The school has already given us a schedule for what we can do. We’re going to museums, factory tours, that sort. So no suggestions for any activities to do or places to go to.
I would like some tips on some things I should know about Germany, perhaps some German phrases I should understand, cultural differences, or laws I need to know. Anything important that I should be aware of?
It will be about a weeklong trip
Do not carry any weapons. This is super strict. Even a pocket knife may be a weapon (except a very small one).
When entering a church building, take your hat off.
Also pepper spray.
Nope, only the ones with a broad spray thing
Oh really? Tbf i never looked into which once are allowed and which once arent
This thread gives me so many opportunities to go “well actually” with useless knowledge.
Pepper spray is kind of legal in Germany. You can freely buy it without age restrictions as a defense against wild animals. It is however illegal to deliberately use it against humans. But then again, German self-defense law allows you to use “whatever is necessary” to prevent an attack. So if you can make a compelling argument that your bare hands were not enough, you can totally use pepper spray, a knife, a baseball bat or even a gun to protect yourself, your property or others. Of course, for the gun you might be on the hook for illegal possession but that’s a different question.
On the other hand, CS gas (a form of tear gas) is fully legal for use on humans.
When entering a church? Seems rude.
Aint rude if the fat bishop comes to close to you /j
Just make sure a horse is covering your position.
If you can and are interested, visit their Hackerspace. Be careful, beers are big and strong especially in Bavaria.
Prepare for people to speak with quite an accent. Drugs (Cigarettes, most Alcohol and Weed) are allowed from 18 y.o. Even though weed is kinda legal in germany for some reason Bavaria decided to be increadibly strict about it, so I’d advise to steer clear. Obviously Nazi paroles and insignia as well as the Hitler-Gruß are illeagal.
If people are hellbent on speaking German with you, which I assume you do not speak, here is a handy phrase:
- Ich spreche kein Deutsch, aber ich spreche Englisch.
- I do not speak German, but I speak English.
English is taught from a young age, so you’ll find many people who are able to speak it.
When in a pinch you can approach people to ask for i.e. directions. This includes police officers, should you see some. They’ll usually will be happy to help.
In an emergency, <Help> means <Hilfe>. It is best to point or directly adress a single person when asking for help to ensure they’ll jump into action.
Emergency numbers are 110 for police and 112 for firefighters/medics. But 911 also works. I’d like to add that these services are usually free, no need to fear a transport by ambulance for financial reasons.
Alcohole is allowed with 14 in the presents of a guardian
That’s literally a myth
It is not xd I wish but it is not
lol wut? that’s literally bullshit. confidentially incorrect much?
It is allowed per law, although most parents won’t allow their 14 yo children to drink.
It is not. See JuSchG § 9, section 2: “Section 1, number 1 does not apply to adolescents in company of a legal guardian”. Section 1, number 1 restricts beer, wine, cider and similar drinks under the age of 16 and an adolescent (“Jugendlicher”) is defined as 14+.
In total, that means that you are allowed to buy and drink the listed kinds of alcoholic beverages starting at 14, as long as a legal guardian is present and allows it. Even in public.
For other alcoholic beverages (e.g. liquor) or food that contains significant amounts of alcohol, there is a hard limit at 18+, no exceptions.
That only exists in “bayern” not anywhere else in big G
Have you clicked the link? It’s literally the relevant passage from the „Jugendschutzgesetz“ (youth protection law) which is a federal law.
I would add that in many places, you will find absolutely no English signs or menus. I don’t know how it is in Munich, but outside airports and central stations you are often SOL if you speak 0 German and don’t have a way to translate text from images.
Thanks, that was super helpful!
I won’t be doing drugs or drinking alcohol, I don’t normally and definitely won’t on an educational trip.
I will make note of the emergency numbers!
If you want to be stereotypical foreigner you can also say “ich nix deutsch”. Lol (dont do it unless you want to look like an idiot)
Just dont offer the officers a “gift” for helping you.
112
112 is the European standard for emergency services (including police). Also works in many other countries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/112_(emergency_telephone_number)
From where?
If you’re from the USA: don’t come back. Stay.
Not from the U.S., fortunately!
Don’t ask why all the pamphlets are blank between 1939 and 1945…
I have friends there, have fun
Saying “maul” or “fresse” is a comedic but polite way to signal someone you are speaking, if they’re interrupting you or you have something important to say and others are speaking.
Augustiner Beer is so good
Fuck the hoffbrau Haus they are rude as fuck
Bicycle tour is a nice way to get oriented
Ping me by dm, I can help with local knowledge, ama.
Oh and except if you behave like a total lunatic even missteps would be fine since you’re visiting. I wouldn’t worry too much.
Maybe public transport. Always have a ticket ready, we’re like Indiana Jones in the Zeppelin scene regarding that.
You’ll visit BMW (Rollys-Royce, Mini), I expect.
If you notice a picturesque brick tower in the vicinity, that’s a Hochbunker from WW2. There’s more than 1 around there.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Hochbunker_in_München
Munich was not bombed very much, on account of being so far inland. Nevertheless, the hill you can see when you’re at the BMW museum, consists of the rubble of buildings that were destroyed in the war. It was turned into a park for the 1972 Olympics. The terrorist attack that took the lives of most of the Israeli Olympic team mostly took place nearby. If that’s of interest to you, you could watch Spielberg’s Munich.
You may notice cars with an unusual look (see photos here). Those are prototypes. You can see a fair number of these (BMW & Rolls-Royce) in the area. In German, they are called Erlkönig (elf-king) after a poem by Goethe.
You can face legal consequences for many phrases critical of Israel, such as:
- From the river to the sea
- Stop killing children
- Never again
(Slight exaggeration)
I think you’re confusing us with the British.
Germans are careful about anything that could be considered antisemitic because of history but unless you go straight to Nazi slogans, there is no law that forbids you from being critical of Israel. Insulting someone can be illegal but that can only be applied if you insult a specific person, not a country and it’s only enforced in extreme cases.
So unless OP plans to join a full-blown anti-Israel protest that risks getting violent, I don’t think they have to worry about that.
During the past months, Palestine solidarity protesters in Berlin have been reportedly subjected to police violence, leaving some injured and requiring medical care. Dozens were reportedly arrested, some for simply chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. This slogan is widely used by the global Palestine solidarity movement yet has been treated by German authorities as expressing support for Hamas, the experts noted. While some courts upheld fines or bans deeming the slogan as “condoning violence”, other courts recognised it as protected under freedom of expression. Moreover, the experts expressed concern that, during protests marking the two-year anniversary of the 7 October Hamas-led attack and the subsequent genocide in Gaza, arbitrary arrests, detentions, and police violence were reported, including officers punching non-violent activists in the face; while the police in Berlin reportedly imposed a last-minute ban on protests without evidence-based justification.
They stressed that the use of foreign policy-related justifications and misuse of immigration law to reject citizenship or deport activists are alarming. “These are contrary to international standards and have deep chilling effect on the protection of democratic freedoms,” they said.
OP isn’t going to be treated with the same generosity as a German citizen, and they don’t seem to get all that much generosity either.
Once you get there, skip you teacher surveillance asap and go ask for political asylum? ;)
More seriously:
Anything important that I should be aware of?
Not knowing you, it’s a bit difficult to suggest anything. I mean, I doubt you’re concerned but I’ve witnessed US citizens (I fancy your from the US?) complain that people in France (my country) were speaking… French, like for real. So, be aware that Germans will most likely speak their native German. And, yep, a lot of them do speak English, like us French do, just don’t expect all of them do.
Some EU citizens, from Germany too, are getting quite tired of US accelerated devolution into a dumbified mob-ruled country. Your POTUS insistence on insulting and threatening almost every single EU nation is also not helping much. So don’t be surprised some people may not be that welcoming to begin with. Edit: take that as an opportunity to show then they’re wrong.
If it’s a week long trip, don’t allow your school to say all you should and should not do in Munich (see? I did not suggest anything you should visit) ;)
Not from the U.S., no. I grew up in Hong Kong under an Asian household!
My bad!
Then, you mostly need to be aware that Germans are quite often on the reserved side of things, on first sight at least…
Legal drinking age for beer and wine is 16yo.
I don’t think we will be going to a bar on a school trip haha. Good to know though if I go to Germany next time.
You’ll be staying a few days? A good way to spend thw eveninga is going to a bar. Next to Belgium, Germany has a great herritage of beer crafting. Certainly somehing to do 😊
The schedule has already been set and is pretty tight. Plus, we have to stay as a group!
Things you should know how to say (not that it’s necessary, but because it’s nice to know):
- Hallo = Hello
- Tschüss = Bye
- Danke = Thanks
- Dankeschön = thank you very much
- Entschuldigung = excuse me
People commonly use “Ciao” for Bye, and “Sorry” for sorry.
You forgot “servus” which is hello and goodbye. “Pfia di” or “Pfiaz eich” is goodbye “Grüß Gott” or “grias got” is hello
In BW I’ve heard servus but not the others, are these Bavarian dialect? I am not a native speaker.
Baden-Wüttemberg speaks primarily swabian. Just like swabia the region in bavaria. The baden area of BaWü speaks badisch. Also a little bit franconian in the north
Yes “servus” is austro-bavarian dialect spoken in austria and bavaria
Grüß Gott is also literally “greet God”, I.e., may God greet you, if I remember correctly, which I think is a pretty cool bit of trivia for when you’re in Southern Germany.
Yes. It does.
But i must correct you, its not in all south germany or south german cultures/dialects. Swabians and swiss and badner dont say that. Only austrians and bavarians (which are the same. Yes austrians fuck off you are the same as bavarians and are germans get over it)
“Grüß Gott” exists in BW but it has become very rare. I would say only the generation 80+ uses it regularly. Edit: source
In Swiss German, “grüezi” (which comes from “Gott grüße euch”, so basically the same origin) is extremely common.
As an Austrian I have to insist that Bavarians are a failed attempt at making Germans out of Austrians lol
Historia and science disagrees with you mein freund. The idea of austrians not being german arose in the 1950s at the same time as austria tried to put itself as “hitlers first victim” and not as a perpetrator with the nazis.
Really? Things have clearly changed in the 25 years since my last school trip then. We didn’t go to bars with our teachers, but we had plenty of free time in the evenings, some of which was definitely spent in bars.
Health and safety is heavily emphasised in this trip. For the majority of the trip, we will need to stick in our groups, but we do get chances to explore for ourselves in some areas, but even then, we need to meet up as a group after every hour to make sure everybody is here and nobody is missing.
Where are you from? That’s very important if you want to calculate a (cultural) difference ;)
Born in Australia but raised in Hong Kong. I’m from an Asian background, not religious. So mixing those together will be about it.
Alright. If someone says “amis” they think you are an american. You can tell them you are an aussie, they might either not care or be cheering. Aussies have a very good reputation (due to their legendary drinking culture) in bavaria
Then I don’t think you will have much problems.
Germans are very direct and come over as rude very easily. So don’t wonder if the seller in the bakery is rude to you, it has nothing to do with you.
Germans like their private space, so try to not invade those. Look around you before you stop somewhere on the street and don’t stand in the way. Don’t play music from you mobile. Don’t put your feet on seats in public transport etc. Try to speak rather quietly, I guess it is not a thing in Hong Kong, but US Americans for example are viewed as loud here.
If you don’t comply with these things, very likely nothing will happen, but you will get the evil German stare and they will breath significantly louder.
So in summary, try to be a normal human being who cares for your surrounding and then you’ll be fine. Germany is a pretty liberal space, even in Bavaria if you are in big cities like Munich.
Hope you have a lot of fun!
