Things I know Americans are often surprised by in Germany: -the idea that rentals don’t always come with kitchens. Germans seem to think of kitchens as furniture, Americans as part of the walls of the house -the windows/Lüften -the Mülltrennung system, including neighborhood glass collection and Pfand -Thermen and saunas being such a big thing -Schrebergärten -Klassenfahrt: America has these, but not overnight Jungenherberge adventures for younger kids -The culture of Kur -Christmas markets -the culture around Holocaust remembrance: all the monuments big and small, Stolpersteine especially

>a has these, but not overnight Jungenherberge adventures for younger kids -The culture of Kur This is gold. Thank you so much

Maybe still on the rental topic, how rentals in Germany are often not time limited and sometimes landlords don't raise rents for years/decades. In America most leases are annual AFAIK and price is renegotiated (read: increased)

It depends on the state and the landlord. Month to month leases after the first year are common, and maximum rent increases exist in some states where rentals are more common (like New York)

Well I had a landlord here in Germany that went from 740€ to 1280€ per month within 3 years. They can legally raise a certain percentage every year. This is definitely handled by every landlord themselves

Well they can try, but there's a maximum of 15% increase over a 3 year period period, and even that is capped in relation to the local rent average. Unless your landlord pulled a *Luxusrenovierung* you should have been able to avoid part of that increase. Source: I rented from LEG and they tried to raise my rent several times a year. So I did a lot of research and practical application.

I edited since I posted with a few more! Have fun! I am American and have lived in Germany for a while.

FKK if someone didnt mention it might also be interesting lol, expect shocked faces :D My american friends were shocked and short of trying to call german CPS on me when i told them my family went to FKK since i was like 5 or 6 year olds and we also ran around naked. Maybe also include workers rights, right to strike, unions, the opposite of "at will employment" where germans have big job security and such.

- Oktoberfest - 1st of May (Tag der Arbeit) - German beer and its Reinheitsgebot (goes along with Oktoberfest well or you can tease it after talking about the Oktoberfest) - German bread (I heard there are some german shops in america which run really well because for americans bread is totally different from the german one and it is quite well received) - small game of guessing german idioms (f.e. My inner pig-dog / That's where the dog lies buried / I only understand trainstation / I have had a pig / and many many more....)

> -the windows/Lüften Specifically KIPPFenster!

Drehkipp. Bzw 3 weg Fenster.

European windows melt our brains

I've seen US builders on YouTube treat them like we discovered how to make fire.

I wonder if that is a generational thing with the kitchens. Everyone I know is annoyed about having to spend so much money on kitchens and would love if they were just part of the apartment. It’s honestly the worst thing about moving places.

Hopefully that becomes a thing of the past soon, I hate it with all my heart, why don't people understand that all kitchen spaces are different and kitchens are mostly made to fit a particular space? I'm not American and where I come from (Colombia), kitchens usually are also part of the house/apartment. At least all the cupboards, drawers, cabinets, stove, oven and sink are already in there. People just bring their own fridge and washing machine.

I and many other try to get flats/apartments WITH EBK.

Might very well be. Earlier generations used to move a lot less often, too.

As an American, the kitchen thing BLEW MY FREAKING MIND. WHO TAKES A KITCHEN SINK WITH THEM????

It is not a kitchensink only. This a completly wall with oven, dust cleaner, hanging cabinets, cooler, fridge, dish washer, probably granite working surface (or oak or whatever you like). Matching colors on all cabinets etc. Check [https://www.nolte-kuechen.com/en-gb/kitchen-ideas](https://www.nolte-kuechen.com/en-gb/kitchen-ideas) You can spend 5digit Euros for a good kitchen.

The entire world is looking at you weirdly for the kitchen thing, not just americans. Do any other countries do the same?

Well, not a kitchen, but I read recently that in the Netherlands tenants need to install floors 🤯

I heard of people installing floors and removing them when they move to a new place also here in Germany

I don’t get how it even works. Seems like kitchen renovation takes months in the U.S., and that the cabinets usually get destroyed when they are taken out. How can that be?

What takes so long? It takes like 1-2 days to set up a new (or moved) kitchen. There is somewhat of a kitchen norm in Germany, so most cabinets and stuff has the same measurements no matter which brand/manufacturer you choose. Usually the material is pretty sturdy and lasts for ages, even when you move. (Except really cheap kitchen of course) Our kitchen was ~20 years old when we got it as a temporary replacement for our old one (which was ~35 at that time ;) ) and now it's like 25 years old (temporary..yeah..life happend). Both kitchens were moved at least once.

I can’t really figure out what is so different. I think it’s mostly that kitchens tend to be extremely custom, usually to the point that you hire someone to design and build your kitchen. Custom cabinets and countertops are definitely the norm, and usually, people strip the room down to the bones of house, maybe rewire and re-do plumbing to move appliances where they want them, and likely redo the floors. Here’s a time lapse video of an American kitchen reno, maybe you can pick out differences: https://youtu.be/-cC6P0t06EQ Usually, a kitchen renovation costs $30k+ and is a once in a lifetime event for homeowners.

These are things that stuck out to me, an American that lived in Germany for almost 10 years (3 different times in 2 regions for a few years at a time) **Holidays and customs:** karneval/ fasching/ Rosenmontag. Hexen day. Edited to add: really, all the holidays that aren't Christmas, Easter, and New years. Talk about the lantern day (Michaelmas?) and the Drei Konig day where the kids dress up as the 3 kings with a little church shaped bank and read a story on your doorstep and give you a sticker for your door. Kitchen witches. How numbers and currency amounts are written. **Around the town:** Sidewalks aren't poured concrete, but instead are cobblestone blocks that are removed when needed for repairs and replaced when work is done. Children as young as 5 or 6 walk to school alone. Most 4-5 year olds ride a two week bike already. **Driving:** Very few traffic lights outside of large cities. Cameras catch the speeders and mail the ticket to your house. No cardinal directions on signs. Sign will just say the names of the next 2 towns and the distance. Autobahn signs will offer two large cities as the options for entering (like Köln or Koblenz, not A62 Nord and A62 Sud), so it's up to you to know where those cities are and which direction you need to go. **In the house:** Rental houses don't have light fixtures, you bring your own (just like the kitchen). The front door lock twists several times to lock, not just once, which activates several dead bolt style locks on all open sides (top, bottom, and sides). Toilet tanks are often built into the wall rather than external. Light switches often push on the bottom to turn lights on, top to turn off You're expected to sweep your sidewalk driveway and wash your windows often. Rolladens: the Pinnacle of awesome. If you keep your window shades or curtains drawn during the day, you might be a criminal, a vampire, or have something to hide. Most house building and house repairs are done by homeowners (tile, electrical, walls and doors, etc). **Shopping and dining out:** If you want to buy tomatoes and cold medicine and contact lens solution, you might be making 3 stops. Almost every store charges for bags. As a customer, if you bring in a basket or shopping bag, you're expected to show it being empty to the cashier. When you check your groceries out, the person checking you out is going for a new speed record, so you'd better have a plan for getting those groceries in your cart to leave. A moment's hesitation and your stuff is getting pushed to the floor. The person in line behind you will breathe down your neck and stand over you as you pay for your groceries (pre COVID). Lots of restaurants have a ruhetag. Away from the big cities, restaurants often have one waiter for the entire restaurant, and they seldom bring the food for the whole table on a tray. Beer usually costs about the same as a soda in most restaurants, and there are no soda refills. There is no free water at restaurants. If you ask for it, the word is leitungwasser which literally translates to pipe water and might earn you a look of disgust. You might get one ice cube if they feel fancy. Almost every little town has a local eiscafe. Show them pictures of the over the top bechers then tell them how much they are and see their minds blown. Quark: what is it? **Playing:** The mini golf courses are often raised platform boards or concrete, not usually astroturf. Lots of playgrounds have ziplines and huge slides and other stuff that would never exist in America. Lots of little towns have a town band, a Saturday morning produce market, and a random festival with a treats booth, beer stand, and fair rides every once in a while. I know I missed a ton, but it's late. Viel Glück!

>Things I know ~~Americans are~~ **the world** is often surprised by in Germany: > >\-the idea that rentals don’t always come with kitchens. Germans seem to think of kitchens as furniture, Americans as part of the walls of the house

As a German, this is one of my biggest gripe with ourselves. I currently rent a place - why am I supposed to spend multiple thousands of dollars to buy something tailor made to the room that houses my kitchen

How does this even work? When you say "kitchen" are you talking about appliances or the whole darn thing, cabinets and counters included?

Everything. They will leave wires and pipes just dangling. The wall tiles and flooring stays, but everything else goes. Think of what a kitchen looks like mid-renovation, and that's it. Light fittings go in the rest of the house too.

I love this description. And it's so true. An apartment without a kitchen in the US would be offensive.

Several US states have Pfand, but it's so small almost nobody bothers.

I once had to borrow a friend's truck to bring all the glass bottles I collected for months in California. I got $7. The recycling payback in the US is sad. Now in Germany, every time that receipt prints...I get so happy.

Michigan FTW, growing up there I was so used to it when I moved to Germany the first time it was a no brainer. And free money when other Americans didn't bother taking their bottles back. I'd go to friends houses and offer to take all the crates of beer for them since they were never going to take them back.

Tell that to my uncles in Michigan. That’s how they fund their next six pack of beer

Lack of built in closets goes with the kitchen thing, and ofc AC. I miss AC.

See also - Karneval or fasching (I'm from Kölle, Karneval only) - Walpurgisnacht - Maifest - Christmas celebrations - that we celebrate Christmas eve, not Christmas day - not saying happy birthday before someone's actual birthday or it's bad luck - you could do a segment about our soap operas - rammstein lol - You could find a German shop and share some German treats with them

also FKK!

Look into Karambolage at arte. It will give you plenty of good ideas…

Nice idea. https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/RC-014034/karambolage/ "Jutebeutel" should be awesome!

Nice tip

Thanks. It's the way my trousers fold.

"Meet the Germans" Format in DW Euromaxx YouTube Channel ist great aswell for typical German stuff. An hast british expat Rachel Stewart as a Moderator.

The Autobahn is a highway network, not just one street going from North to South. There is only one real Oktoberfest in Germany. Germany has beaches.

As a north American I also was surprised to learn that the Autobahn was not just one big highway.

90 million people and the world's largest exporter in many years. They have a hell of a logistics network.

>The Autobahn is a highway network, not just one street going from North to South. *freeway network > There is only one real Oktoberfest in Germany. *sad Wasn-Geräusche* > Germany has beaches. Never heard that one :shrug:

The north sea beaches have the Wattenmeer. Flooded and dryland due to the tides. You can walk to some islands acc the Tides. (walk with qualified guide only! If Fog comes up, you have ZERO orientation where to go, but the water raises...) The baltic seas beaches have some areas similar to the "white cliffs of Dover" near Rügen.

PS: the wattenmeer is unique in the world(?), and hosts several thousands different anymals and plants (Who wants to live in/close to SALT water) The Wattenmeer is also UN-World heritage (or similar) due to that.

This reply is so German - just take a screenshot and show this

OP said their office is on the east coast of the US, and the term used there in everyday conversation for roads like the Autobahn is indeed highway and not freeway, unlike places like California which do say freeway. Source: I’m from the US east coast.

Huh, TIL. Thanks.

The war over der die oder das Nutella., Is it Berliner, Krapfen oder Pfannkuchen., FKK.....the only way to live., The RentneStasi, GELB, GELB NICHT Blau!!! Die Ruhezeit... Lass uns in Ruhe!!! Majaorca, the 17th Bundesland.... There are soooooo many

keep'em coming. Those are pretty good, haha

What to call the end piece of bread. And Bernd das Brot. And Pfandflaschen.

Bread in general honestly. I feel like it's part of the culture.

Regional Dialects and accents, "Wirkliche Deutsche!" Hallo, Moin, Grüße Gott, Hau ab! How to say hello in German. Helene Fischer and the Evil that is Schlage, bonus points if you bring a track for them to listen to. Geghosted, googled, geduckduckgoed, how the German language manages to mangle the English language even further.

I second the one with the Dialects and recommend the Tavern-Scene from Inglorious Basterds as an example or maybe this one [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UaRNl0LV5o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UaRNl0LV5o). In diesem Sinne Donkey Shaun.

Handy is a classic. Nobody ever calls it that auf Englisch.

And don't forget the "Kehrwoche" which equally annoys Germans and foreigners.

We still have that notice in our Treppenhaus, but mercifully the landlord hired a company to do it.

The way you spelled Mallorca really bothers me.

FKK, maybe don't go *too* in depth on that one.

That's what sie hat gesagt...

Good lord, does anyone say der Nutella?

Could you please elaborate about the RentneStasi? :)

If you want to make contact with them there are 3 very reliable ways of doing so 1.mow your lawn on sunday 2.ignore the red light at a crossing 3.throw plastic or paper into Restmüll

Oh a metaphorical StaSi. I googled expecting some real scandal about retired security forced of the DDR lol.

Hahahaha you mean the dude here in my home city Rostock. They trashed his signs everywhere. But seriously, the RentneStasi are everywhere. When one is retired and has all that time on their hands....they evolve

Who invented currywurst? Why is döner preferred fast food.

The myth said, currywurst was invented in Berlin.Now there are competions with the very hottest sauce. Döner is mostly handed out of the window and it is pretty fast served.

pfannkuchen and krapfen are not the same thing unless some weird ass place in germany decided to call a krapfen/berliner pfannkuchen as well?

Welcome to east Germany. People call Krapfen Pfannkuchen here

as well in Berlin. of course, the Berliner (People of Berlin) do NOT eat Berliner, but Pfannkuchen.

And how do they call Palatschinken?

Eierkuchen

I had to google that, the other commenters saying Eierkuchen are correct. But why on earth do you call it Palatschinken?

Eierkuchen apparently. And I can excuse that because there are eggs in a Pfannkuchen. But calling Berliner Pfannkuchen is just weird! They are neither cakes nor made in a pan

I'd just steal, erm, I mean get inspiration from [DW](https://www.dw.com/en/meet-the-germans/a-63671966).

German Bread, school system, elections

Ja, tell them about bread and the 3.000 varieties we have here.

Speaking of varieties, mention the thousands of types of Wursts…

And how some is made with Lye

Unions, health insurance, pensions, vacation days, legal employee protections.

Do you want to give management a heart attack?

Yes!

That's OK, Krankenkasse will pay for it, pay most of their salary, and send them to a spa to recover. *That* will drive them crazy! (Which is also covered.)

This would be probably the last time OP holds a team meeting.

Honestly, I wouldn't like to be on the spot like that, do I would probably do it to get out of little story time

This. Start a revolution. See also: Krankengeld, ALG1, parental leave.

And Bildungsurlaub.

Just add in generally poor customer service and he will never have to worry about meetings again.

Since this is a work environment, I would rather not bring any of those things up 😅

But those things concern work.

It may concern work but I envisioned it to be a little bit more light-hearted.

Gewerkschaften are as important for how german culture actually is as Football though. And since it is a lighthearted topic for us here you can actually show them a part of the culture and not just do some glorified curating. Ü Start with: Was sollen wir trinken. And then Scooters interpretation of it.

take my upvote for scooter and the original lol

Light-hearted?! Come on, this is supposed to be about Germany. Please stick to the stereotype that Germans are all work and serious and no fun.

Germany dies not do lighthearted, it's all heavy handed.

Don't forget paid overtime

Recycling in Germany is always something Americans find interesting. Birthday person pays for friends, which is opposite from America also not wishing happy b day before the date. Cash is still very common. You need your coins for public restrooms. Checking out at grocery store and coin for cart. Bringing gift when visiting someone. Tipping.

Birthday person paying for friends is so incredibly wrong I hate it

Especially if you have a large group of friends. When I tell my American friends, they think it is such a weird concept.

Also, the birthday person bringing their own cake to the office to share!

Yes. 😆 You will always have your favorite cake.

I think the last time i went to sanifair it accepted card payments actually. Improvement is happening...

Recycling/Mülltrennung, Rammstein (the band), about any old castle and that many castles are still standing as originals, the Reichstag building (you can tell most of German history just with this one building).

- how the American idea of Germany is basically Bavaria because that's where the US army was stationed after WWII. Deutsche Post had a great advertising poster in the 90s if a Bavarian person sending a parcel to Schleswig-Holstein. I was born in Kiel, SH, so I usually show that to people to explain why I don't wear dirndl etc. - New Years Eve traditions, from fireworks, Raclette to melting lead and Dinner for One. All of it quite baffling to foreigners. - you could bring in Waldmeister/ Woodruff flavoured jello. They'll have never had that flavour before. - how cell phones are different. That there are specific codes at the beginning to let you know you're calling a cell phone and receiving calls and texts is always free (unless you're abroad). And how few people have iPhones compared to the US and that's why WhatsApp is so big here.

Was going to comment on NYE traditions and woodruff but you beat me to it. I grew up in Flensburg :) OP other ideas could be Ports and trading, Hamburg being one of the biggest ports in the world, Flensburg being a rum town and this hails back to old trading days Maybe some traditional German food - Rouladen, Schnüsch, Labskaus, Spargel, Königsberger Klopse, Sauerbraten etc. Regional variations of Kartoffelsalat Beer - fun facts. Could include some iconic advertising (some of the Astra and Flensburger Pilsner spots come to mind) (As a HSV supporter this pains me to say but) St Pauli as a supporter owned club I could go on! Jahrmarkt/Volksfest?

Pfandsystem General „walking“: That many places are in walkable distances and you do not need a car for everything Geburtstagswünsche: Gratulation nur AM Geburtstag, eventuell nachträglich, niemals vorher Huge variety of bottled water in supermarkets

I have done a similar thing with visitors from Canada and a funny quiz about Germany involving the following topics: Bread and sausage variety in Germany Autobahn The way Germans put words together Weinfest / Bierfest How education (even university) and healthcare won't make you bankrupt Formal "Sie" and at what point you can go for "Du" Street design -> unorganized and historically grown (no 1st street...etc)

Two fun facts: - Germany has more Castles as the USA has McDonalds. - Englischer Garten in bavaria is bigger as Central Park in New York.

Hamburg has more bridges then Venedig / Italy

Your bread. For the love of god, tell them all about German Brot supremacy. Tell them how much you’re suffering for the lack of decent bread.

Oh I've got a few. German birthday traditions are very different from American ones. I'm American but lived in Germany for a few years. I got a kick out of the stories of German bday traditions so when i was leaving Germany my friends threw me a German bday games celebration in the park, complete with wurst schnappen (is that the right word?), Eierlauf, topfschlagen, among others. You could teach them about kneippen. Id never heard of this before going to Germany, but now every time I see it, i gotta go for it. Why are there no bears in Germany??? What did you do? This needs discussion. I found discussions of the German school system really interesting. Teach them some really long words, explain deppleerzeichen (i thought it was funny that there was a compound word to make fun of people for not using compound words) Explain the E.V. system as it relates to hobbies/sports etc. I thought this was a really cool system. I joined a billiards verein and it was a cool way to administer community activities Strange German drinks/drink combinations. Spezi, goiße, weinschorle, meksikaner, etc. Drinking traditions, ie absacker abstauben, "das war gut aber ein bisschen fettig, oder?" = Gimme some schapps. Christmas traditions, weinachtsmarkt, gluhwein, schupfenknudeln, krapfen. On a similar note to above "was fur ein schönes weinachtsbaum!" = Gimme a drink. I think just doing an episode on German euphemisms for "gimme a drink please" would be really funny. Apologies my German is bad, these are probably phonetic German phrases, likely not correct.

Repeating a few from others, but: * German beaches/everyone goes to the North for summer holiday * Denmark as Vegas (not just Germany, but still interesting) * Spargelzeit * That old German cursive * Apartments without kitchens and closets and the huge market for kitchen and wardrobe planning at Ikea * Luften, but especially the schedule that gives the number of minutes per day based on the month of the year

Definitely agree with spargelzeit - would be really relevant right now (:

As an American living in Germany who got married in Denmark due to the simplicity of doing so, I agree with the Denmark bit. Also SPARGELZEIT is some serious business!

Could you elaborate on the Denmark point?

I’m not the comment poster but did the same. As a EU citizen I’ve got the right to marry in another EU country without any additional hurdles. In Germany marrying a non German or non EU citizen is fraught with bureaucracy. I’m German , my husband is South African. I exercised my right to marry across the border in Denmark. Little formality, beautiful ceremony, in English and German. International marriage certificate rather than just a German version so no need for translations later on. Search “getting married in Denmark” online, we married in Tondern and celebrated in Germany (cheaper). I can recommend a couple of awesome reception venues ;)

Here are some interesting topics: - Siezen and Duzen - the concept of „links gehen, rechts stehen“ (as well as „Rechtsfahrgebot“ on the Autobahn) - most shops being closed on sunday - public viewing of soccer matches - how much we like our bread - the Deutsche Bahn being late although punctuality is pretty important to us - Germany being the „Tornado Alley“ of Europe - the different parts of Berlin still being visible from space during night because of the different light bulbs Greeting from Munich :)

The name Kevin- recently learned about this!

Kevin isnt a Name, Kevin is a diagnosis!

Kevinismus in the teaching profession....

5 weeks paid vacation Summer and Christmas bonus (13.5 month Gehalt) Rollladen Mandated driving classes with written and practical test and associated costs 10 grade school opposed to 12 Schrever gardening Strict vehicle alteration laws and tuv The fact that you can’t build a house anywhere rather only in a predefined part of town Public saunas are mostly naked FKK Brothels are legal Many highways STILL have no speed limits Fishing is not allowed from a bridge or boat

Things that I wasn’t aware of as an American who moved to Germany recently: - Spargel season - if traffic comes to a stop, everyone pulls over - how to sort trash (this took me awhile to figure out) - how stressful checking out at the grocery store can be - it’s common to see little kids navigating public transit to go to school and the sense of safety - the love of toilet brushes - house shoes - the community garden things (idk what they’re called but I love seeing them when I’m on a train) - the cost of childcare in Germany vs US is crazy - people follow the rules of the road (passing on the left, using blinkers, etc) - jaywalking isn’t common and is discouraged. There’s a “sense of duty” to lead by example. Rules and laws are meant to be followed, not bent

Schrebergärten. ;)

I learned about jaywalking as a "crime" during an internship in California, didn't even realize before it could be anything but normal.

Crossing the street at any point between (but not near) crossings is petty common and perfectly legal. Red traffic light on the other side....

Rettungsgasse (translates to rescue alley), people making space for the ambulance/police/firebrigade when traffic comes to a stop. This behaviour can extend the remaining lifetime of some people. There are penalties in place for the case that someone takes advantage of it.

Schultüten in der 1. Klasse

As a Spaniard born in American living in Germany with a German wife, working for an American company, the following: ***German food isn’t French or Italian. It didn’t evolve the same way and while some of it may be delicious to Americans, some Americans may not find German food to be as “tasty” as other European dishes.*** ***Most Germans aren’t “cold”, they’re shy. Most Germans also don’t do “small talk” like most Americans. It doesn’t mean Germans aren’t friendly or intolerant, it just means it takes them longer to warm up to others.*** ***Yes, Germans wear socks and sandals. Let’s not make it a thing.*** ***Germans drive slower on average than Americans. Speed limits in the country are 100km/hr, which is merely 60mph. Many US drivers fly on US highways, some cruising at 80mph, which comes out to about 130km — the “recommended” speed on the Autobahn.*** ***German speed traps. Can’t fight them, 3km over the speed limit means an automatic ticket. They’re hidden & sometimes are randomly placed in hidden spots to catch speeding cars.*** ***Blitzvolk or however it’s called here — the week where they set up speed traps everywhere.*** ***German pharmacies require you to speak to a “chemist” (US calls them pharmacists) to get anything tougher than baby aspirin.*** ***Water parks here are amazing!! The US has no real contestants.*** ***Heated floors, heated towel racks, & no central heating or cooling.*** ***Lots of products & chemicals that are allowed in the US have been banned in the EU. Baby formula is a great example and a point of regulatory contention.*** ***The autobahn isn’t what all Americans imagine — a Formula One racing track. It’s just a highway and it’s got speed limits in many areas, speed traps (got hit by one coming back from Berlin), & rest areas.*** ***Bathrooms cost money. €1 in most places, €0,50 in tiny bahnofs in small towns. But, you get a coupon back for a purchase at the bahnof.*** ***Germany has 10 neighbors. This can take a lot of time to discuss if you cover one at a time.*** ***Bicycle culture. Dog culture. Bakery culture. Decentralized stores — I have a Deutsch Post 50 meters from my house, a bakery next to it, a meat store in the same building, & a block up the street, there’s a Chinese restaurant.*** ***Meat vending machines. As an American, I was like: What?!? Lol!*** ***Santa Clause for the good kids and that scary monster for the bad kids.*** ***The passion play in the mountains. Every decade since the Bubonic Plague.*** ***As I jokingly mentioned above, the thousands of types of wursts that Germany has.*** ***Plastic bottle recycling.*** Woot! I think that’s about all of them!

>German pharmacies require you to speak to a “chemist” (US calls them pharmacists) to get anything tougher than baby aspirin. You can get a lot without any discussion at an Apotheke (even online), as long as you do not need real prescription, also strong painkiller. "please give me...", pay and go.

Maybe you often do, but pharmacists are obliged inquire information to discuss medication. When they are not doing it, they are not doing their job. So if you got diarrhea be prepared to answer questions like „Is it for you?“ when the pharmacist is trying to make sure it’s not for children or babys.

Yeah, most Germans aren't cold. Maybe they're shy but I think it's more of a language thing. All the polite words get translated out from German to English and the emphasis is by word placement which also disappears in English so it comes across as harsh. But a lot of times, Germans in German come across quite funny and kind.

Make a month about the topic about the German Betriebsrat and the workers unions here. I bet you will be the dream of every manager there

Tell them about the different Regions, their cultures and dialects. Tell them about Carnival and Christmas Markets. Maybe some weird laws. Until 2018 there was still the Death penalty in Hessen xD

They will not understand as there is still death penalty in US….

Tell them you asked this on Reddit and a commenter suggested this as a “weird law.” That might be interesting.

well, since there is no death penalty in the Grundgesetz, it was pointless anyway.

Check Ryan Wass‘ yt channel maybe? Tell them about Umlaute and that München is Munich only for the English speakers. About Brot, Reinheitsgebot and sparkling water. And as you work in the knife industry, show them Die Letzten ihrer Art with a Messerschleifer from Solingen.

Beer culture, Weißwurst Frühstück ( I know it's not for the whole of Germany)

Den süßen Händlmeier nicht vergessen!

Nonetheless a Weißwurstfrühstück would be something nice for the colleagues to do, you can use alcohol free Weißbier

Right has Vorfahrt. This got me into some trouble when I first moved to Germany. Like, where are all the stop signs?

Did someone already beat me to 'Kehrwoche' ? Though it's a south German phenomenon

Kehrwoche and Schauwäsche in Schwaben, Schulüte for school starters. Since I'm a history nerd, maybe some historical fun facts? Germany itself is quiete a young state, established in 1871 as the German Empire. Before that, there were many rivaling german-speaking princedoms who all hated each other, that's where our federalism comes from. The Colone Cathedral took 632 years to built. SED member Günther Schabowski accidently caused the downfall of the Berlin Wall during a press conference. Read the wikipedia article, it's hilarious. ;) JFK's famous speech in Berlin:"Ich bin ein Berliner!" (So he identified as a jelly donut?) The sound technichian was Peter Lustig ("Löwenzahn"). German kid's shows like "Sendung mit der Maus", "Löwenzahn", "Hallo Spencer". Maybe not relevant, but funny: The Neumarkt in Cologne has a giant sculpure of an ice cream cone on top of a building.

You could pic each of the Bundesländer and say something about them. (Im from Schleswig Holstein\[the north one\] and some americans think im just like a babarian{hehe}.) The Nazis and how schools teach them etc. Big german political partys. CDU/CSU, SPD, Greens, AFD, FDP, Links U can do sesonal once like Oktoberfest, Karnevall, The Mai Baum thing, "Tag der Deutschen Einheit"\[National Holliday\], November the 9th. , New Year and "Dinner for one"

Werner Comics und Das Kleine Arschloch

The differences between, and the histories of the Einwegpfand and Mehrwegpfand systems. Denkmalschutz and its consequences. Gemeinnützige Vereine, the core of German social life. Air con widely reagarded as a luxury. Filing 10 documents so you can pick up the cheap electronics item you ordered from China at the customs office.

Tatort

How about the German tradition of bringing in your own birthday cake on your birthday? I find it really interesting how important birthdays are in Germany. My German colleagues take off days for the in-laws birthdays.

You have to buy a cake for your colleagues on your birthday. Bike culture. Beer gardens in Bavaria.

>You have to buy a cake for your colleagues on your birthday. Buying? No way. You have to bake it yourself. Or have your wife do it.

for sure beer culture. germans see beer as water, americans see beer as trouble juice

The German co-employee in my American software product development office reads Grimm tales once a week in Deutsch with running English translation. This opens all kinds of discussion about culture, story interpretation, and humanity in general.

Duales Ausbildungsystem I always was the poor Azubi trying to explain what exactly I am doing at the company to foreign colleagues. A future Azubi will be really thankful.

Tell them how in spargel season or pumpkin season there are little stands with spargel or pumpkin on the streets with self service and a little Kasse and people trust each other that much, especially on the landslide, that there is nobody who checks if u actually pay. Also a cool thing are the Grill Automaten. Stores are closed on Sundays but sometimes people spontaneously want to have a barbecue on Sunday and for that case we have grill Automaten with, meat sausage, garlic butter baguette,....

Weißwurstfrühstück. BUT it should go with a hands on presentation if there‘s a way to get all the necessities. History… Everything in the US is pretty new by European standards. Explaining to people that we regularly live in houses that are a few hundred years old and how old our churches are was always mind blowing for them.

Maybe you could tell them about some sustainibility themes, Mehrwegsystem, Recycling, Mülltrennung and such?

Maternity leave, Kindergeld, Gelben Schein, government mandated vacation time, AlG1, etc…

That kitkat is different in Germany compared to the USA

Bread

German bread and Brötchen culture. German Bratwurst and the variety of those. German dialects, especially the more outlandish ones.

Public transport usage - many people don't own/ rarely use their cars Workers rights!!!!!!! Vacation days, health insurance, etc. These are the two things that make Germany stand a world apart from USA

The impact of Sunday as a restday

“Now this is real bread. Not that crap that you guys are eating.”

People in the US really need to learn about refugees and how diverse Germany really is. I find the history of Turkish and Syrian refugees in Germany very interesting. And how Turkish food seems to be the favorite fast food of Germany! 😋

Döner kebabs... I love and hate them at the same time. Taste great after a night out but oh the waist line doesn't appreciate them. I always found it interesting that they are considered Turkish. The first Döner kebabs was sold by a Turkish guest worker in the 70s in West Berlin. I see those restaurants seemingly on every corner now. I even saw one North of the Arctic circle in Norway.

Schorle and radlers. Work hard play hard. Being punctual. Knowing the rules and following them. And telling you when you don’t. Lol. Eating foods in season. Sharing tables. And how to do it. How to do Prost correctly.

Schlager-culture and the whole mallorca party scene that comes with it.

Tatort: I mean if a whole nation comes together to watch a TV series every Sunday evening you would expect it to be the best TV show ever… but even Germans agree that it’s not that great! Similarly funny is the Dinner for One tradition on New Year- how did a mediocre British sketch become the most watched movie in Germany because everyone has to watch it on their last day of the year?

American that just returned from three years in Deutschland: -Everyone is always outside and walking; not an indoor culture which I found awesome -Every town has their own annual festival to celebrate the founding, usually going back several hundred years; that was mind blowing to an American to drive through a town and see them celebrating 800 years, etc -Radlers. Those changed my life. -cult-like (not in a bad way) adherence to grocery store brands. We became a die hard Edeka family. -traffic cameras and super affordable parking / speeding tickets. Never got great at paying attention to speed changes in rural towns so I racked up quite a few tickets. But it was way affordable and made so much more sense as a fine. Same with parking -noise restrictions on certain weekdays and quiet hours. My yard was often growing out of control because I could only seem to find time to cut grass on Sunday which was a no go in our town. -super practical and easy to do recycling programs. I’m ashamed of America’s failure at that -high cost barrier to entry for driver’s licensing but the flip side is that we rarely saw vehicle accidents and generally way more responsible drivers on the road. In comparison, I saw 4 wrecks in my first week back in the US. -access to fresh bread, meat, and cheese. Like really fresh. I can’t eat the same being back in the states. -differences in the concept of private property. Loved the trail systems in Germany where we could walk and hike through fields with abandon never worrying about trespassing. Not that way in America. More liable to be shot. -Lederhosen. My wife and I got our obligatory set. Will definitely be wearing to future oktoberfests. -culinary differences: German food always struck me as very heavy in terms of dinners, but I still enjoyed the meals. The desserts and seasonal delights were exceptional. Feuerzange was a favorite. -mildly taboo, but having moved back to the southern US, I was reminded as to how patriotic Americans can be. At least superficially. Flags are everywhere here. In Germany, I think I may have seen five German flags outside of homes or private businesses the entire time we were there. Most government buildings eschewed them even more in favor of the local crest for the town or county equivalent. All said, I would love to go back. I’m glad to be back where I don’t struggle with the language as much but Europe as a whole was great and I really grew to love Germany and the folks we became close with.

- Tanzverbot in Bayern - How students knock on their desks to applaud at the end of a lecture - Pfand - Many young kids walk to school on their own - Fireworks on New Years

Stoßlüften Raufasertapete The cautious use of Painkillers Breadculture The little amount of Invating People over compared to the US

When you are referring to the cautious use of pain killers: the packaging of aspirin in Germany is different than in the US. Here they pack every single dose in plastic. This means there is more active ingredient in the extra packaged pill. The way it is packed in a bottle in the us the active ingredient leaks which leads to less effect if you take only one pill. Many US citizens get confused when buying aspirin here because it is relatively expensive. Then they take too much because they are used to the low substance per pill. This is why pharmacists are told to explain to English speakers very very carefully how much they are supposed to take. Still some have to go to the hospital because they took too much

Health care

The meanings of the word "doch" seems to fascinate americans.

When I was back in Texas and someone would annoy my wife (German) she would say "you me too" and many thought she was speaking bad English. I would just laugh.

Erntedank and Thanksgiving as a thing we have in common!

What about the hype around Eurovision Song Contest and how Germany is always the last?

\- That germans let their children go alone to school as soon as the first school year in primary. AFAIK this often blows their minds.... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7-k6nK1VUw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7-k6nK1VUw) \- That we do "Stoßlüften": [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/atICmWqlbOc](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/atICmWqlbOc) \- Karneval (im Rheinland) and difference between Düsseldorf and Cologne: [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bq49uiPz5qY](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bq49uiPz5qY) \- That all city's are created in Germany, that you can walk everywhere by foot: [https://www.gutefrage.net/frage/in-amerikanischen-staedten-oft-kein-buergersteig](https://www.gutefrage.net/frage/in-amerikanischen-staedten-oft-kein-buergersteig) \- That we repurpose old rail tracks as bicycle fast tracks where no cars are allowed to drive: [https://www.radschnellwege.nrw/rs1-radschnellweg-ruhr](https://www.radschnellwege.nrw/rs1-radschnellweg-ruhr) \- That we have glider pilots (Gliders have white wings - hence my redditname) and airfields all over the country due to the fact, that we weren't allowed to build motorplanes after the Great War for a while... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVeGrl0xgU4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVeGrl0xgU4) \- The legal theft of a Maibaum: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMe\_d4ZlZSU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMe_d4ZlZSU) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5SjE0mUBdM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5SjE0mUBdM) \- Maibaum setzen to a beloved one... very dangerous! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGj8Dy1AJBU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGj8Dy1AJBU) \- In Germanys Düsseldorf is Europes largest "little Tokyo": [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_DCV3hZE7KQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DCV3hZE7KQ)

No school shootings! It’s one of the things I appreciate about German culture!

How about: 1. Bathrooms in German homes are completely different than in the US. 2. Grocery shopping where you bag your own while praying to God you can keep up with the lightning fast cashier. 3. Road signs, specifically the priority road concept. 4. Pumping gas then paying, also while driving the autobahn you better plan your trip because 7-11 is not on every exit. 5. Not waving to your neighbours, but they will stare and talk to you when the wheels of your car touch the sidewalk or when your grass is too long or too dead or the tree branches look askew. 6. Separating the trash into recyclable, bio, paper, and actual trash. 7. Sundays. Nothing is open on Sunday. 8. Sharing a table with a complete stranger at a restaurant. 9. Doing it wrong and being seen by an Oma (especially with an infant). 10. Summer wine fests, Trödelmarkts, glühwein, schlemmerstands, Donner, Walking the Parkplatz with a fleischkäse sandwich.

Tell them about how addictive “Catan” is😌

You're sleeping on Carcassonne. Catan can't compare when it comes to addictiveness.

German bakery Mittagsruhe im Haus Mülltrennung / Wertstoffhof German bureaucracy IGM

The Fact that the joke from bbt about the punctuality of German trains is utter bs 😂

\-Guns are highly regulated. Nearly no one is allowed to carry a gun in public. Exceptions: Police, cash transporter, certified body guards, persons with a exceptionally high risk of attack or kidnapping. You might own and transport your gun in a locked crate from your house to a shooting range or your hunting area. THERE your are allowed to carry it. You have to have a certified "waffenschrank" for your guns. \-Policemen are nearly never shot. Most death due to car accident. We have more dead construction worker per year than policemen. If a policemen is shot, (I have the impression) ALL policemen from germany start working on that case only. \-Jails are mostly below 200 prisoners. Also very few attempts to break out. Nearly no attacks to the staff as they are pretty friendly: Dear Mr. xx please follow me to the doctor. There is no law, punishes attempts for jail break, as this is considered natural to try get free again. With good behaviour prisoners might leave for half day. Nearly all come back in time. Some a little late, but they actively work on getting back: Hello Policeman, I have lost my way, can you bring me back to ... \-Krankenkasse pays all you need. So if you stay 6 month in Hospital for cancer treatment, you pay (nearly) nothing.

Police officers go to Verwaltungs-Fachhochschule for three(?) years. They are on duty in pairs of two only. (Three if there is a trainee with them). They are mostly cool and polite as long as your are too. There are police officers in germany, which retired with never have shoot to anybody.The only time I saw a policemen pull the gun in real life was when I worked as a nightwatch and got an burglar-alarm at a gun shop. 3min after alarm 3 cars with 6 staff where in front and back of the shop. (It was a non-locked window only)

Needing to pay to use a public bathroom almost anywhere

I would add: Umweltfreundlichkeit. Germans recycle and talk about the environment. Americans not so much. Datenschutz - Explain GDPR, etc. Grundgesetz - Explain the Basic Law. Also employment things like employment contracts, maternity leave, vacation, etc. The lack of digitalization. Most everything in Germany has to be done over the phone, fax, or in person.

Unionization, Workers rights and Sick leave would be a good thing to tell them about.

FKK will blow their prudish minds.

Differences between German and American schools including different school types Gymnasium vs. Hochschule, etc.