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LIVING IN GERMANY

Living in Germany: Ramped-up transport strikes, hibernating statues and Spargelzeit

In this week's roundup, we look at why transport strikes in Germany could soon be ramping up, look ahead to the start of Spargelzeit and celebrate the return of some historic statues to a famous palace in Potsdam.

Statues at Sansouci
Statues are brought out of their protective winter casing in time for the start of spring at Schloss Sanssouci in Potsdam. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jens Kalaene

Could the next round of transport strikes be worse than before?

Whether you’ve been stuck in the freezing cold at a tram stop in Düsseldorf or hit by flight cancellations out of Cologne, it won’t have escaped your attention that Germany’s in the grip of some major strike action right now. Workers across the board are seeing their wages gobbled up by inflation – and now the unions are fighting back.

Last week we saw strikes at seven major airports in Hamburg, Berlin, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg, as well as a transport-sector strike that brought buses and trains to a standstill in Düsseldorf. But there are fears that this could just be the beginning. 

That’s because Deutsche Bahn is currently in tough pay negotiations with rail-sector union EVG, who are demanding a 12 percent pay rise or at least €650 extra a month for employees. If they don’t get their way, the union is gearing up for a major strike on March 27th – and according to union spokespeople, they may well coordinate the action with public-sector union Verdi. “We don’t want competition on the backs of workers, but good wages for all workers in the mobility sector,” negotiator Cosima Ingenschayder told Bild this week. 

That means Germany could be hit by a triple-whammy of local transport, airport and rail strikes – and indefinite strikes also aren’t out of the question. You can hear more about the current wave of strikes – and whether there’s any sign of a resolution – on our latest episode of Germany in Focus

Tweet of the week

The start of spring may mean longer days and warmer weather for most of us, but for the Germans among us the excitement is on a whole other level. That’s right: Spargelzeit is almost upon us. Get ready to see white asparagus appear on every possible food item imaginable. 

 Where is this?

Sansouci sculptures
Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jens Kalaene

Spring is finally here and it’s not just people coming out of hibernation – even neoclassical statues are shaking off their winter sleep. Here’s one returning to the gardens of the beautiful Schloss Sanssouci palace in Potsdam, the former residence of Frederick the Great. 

Did you know?

Friday was St. Patrick’s Day, and we hope you enjoyed a Guinness or two in your favourite local Irish pub to celebrate. As of 2021, there were around 15,000 Irish passport-holders living in the Bundesrepublik – but did you know that some pretty famous Germans throughout history also had strong links to the Emerald Isle? 

The social theorist Friedrich Engels visited Ireland several times in the course of his life, writing down his observations about the nation and taking up the cause of Irish immigrants in Manchester in his famous “Condition of the Working Class in England”. The Nobel Prize-winning author Heinrich Böll also regularly visited Ireland, finding its unspoilt natural landscape and serenity the ideal environment in which to concentrate on his work.

And it’s not just famous Germans who have an ongoing love affair with Ireland. In 2019, 750,000 people from Germany visited the country, generating millions for the Irish economy. Of course, the passion for all things Irish doesn’t stop there – next time you’re in a German supermarket, keep your eyes peeled for everything from Irish cheddar to Kerrygold butter. As Berlin resident Pauline Ní Ceitinn quipped to my colleague Rachel Loxton: “Germans love the Irish. They think we’re a really green country that makes lovely butter.” 

We couldn’t agree more. 

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LIVING IN GERMANY

Living in Germany: ‘Bubatz’ law clears final hurdle and spring arrives

This week we get into the new cannabis legalisation law, Stolpersteine and the start of spring in Germany.

Living in Germany: 'Bubatz' law clears final hurdle and spring arrives

Germany’s ‘Bubatz’ law to come into force from April 

The German coalition government scored a success on Friday when the upper house – the Bundesrat – approved a new law to legalise cannabis. From April 1st, adults in Germany will be able to possess up to 25g of the drug in public spaces, and in private homes up to 50g. Meanwhile, growing up to three cannabis plants will become legal. The law also allows from later this year non-commercial “cultivation associations” or cannabis clubs for adults, where up to 500 members can grow cannabis collectively and supply it to each other for personal consumption – with a maximum of 50 grams per member per month. 

Although government ministers rightly call this a ‘turning point’ for drugs policy in Germany, the law has been watered down since the first draft and has faced obstacles. In fact, it was a little surprising that the law got the go ahead in the Bundesrat in the first round. The opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, oppose the legislation and it was thought the matter would be referred to a mediation committee, causing delays. But there was no majority to do that and the law passed. Despite this, opposition politicians voiced their concerns on social media. Markus Söder of the CSU called the move a “fatal mistake”, adding: “Germany is harming itself and jeopardising the health of the population.” But the coalition stands firm. Finance Minister Christian Lindner tweeted after it was approved: “Bubatz bald legal” – “weed soon legal.”

Tweet of the week

Stolpersteine or stumbling stones are small memorial blocks scattered all over neighbourhoods in Germany and Europe. The artwork is meant to help us remember the individuals who died at the hands of the Nazis, with each stone including where the victim lived, their date of birth and their fate.

Germany in Focus podcast 

In this week’s episode, we give a citizenship law update (of course!), and we get into what to know about the EU elections in Germany, the history of Berlin techno and why it’s a cultural heritage site, how skiing resorts in Germany are struggling and what’s open at Easter. Check it out here or wherever you get your podcasts. Please leave a review and a rating or let us know your feedback. You can email the team directly at [email protected]

Where is this?

An Easter bicycle

Photo: picture alliance/dpa/Jens Büttner

Germans are known for their cute floral and Easter egg decorations at this time of year. The Osterschmuck are usually found on trees, gardens and balconies, but a red bicycle on the Baltic Sea island of Poel got the Easter treatment this year. 

Did you know?

The temperatures have been fluctuating in Germany but one thing for sure is that spring is officially here. On March 20th, the Spring Equinox – called Die Tagundnachtgleiche in German – arrived, meaning we officially made it out of winter. The beginning of spring sees several celebrations in many cultures around the world and is often linked with traditions related to rebirth, renewal and fertility. Among pre-Christian Germanic tribes such as the Saxons, a spring Goddess called Ostara, was celebrated on the Spring Equinox with a feast day and other traditions such as planting seeds or decorating eggs. Traditional symbols for Ostara included rabbits and ducklings. It is widely believed that some of these traditions were later adopted and Catholicised, leading to the creation of Easter (Ostern) as we know it today. Nowadays there is also a lot of chocolate bunny eating involved in a German Easter. Don’t forget that Good Friday (Karfreitag) on March 29th and the following Monday after Easter on April 1st are public holidays in Germany!

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