and cost explosions seem to be related to the EU-wide tenders. = There are uniform guidelines for these tenders, but often a different understanding: some do not write every "screw" in the offer, but expect that this will be paid for according to consumption; the different languages + cultural peculiarities often seem to lead to misunderstandings in the context of the actual work. This hampers efficiency enormously. * real international example = calculation error on a NASA mission where the satellite was destroyed because "mm" was confused with "inch" ;)

[@DeLambada]

@@manub.3847 I agree! I have also noticed the opposite effect that decisions get delegated down. In my experience that happens when companies try to flatten the hirarchy and get rid of entire positions in middle management. Flattening rhe hirarchy is ok, but the loss of knowhow and experience that comes with firing production managers or master staff is often overlooked. Upper management doesn't have a clue how to solve shop floor problems so they have no choice but to delegated back to the workers. And it often works well enough because there are still some well educated craftsmen and women in the workforce.

[@britingermany]

Great points. I have the military example and “inner leadership before” which sounds kind of counter intuitive given the fact that we learn soldiers just carry out the mission without knowing why. One thing I am hearing a lot is that people are expected or being asked to do more than they used to (the whole digital/technical side of things on top of regular job). This is probably more a result of the pandemic than anything else….although I think it already started long before that. This could be draining efficiency as people can no longer focus on specialised tasks but kind of have to do a lot of secondary things as well 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@DeLambada]

@@britingermany The master staff of the factory I work in used to make the rounds and discus technical problems with all the foremen. Today they hardly get out of their office. They make shiftplans, write reports, gather data etc. In this case I believe tge reason is an inefficient organization with a lot of beaurocracy that pulls in capacity from all sides. Just like IT processes have not reduced the number of print outs they have not reduced 'paperwork'. So maybe I got cause and effect mixed up.

[@neleabels]

The Bundeswehr as an example for efficiency is an… interesting choice. (Yeah, I spent a couple of years in the Luftwaffe.)

[@suserockle7332]

Considering efficiency, you just have to look at the working hours/productivity-ratio. this compared to other western countries shows you very clearly where this stereotype comes from and that there is something to it

[@hornstein12]

By far the best foreign "docu" of germany. You explain very very good and focus on the important factors. You probably know more about germany (in general) than the average german. The explanation about the different citys and the influence of migrants on them was a important point. But you missed the East - West difference and the big differences through the dialects.

[@britingermany]

Thanks for your kind words. Yeah I’d like to look more into East Germany…maybe sometime soon

[@miskatonic6210]

Well, germany IS efficient compared to dozens of countries. In general: Low corruption, high industrialisation, moderate climate that allows you to work all day, high education, high identification with jobs...

[@PianistStefanBoetel]

Thoroughness is a better word than efficiency to describe German culture. Everything runs slowly, but it runs.

[@britingermany]

You could be right. Some people have been asking about autism in German culture which I had never thought about before…there could be something to it.

[@r.veuger346]

@@britingermany Grundlichkeit!! We Dutchies always make fun about that, but, hey, it made automobiles like Mercedes, Audi und BMW!! And the Leopard Tank for example

[@sonjagatto9981]

Perhaps also conscientious.

[@florete2310]

Thoroughness and efficiency are some of the old German values that are getting lost more and more these days... There's nobody out there anymore, who'd be willing to work thoroughly, let alone efficiently. Every enterprise is critically understaffed down here in the South - and the system is not only showing cracks (it actually did that for quite a while now), but is about to break. Because all the administrations at the helm (red and black alike) ignored one crucial topic over the course of >2 decades: Allocation. And now we are getting the bill for that massive failure...

[@kidaria1333]

The effiency sterotype was true for prussia since Wilhlem the great and germany overall from around 1850/60 - 1970/80 thanks to a specific history of regional bureauratic structres in a federal union system and capitalistic modernisation. Before holy roman empire had been known for being a bid backwards with all the particularism.

[@69quato]

The efficiency trope is a bit of a mixed bag and dependent on the sector I'd say. When I grew up it was seen as a basic virtue to strife for in school and at work - but I experienced very different levels of it in the last 40 years 🙃 Burocracy is in itself very difficult to judge in terms of efficiency and depends very much on how the council is organized, which varies a lot throughout Germany in my experience. The addiction to paper and the slow digitalisation is mostly because of conflicts with our pretty strict privacy and data security laws.

[@th60of]

I'm moderately tall (for my age, the young folk tend to be taller), and I like beer. Absolutely none of the other stereotypes apply to me, and yet, people will always easily recognize me as German. It's a mystery. ;)

[@britingermany]

Haha. One of May favourite activities on holiday is to guess the nationality. I can usually recognise Brits, Germans, Russians and Americans

[@FFM0594]

Do you wear Birkenstocks with Strumpfe, perhaps?

[@theoderich1168]

@@britingermany Many years ago I met a local on the island of Crete who claimed to be able to identify any person's nationality whether on the beach or in a town.... he was right , he could to it from a hundred meters and never missed. He even was able to differentiate Swiss, Germans and Austrians who would look the same to most people on this world.

[@britingermany]

@@FFM0594 I prefer crocks myself 😉

[@britingermany]

@@theoderich1168 that's impressive. I'm not that good. I would say 80% of time I'm right

[@1IGG]

About bureaucracy: I agree that it's not efficient. Or maybe more correct, not convenient. But at least you see corruption, at least in the lower echelons, not often. Or barely at all. E.g. if I talk to colleagues from Italy, they tell me horror stories of unreliable local officials, who either don't show up for appointments and/or want to be bribed to do their job. I have never seen cases like that in Germany. Corruption is usually in the higher levels of politics than on the "street level". That being said, I hope we will get more cases where we can interact with officials online w/o having to personally go somewhere and wait. Great video, like always.

[@britingermany]

Yes I’ve heard the corruption stories from Italy as well. I think for some of them it is a large motivation to come to Germany where everything is above board.

[@ThePianoman--]

@1IGG As I'm an accurate german, please correct this: "But at least you see corruption, at least in the lower echelons, often. Or barely at all." You mean, _not_ often?

[@neleabels]

Yeah. Our corruption is mainly on the political level. We even have a technical term for it: "Lobbyismus". (And obviously an exhaustive body of rules and regulations governing it with the main purpose of making it intransparent to the public.)

[@SuperLittleTyke]

If you compare German efficiency with British inefficiency, there is no comparison. I lived for 13 years in (former West) Germany during the 1970s and early 1980s and it really blew me away just how well things worked in Germany and how badly everything was run in Britain. Every time I returned on the Ostend ferry to Dover for a visit, it was the same, shabby, dilapidated country I didn't love much, and still don't. The worst mistake I ever made was returning to Britain. I still visit Germany occasionally, though not during the pandemic, and it still impresses me to this day. I would move back in an instant if I was younger than 77 and we had not left the EU. I believe Britain now is broken and beyond hope. There's already a lot of emigration of younger people to Australia, New Zealand, everywhere, really. They are voting with their feet.

[@britingermany]

Well I think that the world is a very different place than it was over 30 years ago. Where do you visit when you come back and is germany still recognisable to those days in the 80’s?

[@SuperLittleTyke]

@@britingermany Hamburg. The only difference I perceive is that Germans today, especially younger Germans, are a lot more relaxed about using Du with complete strangers, e.g. shop assistants, where back in the 1970s Sie was used almost exclusively, except among close friends and, of course, relatives. The trains are far better today, too. Double-deckers from Ahrensburg into Hamburg Hbf. I'm looking forward to my next trip. I'm still waiting for the post-pandemic chaos at British airports to subside.

[@beatus7251]

There are indeed vast differences between the cultures in the 16 Bundesländer, most notably - at least for strangers - between the northern and the southern ones. However, if you want to have a very different living experience without moving through the whole country, just move from the citiy to the countryside and you will immediately see vast differences not so much in culture or language, but in every day life. Distances tend to be bigger, the pace of life tends to be slower and people tend to be more interested in each other than in the cities.

[@britingermany]

Definitely. One thing I notice when back in the countryside is that things like social media and artificial intelligence seems very far away and not at all important. The weather, the food and the neighbours dog is what’s important. Things are a lot more simple

[@mynaturalperfume828]

Yes, but that s the same everywhere. Urban life and rural life are not the same, has nothing to do if that s in Germany or Ireland or France or Spain or...

[@colinsneller6274]

Yes a very big difference between the UK and Germany is centralisation. The reason most people only know about London is because every thing is centralised on the capital. Here in Germany the federal system made sure that all the regional cities are just as important as Berlin which is a blessing compared to the UK. Germany is just a much more modern, forward - looking country which is why I would never consider going back to live in England.

[@britingermany]

Totally agree about the centralisation issue. I'm not sure I totally agree with German being more modern and forward looking, but it's a big and very complex topic...too big for the comments section😉. Thank you for watching

[@Kartoffelsuppe_m_Wursteinlage]

Regions like wales or the scots have a special f..k westminster layer as well.

[@juicyfruit4378]

Unfortunately, Germany is so "efficient" that it's culture has lost almost all forms of human interactions/emotions. You are a robot at work and confined to a routine after-hours with occasional punctuations of liesure to pursue your interests. The stress factor, high burnout rate and levels of sick leave in the German Employment Sector is high and getting worse as "human elements, (however hard we chose to ignore them), remain and must be factored into the daily grind. The US, UK, Canada and most European nations handle this nicely - Germany and the Netherlands are the worst - exports are high, but upward career mobility and work/life balance is dismal to say the least. I work in HR in Germany and I can tell you that "Credentials" is not what lands you the job here -- first it's connections in the firm (Family members, friends of family or owners, former parents who worked there etc.), next it's race, next it's looks and then credentials are seen. I can't tell you the number of times, we hired a person with a bachelors degree (job called for a masters), simply because someone knew him or her. In any other country, this would be considered a court case for liability, but Germany no - it's handled "internally" and we all know what that means. Try that in the UK and report it to the authorities - see how quick that gets exposed. Even on vacations, Germans cannot relax. Regional differences are deep roooted and not changing anytime soon. I worked in 10 out of 17 Bundeslander and was at home in Hesse (Frankfurt) and Bavaria (Nuremberg) the most - Again, these two cities are large and had an international presence - other places I worked were simply backwards, inbred (putting it politely) and scarce of skilled employees. I will look forward to returning to Britain where after hours, I can go down to the pub and see my mates or office friends for a pint and game of darts -- everyone speaks to you in the UK; here you'll be lucky to get a nod.

[@dankarubarth7678]

Good morning!🌞 Greetings from Berlin!🙋 Have you ever been in the north of Germany, like Baltic Sea area or North Sea area? Really that's also again a bigger difference to the middle or south of Germany.😍👍(... to the point of diversity...)

[@britingermany]

I Have have been to the Island of Norderney and driven around that area it is very different. It reminded me a little of Scotland 😍

[@dankarubarth7678]

@@britingermany Schön!🌞 Du musst unbedingt auch Mal einen Besuch auf der kleinen und autofreien Insel Hiddensee probieren. Man kann dort länger bleiben, aber auch einen Tagesausflug unternehmen. Und zwar fährt man nach Stralsund und von dort mit der grossen Fähre nach Hiddensee rüber. Oder man ist auf der grossen Insel Rügen und kann von dort von dem Ort Schapode aus mit der Fähre nach Hiddensee rüberfahren. 🙋🌞

[@britingermany]

@@dankarubarth7678 ja Nord Deutschland steht auf meine Liste wieder😀. Ich liebe die Natur dort

[@hansberger4939]

@@britingermany Mach einen auf Caspar David Friedrich und schau Dir Rügen an!

[@Jiphoune]

Absolutely agree with your point on efficiency. I think the Germans are very accurate and efficient in implementing made decisions. Once a decision is made, there is no questioning anymore and everyone ensures it is implemented properly, even if they fought it before. But the way to the decision can be veeeery long because of bureaucracy, technical accuracy, search for consensus, etc.

[@britingermany]

Yeah the research and discussion phase can be really excruciating.

[@MsPataca]

Consensus is really a German thing. Everybody's interest needs to be heard, and if at all possible, accommodated. While consensus is a nice thing to aspire to in theory, it can be a very time-consuming process and in the worst case it leads to half-baked solutions or even disastrous results.

[@kreepykraut8153]

Being the Kraut I am, I have to correct you. 😁 There are three Frankfurts in Germany, the third one is a tiny little village in Bavaria. Just between Würzburg & Erlangen.

[@jennyh4025]

Thanks, I didn’t know that! I know about the two Oldenburg and three Essen, but not about the third Frankfurt.

[@britingermany]

Haha thanks kreepy. I’d not heard of the village

[@vaccinatedanti-vaxxer]

What?? I live in ansbach near Nuremberg Franconia and I didn't even know that. When I moved to Germany last year, I kept looking for the famous race track in Nuremberg. But then I realize it is Nurgburgring.

[@bibbiblocksberg2031]

I love your videos! They are so balanced (in my view). LIving abroad myself I can how people always seem to try and standardise people, countries etc. And also: everything changes all the time. EVERYWHERE! All is a snapshot isn't it. ;-)

[@britingermany]

Totally. So much depends on your current circumstances as well. If you have a great job and deep friendships you will associate that with the place you are living and everything will seem great because of it. But the opposite is true as well

[@bibbiblocksberg2031]

@@britingermany yes, perspective is key ;-0

[@sonjagatto9981]

@@britingermany Absolutely❣

[@ArmandoBellagio]

For sure Germany it's different now than 60 years ago or before, especially bigger cities in the Western part. I remember coming from Frankfurt/Hahn airport with the bus and when we were entering Frankfurt Main city the first thing you saw was like Sarajevo restaurant and a Chinese one. And one British guy was saying something like "What happened to sausage?" hahaha Guess he had never been here before.

[@britingermany]

You have to look for the sausage now 🤣

[@manfredkandlbinder3752]

Yeah, it is sad that people often push back on "stereotypes" in a very heated manner (then missing the point of the exchange quite often). There is a reason for them being there and the experience others have is valid no matter how you feel, as a german, while acting the way you do. I am a bavarian and there are many german stereotypes about bavarians specifically but nevertheless some "german" things still apply to many bavarians. Thus making it hard for others to pick up on the nuances we are so proud of or derive our sense of regional patriotism from. The thing is, i may be an exception in many ways, but still it cannot be denied that there is a german culture and this culture leaves an impression on every single one of us living in this country. Even those that push back and try to be different are still impacted as they are members of "counter-culture" (Gegenkultur) which only makes sense the second you recognize the existence of an overarching cultural framework you actually oppose.

[@britingermany]

Thank you for this. Yes a few people seem to feel personally attacked or at least insulted by being labeled as "the Germans"...and then again some people deny the existence of the country of Germany 🤷‍♂️

[@manfredkandlbinder3752]

@@britingermany Feeling attacked is funny in its own right. Germans are generally not very aware of the fact that coming from a foreigner it can be a good thing to be called "german". This could explain your own experience when talking about stereotypes.

[@holger_p]

It's a common use of "the Germans" or "the Americans" to talk about an average, or something that applies to 60% ...a majority. Comments "it doesn't apply to all .." are just annoying, everybody knows hat.

[@britingermany]

Thank you 🙏

[@nachtmacher6237]

Love that the first thing I see are scenes from Frankfurt

[@britingermany]

Yes! Gotta love FFM 😀

[@gypojohn9871]

I just received a reply mail from you, thanks for this. Yes I think you could be right about where you come from, living lets say on the land rather than a city. However, I come from a village called Clayton Le woods between Preston and Chorley Lancs. The general attitude, language, ideology and way of life has changed greatly, more or less due to digital ways of life. As I said, I left there in 1979, so you and I have vastly different views on how much our homeland has changed because my views are 4 times longer than yours!!! This also applies to the time we both have spent in Germany and maybe the different work life and how many different places we have worked for many years. As I said I am a working class Lad from Lancashire, and my working class life simply carried on in the countries that I have worked in. Working class men living together working on a gas pipe line or a petro chemical plant or a ship build etc, etc etc are very different people to the types who work in banks, finance, business, insurance etc, etc etc etc!!!! Not that I am saying that you are not working class, just that you talk like upper middle class and this is also not meant as a dig or insult. Thanks for these vids, I am enjoying listening to your opinions.

[@gordonmilligan8847]

4:07 Yes, really. Berlin Tempelhof is really understaffed these days .. I’ve been sitting here waiting 15 years for my gate to be called .. but still nothing 🤷‍♂️😅

[@britingermany]

🤣🤣 love it

[@zerotonic2659]

I'm a German. Half swabian and half silesian. I'm born and raised in south Germany right in the middle of Baden-Württemberg. I speak German with an swabian accent. And I feel swabian. But above all I feel German! Of course I have prejudices about other Germans. Mostly about the Germans in the north of my beloved country. But more in a funny way. For exmple we swabians call the Germans living at the coast "Fischköpfe" (i.e. fishheads). On the other side I am very aware that swabians in northern Germany are considered as bossy and complicated people with a dopey dialect. But all in all I think we Germans do love each other.

[@britingermany]

That’s great to hear. Thanks for sharing 🙏

[@susigorges7035]

❤thank you for your spot-on observations of Germany….beautiful speaking voice…….so nice

[@britingermany]

Thank you 🙏. Glad to hear it 😀

[@snakeoilaudio]

all your examples how ineffective we Germans are are absolutely correct, there is no doubt and ich we try hard we will surely be able to find some more but when you compare German efficiency with British efficiency then that is still not a comparison at all. If you think it is roughly on the same level than you have shifted so far of your native culture over the years that we might better can you German than British. Go to the UK and ask anybody about the concept of "Lohnstückkosten" and you learn absolutely everything you need to know about British efficiency. ;-)

[@britingermany]

Well yeah but the British have never had a reputation for being efficient. A “stiff upper lip” maybe and getting the job done but not necessarily in the most efficient way

[@Daguhl]

I'm 2 meters tall, have brown eyes and brown hair. I don't drink alcohol and I like sausages. I'm very direct but am extremely lazy. 🤣 Ps.: Cornwall is my favorit spot in the UK so I'm already more educated than the average German. I know more than London.

[@britingermany]

Ahh well 1 point for the sausages at least 😉🇩🇪. Glad to hear Cornwall is on the map in Germany so to speak

[@amanda7549]

I would never assume a Brit has to be from London😂. You got some many nice smaller cities too.

[@britingermany]

Thank you! 👍🏻

[@jennyh4025]

Definitely! So many people that are (nearly) impossible to understand (especially the northerners I‘ve met)…

[@Pascal_Mueller]

I know England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Yeah... British cities are not my strength

[@amanda7549]

Our parents made us stay in England or Wales for holidays nearly every year during in our childhood. My mom fell in love during a one year stay at Scotland with GB. Besides germany GB is like a second home, althoughmy dad worked in the US a few years. All areas of GB are different but so nice.❤❤❤

[@web_jar6630]

This video is very insightful. I do believe that different cities have very different cultures, so I completely agree that it feels almost like a different country in a new city. I currently live in Dresden but to me it seems that the locals aren't that well-adjusted to internationals compared to other prominent cities.

[@britingermany]

Yeah. Dresden has gained a bit of a reputation for that

[@web_jar6630]

Yeah :D@@britingermany

[@lilithiaabendstern6303]

regarding Munich and Berlin, they were the capital cities of two different countries - and I don't mean East & West - but the kingdom of Bavaria and the kingdom of Prussia that's also the reason for the vast differences between Germans, many regions started out on their own before being taken in by a greater power - Germany in its current form is actually only 36 years old, celebrating its 37th birthday this year, even when taking the time after WW2 into account we aren't even scratching the 100-year-mark, (78 years since 1945) - we underwent so many changes in the last 100 years alone, so that's impossible to determine what the typical German even is

[@britingermany]

It's a process...

[@XX-bn9sf]

It is interesting that the LNG terminals, which normally take years to build, were build in mere months. I guess if push comes to shove the Germans can speed up construction.

[@TorianTammas]

Germans can rebuilt a country after losing two world wars which left many cities as piles of rubble.

[@johannbrandstatter7419]

Very insightful summary. Your decade in Germany has been well spent. You are also a very observant person. Enjoy Germany and Europe !

[@brexistentialism7628]

Great video!!

[@britingermany]

Thank you😀

[@britingermany]

Morning all. How far off was I? 😉

[@barbarusbloodshed6347]

Not far off, I'd say. I've lived most of my life in Germany and I've been wondering the whole time what it is, that makes a German German. I've settled on perfectionism. It's the one trait that explains everything. The quality of the products, but also the massive amounts of rules and (safety) regulations, the fact that Germans never seem too happy about anything (leave it to a German to find the flaw in everything!), the punctuality, the strict adherence to traditions... It's the explanation for all the best and worst things about Germany. The Germans will never stop striving for perfection, which leads to constant improvement but also constant frustration. They just can't let things be. I was born in Germany, spent most of my life here, but spent the first few years of my life in Spain. I'm a laid back person. I let things be. And I can see how that's the antithesis to the German way on a daily basis.

[@michaelburggraf2822]

Good morning, Ben. You weren't far off at all. It's really interesting to think about that question "Who are the Germans". The easiest answer seems to be everybody speaking German. Until realizing that there are people speaking German beyond the borders of the FRG. And even within Germany the language can sound pretty different from what you've been taught at school. Is it the history ? Yes somehow, but there are two years making significant changes: 1806 and 1871. And before 1806 Germany was a collection of kingdoms, duchies, powerful bishops and monastries, ... an assembly of state-like entities at the brink of falling apart completely sometimes. A characteristic which is still reflected by the federal structures of Germany today. Our culture and traditions are united as well as split by the Christian religion. The more peripheral a region within Germany is the more it is influenced by neighbouring regions and countries abroad. But then that's just contributing to Germany's role of a central market place and a place of exchange of ideas within Europe. That exchange is driving political, economic and cultural changes continously so much that even our language is changing. Maybe that's even a valid part for an explanation why some stereotypes about Germany have become so persistent.

[@zahgurim7838]

@@barbarusbloodshed6347 I'd say you are quite right, mate. Never thought of it from this point of view before, but I see in the truth in your words. And btw.: there IS a flaw in everything, you just have to find it. 😁 Proof God doesn't exist? Well, if he'd make no mistakes why did he make us Germans the way we turned out to be? 🤣

[@pfalzgraf7527]

It is always a strange feeling when someone describes "Germans" and I feel that, though being a German, am definitely not covered with that description. When that happens I am prone to write a comment to the effect of "you cannot generalize". But there are, of course, general cultural features that describe the overall society and culture of a nation. And though I am pretty sure I am not necessarily your most typical German, I am also very conscious that in some respects I am "as German as they come". So, if I write the "not-all-Germans-are-like-this"-comment, it is probably not meant as a critique but just as an addition to what was said.

[@Nitnatsnoc84]

Hey! Thank you for your contribution. To talk about efficiency is really tough. If you want to judge Germanys efficiency in regard of the Berlin Airport, it might seem terrible. When getting into more detail, what led to the delayed completion, then one might come to the conclusion, that effiency (bureaucracy and regulations etc) might not have been the biggest problem, but the wrong planning or later changes to begin with. In the end the European Union is responsible for all regulations. The real question in my opinion is, has everything to be so complicated and regulated. I actually think, it has to be in order to balance everyones interest and in that, Germany excelles (or follows the tough way). I do though admit, that having 16 Bundesländer is a blow to efficiency - but since they are so diverse, it generally makes sense to maintain them. In details, like Bundesbeschaffungsamt, Germany derailed and adjustments have to be made. But that is a challenge, every democracy has to take on and work on steadily. I like your channel and your work, thank you for that! In my opinion, your audio shoul be adjusted, there is way too much bass and I have trouble, to understand you. ^^

[@Visionery1]

Germany used to be efficient, trains used to run on time, airports used to work etc. You forgot to mention the bureaucracy, rules for everything, if you want to pass wind, you must first submit form 21-b etc.

[@britingermany]

evening. Do you really think everything used be so much better? Bureaucracy was actually my point with regards to efficiency...

[@quatarsr6217]

When talking about "German efficiency" all you have to do is point them to the Deutsche Bahn, and it will dissuade anyone from that notion :)

[@britingermany]

Haha you should check out my previous video about complaining😉. The DB featured heavily in it

[@maxmustermann8247]

This is wrong in so many ways...to keep it short, driving by train in germany will never be efficient or punctual (only in those green fever dreams). If you want something efficient, buy one of our cars, if you can't, then you have to drive by train 😉 Point a german to the Deutsche Bahn and i bet you, they don't give a crap...with the exception of people who actually drive by train (which are not enough). For example, the distance to my workplace is about 25km (about 15.5 miles). I need about 35 minutes by car and it would take about 90 minutes by train. Train is way cheaper, car is faster. If your priority is time, you drive by car. If it's money, you drive by train. Just that simple. Now, what is more efficient? We germans love our cars and we hate wasting time! (Except die Grünen, they love wasting our time and money for unrealistic ideals)

[@eljanrimsa5843]

@@maxmustermann8247 What would you choose if you prioritize energy consumption?

[@Llortnerof]

@@eljanrimsa5843 Train. Cars are energy inefficient by nature, just like any other transport that splits the cargo up into small individual pods. You cannot do efficient like that. The more cargo in one go, the more efficient it can be.

[@fipsvonfipsenstein6704]

But if you compare the DB with other nations - the US for example - you´ll find out, that German public transportation still is quite efficient. We´re at least not in the worst spot.

[@peterweiss123]

Thx for such an amazing video !❤

[@britingermany]

Thank you for watching

[@mattesrocket]

I am so thankful that when I visited UK the first 3 times when I was 16, 18 and 19 that I stayed at families in the region of Birmingham, and we visited Stratford, Bath and Swansea (and Ireland) and London was just for traveling through (there were no budget airlines in the 80ies so I went to UK by train). In the 2000 I visited once for a whole week only London, but later Friends in East England (near the Wash) and then around Bristol and again Birmingham. I love London but I love much more english country side. ...Germany is a very changing "concept", it was always very, very different in each single decade, you even can see this by just watching few videos of historical channels (must watch private historical channels, not tv or other official historical channels, they don't show how the real life was)...

[@britingermany]

So glad you got to experience a bit of the British countryside. The Welsh coast is one of the most underrated holiday destinations in Europe

[@mattesrocket]

@@britingermany from the aspect of nature surely, but I am not so sure with the hotels and infrastructure. I found only very expensive hotels or very bad ones. No low to middle standards but well managed.

[@Fischbroetchen2k]

2:58 it´s nice people have that idea of Germany. Truth is our complete authority system.. like no matter what kind of position from social to political is so utterly incompetent people won´t even believe it when they see it. And the real fun part is the cutting edge technology.. I am fairly certain that France in the middle ages had a better internet infrastructure then Germany has today.

[@britingermany]

🤣🤣

[@Robertchu]

One thing I’ve learnt from my American colleagues is to prepare meetings more efficiently. In Germany it’s quite common that people would blabber in professional meetings without getting to the point. I’ve worked in both the private and public sector, and it’s really surprising how inefficient Germans often are in these situations. When you tell people that their time is up because they’ve talked for too long, they often feel deeply offended. Most of my German colleagues are specialists in their field, but most of them lack what I would call ‘secondary skills’, in particular with regard to working in diverse teams. By diverse I don’t mean necessarily the cultural background but rather situations where you have - like in my case - engineers, managers, people from accounting and so on working on the same team. Maybe this sounds like another stereotype, but my experience here in Germany has always been the same, i.e. people show a lack of interest in other people’s rationale. This type of attitude really drives me crazy 😜

[@mynaturalperfume828]

Accuracy is what made engeneering so successful in Germany. And reliability.

[@britingermany]

Or is engineering what increased and sharpened reliability and accuracy...

[@mynaturalperfume828]

@@britingermany maybe also

[@derGlasdrache]

I think efficiency has different aspects to it and doesn't necessarily have to align with concepts of convenience, satisfaction or usefulness, especially when there are multiple parties involved. In other words, one person's efficiency might not be efficient for everyone else. Cost efficiency, for example, is generally focussed on keeping expenses down and not so much on satisfaction and convenience, although one might argue it'd be best and most efficient to align as many positive outcomes as possible 😊

[@britingermany]

Yes indeed. It's quite a complex concept with many variables. I tend tend to think of it in relation to time and energy output but like you said, it depends on the point of view.

[@enricobortolazzo2651]

@@britingermany I think the best way to describe Germans is that they are not efficient, they are THOROUGH. Sometimes this leads to efficiency, and thoroughness can certainly give off an idea of efficiency... but often it actually ends up having the opposite effect.

[@sonjagatto9981]

@@enricobortolazzo2651 Ja, genau! (Du hast recht) Wir machen es lieber genau and that maybe for the moment less efficient...but in the long run it will beat others efficiency...since you do not have to do it over again. Done right in the first place. At least that is what I know and do. I live in Canada...not my standard. It is frustrating. Anyhow interesting video about Germany. I have been born and educated in Bavaria.

[@enricobortolazzo2651]

@@sonjagatto9981 Yes, that's one way of looking at it, definitely. However I find often Germans needlessly overcomplicate things that could be much simpler because of "the process"

[@perromanchado]

Living & working in Frankfurt for over 27 years now. I love it here. ☺

[@britingermany]

Me too. it took me a while to warm to it but after a while you realise there are so many benefits to living here.

[@HS-wp5vb]

Your airport experience has nothing to do with German efficiency or business-style. During Corona, most airport staff was laid off and now they just refuse to come back! Isn't that mean? So we now ALL have to wait just because A FEW people refuse to load 25 kg suitcases by crawling into planes between 5 am and 2 am for minimum wage. What a shame ...

[@AndroidNation]

Hey, as a german i can say that this video is really great at showing what we arent. Also i think many people think of england or the uk as just london because its a much larger percentage of the uks population lives there. Greater London has around 10 million citizens i think and thus 15% of englands and 20% of the UKs population lives there, while berlins share on the german popualtion is much smaller

[@britingermany]

Hi there. Yeah that’s part of it although I think London is the capital for so many things (finance, business, media, tech) whereas in Germany this is spread out more between different cities

[@udomann9271]

I agree with your analysis, well done.

[@britingermany]

Thank you🙏

[@BlackWater_49]

3:22 The problem there isn't so much a general lack of efficiency but the fact that the cheapest contractor gets the contract regardless of how realistic their price statement is and expectedly the costs skyrocket afterwards and stuff in done on the cheap without proper prior planning which ultimately causes piss poor performance.

[@kroypalsov]

really enjoy your videos! seems like we live in the same Viertel!

[@britingermany]

Thanks a lot. Oh really?! Well FFM is rather small 😉

[@HenryLoenwind]

Efficiency is just an observed side effect of the German desire for correctness. Doing things correctly can lead to more efficiency, especially when compared to some chaotic messes visitors may be used to. But it also is a big hindrance, as it takes time to follow the correct process and can lead to absurdity when there are no special rules for special cases.

[@britingermany]

Nicely put👍🏻

[@JBMusic3]

That was really interesting thank you :)

[@britingermany]

Glad to hear it. Thanks for commenting

[@bugfisch7012]

One other cultural thing is not only migration - but the south-north axis, wich was historical allways there. Starting with the saxon influences in the north, as well as Scandinavian in the medieval, following up the reformation wich basicly splitted Germany into half wich lead to the Prussian influenced north-east and the Austria/France influenced south-west. As I'm originaly from Schleswig-Holstein, I can relate way better to the Danish or Dutch culture than to the Hessians for example.

[@thomasalbrecht5914]

It’s the British that think Germany is about the past, because of a typically British obsession with their “finest hour”. From my experience of various holidays in Britain, half of the TV program seems to centre around 1940-1945. Probably because the part that the British played in the victory over the Nazis is the one moment in British recent history that they can agree on and don’t feel uncomfortable with. Suez 1956, or the Bengal famine, or invading the territories of most current nation states on the globe can easily be avoided by focusing on victory over the Germans (to a point that even forgets that there was a little help from the Soviet Union and the USA). There are two types of Brits out there: those who leave their comfort zone of such narratives, and of their own language, and those who don’t. Thank you for trying to translate and describe a few things for the latter group. Although “Bregret” might have started to gnaw away at the immense delusion of a part of the British population that led to Brexit (and that was partly due to the popular narrative of the war that fed British exceptionalism), I fear that a lot of the stereotypes on Germans had become far too important especially for the English, to define their own identity. National identity is often defined by opposition - to the French, to the Germans, etc., in the case of England- and it is dangerous and delusional to proceed this way only founded on stereotypes, and without having the foggiest about what you’re dealing with in the real world.

[@britingermany]

Hi Thomas. Interesting point about national identity and it's true that the easiest way to rally people together is through a common enemy/fear. There is a definite obsession with the war and Nazi Germany...but it is no less an obsession than in Germany itself... just seen through a very different lens. I do agree that it's time to move on though. The world has changed, as has the balance of power and the west would really do better to unite.

[@thomasalbrecht5914]

@@britingermany I’m not so much arguing for moving on, as for trying to be objective - first of all, in being honest about oneself, and then by trying to assess others on evidence and merit, rather than on pet stereotypes. The view of the past that Germany and Britain take is different because of differences in these two points of their respective perspectives. You don’t learn a lot by winning wars, you learn much more about yourself from losing them - especially if revanche is not an option. Britain is the only major European country not to have had a lesson from the others. But it’s contrived to defeat itself now. It’s a novel way of coming to terms with one’s real status in the world, thus losing one’s delusions...

[@saba1030]

​@@britingermany It's not an "obsession" about the Nazis over here in Germany but part of the, since 1945, permanently ongoing education about the Nazi past, to keep it in memory that it'll never happen again, as this is our responsability.... that's the difference!

[@thepretorian5292]

@@saba1030 nah its just obsession because the brits are jealously and desperately tries to prove they better than germans, always turning everything into some sort of competition, but the thing is germans dont care, they competes with the dutch the french but dont give two shits about uk. A toxic and xenophobic people incapable of respecting other cultures..

[@caroskaffee3052]

Oh thank you for putting my thoughts into words 😅 I agree. Also, this might be weird but I feel like especially British comedians have a strange obsession with Germany and have to make a connection to WW2 in some way, i swear to God every other skit by a British comedian is about Germany or Germans. Us Germans don't really joke about other countries or people that way except when we ourselves are from there. I mean the British empire has caused so much terror and suffering for such a long time but this one time they were on the right side of history and now they can't let it go

[@SalihGoncu]

Ah, being another immigrant in Germany, not far from you, and working for a German company for the past 15 years, (half out of Germany, half in) I can say that, what "efficiency means in German is, "just make sure you covered all possible cases and cover them all first and foremost". So, yes, planning takes a lot of time but after that actual implementation is just a clockwork. On the other hand, when you look at the botched projects, they are managed in a non-German way. :) Also, the diversity and distributed nature of Germany is of its past: They were and still more of a confederation of small fiefdoms, not a monolithic country with a singular center of gravity for power and business.

[@britingermany]

Help neighbour😉. Thanks for commenting.

[@rosenpuzzle4204]

I live on the Swiss border in the south of Germany and have friends in Hamburg. It took me years to get used to how straightforward they are and taciturn. Here in the south, we probably smile more. Abroad, we southern Germans can come across as just as direct and rude.

[@britingermany]

Isn’t it interesting how different areas can shape culture? I’m sure the climate/geography does have something to do with it.

[@majana9646]

I guess you have to make a big difference between work efficiency and the general efficiency. You can't compare the snail-like bureaucracy or the unablebility of some German airport builder Heijopeis and the general working efficency. Maybe I'm wrong, but my impression, especially from the industry, I did work for 3 people compared to other countries, because the processes were idealized that I was able to it so. And I was allowed to do my own decisions and not waiting years for a yes or no from some boss who was not even sitting in the same building.

[@swanpride]

Yeah, I agree. As other expats have observed: Germans enjoy their free time, but when they are at work, they work hard.

[@victorvondroom]

The airport thing was pretty frustating for me when traveling from Belgium to Spain and back, in Belgium it was like 3 stoned teens with 2 open doors while Spanish security was as smooth and well oiled as it can be. I'm a Spaniard and I'm used to spanish... ahem... lets say '''relaxed'' way of things and this really shocked me. Kinda of a silly story but wth I'll rather share it.

[@britingermany]

Totally! It can be really frustrating. Although I recently discovered you can actually book a slot for security now. At least at FFM airport. It took about 5 minutes to get through security 🤣

[@scrambaba]

I think you have touched on something very important here. The loss of identity for me is hugely connected to globalization and tech. There is a strong sense that change is too rapid, resulting in a deep sense of loss of control. This to me is responsible for the growth of the far right globally.

[@britingermany]

Maybe a contribution. However I think the economic situation plays a larger role.

[@scrambaba]

@@britingermany What do you mean?

[@einwitzigenname585]

I think there is an important problem of understanding when it comes to Germany. Germany has historically never been a centralized state, even Hitler didn't really make it. There is a centuries-old resentment against too much centralism. Germany has always been diverse, regional, shaped by immigration and influences from the surrounding countries. Federalism is in the DNA of Germany. This confuses many who look at it from the outside. Germany as a state is relatively young and the long period of many small states with very different cultures is much more important. This puts Germany in a rather unique position in Europe, which perhaps also explains the strong commitment to Europe, it is anchored in German culture to act in confederations of states.

[@britingermany]

Well said 👍🏻

[@mitasol3864]

Thanks for your well balanced thoughts on this, I agree to most of them. Concerning efficiency I believe we as Germans are getting in our own way with an ever growing flood of bureaucratic regulations to the point that one day we will have immobilized ourselves

[@britingermany]

Yes I think you’re right. Changes are desperately needed but I think everyone is aware of this and trying to improve things. It just takes a very long time

[@chrisg7795]

It’s not OUR bureaucracy, it’s the bureaucracy of the government. Every German complains about it - and about many things, so I guess it’s because of our complaining that they invent more and more detailed procedures to exclude possible future problems 🤔. In any case, I personally am still working on becoming more efficient. I would rather think the efficiency myth belongs into the German corporate world, and not into all of the companies either 🧐, it’s particularly not existent in schools. And I’m saying that as a teacher.

[@mitasol3864]

@@chrisg7795 it sure isn't my bureaucracy, but italso isn't only the government. There is some reason to it inherent in our societys perception of things. Let me take as an example safety, perfection and responsability. I work in the building authority of a small town and I am confronted with this daily. Lets say somewhere in Germany, in a municipally managed kindergarden, a child is injured by getting its face scraped over the surface of an unevenly plastered wall. Next step is, the childs' parents complain against the municipal authorities and maybe even sue them. Then the collective insurance organisation of the municipal administrations investigates the case. It concludes, that there is a gap in the safety rules for the construction of kindergardens and other buildings attended by young children. Consequently, it adds a new rule to its already endless list of guidelines, regulating the tolerance of such walls regarding evenness, hardness and elasticity to the smallest detail. So the next time anything similar happens, and a town gets sued for it, the insurance won't pay, in case the existing constructional guidelines were not observed. This procedure has meanwhile been pushed far beyond any proportionality, resulting, among other things, in extremely high costs for construction and maintenance of the buildings. What are the reasons? Safety and Perfection: The Illusion, that by foresightedly dealing with every possible source of danger and by subsequently closing every gap, accidents and tragedys can be perfectly excluded. Responsability: So in case of an accident the question must be "how could this ever happen" and somebody has to be found and held responsible for it. This ignores the reality, that a wide range of things can and will allways happen, and that to some reasonable extent everyone has to carry the odds of life in his own responsability. Sorry for the sermon😬 I got carried away, trying to pin at least an aspect of the problem 😆😉

[@chrisg7795]

@@mitasol3864 Don’t apologize. Your sermon was absolutely on point 👌🏼. I meant the same issue. We overdo things because we try to get them (perfectly) right. I totally agree.

[@mitasol3864]

@@chrisg7795 thankyou 🙂 Yes, we are talking about the same thing

[@Kjartan1975]

Nice video again and really enjoy your thoughts. I wonder how much time you are investing for video clips with research, producing concept and editing?

[@britingermany]

Hello Björn. Thanks a lot it is really a lot of time. I don't know exactly because I'm doing it here and there and don't check the clock but probably 20 to 30 hours for a Video.

[@Kjartan1975]

@@britingermany I guessed it would be time consuming so I have great respect that you are able to upload a new video each week.

[@Jefff72]

I’ve lived here for 20 years and I realize that my opinion is based in the people I know. I think Americans (I’m one) are more open and friendlier but Germans have better manners. When in public, I try to respect their culture but at home or speaking to my kids, I’m an Ami.

[@Nitnatsnoc84]

Hey! Thank you for your contribution. To talk about efficiency is really tough. If you want to judge Germanys efficiency in regard of the Berlin Airport, it might seem terrible. When getting into more detail, what led to the delayed completion, then one might come to the conclusion, that effiency (bureaucracy and regulations etc) might not have been the biggest problem, but the wrong planning or later changes to begin with. In the end the European Union is responsible for all regulations. The real question in my opinion is, has everything to be so complicated and regulated. I actually think, it has to be in order to balance everyones interest and in that, Germany excelles (or follows the tough way). I do though admit, that having 16 Bundesländer is a blow to efficiency - but since they are so diverse, it generally makes sense to maintain them. In details, like Bundesbeschaffungsamt, Germany derailed and adjustments have to be made. But that is a challenge, every democracy has to take on and work on steadily. I like your channel and your work, thank you for that! In my opinion, your audio shoul be adjusted, there is way too much bass and I have trouble, to understand you. ^^

[@britingermany]

Thanks a lot for your points. I don’t think the EU is responsible for regulations for the everyday person in Germany like starting a business or filing taxes or opening a bank account or buying an apartment. It is of course not simple but then again why is at a nationwide level.

[@HenryLoenwind]

Stop blaming "the EU". Germany is big enough to block any EU legislation unless every other country in the EU votes for it. And that's just for the stuff where a majority vote is sufficient, and unanimity isn't required. I don't have the numbers for Germany, but Britain either proposed or supported 97% of all EU regulations they complained so much about they had to leave. I wouldn't expect that number to be lower for Germany, as Germany had more voting power than Britain before Brexit.

[@ThomasMunich-f1k]

As I German, I may say that you addressed the problem of administrative inefficiency in Germany in a very friendly way. Actually, it just sucks. We have many different political levels (Germany, the federal states, the districts, the towns) which all participate in every decision and as a fundamental principle they always decide the opposite direction. To found a company or build a house in Germany is just a nightmare. One example that I am familiar with: we have 17 different laws for data protection (one for Germany as a whole and one for each of the 16 federal states). If you want to run a project Germany-wide then you have to consider all these 17 laws. It kills every initiative.

[@britingermany]

Yeah that is not fun

[@velar1s]

I'd say the efficiency comes more from a personal point of view, not for large projects by the state or the state in general. Everything involving the state - may it be a small thing you are requesting in your local citizen office or a large construction project - needs so long because there's a ton of bureaucracy. That's because we Germans are (unfortunatelly in this case) also very correct, precise and like to have rules for everything. On the other hand, we are very efficent in getting work done on a personal level. Like if you're supposed to work 8 hours at your job, you will do exactly that, with normally very little time you don't actually work. Most people won't slack off, and they won't just go to a sports play of ther children or sth like that. We have great worker rights with quite some free time compared to a lot of other countries, which works well because the workers aren't using it but giving their all in return. Punctuallity also plays into it. We just prefer to have things like work and free time seperated and to get things done and then be with our family.

[@holger_p]

Where you expect "efficiency" it's more thoroughness, or attention to details. What could be considered a good thing, if you think about it one by one, can become a handicap if it creates complexity or generally delays. With the mediterranean "laissez faire" (don't care for laws) or with a dictator (we do it, cause I say so), things would be faster. But Germans don't like either one of this. They want thourough plans and guarantees.

[@mayamar529]

I think for a Brit in Germany it could help to compare the two countries. The UK is very centralized with London dominating the rest and the English dominating the rest. In Germany there is not one dominating center. Many old traditions the UK still has are no longer existent in Germany: no king, no nobility (only by name), ...

[@britingermany]

Hi Maya. Yes I am planning to do a video comparing the two 👍🏻

[@hyoryo]

Each german city, region or village being a vastly different microcosm of its own is pretty spot on. My region for example is (in)famous for housing many people like me called 'siegerländer Stöffel'. We are a hardy, self-sufficient and stoic bunch. Since it is virtually impossible to hurt our feelings, we have no aptitude in understanding the subtle delicacies of social interaction. We can tolerate a very wide range of people, even the obnoxious and toxic ones. We do not mince words, we will clobber you with our honest and sincere opinion. And we are always surprised to see how "nice" the rest of germany is. Here you can commonly see, people hurling the most offensive insults at each other while being the best drinking buddies, or extremists publicly demonstrating throughout the streets making fools of themselves without the passers-by giving them even an ounce of attention. So when moving into the 'Siegerland' be prepared to receive a full broadside of unfiltered opinions.

[@lme4339]

That about sausages and beer is definitely correct. 🤭 be it a vegan sausage or a non-vegan, alcoholic or non-alcoholic beer. But I feel like the regional patriotism still is a heritage thing from the time when we were tribes. 🤔 But it’s just my feeling.

[@britingermany]

I mean there's nothing wrong with liking sausages and beer...I actually like them as well 😉

[@elalcazar7374]

In my opinion you get a different flavour of german depending on the country that borders that section of germany.

[@britingermany]

That definitely makes a difference, especially in regions where more than one language is spoken

[@marge2548]

Hi there... I think you pretty much nailed it.

[@britingermany]

Thanks for watching Marge

[@Catras_unfairly_gorgeous_smirk]

The thing most people get wrong about this country is thinking that visiting a few cities in some of the states will give you an idea of what it's like here. Germany is quite similar to countries like India or Japan, where modern, vibrant cities with their gazes fixed on the future are a stark contrast to the much quieter, calmer and amazingly different life you'll encounter outside of the major settlements. The ancient spirit and legacy of this land is far from dead, neither is the tribal nature of the people here. Most rural areas in Saxony, Thüringen and Bavaria come to mind as the most striking examples where you'll be able to witness this, but really all of Germany has these areas where you'll visit and you feel like you've entered a completely different world despite still being in the same state.

[@sns4748]

There are sections of the Autobahn without speed limit? I wouldn’t agree to put it like that. There are sections with speed limits but those limited sections only make up for 30 percent of the Autobahn

[@TechSucht]

Growing up in Germany I always wondered why Germans have that image of being hard working, punctual and reliable. I did not find the average person to be extremely like that. That changed when I lived in other countries for more than just a short holiday and when I became part of international teams. And yes, in comparison to most people in many other countries the average German is very efficient, punctual and reliable. 😀

[@britingermany]

It always helps to get a new perspective 😉

[@TechSucht]

@@britingermany very true. 🙂

[@ralfsstuff]

You're exaxtly right. Many people just don't know how diverse Germany really has become over the years. From cultural ties, labour immigration, specific events such as refugees and just people who visit and eventually decide to stay for whatever reason. But yeah, the further you get out of large cities the less you'll encounter larger diverse groups. However, smaller communities are still everywhere. And that doesn't even include all of the regional "Germans" differences. Edit: I don't fit the German stereotypes at all. I hate football with a passion, don't drink any alcohol and don't even think effiency unless i'm paid for it.

[@britingermany]

But you like sausages ? 😉

[@ralfsstuff]

@@britingermany You got me... But who doesn't?😅

[@biankakoettlitz6979]

'Working like clockwork'is the German view of Switzerland😀

[@herb6677]

I think that aside from London Liverpool and Manchester are also very well known. However the only English City I have been to was York. Cheers from Austria.

[@britingermany]

Hello to Austria. How did you like York? It is rather pretty but I found it a little too "done up". I prefer Liverpool or Newcastle or even Leeds

[@herb6677]

@@britingermany I went there with my parents while we were in Scottland around 1996 and it was a 3 hour train ride from Edinborough. My father hat suggested to go to York. I would prefer to go to Bournemouth and Lands End. I am more a fan of King Crimson than of the Beatles.

[@morocotopo3905]

I have been learning German for two years planning to move there from the UK, and I have to completely agree with the efficiency point. It's quite shocking how inefficient many things are in the Germany. I do however appreciate that most Germans admit this and find quite funny how we all think that.

[@britingermany]

Good on you and good luck with the move

[@MsPataca]

I grew up and lived in Germany up until the early ‘00s, then moved to another EU country where I still live today. I remember Germany in the 1980s and 90s was extremely efficient, trains were mostly on time and bureaucracy/public administration was pretty smooth. Law enforcement was also very efficient. The country was without doubt among the most solid and stable ones in Europe back then. From what I read and hear today, the Germany of today is not on the same level as it was back then, for different reasons. An ageing population and the influx of immigrants from war-torn countries are taking their toll (mind you I find it positive that Germany is open and welcoming to migrants but there are capacity limits). There is a lack of skilled workers which is becoming more and more noticeable. The education system is not fully fit for purpose. Sub-standard train services and understaffed airports are just some of the more visible signs of the gradual decline, it’s also noticeable in schools and public administration that things are not running so smoothly anymore. There are vast differences between wealthier and less well-off regions, which wasn’t always the case (in the old West Germany at least). Add to this the rise of extremist parties in politics, and the situation does not look so rosy. Germany is still a powerful country with great potential but it will take good leadership and hardship for many people in the coming years to bring things back on track.

[@SpringKerl]

When you said "americans" did you refer to US American citizens or citizens from other parts of "America" (the continent)??

[@darkwolf453]

It ws such a culture shock, when I moved from the Sauerland to Hessen. The first few weeks I was here, I thought the people were savages, not going to lie🤣 after 7 years I quite like it here, but I still miss my mountains and good Mettwurst🥰

[@britingermany]

Haha savages!!!! Took me a time to settle in as well but I do really appreciate it now

[@darkwolf453]

@@britingermany Like they didn't have a yellow garbage bin for plastic, only yellow plastic bags! So every time the garbage disposal came, you would see MOUNTAINS of plastic bags at the side of the road😱 I was horrified🤣

I’d argue that the bureaucracy in Germany is efficient in their own way of PAPER. It’s just that instead of solving a problem in hour or a day, it can be prolonged to weeks. Eventually it’ll be done.

[@britingermany]

Well I'd argue that it is the opposite of efficient 🤣

[@sirjosephwhitworth9415]

London is not even in England anymore, however Nutty Mutty has made Berlin and elsewhere in Germany foreign to Germans. As far as my experience in Germany goes, which is several holidays there every year, Ich kann auf der Autobahn fahren, und habe kein angst vor Straßenschäden. In England driving makes me paranoid, spending more time dodging potholes on our third world roads than concentrating on the task in hand. Keep up the good work with these informative videos.

[@rabenklang7]

Maybe the efficiency has changed due to overregulation, bureaucracy, and lack of investment in infrastructure (fiber optics, streets, public transportation). I think the reputation has always referred to working efficiency in the private industry sector. There have alway been jokes about the inefficency in the public sector.

[@britingermany]

yeah ok good point about private and public sector...I think those jokes exist in most countries as the public sector is gen erally less efficient

[@girlfromgermany]

Well, it's correct that Germany is not the typical immigration country. Especially Italian and Turkish people came here as Gastarbeiter in the '60s and '70s. They initially were supposed to go back to their home country after doing their job here. Instead these people stayed and raised their children here. That's why we have parts of their culture here.

[@rehflu5551]

Good Morning Brit in Germany and Community!:D I am a Native German with an age of nearly 33 Years an di would like to give my opinion.:D So my opinionis is: 1. The Value of Germanys efficiency has droped a great deal in the modern age for the generell public. I for instance can't say with pride, than stuff from Germany is of good quality. i am depressed to see the Value dropping lower and lower in so much areas. I mean there are ofc companys that to uphold the value of germanys known Quality, but overall are we victims of capitalism( the greed for money), in the meaning of just buy it new. 2. Germany is a country that has 9 neighbours, if am right there is no other country in this world with this amount, so we are divers in Culture and people's origins. 3. People are different from the moment the are born, after they are born the grow and change based on there surroundings. That will give birth to a great pool of different persoalitys, with good and bad traits. So to say Germans are cold is wrong, u may just have different Values. i am open for exchange of opinions :D

[@britingermany]

Good morning Reh. Thanks for sharing you experiences and opinions. I think generalisations do help us to understand things to a certain extend. I would say that the accuracy of “the Germans are cold” depends a little on your own experience and what you are comparing to. In general in my experience this is true. They tend not to be friendly and smiley and outgoing when meeting for the first time…it takes a while for them to warm up. However I have heard that In comparison to their Scandinavian neighbours they are warm and friendly…this last part is just hearsay and I can’t verify it myself 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@cameramanceltic4915]

reat video and advise Greetings from Ireland .. . I lived in Germany ( Frankfurt) in the late 80s and early 90s. five years. I loved it. I was young then in my 20s. happiest and free ist times of my life. I worked in the hotel industry as a waiter in my 20s .. and happy now im 60 . divorced and extremely unhappy. watching your videos and other you tube vloggers has made me realise where I actually belong .... now I have advantages and disadvantages. my advantages are I can speak German .. well enough to get by and I know the culture. and lifestyle and I am in the EU . . my disadvantages are , im 60 haha and I do not have a degree. I work here in a dead end job.. security .. before that I worked in the hotel industry . so yes at 60 with no life.. I am not saying that life will be greener in Germany but I do know that perhaps I can live a better life style in Germany even if its just for my mental health.. anyway I bet you never expected an older person to be sending you messages lol.

[@britingermany]

Hey there. Thanks for you message🙏. A change is as good as a rest as they say. I would imagine it would be a great experience for you to visit Germany again. Maybe you can manage a few days to see if it is as good as you remember. The fact that you speak German is a huge benefit😀. I wish you all the best

[@cameramanceltic4915]

@@britingermany my plan is to visit Frankfurt this July . last Time I lived there was in 1990 . I worked in the frankfurter hot hotel am kaiser Platz. I was a waiter . loved it but family issues made me return to ireland . I know if I was lucky enough to secure employment I'd be ok but at my age that's probably never going to happen. pity . because I have so much to offer.. anyway thanks

[@MarkusBindig]

The efficiency stereotype is a rather old one that *was* actually true at some point. Germany is a shadow of its former self nowadays, though.

[@britingermany]

In what way do you think it is a shadow of its former self? In terms of industry and manufacturing ? Presence on the world stage?

[@MarkusBindig]

@@britingermany The cliché of German efficiency and punctuality probably came from the Prussians and from the time Prussia was the leading power in Germany prior to the 1st WW. It may also have to do with Germany's rise as an industrial nation before the World Wars and after WW2 in connexion with the Wirtschaftswunder. However, it more or less went astray with the fall of the Soviet Union and the beginning of the Berlin Republic. We cannot run our trains on time, anymore, and we can't build an airport or a trainstation within an acceptable time frame, the latter having to do with a lot of corruption and nepotism in modern German politics. You're right in the assumption that on a private or socio-cultural level, a lot of those values still exist in Germany more so than in other countries (albeit that's not necessarily a plus). I'm not talking about presence on the world stage, but Germany's post-war presence essentially hinges on its influence as an economic power ... and we're about to mess that up.

[@bearington8944]

I love your videos, as someone in a similar situation to you, but Munich, what you said about the different cities being totally different, is absolutely right. I always feel like when I am in Berlin, that I am in a different country, even going to NRW, it really feels different to south east Germany. Whenever I go back home to the UK, what really grates me is the 1966 attitude. Yes, well done, we won the world cup then by beating Germany. It was also pushing 60 years - that and mentioning the war and asking if people in Germany are still so anti British, because "we won" that too. What I love about Germany is that in general people are open minded enough to have a chat and are interested in who, what, where and why. One last point that I also really picked up on, was the "efficiency" 😄 I am always of the opinion that you can do pretty much anything that you want in Germany, as long as you have filled in the right form. Which form that is may involve other forms being filled out first and faxing things to other departments. Keep up the brilliant videos !

[@britingermany]

Thanks so much and sunny greeting to Munich. Love the city and also the proximity to the mountains and Italy 😀🌞

[@bearington8944]

Pop over for a beer garden tour sometime - my treat 😁

[@britingermany]

@@bearington8944 I might just hold you to that 😉

[@TheRedBooster]

The effiency stereotype is kinda true. If you compare work in europe Germany ranks above average on work done per person, while it ranks below average on working hours per person.😊

[@britingermany]

so it has above average efficiency in terms of economic output. This is sounds fair and accurate, the stereotype tends more to the extreme as in it is the most efficient country...well maybe Japan is kind of in a similar position as well in this regard

[@TheRedBooster]

@@britingermanyyeah that efficiency is not that great in terms of public services and transport^^

[@1983simi]

I just LOVE the thought of some british football fans having an unexpected surprise vacation in Frankfurt Oder. That is legit hilarious to me XD

[@britingermany]

haha you better believe it. Although I would have liked to have been working in the airport when they finally realised they were in the wrong city