Nah, ernsthaft.

Ich wurde nicht hier geboren (tja), arbeite remote und keiner sagt mir (außer den Ladenöffnungszeiten... sorry) wenn ich schlafen muss, deswegen schlafe ich ein bisschen nach der Arbeit, und danach zwischen 02:00 (oder später) und 09:00. Und als ich noch in Russland wohnte, begann mein Arbeitstag normalerweise um 10:00, und ich war der Erste im Büro, lol, und meine Kollegen kamen zum 11:00-12:00.

Aber logischerweise gibt es auch Menschen wie mich, die hier geboren sind. Es ist ja klar, dass es für euch in der Schule vielleicht schwer war, oder? Wie läuft's bei euch heutzutage? Wollt ihr etwas im Leben in Deutschland ändern?

I feel as if Germans have a better opinion on this then anyone in the world, considering they have not only owned their past but have eradicated it for decades. Does what you see in the US or Russia genuinely frighten you? How can it be stopped?

Hi zusammen!

Mein Vater hat sich vor einem halben Jahr von meiner Mutter (68) getrennt. Sie ist absolut am boden zerstört und hat total angst die "letzten Jahre" alleine zusein. Daher hoffe ich das jemand selber in dem Alter ist oder einen bekannten/verwanten hat der auch single ist.

Meine Mutter sucht keine Romantische beziehung mehr. Zumindest nicht der hauptfokus, meine Mutter will einfach jemanden haben mit dem sie etwas unternehmen kann, gemeinsam frühstücken oder einfach reden kann. Sie würde gerne Tanzen gehen und fährt super gerne in den Urlaub & sie mag Kunst und fahrradfahren. Daher wollte ich einfach mal fragen ob jemand eine eventuell passende person aus NRW (Gerne nähe Köln und umgebung) kennt.

Gerne auch hilfen wie man jemanden sonst anders kennenlernen kann in dem alter.

LG

Hallo!

I joined a research organization in Germany as a software engineer a few months back. I am seeking answers to quite a few questions.

1. Even before I joined the organization, I was already registered with the VBLklassik scheme. I asked one of my German colleagues about the VBLklassik and VBLextra schemes and she said VBLextra might be better for me. My current contract runs for about two more years from now. I reached out to the international office at my organization about the same but they couldn't provide much information about this. I am contemplating whether VBLextra will be better for me. I am not sure whether I will stay in Germany after my contract ends (it's basically where my job will take me, but I want to go back to my home country after retirement or even before that). In that case, what scheme will be the most beneficial for me? Should I change to VBLextra and invest the extra amount that I will get back somewhere else, like stocks? Will that be better? Also, when will I be able to get my VBL pension back, after I leave this organization or after my retirement if I change to VBLextra from VBLklassic? I was also being told that to get my normal pension back (that is, the other pension contribution that I pay from my salary), I will have to wait till I'm 67 as 67 is the retirement age in Germany. Is that true? At this point, I am just confused about these whole pension contributions. If someone can take the pain to explain when and how much amount will I get back from my pension contributions and how they are being calculated, I will be very very grateful.
2. I am drawing a monthly salary of 4628,76 € to be exact as I am employed with the TVöD-Bund E13, level 1. Someone helped me calculate my taxes here (although this is a rough estimation and was done before I joined the organization). But I was looking at my December payslip for instance and saw that quite a large portion of my salary went away towards contributions and taxes even though I got a one-time annual payment this month (only 10% of my monthly salary though since I joined recently). I was expecting a bit higher amount after taxes and deductions. I don't mind sharing a snapshot of my payslip (I believe I have censored all the necessary information, but if not please let me know since it's in German). Can anyone tell if I am overpaying somewhere, or, can I opt out from any deduction, or, is there any scope where I can cut a bit off from the deductions? Or am I getting the exact correct post-deductions amount? I am very new to this so any suggestions/advice will be very helpful.
3. Does it make sense to file a German tax return in my case? I sometimes work mobile, and my apartment is within 6-7 kilometers from my office.

Not sure if it is required or not but I am single and live on my own in a small rented apartment where I pay 400 € rent per month.

Any help/suggestion/advice is appreciated. Thank you!

I cannot upload a photo, its MEX18(19328) from Tübingen to Bad Cannstatt

Hi everyone,

I recently received an offer letter from GISMA Business School in Potsdam for my master’s degree. I wanted to hear your thoughts and experiences about this institution.

1. Is GISMA a good choice for a master’s program as an international student? How is the reputation of the college in Germany and globally?

2. I’m coming from an IT background (Java Full Stack, BCA degree) and plan to explore opportunities in the IT field after completing my studies. How is the job market for IT professionals in Germany?

3. Are there any specific challenges or tips you’d like to share for someone coming from abroad to study and work in Germany?

Looking forward to your insights. Thanks in advance!

The thing is that my last name is Guthemberg, for what my father said it was a misspelling thing when a familiar migrate in the past and it should be Gutenberg. But it is probably a rumor since we don’t have information about my grandfather’s grandfather so I was wondering if someone that lives in Germany might know if there is some Guthemberg instead of Gutenberg.

Context: I was on a trip outside of Europe and lost the key to the main entrance and the key for the garage, it's an old building of 8 apartments. I asked the landlord to give me a new key, he said I have to handle it myself, so I asked one of my neighbors to copy his key, but the schlüsseldienst said he needs a security card, so I asked the landlord for the card, he didn't respond, I saw him in person and asked him again, he said he lost the card and that I should let him think about a solution.

it's been over 4 months now! And the only way to enter the apartment is to ask neighbors to open the door! it's restricting my mobility and I can't do this anymore! He still hasn't provided me with a key nor replies to my calls/messages, what should I do in this situation?

P.S. I don't have a lawyer insurance 😕

Hello everyone,

Two years ago, I made this post to try to understand which type of melody western(I mistakenly called it southwestern) German Catholic churhces in Hesse and Ruhr area but since I couldn't provide an example it couldn't be narrowed down. Well to my luck, I heard the exact same tone again in an unlikely place, Train Sim World that is, and was able to record it here. I forgot to lower the pantograph(which would shut down the cooling fans and make the church bells clearer but I think it's still reasonably audible). Can anyone tell me whether or not this exact tone has a specific name?

Did Ticketmaster release any last minute tickets on their official platform on the day of the concert of days leading up to the concert? If yes, when will they release / timing etc?

So, im going to Bremen tomorrow with my parents and partner... Any nice suggestions what to do? (Sadly the Christmas market is not there anymore 🥲)Whats your suggestion? I.e. favorite restaurant, activity or place to visit in the city.

I lost my gloves on a tram. I reached out to my city's Fündburo (https://www.leipzig.de/buergerservice-und-verwaltung/sicherheit-und-ordnung/fundbuero/kontaktformular-bei-verlust) and from what I can understand, it is saying I need a police report to be able to retrieve it. That sounds unusual to me. I am worried that I may be misunderstanding the website due to the language difference ( I am just at B1 level).

Can someone let me know if this is normal procedure?

Many thanks!

EDIT: You see the option to include a "Anzeige der Polizei" when you select the "Eine einfache E-Mailauskunft ist ausreichend." option.

I saw a post asking about how you guys feel about hollywood/videogames representation of you guys and was curious about your thoughts on Japans representation of you with anime.

I see often in the fantasy genre of anime or even isekais they take inspiration from you guys in culture, building aesthetic or myths. They often give of a very German vibe. Recent examples would obviously be Frieren, but I also see it in Dungeon Meshi a little bit as well.

I’m just curious to see how you guys feel about it and your thoughts!

Let us say I want to take some time off to relax without any medical reasons. As I understand, I would register as unemployed and not apply for the arbeitslosengeld.

Am I right in assuming that the rente and unemployment benefits would just freeze but I wonder what happens with health and pflege insurance? Would I have to manually pay into the public health insurances monthly myself in that time? Is there no way to 'pause' the public health insurance for say a year if I think I would not need the services?

I assume that indeed since it is an 'insurance' I just have to pay monthly till I retire at the end no?

Thank you!

Edit: Thank you all for your responses! PS: Think I should have googled first but was on reddit and posted without thought! Appreciate the help!

My daughter likes the idea of being a lawyer, psychologist and dentist in that order. It looks like she might end up in a Realschule as she started Grundschule in the middle of 3rd grade and learning German was an initial handicap. When she went to English school her grades were much higher. The teachers recognize her intelligence and she picked up the language super fast but we want to see if she has any chance in keeping her motivated if she ends up in a Realschule given her career goals. The German school system is new to us and still unsure.

Hello! We are looking at taking a family vacation to Schloss Elmau with our three children (4, 4, and 1) this summer.

What are some fun/not stressful things we should do in the area or even day trips? Places to rent bikes with relaxing bike paths, restaurant tips, beer gardens with playgrounds, places to do in Munich for a day?

We are coming from America so we are open to other cities/resort suggestions instead if you know a better destination!

Hi all, I'll be in saarbrücken from tomorrow to the 31st, anything worth noticing happening this weekend?

Hallo zusammen,

ich starte gerade ein neues Geschäft im Bereich Gebäudereinigung hier in NRW und suche einen zuverlässigen Steuerberater, der mich bei den ersten Schritten unterstützen kann. Insbesondere benötige ich Hilfe bei:

• Anmeldung und Steuererklärung für mein Gewerbe (Gewerbesteuer, Umsatzsteuer etc.).

• Beratung zur Buchhaltung und möglichen steuerlichen Vorteilen.

• Allgemeine Tipps für den Aufbau eines neuen Geschäfts.

Falls ihr jemanden kennt, der Erfahrung mit kleinen Unternehmen oder Start-ups hat, wäre ich für Empfehlungen sehr dankbar!

Gerne in der Nähe von Düsseldorf/Köln, aber auch Online-Beratung ist eine Option.

Vielen Dank im Voraus für eure Hilfe!

Hi everyone,

We’re a group of 8 friends (6 guys and 2 girls, aged 25-30) planning a fun weekend trip to Germany, and we’ve narrowed down our accommodation options to two places: Wuppertal and Mönchengladbach. Both look great, but we’re trying to figure out which city has the most to offer for our group!

EDIT: as we spend quite some time in our accommodation we prefer to stay outside of Dusseldorf as it is nearly impossible to find a spacious apartment in the centre of Dusseldorf for 8 persons.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

1. Clubbing Night in Düsseldorf Altstadt
   • We’re planning one night out, ideally in the Altstadt of Düsseldorf (we’ve heard it’s a fantastic spot for nightlife!). What would be the best way to get there and back in the middle of the night—taxi or public transport?
2. Active Activity During the Day
   • We’d love to do something sporty like karting or paintball. Are there any cool spots for activities like these in or around Wuppertal or Mönchengladbach?
3. Relaxing and Exploring
   • We’ll spend a lot of time hanging out at the accommodation, but we’d also like to do some casual exploring. For example, in Wuppertal, we’d definitely want to ride the Schwebebahn. Are there other must-see or must-do activities, walks, or sights in these cities or nearby?

We’re aiming for a fun but budget-friendly weekend and will be driving from the Netherlands, so we’re pretty flexible with transportation.

If you have any advice on which city would be a better base or tips for activities, we’d love to hear them. Thanks in advance for your recommendations! 😊

As a German, how do you feel about the representation of regular Germans in Hollywood movies, the bad guy? Oftentimes, people in these movies refers to Germans and Nazis equally, use slurs and offensive stereotypes. I found this especially true for action movie. Same is for video games, I can think about Call of Duty. Also, most of the German army were not SS, but normal dudes force into battle. I get that is still easy to hate on them not actively opposing the regime. In other words, quite often the average

Of course, many movies, instead, focus exactly on how actually many Germans were victims of the nazis as much as everyone else, but I feel like this is a more recent wave.

This, at least, is my perception of the average action/adventure movies between the 80’ up until 2010ish, which might be wrong as I’m not really a cultured cinema guy; but I guess this is really the point.

I also know that there is a lot of guilt culture in German education, so, I was wandering what do you think?

I'm asking because, as a Swede, I'm thoroughly tired of the compact inability of autocorrect software on modern cell phones to handle Swedish compound words (which they invariably treat as two or more words).

I'm curious because German is the largest language I immediately could think of that uses a similar amount of compound words as Swedish.

So basically ive been wanting to study in Germany, Berlin for about 2 years now, its been quite hard finding information and when i do its either extremely expensive boarding schools or universitys, im from eastern europe so finding programs to study abroad is difficult if you ofcourse arent searching for a university, I cant afford something as a private boarding school without a full or half scholorship, so is there any highschools in Germany, Berlin that have a scholorship program for foreign students ?

As the title says, I want to know what I have to consider in order to be able to move to Germany, from the Phillipines.

Financial Bureaucratic And so on

I will be grateful, if you could give me an answer.

Hi there I'm (17F) who currently has 1 more year to finish high school. I have a A2 certificate and am studying for my B1 exam (I'm gonna take the exam at the end of January wish me luck) . I'm planning of going to college in Germany but I don't know what I should do to apply there. So l'm asking for advice if anyone knows what I should do? I plan to study engineering if that helps? Also I'm asking what should I do if I indeed got accepted in any university there?

(Thanks for the help)