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LIVING IN GERMANY

Living in Germany: Aftermath of the floods, language confusion and Merkel’s last summer conference

Each week the team at The Local Germany sends out a weekly newsletter to members looking at some of the quirks, perks and big issues for people living in the country. Here's the latest round-up.

Published: 26 July 2021 16:32 CEST
Living in Germany: Aftermath of the floods, language confusion and Merkel's last summer conference
Cyclists in Dresden early on Monday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Kahnert

Solidarity after the crisis – but what can we learn?

Germany is reeling after the flood catastrophe last week killed at least 180 people and destroyed houses and infrastructure. As the country mourns, volunteers have been helping with the recovery efforts and the public has been donating. Yet tough questions are being asked now – on the effects of climate change and also if German authorities did enough to warn residents of the flooding. 

Now there is talk of introducing a ‘cell broadcast’ or ‘wireless emergency alert’ system in Germany, which would see an SMS alert sent out to residents during dangerous situations. This system is in place in countries including the US, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, the Netherlands and Japan among others. 

READ ALSO: German floods death reach toll reaches 180 – and dozens still missing

The big clean up in Bad Münstereifel, North Rhine-Westphalia. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Thomas Banneyer

Tweet of the week

Maybe it’s just us, but we never tire of tweets and memes about the German language.  And this one is no different, spotlighting a few of the ways German is absolutely wild (at least in the eyes of non-native speakers. One Twitter user said: “Ah, yes. My native language. I always feel sorry for my colleagues from other countries when they try to master it. But it usually leads to some hilarious results.”

Picture of the week

Well, can you believe it? After 16 years as German Chancellor, Angela Merkel is passing on the baton at the September federal election. Merkel on Thursday gave her last summer press conference – a tradition that sees journalists ask her questions before the summer break. This year the focus was on the tragic floods and the Covid pandemic – Merkel used the moment to call on everyone in Germany to get vaccinated. This collage by DPA shows Merkel during the conference every year from 2021(top left) to 2006 (bottom right). 

READ ALSO: ‘Germany is a strong country but we have work to do’ says Merkel in last summer press conference

Did you know?

You have probably tasted (and enjoyed) Haribo sweets – but did you know that they come from Germany AND that the brand name is an abbreviation of the inventor?

Haribo is an abbreviation of HAns RIegel von BOnn. He started making Gummibärchen sweets in his kitchen with some sugar, a marble slab and a rolling pin back in the 1920s. And the rest, as they say, is history. 

You might know the English slogan for Haribo sweets as ‘kids and grown-ups love it so – the happy world of Haribo’, but the original German catchphrase was ‘Haribo macht Kinder froh – und Erwachsene ebenso’, which translates to ‘Haribo makes children happy – and adults too’.

For more interesting inventions check out our story here. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/Haribo GmbH | Haribo GmbH

What else would you like to see in The Local Germany?

We are working hard to explain life in Germany for you, whether it’s the latest on the pandemic in Germany, travel rules, news stories you need to know about or interesting features. But we’d love to know, do you think we’re doing a good job? Is there anything you’d like to see more of? Please let us know by emailing [email protected]  

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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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