What is typical German?
The everyday experiences of living in Germany mix all the common clichés, such as being punctual, disciplined, wearing sandals with socks, working hard. But German culture goes far beyond these clichés. In this way, living in Germany for more than a decade opens up an amazing glimpse into German culture.
Different countries – different customs. This is true. No matter how much German ancestry you have, if you were not born and raised here, of course, you will feel the difference.
I receive many questions about what is typical German. Even from Germans who are interested in what foreigners think of them.
But after all, what is typically German? Punctuality, of course! But we all need and benefit from it.
But if Germans work so hard, how come German cafés and parks are full during the day?
What about beer, and bread, and silence on Sunday?
Do Germans love to protest? Do they really complain about everything? What about waste sorting? Are they really crazy about soccer and breakfast? Are they the best in technology, organization and discipline?
After all, are the Germans different from what the world thinks about them?
Yes, in general, Germans are very committed to the issue of sustainability.
Did you know that in 2016 Germany became the first country in the world to plan the end of gasoline-powered cars?
That is, exactly one of the countries that invented the combustion engine.
Did you know that in 2017 the local administration of the city of Hamburg in Germany ordered a ban on the use of espresso capsules inside public buildings in the city? This was at the height of the success of espresso machines.
At that time, according to the local environmental office, 9.8 billion of these capsules were already being sold worldwide each year, but only 5% of these are recycled. If all the capsules consumed were lined up in a row, it would be possible to drive 12 times around the planet with them.
Yes, these are just a few examples of how the country shows willingness in the search for a more sustainable world.
Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday 28 March 2021, 02:00 local standard time
Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday 31 October 2021, 03:00 local time.
Germany’s environmental pioneering goes back a long way. The country was the first in 1916 to adopt Daylight Saving Time as a national policy. Some cities in Canada and New Zealand had already used the mechanism of advancing the clock in summer in order to have more time for sunlight, but it was the then still German Empire which transformed this into an official program. The idea was to save energy, and therefore fuel, which was in demand at the front in the First World War. The war ended, but the economic gains remained.
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