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LIVING IN GERMANY

Living in Germany: Reasons why foreigners don’t learn German, pumpkin love and coffee filters

In this week's roundup, we look at a debate surrounding foreigners not speaking German (and why some people don't learn the language), the start of a famous pumpkin festival and how a German invented coffee filters.

A Pokemon figure made of pumpkins at Ludwigsburg's pumpkin show.
A Pokemon figure made of pumpkins at Ludwigsburg's pumpkin show. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd Weißbrod

Living in Germany is our weekly look at some of the news and talking points in Germany that you might not have heard about. Members can receive it directly to their inbox on Saturday.

Some foreigners don’t learn German or take longer to do it – should they be called out for it?

The debate on foreigners learning German (or not) rears its head often. Last week, we reported on the reaction to the Berliner Zeitung’s opinion piece, which asked why so many foreign nationals in Berlin do not learn German. The writer went on to say that not speaking German in Germany is a form of “arrogance” and “colonialism”. This sparked outrage and reignited the debate online.

It’s not the first time this polarising topic has arisen. A few years ago former Health Minister Jens Spahn of the conservatives complained about people speaking too much English (and not even German) in Berlin cafes. Meanwhile, a debate over mandatory German language tests before school came up again earlier this summer, with the Christian Democrats arguing it would improve integration. In our experience, very few foreign nationals are refusing outright to learn or speak German in a spiteful way. When you dig deeper there are plenty of reasons why someone’s German language skills may not be that great. Sometimes people are not planning to stay in Germany that long. Sometimes there are time or money constraints. Sometimes people just don’t want to learn a language; perhaps they already have two, three or more other languages that they speak, and they can get by without speaking German. 

Of course there is an argument for knowing the basics of German regardless of how long you’re in the country or if your friendship group is international. But perhaps instead of shaming people for not speaking German, a bit more empathy would go a long way. Each person has their own journey with learning languages; it’s not black and white. We asked The Local readers for their opinion on whether foreigners in Germany should make more of an effort to learn German. We received more than 80 responses and we’re going through them at the moment for an article. If you didn’t get the chance to comment, feel free to email us and let us know your views: [email protected]

Tweet of the week

Speaking of the German language, hopefully you “eingecremt” yourself this week during the super hot weather. 

Where is this?

Pumpkins

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd Weißbrod

OK don’t hate us. We know it’s still summer a while longer. But Germany’s ‘true love’ (at least in autumn) has arrived – the pumpkins or Kürbissen. That’s right, the famous pumpkin festival kicked off in Ludwigsburg on Friday, August 25th. Up until December 3rd, the grounds of the Ludwigsburg Palace host the world’s largest pumpkin exhibition (don’t worry, we’ll show you some more photos once the event is in full swing). Expect 450,000 pumpkins and 600 varieties shaped into elaborate sculptures. You can also try pumpkin-based meals, including soups and the Swabian delicacy Maultaschen.

Did you know?

Where would we be without our daily coffee? It’s certainly something that The Local team relies on. And did you know that the coffee filter was actually invented by a German?

Dresden housewife Melitta Bentz is said to have created the filter because she was frustrated by the quality of coffee produced by percolators, which left grounds in the drink and over brewed it. With the desperation many caffeine-lovers will recognise when they want a good cup of coffee, Bentz experimented using the blotting paper from her children’s school books and noticed that her coffee was far less bitter and almost free of pesky grounds. She patented the discovery in 1908 and it became so successful that she even set up her own business, nowadays called ‘Melitta’ and still under the control of her family. The method is still used today, and remains a favourite among coffee connoisseurs.

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INSIDE GERMANY

Inside Germany: ‘Ampel’ makeover and can Euro 2024 bring Germans together?

From how the Euros are providing a sense of relief in Germany amid heightened tensions to a traffic light transformation in Frankfurt and lucky chimney sweeps, here's what we've been talking about this week.

Inside Germany: 'Ampel' makeover and can Euro 2024 bring Germans together?

Inside Germany is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in Germany that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

The Euros are bringing Germans together – but tension remains 

Whichever way you look at it, it’s been a turbulent few years. In the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sparking forced migration, an energy crisis and fears over war spreading in Europe. 

In Germany, the cost of living crisis has been gripping residents for years, resulting in increased strike action and protests. Meanwhile, the economy has tanked, support for the coalition government is falling dramatically, division remains over war in the Middle East and the the far-right has climbed in the polls. At the recent European parliament elections, Alternative for Germany (AfD) took second position in the national vote. 

READ ALSO: What do Germany’s far-right gains in EU elections mean for foreigners?

With these unresolved issues, you might think that Germany would struggle to come together to organise the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament this summer.

But so far, Deutschland has been a fantastic host.

The scenes of fans from different countries gathering in German cities and mixing with locals have been joyous to see. 

Games and logistical matters are taking place without any major problems (at least most of the time).

Hammering Scotland 5-1 in the opening game may have brought Germans a much needed boost. Seeing residents from all walks of life huddle around TVs on streets or attend fan zones to cheer on their team has felt like something we’ve all needed after such heavy years. 

Perhaps if the German team goes far, it will unite people even more. 

But the tension is still around. 

A recent survey by broadcaster WDR’s Sport Inside, found that one in five respondents would prefer if the German national team had more “white” players, highlighting racist attitudes. 

It comes after German partygoers were filmed singing “foreigners out!” on the holiday island of Sylt. 

The Euros are providing much-needed light relief in Germany right now – but football won’t fix everything. 

Frankfurt Ampelmann gets makeover

Football figures on the traffic lights in Frankfurt to celebrate Euro 2024.

Football figures on the traffic lights in Frankfurt to celebrate Euro 2024. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Andreas Arnold

Football fever is gripping the nation – and Frankfurt has updated its traffic lights or Ampeln to to celebrate

Anyone walking through central Frankfurt might spot the Ampelmann (traffic light man) giving a red card or kicking the ball – depending on the colour. 

German cities are known for their unusual traffic light figures. 

The most famous are the Ampelmännchen (little traffic light men) in Berlin. These were first created in what was then East Berlin back in 1961 and now appear on various traffic lights in the centre of the German capital. 

Germany in Focus

In the latest episode of our Germany in Focus podcast, we talk about our highlights of Euro 2024 so far, why the German coalition is hanging by a thread, the postal system reform, how offices are preparing for the German citizenship law changes and the German vocabulary you need to watch football. 

Lucky chimney sweeps

My building recently received a visit from a lovely Schornsteinfeger (chimney sweep) to check our boilers were in working order. 

It reminded me that seeing a chimney sweep is meant to bring good luck in Germany. 

That’s because they traditionally came to homes to clean out chimneys, removing soot and dirt, which would help ward off the possibility of fires (as well as unwanted evil spirits). 

A chimney sweep on a roof on Maulbronn, Baden-Württemberg in 2023.

A chimney sweep on a roof on Maulbronn, Baden-Württemberg in 2023. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd Weißbrod

They may not actually be going into chimneys and getting covered in soot these days but they’re still providing maintenance and checking on various heating systems which can only be a Glücksbringer (lucky charm).

You’re supposed to get even more luck if you touch a chimney sweep – for example by shaking their hand or twisting one of their silver buttons – but you should probably ask them first. 

If you see a Schornsteinfeger on New Year’s Day or on your wedding day it’s meant to be even luckier.

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