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READER INSIGHTS

The verdict: Is Frankfurt really that bad a place for expats to live?

A recent survey placed Frankfurt as the second-worst of 50 cities for expatriates to live. So we asked Local Germany readers if it really deserves that ranking.

Published: 4 January 2023 15:27 CET
Updated: 8 January 2023 12:39 CET
Frankfurt
Frankfurt's famous skyline. Photo by Sanjay B / Unsplash

German cities did particularly badly in several recent expat surveys, ranking low in categories like “expat essentials” covering things like housing, language, and bureaucracy. It didn’t do much better either when it comes to local friendliness and ease of settling in.

Frankfurt though, Germany’s bustling financial capital of nearly 800,000 people, fared particularly badly. Scoring 49 out of 50 in the Internations Expat Insider 2022, only Johannesburg did worse.

Is it really all that bad?

Just over half the respondents in our reader survey said yes. It is.

READ ALSO: Frankfurt ranked ‘second worst city for expats’ in new international survey

In a close vote, 51.5 percent of respondents to our survey said Frankfurt deserved the low ranking, compared to 48.5 percent who said it didn’t.

Our readers had key gripes about cost of living in the city, the inefficiency of its bureaucracy, and its lack of cleanliness in certain parts – particularly around its central station.

However, there were also lots of good points listed about Frankfurt am Main, sometimes known as Mainhattan thanks to its skyline. 

‘Worst thing is weather’

Several respondents said they were frustrated about paperwork in the immigration process. 

One reader told us they had been waiting over seven months for an appointment at the immigration office.

Others pointed out that although job prospects were good, finding both housing and childcare were challenging endeavours. This led to some sentiment that Frankfurt is “a city for bankers,” but little else.

Reader Eraldo Grabovaj said Frankfurt was a “Beautiful city” but “very expensive”.

Many said Frankfurt locals were often rude or even racist or discriminatory in some cases, even if it was easy to find help in English.

“We could use a little less grumpy locals in town,” said reader Liza Maria.

“I find people to be friendly but not overly so,” Viktoria M told us. “The worst thing though is the weather. It rains a lot.”

There were mixed responses on transport, with some saying buses and trains were excellent, while others said they could be a lot better. 

“Public transportation is terrible, not only in Frankfurt but mostly in Hesse,” said Renan Dias. “I lived in Hamburg for seven years and after that, just in three months of living in Frankfurt I was already fed up with the public transportation. I’ve been here for a year now, lived in three different areas and and it’s still highly unreliable.”

train passengers

Passengers wait for the train in Frankfurt. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Arne Dedert

A few people said Frankfurt airport – Germany’s largest – wasn’t well organised. 

“The airport is a disaster,” said Jeffrey Josef Maltz. It’s too big and too many people. It does not seem like a German city.

Frankfurt’s good points

But it’s not all bad. In fact readers listed loads of positive aspects about life in Frankfurt.

Some highlighted that the expat community is strong, and many people speak English locally, helping to ease things for newcomers.

“There’s more integration of international people compared to other cities in Germany,” one reader wrote. “The best thing is the connectivity and the fact that we have a lot of international communities.”

“Frankfurt has an incredibly diverse population,” said respondent Barb Chap. “We now number among our friends – besides Germans, Americans, and Brits – folks with heritage from Turkey, Senegal, Iran, Nigeria and others. And you can walk from one side of the city to the other to experience the various neighbourhoods. – Events, museums, cinemas (with English), nature.”

READ ALSO: ‘Megacity on a smaller scale’: The insiders’ guide to Frankfurt

Although readers also recommended that it’s good to try speaking German. 

Frankfurt resident Youri Zissos said: “The energy of the city is amazing, events are very frequently held in different Stadteile. This city is very international, while showing different sides of Hessisch culture. People are generally very warm to foreigners as long as you try to speak at least a few phrases in German.”

The nearby Main and Rhine rivers also offer up plenty to see in terms of castles, wineries, or museums. Respondents to our survey also said other nature spots such as the Taunus mountain range were a huge positive to life there. 

Many respondents praised how well-connected Frankfurt is. 

“Love the public transport options, hoe easy it is to get to Frankfurt Airport, and how central the city is in the rest of Europe,” said Tina Hattingh.

With reporting by Rachel Loxton

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LEARNING GERMAN

‘Forget about bilingual Kitas’: Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

With greater numbers of international workers choosing to settle in Germany and raise a family, the question of how to best raise bilingual children is often considered. 

Published: 25 April 2024 15:01 CEST
Updated: 28 April 2024 08:35 CEST
'Forget about bilingual Kitas': Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

The Local asked its readers who have raised bilingual children in Germany to tell us how they managed to raise children who speak German in addition to their parent’s mother tongue. 

Trust the (school) system. 

One piece of advice was echoed by several readers: Trust the German education system to take care of teaching German through immersion. 

Siniša, 44, from Hesse, who speaks Croatian and English at home, told The Local: “Speak your native language at home. The school will ‘cover’ German and other languages.”

Steve, 55, who lives in Munich and speaks English and Spanish with his daughter agrees.

“Be consistent and raise your child in your native tongue. At a local school, they will learn German quickly,” he said.

Chris, 44, from Hamburg, who speaks English with his children, backed the idea of leaving kids’ schools to take charge of teaching them German.

“Get the kids into the German education system as early as possible and let them learn themselves from native speakers. As a bonus, they’ll pick it up quickly and not pick up a ‘non-German’ accent either,” he said.

Read more: ‘Multilingualism is an enrichment’ – The challenges of raisin bilingual kids in Germany

Readers also noted that even in the preschool stage, children can handle multiple languages. 

Julie, 41, who lives in Hamburg and speaks English and Italian at home, said: “Relax and go with the flow. Don’t get hung up on finding bilingual Kitas for toddlers if they already get significant exposure to the non-German language at home. Languages seem to develop in different spurts at different speeds.”

However, liaising with schools in Germany was noted as an essential skill. 

Kim, 46, based in Sindelfingen, with a family speaking both English and German, said: “It’s essential for at least one parent to understand German when children attend a German school. They can help explain language and cultural differences. They can also help with administrative matters and even homework.”

Maintain the mother tongue.

While readers were keen to encourage parents to trust the immersion process that German schools provide, they were also quick to advise a concerted effort to maintain speaking the mother tongue in and around the home. 

“For international parents, I think it’s very important that their children do not lose touch with their mother tongue, as it is a very special part of their identity,” said Prashanth, 42, who lives in Munich.

Anne-Marie, 52, from Frankfurt, who speaks ‘Singlish’ (Singaporean English) with her children, stated that it’s essential to be firm.

“Speak in your mother tongue to your kids from the day they are born. Be consequent about it, even in front of other people who do not speak your mother tongue,” she said.

Karl, 44, who lives in Celle and who speaks English and the indigenous American Ute language with his children, said getting family on board is important. 

“Communicate with all family members your decision, intentionally speak all of the languages, when possible provide translations so family members present are not excluded from conversations,” he said.

Charles, 40, from Berlin, even stated that speaking German at home may prove detrimental: “Don’t speak your own mediocre German with them. It may be hard to see them speaking another language as their more comfortable primary language than your own.”

Charles, who speaks English at home, added: “Find books and shows to share with them in your native language to continue the shared experience.”

Read More: What foreign parents should know about German schools

Just let it happen with the kids…

Sometimes, it seems, becoming bilingual takes care of itself. 

Paul, 40, from Munich, married to a German, said: “Our oldest just started speaking English one day around age 3. She had heard so much she could understand and just started talking. 

“The twins are starting to speak more and more English. It wasn’t a problem since she was fluent in both by age 4. I advise patience and not expecting perfection at a young age.

Crystal, 38, who lives in Nuremberg and speaks English at home, responded: “At first, my main concern was getting as much German into our lives as possible so my son would be ready for Grundschule. 

“Now I’m swinging the other way. My advice is to try to relax. There are always other things to worry about, and kids learn so much really quickly.”

…but also challenge yourself

Finally, respondents to The Locals’ survey repeated that raising bilingual children is something that requires a degree of effort – on the parent’s behalf. 

J.K, 40, who lives in Hanau and speaks English and Telugu at home, told The Local: “Language is very important for the kids to grow in a culture. 

“Parents should facilitate situations around the kid to better integrate locally. Parents (at least one) should be able to speak German at a level better than B1. 

“If not, supporting kids in their education is difficult, and this will hamper their chances of reaching a higher education level.”

Read More: Six surprising facts about Germany’s school system

Moreno, 40, who lives in Munich and speaks Portuguese with his children, was firm in his advice: “Don’t choose the easy way for you, parents. Don’t hide in your language community bubble. 

“If you intend to live in Germany for a long time, put your kids in German schools and get them in touch with the German community.

“If you don’t speak German like me, deal with it. But don’t transfer your problem to your kids.”

Have we missed any crucial advice for raising bilingual children in Germany? Tell us in the comments section below.

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