Germany. Interesting Facts about Germany (American reaction)

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[@judywe4941]

Again and again I hear "everything is closed on sundays". That is not true. Only shops are closed, but restaurants, museums, cinemas, amusement parks, everything that has to do with leisure time is open and in touristy places also shops can be open. Shops in big train stations, airports and gas stations are open, pharmacies have a sunday/holiday plan and you will always find one not far away that is open.

[@fairlyn]

Not far away -> *cries in rural area*

[@saburo6042]

@@fairlyn I feel that

[@shisuka6022]

Großstadt probleme xD

[@PaveLowaftel]

Das Video ist aus München und 7 Jahre alt. Damals war es aber in Bayern, also auch München, genau so. Auch Museen und Restaurants hatten geschlossen, es ist ja ein Ruhetag. Bäcker an Bahnhöfen haben oftmals schon um 10 oder 12 alles dicht gemacht. Lediglich Tankstellen hatten geöffnet. Wie es heutzutage ist weiß ich nicht. Ich wohne jetzt seit 3 Jahren nicht mehr in Bayern.

[@SidneyKenson]

@@PaveLowaftel Restaurants haben normalerweise montags ihren Ruhetag. Am Wochenende wird Geld gemacht, am Montag wird es im Großmarkt ausgegeben, um die Bestände aufzufüllen und die Speisekarte für die Woche wird geschrieben. Und auch vor 7 Jahren hatten Bäcker, die nicht an einem Bahnhof waren, sonntags geöffnet, aber in der Tat, die meisten machen mittags zu. Und alles, was mit Kultur und Unterhaltung zu tun hat, vergibt keine Chance, Besucher zu bekommen, und gerade am Wochenende hat die durchschnittliche Familie Zeit dazu. Sonntags geschlossen zu haben, ist für ein Museum eher unattraktiv.

[@Legendendear]

Houses are just a LOT more expensive here in Germany. And thats no wonder, because we use Bricks and mortar to build them - no cheap drywalls here. Houses are really sturdy here and its not uncommon for them to last multiple generations. And if we buy a house, its typically our home for the rest of our life.

[@Florian-xf4ci]

and many people can´t aford a to buy a home

[@heibk-2019]

The main reason for houses to be super expensive is not its building ingredients...its speculation and monopolization.

[@Carol_65]

@@Florian-xf4ci Where we live in SW Germany, asking price for a decent 70-square meter, two-bedroom apartment is about 370,000€. And by decent, I mean that it doesn‘t have to be renovated inside. Houses are costing about 500,000€. Anything lower than that and the interior usually needs to be totally gutted and renovated. At least the ones we‘ve seen. I‘m talking about homes that-where I lived in SW Pennsylvania-would probably cost about 175,000 USD at the very most.

[@khadajhina270]

and for the next generation. AND for the next generation... AND ... You know it... :D

[@isalablomma]

It's not cheaper in the us (jedenfalls das was man im TV oder KZbin sehen kann 😅)

[@MBP235]

Blutwurst - we lost Ryan 😂

[@nosomusk864]

Don’t tell him about the Presskopf

[@MBP235]

@@nosomusk864 the What? I'm German, never heard about the Presskopf O.o ... but don't tell him not only we eat the blood but also the tongue :D

[@sophiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie]

I find it so interesting that this is something so many people find disgusting - but other parts of the deas animals are tasty? 😬

[@melaniewolf5855]

@@nosomusk864 bei uns heißt das Presssack, fraglich, was da besser klingt 😄

[@rhysodunloe2463]

Saumagen for life! ❤ When I was a kid we often went hiking and stopped at some of the many Palatinate Forest Club Lodges to eat a Hausmacherplatte (house made plate). It consists of liver sausages, blood sausage and brawn with a few slices of bread and pickles.

[@wZem]

How is the check at a restaurant not coming before you specifically ask for it a sign of bad customer service? I would feel like they want to get rid of me if restaurants did that.

[@melaniewolf5855]

Yeah, I hate it, when they compliment you out of your seat...BUT I also think, good customer service means, they see when your glass is empty and ask to bring new beverages

[@mats7492]

cause thats exactly what they want.. table flipping..

[@Mikehaelohim]

they wanna get rid of you because of the tippable minimum wage. The waiters in the US are allowed to be paid less than minimum wage so they heavily rely on tips. More customers means more tips.

[@petrsebik]

Maybe for Americans its a bad sign, because they are use to it from home. I think here in Europe it would be considered a bad sign if you got your check before you ask for it, because as other said in this thread, you would feel like they are kicking you out.

[@LexusLFA554]

That has been a critique point under and in several youtube videos and comment sections.

[@m.h.6470]

11:24 While technically correct, the "over 300 bread varieties" should actually be "over 3000 bread varieties". The number 300 was an estimation, which was never actually checked. Today we know, that there are around 3200 known bread variants in Germany.

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

And they're an immaterial world heritage acknowledged by UNESCO.

[@m.h.6470]

@@MyRegardsToTheDodo actually no, the bread culture is a possible contender for world heritage (nominated by Germany itself), but NOT YET part of the UNESCO world heritage.

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

@@m.h.6470 It was added to the UNESCO list of immaterial cultural heritage in 2014.

[@m.h.6470]

​@@MyRegardsToTheDodo No, it wasn't. It was added to the GERMAN LIST OF CANDIDATES. Every member country has its own list and can add stuff there, but that doesn't mean, that these are on the actual list, these are just candidates, that the country put forward for consideration. You can find the actual list under "ich unesco org" and you will not find the German bread culture there. That doesn't mean, that it won't be added eventually, but it ISN'T as of now.

[@nosek2276]

tbh the video is 7 years old and a lot changed since then. In big cities most supermarkets are open till 8pm, some even longer like 10pm or even till midnight. Also our renewable energy sector sadly was gutted by canceling governant subsidies and we are now behind China, the US and Japan (per capita).

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

Although we catch up fast since 2021. I read, we almost doubled our amount on comercial and industrial buildings and on private buildings it went up by 25%. Which I find encouraging.

[@friedrichhayek4862]

Good, that means that Germany got out of the scam.

[@nosek2276]

@@arnewengertsmann9111 absolutly, but it was pretty staggaring to industry at a whole and its just picking up again.

[@ChrisGrump]

​@@friedrichhayek4862 🤡

[@xrecix]

It depends from state to state how long stores can be opened. For example, stores here in Hesse can be open until midnight, whereas in Saarland stores can only be open until 8 p.m.

[@rhysodunloe2463]

In Germany we use a comma for decimals and points to make numbers over 1000 more readable. So it's the opposite to the English language. We also have different ways to count numbers higher then 999,999. The next number in English would be a billion, but in German its a Milliarde. The German Billion is 1,000,000,000,000 and not 1,000,000,000.

[@trythis2006]

makes more sense too, i dont know why the fuck they call it billion

[@Wildcard71]

Each prefix represents a number. Multiply by 6 to get the number of zeros. 1 -illiarde = 1000 -illions

[@evdweide]

@@trythis2006 Numberphile has a good video on this "short system" versus the American "long system". Their theory is that someone in the US made a mistake once and they kept it.

[@evdweide]

@@Wildcard71 billion = bi-million = million x million Trillion = tri-million = million x million x million Quadrillion = quad-million = million x million x million x million The non-US "long" system makes so much more sense.

[@trythis2006]

@@evdweide only possible in murica

[@natsudragneel2640]

Well part of the reason why waiters don't notice you until you tell them (just after the meal usually though) is because they don't kick you out immediately after you finished your plate. You will sit there, maybe get another drink and just chat with your friend

[@achimenssle4766]

yes, i remember in my younger days going to eat on a saturday night and sit and chat for 4 hours and no one bothered ya!

[@bjorntantau194]

Hearing that we have the most solar power in the world actually surprised me, because I'm really salty about the government not supporting it more.

[@PeterAuto1]

I think we had, but because of missing investment of the government, not anymore.

[@niklasd.9024]

7 years ago we were, today probably not anymore

[@annasaddiction5129]

And I wished we had speed limits why do we have to have Cars that are like legitmatley as good as unstoppable and dangerous to anyone involved just to satisfiy someones stone age instincts? xD But it clearly would be cool if SOLAR ENERGY would work better and be more affordable but hey at least we got that for a minute. Until China or else overruns us.

[@Techmagus76]

@@niklasd.9024 No already 2016 this information was outdated by minimum 5 maybe even 10 years. In 2013 Solarworld was going to fail as the last of the big solar companies originated in germany. Then were tried to kept alive until early 2017 (the processes still on today for delayed declaration of bankruptcy).

[@psilovecybin5940]

I graduated over 10 years ago. I had renewable energies as a topic. In 2011 solar cells had an efficiency of about 60% and it took over a decade of constant use before they are worth the initial investment. And they haven't improved much. It's a pipe dream. We have schleswig-Holstein over 1000km of coastlines with waves that carry a ton of knicetic energy just waiting to be harnessed.

[@nosomusk864]

I think the waiter thing is more like he said, good service is considered by most Germans defined by how professional it is, rather than how friendly it is. I know many younger people are starting to disagree with this but I really like it personally.m, because I don’t enjoy being bothered when I’m walking in a store or sitting at my table. When I want something I’ll ask and they can check up on me when you notice my glass is nearly empty not every five minutes.

[@viomouse]

Yeah, it's totally unnerving if they come check up on you all the time. I prefer walking up to clerks or calling the waiter, if I need sth.

[@Qwertworks]

While I agree, service is still absolute dog-shit in Germany. I’ve had some waiters being absolutely unfriendly here (well it’s almost like a Bavarian tradition at this point lol) and customer help lines hang up on me (thanks Telekom). Now I don’t have too much experience with other countries in that regard but I am quite certain from interacting with non-domestic companies that this stuff would definitely not fly in some of them. Luckily one of the few aspects where you can actually say “der Markt regelt”

[@avr7120]

as the spokes person for younger people all across the country: we do NOT want to be bothered either.

[@SidneyKenson]

Likewise. I expect a clerk or waiter to be polite, not friendly. As the word implies, that's something you offer to a friend. And the other person is a customer, not necessarily a friend. I look for respectful behavior and a professional attitude, they mustn't let their bad mood out on me, but they don't need to treat me like their best friend.

[@SidneyKenson]

@@Qwertworks Question is what you considered as "unfriendly" there. Hanging up on a customer in a call center is a no-go, sure, but I'd love to see you elaborate more on the waiter thing. Just to get a feel of if it's just a mentality thing or really a bad example of service. For example I don't care if a waiter doesn't smile at me, as the restaurant is full and they manage to just stay ahead of it and get everything done properly. Smiling is the least concern, I want my order delivered properly, that's what I'm there for. If I want someone to smile at me and treats me as a friend, I'd consider booking some other service.

[@meikekro3926]

In Germany, our numbers switch the comma and the dot. Thousands are devided by . instead of comma. The Englisch 4,987.67 would be 4.987,67 in Germany :)

[@Funghidodo]

Funfact: Nearly all locations in this video are in Munich :D

[@melaniewolf5855]

Munich an upper Bavaria...

[@cleverskipper3866]

Some were also in Nuremberg.

[@k.schmidt2740]

No, you do not "have" to pay church tax. If you are confirmed at the age of 14, you pay it automatically, unless or until you decide to leave the church. Then you go to the city registrar and declare that you are no longer a member of the church. Then you don't pay it. Many people stay in and support the institution for all kinds of reasons: dependable charities, social contacts, keeping up the nice buildings - and some of us are even active Christians.

[@Alice_Fumo]

There's only ever been one reason keeping me in the church: It costs 20€ to leave. This makes me so mad like how could they paywall my religious freedom, sign me up to some bullshit against my will and want money for me to reclaim my freedom? Maybe if I speak out against churches enough while being part of it, they'll kick me out for free? Are the people who signed me up liable for the financial damages of leaving? I cannot highlight enough how silly this is. It's not the governments business to know what I believe in and to tax beliefs is stupid. If churches can't survive on donations willingly given then they should not exist in the first place.

[@all_in_for_JESUS]

I haven't been confirmed, but I had to pay it anyways.

[@k.schmidt2740]

@@all_in_for_JESUS That will have been contingent on your baptism, I assume.

[@m.h.6470]

If your parents are for example "evangelisch freikirchlich", than you don't have to pay at all and you will not be set up to pay automatically.

[@TheAxel65]

Your membership begins with your baptism, not with your communion or confirmation. Since most people are baptized shortly after birth, you are not really asked if you want to join the club at all. Consequently, one of the first things I did when I reached the age of adulthood was to leave the church. My own daughter was never baptized, because I wanted to ensure that she makes her own choices.

[@sar045]

Ryan's face when he heard about Blutwurst for the first time is priceless ;D

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

And now somebody please explain to him why a "halve hahn" is a cheese sandwich, and not a grilled half chicken.

[@NicoHen]

if youre curious about certain groups of people wearing the same colours: It's kinda common for every company that deals with construction work, such as electricians, painters, dry-wallers, etc. , to have colour-coordinated work-wear. Electricians usually have black/navy blue pants and shirts. Painters are dressed in all white, you can see a lot of painters on the subway with droplets of dried paint. The more droplets and varying colours either indicate a very messy beginner, or a seasoned painter with lots of hours. Dry-wallers all uniformely wear whatever they want each day.

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

Those guys look like they work for a garage, I'd say they're mechanics on a lunch break.

[@rhysodunloe2463]

There are also separate saunas for men and women or women only days in smaller saunas. But mixed saunas don't seem to be a problem for most Germans. Many of us can do recreational activities in the nude without the constant urge to turn it into a procreational activity. We also have a huge nudist community. Especially in the East. Nudist beaches, camping grounds and nudist hiking trails can be found in many places in Germany.

[@rora8503]

There even was a adverdicement on television for Zalando (online clothing shop) that played on a nudist Camping ground.

[@herrhartmann3036]

It's interesting that he called the color of Taxis "green". Actually, they're eggshell white.

[@Bruno_Haible]

He called it "cream".

[@herrhartmann3036]

@@Bruno_Haible He did? 😳 OK, that makes a lot more sense.

[@Wildcard71]

also called ivory

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

Corona basically changed the "cash is king" thing, like a lot. That original video is seven years old, and by now you can pay with your bank-issued EC-card or your creditcard in a lot of places. Most restaurants accept them, and even a lot of food trucks do. A few weeks back I could pay with my card on a carnival ride at a spring fair. A lot about this video isn't about Germany, it's about Bavaria. Oktoberfest isn't as big here in West Germany as it is in the south in Bavaria, we instead have the Carnival. If you try to reach any company in these five days, good luck. It's also quite hillarious that when that guy in the video talked about football, he actually showed icehockey fans.

[@wortdrexler5077]

I just like how the guy in the video talks about soccer at 12:21 showing only people in hockey jerseys - one being the jersey of the Swedish national team.

[@KingLutti]

It was a hockeygame Munic vs. Cologne.

[@wortdrexler5077]

​@@KingLutti Right. Grüße aus Kölle!

[@ge.h.1902]

Not everybody in Germany like "Blutwurst"(bloodsausages), but its an offer

[@Martin071982]

Hey Ryan, The following brands belong to VW: VW, VW Nutzfahrzeuge, Skoda, Seat, Cupra, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ducati, Porsche, MAN, Scania, Caminhoes e Onibus and RIO. And then there is VW Financial Services, VW Marine, VW Kraftwerk and they produce their own Currywurst and Ketchup. Both do have an actual parts number like any equipment you can buy.

[@martinkasper197]

VW is the bigest producer of Currywurst in Germany produced with machines from the factory I'm working as a Service Manager...

[@nonchip]

As a german with some taste, i agree you really don't have to understand (or even come anywhere remotely close to) Blutwurst or people who like it :P also what that boat just did was being a river ferry.

[@myeramimclerie7869]

Is there any foreign youtuber in Germany who's not based in the South? 😅

[@nicolettarope6030]

A lot stores are open now till 22:00 pm (grocerys) and other stores till 20:00 pm

[@alex269]

Only in bigger cities

[@nicolettarope6030]

@@alex269 okay, i live in a bigger City.

[@alex269]

@@nicolettarope6030 yeah me too. One REWE is even open untill 12pm. But in smaller cities or villages they close at 6pm

[@RuLa264]

@@alex269 My town has 15,000 inhabitants and both of our REWE stores are open till 10 PM. In fact, most grocery stores outside Bavaria close at 8-10 PM.

[@MrMond-gc4rv]

A little comment about the 'a german doesn't smile without reason': There is a german rapper (Alligatoah) who even has a line 'Es gibt Menschen, die sind ohne Grund fröhlich, dass ist unhöflich', meaning, 'there a people who are happy without reason, that's impolite!'

[@lenakohl2339]

Compared to russians, germans smile a lot without reason.

[@BennoWitter]

Some rivers have long stretches without a single bridge, especially the Rhine and you have to use a ferry to get across. Since they have to be in a certain position for the cars to drive on and off, and the stream is quite strong, they move in a funny way, just like that ferry boat in the video, to use the stream to their advantage and stick the landing.

[@ricardoshuch2787]

Most pictures are from the South of Germany (Bavaria) and the Lake Constance (Bodensee). During the last 7 years happened: The closing hours (till 7 p.m,) are outdated. Commonly are now: Up to 10 p.m. (the whole week except Sundays and Holydays). And: Germany is meanwhile one of the biggest immigration countries of the world.

[@trythis2006]

bavaria must have a chill life if they only work until 7pm lmao

[@mats7492]

@@trythis2006 barely anyone in germany works past 6pm..

[@trythis2006]

@@mats7492 most shops(grocery) have open until 10PM,i live here, mind you

[@hakunamatata2000]

@@trythis2006 definitely not in Bavaria

[@stephenlee5929]

Hi, you misunderstood, the period (full stop) is the separator for numbers(between hundreds and thousands), with the comma being the decimal separator, this is true in many countries.

[@joshi_1202]

2:20 left is Germany's oldest high speed train, an ICE 1 from the 90s, maximum 250 km/h (roughly 155mph) Right is an ICE 3, maximum 320km/h (200 mph) in France and 300 km/h (roughly 186 mph) in Germany, the train itself is certified for 330km/h but there are no train tracks in either country allowing that speed.

[@Physikbuddha]

Very small correction: ICE 1 and 2 have a top speed of 280 km/h. Otherwise you‘re right

[@joshi_1202]

@@Physikbuddha You're right, I got it slightly confused. They were more or less intended for 250km/h but can indeed go 280 "Die Leistung der Triebköpfe wurde für 14 Mittelwagen und eine Geschwindigkeit von 250 km/h dimensioniert, wobei Lauf- und Bremstechnik für 280 km/h ausgelegt wurden." -Wikipedia

[@TimoGockel]

When you go to a bank in the USA and say "I need 1 Million Dollar to buy a house" their response is "Okay, here you are" When you go to a bank in Germany and say "I need 1 Million Euros to buy a house" their response is "How much equity do you have? What additional guarantees can you give us? How secure is your job? How will your income develop in the next 10 years? Are you sure you can even afford it?". That is why no one is buying a house in Germany.

[@Wildcard71]

Truth is somewhere in between.

[@TimoGockel]

@@Wildcard71 Thank you for clarifying that. I hope your comment does not imply that Ryan is too stupid to realize that my comment is exaggerating.

[@steemlenn8797]

Regarding "financial smarter": If you pay 1 million for a house and your credit rates are as big as the appreciation of the house... you end up with a house worth less than 1 million (because it already has some time on it.) If you instead put that money into an stock market ETF (which tend to appreciate more than house prices) you end up with a lot more than 1 million minus rent. If you don't rent a single family home but an appartment in similar location, you are likely to get out better money wise, because while the house owner wants to make profit from renting out, the additional costs of the SFH house are bigger. And of course you don't have a big, clunky thing on your back that, if you are unlucky (Chicago?), is unsellable but has running costs just from e.g. ground taxes. Not to mention that when something goes wrong (e.g. heating broken) it's the problem of the landlord - which often means it gets repaired faster because many landlords here are organizsations and/or have contracts with maintainers.

[@holgerczubka5453]

Dezimal point and komma means the opposite to the US 1.500 is onethousendfivehundred and 1,500 (or 1,5) means one and a half.

[@MellonVegan]

7:30 The issue (if you want to call it that) is that there is no yolo attitude towards loans. You *must* have saved at least 20% of whatever the loan is for or you won't get one. Legally so. The upside is that the majority of us isn't in debt. The downside is that (again, for my example Münster) you may have do make a downpayment of 80.000€ and then pay off that loan at monthly rates of well over 1000€. You don't do that when you're young. In Germany, homes are *not* seen as a financial investment (as in making profit by selling it later) but rather as a form of pension fund. You get it whenever you actually get rich enough to buy a home (which may be late in life) to then spend your retirement years in it and make up for the .. not sure how to translate it .. let's call it pension gap. We do have a pension system in Germany but if you only rely on that, you'll get only 80% of your income once you retire, so it better don't matter or you should have some money (or a house aka free rent) saved up. Retirement poverty is a real issue here.

[@PaulWinkle]

Yes VW owns Audi, also Porsche. Porsche was missing on the list. Meanwhile we have only 3 independent car producers here. BMW, Mercedes and VW. You have seen the BMW skyscraper in the video, the 4cylinders-shaped one in München.

[@groundloss]

Though VW has lost Bugatti, which now belongs to Rimac (Kroatia).

[@nightstorm5914]

@@groundloss true, but Porsche holds some percent on the Joint Venture on Bugatti Rimac d.o.o (ca. 45%) and holds some percent on Rimac Group too

[@Dragonheng]

Most federal states have fixed opening times from 6 a.m. at the latest, but mostly from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. or even 10 p.m. depending on the federal state. Sunday, a day for restaurants or small excursions. Bullettrains or in German Inter City Express (ICE) trains are only acceptable in 1st class, 2nd class is always overcrowded at rush hour. There are no special train stations for these, but as the name suggests, they are only on the way between large cities and their main train stations. The only exceptions are certain airports. If I saw correctly, many pictures were taken in Nuremberg.

[@crazyo7560]

3:18 YESS!!! 😂 You guys build your houses out of cardboard 😅😂 I love our bricks😂 can't understand how you guys accept a cardboard house😅😂😂

[@gwalon2089]

"Blutwurst" (blood sausage) or "Tote Oma" (dead grandma) is a pretty common food in germany, in the sense that it´s also served in schools or restaurants. Some people like it and some do not.

[@ricky19900]

Tote Oma habe ich noch nie in meinem Leben gehört. Von wo kommt das?

[@gwalon2089]

@@ricky19900 Deutschland?

[@ricky19900]

@@gwalon2089 Ja, danke, ich komme aus Niedersachsen und in meinen 32 jahren habe ich noch nie Tote Oma gehört. Das muss wohl aus einer speziellen Region kommen.

[@reneberthold334]

@@ricky19900 das ist eher im Osten verbreitet. Ich kenne den Begriff aus Ostsachsen.

[@reneberthold334]

@@ricky19900 da meine Frau aus Niedersachsen kommt, das wird da oben als Rotwurst oder Blutwurst bezeichnet.

[@martinm8991]

One of the reasons for rental housing in Germany is workforce mobility - being able to move across country because of a job in an instant. Also, lending is highly regulated - obtaining a loan requires meeting several criteria.

[@Funghidodo]

Your "Hallo" is not bad, but you say "HallOU", correct is HallO :D

[@LemmyD_from_Germany]

Often I heard: "Hollow" not Hallo. The o ist a little bit longer: Ha•loo Greetings from northern germany ♥️

[@timoklaert8760]

you have to try a german mettbrötchen!

[@shendrila.vynterbluth796]

Hi Ryan! :) Always great to watch your reactions to the German culture ;) To give you an idea of renting vs. owning/building a house in Germany: rental rates differ a huge lot between regions, Munich being like the peak in pricing and rural areas being sometimes incredibily cheap. On the other hand, if you live in a rented place, you have a lot of legal protection especially regarding keeping the place operational: drainage clogged? Call the landlord, get a plumber, they pay. Windowshutters not working? Call the landlord... Smoke detectors are mandatory now? Call the landlord... They wanna throw you out? Get a lawyer (being German you will have an insurance for that) and you will have at least 6-12 months until you really have to leave. You get the picture :D On the other side buying a house is really expensive and quite a tedious legal act. The average spending for private real estate in 2022 was 388.000€ (just read statistics on this topic) - this gets you from 44m² appartement in Munich to 130m² somewhere rural. If you want to build your own house, you will have a long process if not preorganized by a company: getting the plot, making sure you are allowed to build or request this allowance (can take YEARS!) making sure the plot gets connected to power, water, (gas) and communications (can be a huge issue). Making sure your planned building is within the regulations for your specific plot of land... (THAT chimney is 10cm to high!) ;) - so acutally just renting a place for a decent rate is far less of a problem, depending on where you want to live and your personal circumstances: trying to get a small flat as a student in a typical university city can be an absolute nightmare. Also there the rates for small flats are ridiculously high, compared to the living space you actually get: paying 800€ rent for 1-2 rooms while 1.000€ provide you double the space is not uncommon in these places, but this 200€ are just too much for a student to cough up every month (parental support included) so they actually get ripped off. A common practice is to join forces with one or two friends studying in the same place and get a place together, dropping the cost for every single one dramatically... Of course, the owner has to agree. *shrugs* Just my 2cents ;) keep on keeping on. Love & Peace Shen

[@_yanoda_4128]

Homes in Germany are just to expensive my mate. Nowadays you have to spend at least half a million Euros to build a house.

[@Lukas-po6zd]

Depends on where u from etc. just googled, at least around 360k for a house tho.

[@winwinmilieudefensie7757]

Its called a mortgage

[@cayreet5992]

@@winwinmilieudefensie7757 You need to have about 40% of the money yourself, you can only take on a mortgage on the rest here in Germany.

[@steemlenn8797]

Or just build outside the fancy cities and build a house, not a castle. And I would argue if you build a single family home it's still way too cheap, because of all the hidden subsidies we gave these things (or more often hidden costs that are put on the back of society, like cars and car spaces)

[@hannessteffenhagen61]

​@@cayreet5992 there are 80% and even 100% mortgages, but they don't tend to have great conditions.

[@RustyITNerd]

As to the "bullet trains": They are called ICE for Intercity Express and were introduced in the early 90s. There are four generations ICE 1 to ICE 4 and a "refurbished" ICE 3 called ICE 3 NEO. Design speeds vary between 250 km/h (~155 mph) up to 330 km/h (~206 mph). Maximum "allowed" track speed currently is 300 km/h (~185 mph) between Cologne and Frankfurt/Main Airport as far as I know - it used to be higher in the early 2000s. I still have a picture somewhere on a backup hard drive with the speed display showing 336 km/h. Usual maximum speed on highspeed tracks is 250 km/h to 280 km/h (~155 - ~175 mph). There is no separate highspeed rail network. This is why there are routes on which the ICE goes as slow as 80 km/h (~50 mph), because those track segments date back to the late 19th century - new rails, but tight curves slow the train down significantly. Personally, I commute 145km or ~90 miles to my office via ICE several times a week, whch takes ~100 minutes including a local connection on each end of the journey. Edit: Typos

[@uwep.7531]

Leipzig/Halle->Erfurt->Nürnberg has also the allowed maximum at 300 km/h.

[@Chuulip]

Very old fact in some cases. Super markets are now open at least until 8pm, some until 9 or 10, some until midnight. Some close an hour earlier on Saturdays in some regions.

[@rhysodunloe2463]

If you find drinking beer at lunch early: There's a thing in Southern Germany called Frühschoppen. Schoppen (not to be confused with the verb shoppen, which is a germanized version of "to shop") is a measurement of beer and wine. It's 0.4 or 0.5 litre depending on the region. And früh means early. So it's a late morning gathering of people on a weekend or holiday where you drink alcohol and eat simple traditional food. There's also often a brass band playing or some other entertainment. I once was at a Bavarian wedding and it started with a Frühschoppen with Weißwurst (white boiled sausage eaten with sweet mustard), pretzel and white beer. After that we all went to the church by foot.

[@Wildcard71]

Probably "Schoppen" derives from _schöpfen_ (to scoop).

[@SidneyKenson]

Specially considering, Weißwürscht shall not hear the 12 o'clock bell (back from a time where fridges weren't a thing and the sauages would spoil). So you had your first beer typically at around 10am. :3

[@NWGJulian]

7:26 its just not affordable anymore to buy or build a home … thats it.

[@DJone4one]

1:44 They are fitters. Probably from an electrician or plumbing company. But they could also be employees in a warehouse. In other words, warehousemen (logistic). It's not unusual to see people like that in their work clothes at a certain time of day. I often go to McDonald's near us, if I have forgotten my food at home, I just go there quickly and get something. And how many times do I have to say that. It's not true what they always say, that Germans only want cash. Even my favourite Chinese takeaway can be paid for with a card. In the meantime, it's completely normal, only the people themselves sometimes still want to pay with cash, because they have more of an overview of their finances that way. But it can happen that the card readers don't work. In that case, of course, it would be important to have cash with you. 3:19 The fact that most shops are closed is only partly true. There is also the so-called "open Sunday". A few times a year, it is determined exactly when and for how long which shops are allowed to be open. But there are also shops, such as small shops in the CAP market or other smaller places, that are open for three or four hours on Sundays. Not to forget, there are petrol stations where you can shop almost like in a supermarket. At Aral, you can buy REWE To Go. 4:49 Our waste management company in the city even has the "one-armed bandit". This means that we drive our residual waste bin to the street/curb and the disposal truck comes by, drives up to the bin and uses a moving arm that lifts the bin and empties it. Yellow bins (plastic) and blue bins (cardboard and paper) are often still emptied using the old principle.

[@M0ralAp0stel]

10:51 I've learned this the _"hard"_ way on a birthday party at my new work, after i've moved to munich. All was invited to a small little pub inside the office building owned by a large Insurer and drinking Wine and Beer. I was sitting there to much scared to drink a beer also 😅

[@enysuntra1347]

4:15 it's called the "Schulterblick". Before turning left, you have to check behind you whether the lane is free. This is drilled into you at a very young age.

[@mirfaelltnichtse]

Finally a new Video, I couldn't wait for it^^

[@Auvas_Damask]

We're not always in the mood to help others, but we do it anyway.

[@SidneyKenson]

And that is the polite way to do it. Not the friendly way.

[@FearTheBeardInGame]

Nice as always!

[@johanneskaiser8188]

I would dream of 45k a year, lel. And I have a Master degree in Archaeology (admittedly not the field most well-known for copious amounts of well-paid positions, but still). Also for the affordable rent: With everything right now, nothing feels really affordable any more.

[@Benjinoxx]

Love your Reactions to Germany ❤ Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland😊

[@Antonia1696]

Hey Ryan, I have been enjoying watching your videos for a while now. Have you ever thought about livestreaming (and watching these videos together with the community) - on youtube or twitch? That would be really cool

[@WolfHagenSdW]

12:01 The exact moment he learns about proper blood sausage! >:D That face is pricelessly honest.

[@michaelkemper3326]

Greetings and thanks for your content ✌

[@T0MT0Mmmmy]

Always this nonsense about everything is closed on Sundays? Yes, you can not shop on Sundays (and companies don't work), but almost everything else, that have to do with entertaining people, are open: restaurants, cafés, bars, theatres, cinemas, zoos, museums, fun parks, and the list goes on... so there are a lot of things you can do with your family and friends.

[@SABRINA.ARMY.BTS.]

By now a lot has changed ! The supermarkets here closed at around 6-7pm just a few years ago and now we got grocery stores over here that close at 8 pm , 9 pm , 10pm or even midnight but it depends on the state that you live in is what I have seen !

[@marcusbalzer8393]

Okay, this might be different in other parts of Germany, but supermarkets closing at seven definitely isn't true. At least not in general. While my parents do live in a village of less than 5000 people and their store does close at six p.m., they have to drive five minutes into a 35,000 people town to a grocery store open till nine. A bigger store in the same town (10 minute drive though) is open till ten. I don't know a single grocery store that's not open till eight at least except for very small stores mostly in smaller villages. Depending in the size of their target audience even they might be open longer. And yes, it's been like this for more than 7 years. At least in this part of Germany.

[@ge.h.1902]

Most was in Bavaria

[@BlueFlash215]

Decimals in in English are seperated by a dot "." whereas in other languages a comma "," is used. We would write 1 million like this in German: 1.000.000

[@Julia-eu7bk]

in Germany there are only straws made of cardboard or something similar. no longer made of plastic. and in retail, there are no more simple plastic bags. only firmer ones that can be used several times and they cost money. Exceptions for plastic bags are for fruit. but even there they already offer fabric nets. it's normal these days to have a bag or two in your pocket when you're on the go. this is generally very useful. when they get dirty you can just throw them in the washing machine.

[@SaraKvammen-tx7qc]

Hi Ryan,good to see you.I love your videoes.

[@BoomixDe]

In germany it is totally normal to visit close countires like France, Netherlands or italy multipletimes per year, just for a weekend or maybe just for a night event

[@blondkatze3547]

I find it funny that Germany is often portrayed abroad as if many people here not so friendly and rare smiled. I think that`s nonsense . I`ve traveled to many places and cities in Europe and I have to say, that in every country there are friendly and not-so- friendly people.The saunas in Germany are only for woman or men or mixed.

[@groundloss]

Paying religious tax only applies for as long as you have registered to a religion that collects it. You can be registered without any relgion or by any other religion that doesnt collect tax (does this exist?).

[@stancalung5186]

yes, it does. Ex: many Protestant denominations (Baptists, Adventist, Methodists o.Ä), Eastern Orthodox, Muslims, Buddists - they are not registered as tax-collecting, but they may ask for donations or smth like this :D What I really don´t know is if the Pastafaries are tax free , but I suspect so :))))

[@agnes1250]

Especially service personnel is mostly friendly and will work with a smile. In the south (rhineland, baden-württemberg) people are generally more chatty and always greet you with a smile.

[@IMOVEOVERI]

Hahaha I love the part at 03:20 😂 yes Ryan, our houses are real and not only meant to look sturdy 😂 love your videos

[@quattrotobi]

Watching your Video with a nice cold Augustiner Edelstoff Monk Beer on a rainy tuesday, why not. 😅

[@patiplatsch83]

Blutwurst (the sausage made of blood) ist the best. with potatos and mustard.

[@saladien9987]

The recycling in Germany is not as sophisticated as it seems. Compared to other countries were not separating enough (in korea they separate into 35 parts for example and they have machines with only 1 percent less efficiency then ours) and then they just mix it afterwards anyway in Germany because no one is enforcing it ;).

[@noahsarkhive4482]

reasons germans dont buy as many homes- 1) buying or building a house is significantly more expensive in germany than in the US (that includes the property price as well). 2) property taxes are also higher and with constantly updated regilations, germans are often required to upgrade their older houses as well. 3) many existing old houses are considered to be landmarks and are under governemental protection. so if you wanna buy one of those, you will have to renovate the whole thing according to however the governement wants you to do that (that includes hiring all those specialist who will look over the house and then often buying special made paints and woods and windows that are in accord to the codex and as close to the original as possible. all of this is stupidly expensive n also very ridiculous n often not in line with eco friendly living either ) 4) germany doesnt have as much openly available space to just build houses on. n in big cities, you will most likely rent anyway

[@EyMannMachHin]

With numbers the meaning of "." and "," is reversed in Germany. Comma seperates the fractions and the dot separates the thousands.

[@herbertderfisch]

2:20 A german ICE (intercity express) goes around 300 to 350 kph

[@FalkvonLowange]

Beside several already mentioned things, he reports with store closimg times only on south german, specifically Bavarian, times. In my area stores opennat 10 am and close at 8 pm, supermarkets open at 6:30 am and close at 10 pm.

[@timsteiner7712]

Hello Ryan and Greetz from Germany.

[@toni.-steiner.]

The boat on end of the Video was in super Speed! Ryan

[@Wanjek89]

Thinking about stupid stuff is a reason to smile haha. Greetings from Germany

[@ErikMuellerGermany]

Beer in the lunch break? I've heard of it but never had it. No problem! It's more of a legend. A fact is also: Most rental apartments are rented without a kitchen! No stove, no fridge, no sink. Just an empty room.

[@khadajhina270]

Germans do apreciate homeowning, but we build so much sturdier and with more material, that a good livable Home in Germany will cost you about a Million euros (and thats a cheap one)

[@enysuntra1347]

6:30 from what I understand, an US-American "balloon-frame" "house" would qualify as a shed or a glorified tent in Germany. A house here is normally made from hollow-bloc bricks, has at least one layer of insulation, and the windows have to be doubly paned, with triple-paned ones becoming more and more common. Some regulations (EnEV) make building a house in Germany less affordable.

[@ferdirunge4510]

i can tell you, in berlin the frequence of public transport is incredibly short. at some lines we got a frequence of 3 minutes

[@hakunamatata2000]

6:28 that oncoming white car was cutting the corner badly

[@eastfrisianguy]

I walk a lot and listen to podcasts, sometimes very funny stuff and I just have to laugh then. It's a miracle that no one has taken me to a mental hospital yet. The other day I had to laugh while walking, an old couple came towards me on the sidewalk and they looked at me like I was crazy and quickly changed sides of the street. 😂

[@KarlsGeoguessrAbenteuer]

The "bullet train" is the ICE - Inter City Express. Fastest version peaks at 180mph. There are a lot of videos about them available 😊

[@ferdirunge4510]

actually there is a dresscode for overalls includes the job. blue is mostly a metal worker, green a gardanist and red is an electronic guy.

[@Auvas_Damask]

"Extreme bike friendliness" the Netherlands enter the chat

[@Vampirzaehnchen]

Sunday is a sort-of-holiday. You get some extra pay when you work on sunday (without taxes, as far as I know), and you are only allowed to work when there is no other way possible. There are similar rules for real holidays, but they pay off way better than sundays do. :D

[@rtb42]

2:17 damn that's the Munich central station, I live within its vicinity

[@LeDudeNigginz]

Well i dont know many stores or restaurants that are closing at 7 pm. xD

[@WiesoNurMistnamen]

Renting is not affordable in cities but buying a house is even more unaffordable

[@mr.elpaso5113]

thangs from Germany

[@DonDan313]

1 beer in lunchtime is also ok here in Austria 🍺 😉

[@tonitoday93]

The video is old. Paying with cards and with google / apple pay is more common now (but you need cash anyway)

[@twinmama42]

Building or buying a house or an apartment in a condominium is more expensive because almost all houses are constructed with bricks, stones, and concrete. Timber and half-timber houses only make up app. 20% of existing houses with the quota of new constructions being below that. Wood is comparably cheap, concrete and bricks are expensive. Insulation is expensive, and our windows are expensive (not because of the mechanics but because of the materials incl. 3 glass panes for insulation and sound-protection purposes, the workforce is expensive, roofs are mostly made of (expensive) concrete or adobe tiles. We have strict DIN and ISO norms to follow, which makes building a house even more expensive. A house with app. 120 square meters costs between 230,000 and 650,000 Euros (incl. the plot depending on the area). A house with 150 square meters in the US costs about 100,000 Euros to build (including the plot). Renting in Germany is more affordable than buying, renters are protected against landlords by law, and it's less work and responsibility. It's easier to move house when you're renting because our real estate market is a keepers market. If you buy or build a house, you intend to stay in that house forever. You don't buy starter homes and climb up the real estate ladder as such a thing doesn't exist in Germany. The collateral costs are higher in Germany, too. The realtor gets between 3 and 7% of the price, the notary 1%, the land register department 0.5%, and the federal state 3.5% real estate purchase tax.

[@djmstern]

8:14 Taxis are actually beige colored, not green.

[@viomouse]

he said "creme" ;) but I hear green at first, too.

[@djmstern]

@@viomouse ok wow, this makes perfect sense :D

[@willewiking98]

15:27 i also had to rewind for the boat hahahahha

[@mimibel6670]

It depends on the area (and if it is in a city or a village), but most grocery stores in the bigger cities close at 10 pm and kiosks and gas stations are also open after 10 pm and on Sundays. While it is true that some locations, like shopping malls, grocery stores stores and offices are closed on Sundays, nearly all restaurants, museums, public pools, cafes, are open (as it is the day where more people have a day of and want to enjoy the time). While "Sunday" is a [holy day] it is not exactly a [holiday], so while Sundays are, in a manner, public holidays they are usually not understood by the term "holiday" (Feiertag), which can be seen in expressions like "Sonn- und Feiertags" (Sun- and holidays). "Germans don't smile without a reason"...na that's a lil exaggerated, in some regions ppl maybe are seen less "talkative", but (at least around me) a lot of people laugh about lil things or literally nothing and smile (especially in customer service you mostly are taught to have a "friendly smile").

[@thorninetyfive]

Im shocked everytime I see americans reacting to life in germany

[@patsyh.]

So true.