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LIVING IN GERMANY

Today in Germany: A round-up of what’s happening on Wednesday

From 'Coronaspeck' to the Rundfunkbeitrag and the Querdenker movement being watched by authorities, here's the latest news in Germany.

Published: 9 December 2020 11:55 CET
Updated: 9 December 2020 15:27 CET
Today in Germany: A round-up of what's happening on Wednesday
A row has broken out over the Rundfunkbeitrag. Photo: DPA

'Querdenker' put under state observation

The domestic intelligence service in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg has become the first state in Germany to officially place the Querdenker or “lateral thinking” movement under observation.

The Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz) put the group known in the state as “Querdenken 711” under observation due to fears over extremist links in the organisation, DPA said.

The group, founded by Stuttgart entrepreneur Michael Ballweg, has been taking to the streets for months against the state-imposed coronavirus restrictions.

Baden-Württemberg's interior minister Thomas Strobl had recently warned of the increasing influence of extremists in parts of the movement.

Security authorities are reportedly alarmed about calls by protesters for a large rally in Berlin on New Year's Eve, which is being promoted in the far-right Reichsbürger movement. This movement does not recognise modern-day Germany as a legitimate state, and instead believes that entities like the German Reich or even Prussia ought to still exist.

Querdenker founder Ballweg has repeatedly pushed back against accusations. At the end of last week, the entrepreneur told DPA: “We are a peaceful movement and not a political party.” He said extremism, violence and anti-Semitism did not have any part in the movement.

READ ALSO: How Germany's anti-mask movement is creating strange bedfellows

Picture of the day

This Christmas tree seller in Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria, got full-on festive weather on Wednesday, as this photo by Karl-Josef Hildenbrand for DPA shows. 

Public broadcasters threaten court over Rundfunkbeitrag row

Public broadcasters, which include TV channels ARD and ZDF, intend to file a complaint with the Federal Constitutional Court if the so-called Rundfunkbeitrag or broadcasting contribution does not go up.

That's according to ARD chairman Tom Buhrow who spoke out during an interview with DPA.

It comes after Saxony-Anhalt became the only state to block a 86 cent increase of the broadcasting fee, that every household in Germany is required to pay. It is currently €17.50 but it is due to rise to €18.36 per month if states give it the green light.

The broadcasting contribution is the main source of income for cash-strapped public broadcasters.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How to pay Germany's TV tax, or (legally) avoid it

Germans gained weight during first lockdown

You may be familiar with “Coronaspeck” (or corona bacon/fat), the word for weight gained during lockdown as a result of eating more than usual because of working from home.

Turns out it's true: the body weight and body mass index (BMI) of Germans has increased by quite a lot since the introduction of coronavirus measures in spring.

That's the results of a health study carried out by the Robert Koch Institute. Just over 23,000 people over the age of 15 were interviewed between April 2019 and September 2020 for the project.


The average body weight for both men and women was 77.1 kg between April and August 2019 and 78.2 kg between April and August 2020. The increase of about one kilogram is statistically significant, researchers say.

BMIs have also risen: in the period from April to August 2020 the average was 26.4, which is higher than the value of 25.9 in the previous year. To what extent the increase in body weight and BMI will continue in the coming months should be further observed, the study recommends.

The health study also looked at other factors such as depression symptoms and smoking.

The number of smokers declined, although in this case a connection to the pandemic situation is unclear.

There were no differences in the population in terms of depressive symptoms and the support received and provided in the household. Overall, changes in the health situation (not including the virus), need to be analysed more closely, the study concluded.

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LIVING IN GERMANY

Living in Germany: Battles over Bürgergeld, rolling the ‘die’ and carnival lingo

From the push to reform long-term unemployment benefits to the lingo you need to know as Carnival season kicks off, we look at the highlights of life in Germany.

Published: 14 November 2022 09:54 CET
Living in Germany: Battles over Bürgergeld, rolling the 'die' and carnival lingo

Deadlock looms as debates over Bürgergeld heat up 

Following a vote in the Bundestag on Thursday, the government’s planned reforms to long-term unemployment benefits are one step closer to becoming reality. Replacing the controversial Hartz IV system, Bürgergeld (or Citizens’ Allowance) is intended to be a fair bit easier on claimants.

Not only will the monthly payment be raised from €449 to €502, but jobseekers will also be given a grace period of two years before checks are carried out on the size of their apartment or savings of up to €60,000. The system will also move away from sanctions with a so-called “trust period” of six months, during which benefits won’t be docked at all – except in very extreme circumstances. 

Speaking in parliament, Labour Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) said the spirit of the new system was “solidarity, trust and encouragement” and praised the fact that Bürgergeld would help people get back into the job market with funding for training and education. But not everyone is happy about the changes. In particular, politicians from the opposition CDU/CSU parties have responded with outrage at the move away from sanctions.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz has even branded the system a step towards “unconditional Basic Income” and argued that nobody will be incentivised to return to work. 

The CDU and CSU are now threatening to block the Bürgergeld legislation when it’s put to a vote in the Bundesrat on Monday. With the conservatives controlling most of the federal states – and thus most of the seats in the upper house – things could get interesting. Be sure to keep an eye out for our coverage in the coming weeks to see how the saga unfolds. 

Tweet of the week

When you first start learning German, picking the right article to use can truly be a roll of the “die” – so we’re entirely on board with this slightly unconventional way to decide whether you’re in a “der”, “die”, or “das” situation. (Warning: this may not improve your German.) 

Where is this?

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Boris Roessler

Residents of Frankfurt am Main and the surrounding area will no doubt recognise this as the charming town of Kronberg, which is nestled at the foot of the Taunus mountains.

This atmospheric scene was snapped on Friday morning, when a drop in temperatures saw Kronberg and surrounding forests shrouded in autumnal fog.

After a decidedly warm start to November, the mercury is expected to drop into single digits over the weekend. 

Did you know?

November 11th marked the start of carnival season in Germany. But did you know that there’s a whole set of lingo to go along with the tradition? And it all depends on where you are. First of all, the celebration isn’t called the same thing everywhere. In the Rhineland, it’s usually called Karneval, while people in Bavaria or Saxony tend to call it Fasching. Those in Hesse and Saarland usually call it Fastnacht. 

And depending on where you are, there are different things to shout. The ‘fools call’ you’ll hear in Cologne is “Alaaf!” If you move away from Cologne, you’ll hear “Helau!” This is the traditional cry in the carnival strongholds of Düsseldorf and Mainz, as well as in some other German cities.

In the Swabian-Alemannic language region in the southwest of the country, people yell “Narri-Narro”, which means “I’m a fool, you’re a fool”. In Saarland at the French border, they shout “Alleh hopp!”, which is said to originate from the French language. 

Lastly, if someone offers you a Fastnachtskrapfe, say yes because it’s a jelly-filled carnival donut. And if you’re offered a Bützchen? It’s your call, but know that it’s a little kiss given to strangers!

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