I just want to know because I love learning about Germany and its history. I don't consider myself European; I'm just curious. So, my mother's family are all Germans. They came to Brazil after WW1 because of Germany's political and economic situation. On the other hand, my father's family is 25% German, while the rest is Spanish and Portuguese. My mother's side is still very influenced by German culture; they all know and speak German and are more connected to German traditions because they live in a German community. I just don’t know German because my father didn’t want me to learn it, but I’m learning now. My plan is to go to university and live there. One important thing to mention: I don’t consider myself German because I don’t want to disrespect anyone who is actually German. To me, I’m just Brazilian with a German family, and that’s all (even though we are trying to get the German citizenship, but the burocracy for it takes a long time) My question is mostly out of curiosity—what do Germans think about this?

Hi everyone! Hope everybody is doing well!

This is written especially for you, dear stranger sitting in the back, quietly considering voting for AfD or sympathizing with right-wing ideas without fully embracing extremism. I don’t know why you’re here on r/germany, but welcome—and you especially need to hear this. This is gonna be about the economy, here are some facts:

• 14.2 million people lived in Germany in 2021, who themselves had immigrated since 1950. Another 4.7 million people were direct descendants of immigrants. Only one parent of another 3.7 million people born in Germany had immigrated to Germany since 1950. There is also the third generation etc. We are talking about at least 22 million people with some kind of an immigration background, that is more than the quarter of Germany's population. (Source: destatis.de, Statistisches Bundesamt)
• Another fact, the share of the population in Germany aged 65 or over has been increasing every year. Germany has one of the highest shares of elderly population in Europe. (Source: destatis.de)
• As of 2023, Germany's labor force included 44.5 million individuals, around 12 million of them having migration background. This roughly corresponds to the same percentage of the population with the immigration background. (Source: statista.com)
• In 2023, the total fertility rate in Germany was 1.26 for German nationals and 1.74 for foreign nationals. (Source: Wikipedia)

Let's combine these facts into a narrative now. Germany already has an old population, and the share of old people is increasing non-stop. Old people need to be supported by the working age people, who pay taxes, support pensions, keep the economy running etc. The working age group is precisely the demographic that is joining the old population AND leaving the workforce at the same time. Not enough young people are entering the workforce to replace those retiring.

Why is there not enough youngsters reaching the working age? Here is some quick math. Assume that on average a woman is fertile for 30 years, and that a fertility rate of 2.1 is needed to maintain a stable population. Then, with the German fertility rate the population would shrink by

1−(1.26/2.1) = 0.4

This means a 40% population decline over 30 years. This decline would be a double whammy, as the larger proportion of the decline would be in the young, working population. I'm not gonna beat around the bush here, in such a case the German economy would be SCREWED way before we get to the year 30. That being said, the fertility rate is not even close to the replacement rate even when immigrant families are included in the math. This means that either

a) German families need to start pumping out babies. This is not happening, both German men and women are well educated, which is thankfully the case. But it also means that they don't wish to make babies.

b) You need a steady stream of immigration of people entering the country.

Consequently, if you remove immigrants, the German economy would collapse within a couple of decades at the latest. Plain and simple. Now, you might say: "ok, let's retain the people who are already here but don't let more of them in". This doesn't work either. As we've seen before, the fertility rate of foreign women is also below the replacement rate of 2.1. If Germany is going to sustain its status as a wealthy and a developed nation, it has to come to terms with the steady inflow of people. Oh, by the way, there are no magical "better immigrants" waiting somewhere either. Every developed country is in the business of attracting skilled workers and it is a competitive field. Germany is not even close to the competitive level either, it has at best an average level of attractiveness for talented people who are seeking a move to a new country.

Finally, I get that there are economic and social challenges that come with immigration. However, the right wing is twisting and manipulating the challenging situation to feed you fear and anxiety, in order to push their agenda. Propagating right wing ideas is the wrong way to go about fixing problems. Germany needs people, and the recently popularized political discourse in this country is already making it worse.

Germany has the capacity to become attractive for talented, smart and capable people. It needs to act on it though, otherwise you are digging your own grave, I'm just sayin'.

Peace ✌️

I am sharing my story because I believe no one should ever go through what my family has experienced. My 16-month-old daughter(Lia) suffered multiple high fevers (above 40°C) and febrile seizures, yet the medical professionals who were supposed to care for her repeatedly dismissed our concerns. Instead of receiving proper diagnosis and treatment, we were sent home again and again with nothing but fever-reducing medication and vague reassurances.

I ask you — what happens when the people we trust to save lives refuse to act? A Timeline of Medical Negligence
• Late November (Kiel Area): Lia had a fever over 40°C. The doctor confirmed a urinary tract infection but did nothing but sent us home.
• Early December: Her fever returned.
• Mid-December (Hamburg): We went to another hospital, told the history. The doctor refused to prescribe treatment and sent us home.
• Jan 2: Lia had a fever of 42°C. Her pediatrician did not even check her temperature, simply saying “Alles gut” and finally prescribing antibiotics.
• Jan2 (Evening): That night, Lia suffered her first febrile seizure. We had no idea what was happening — we thought she was DEAD. We called an ambulance and rushed to the hospital (Asklepios Klinik Nord — Heidberg).
• January 3–7 : The hospital ran basic blood tests and claimed everything was “fine.”
- Within 20 hours, Lia had another seizure. I rang the emergency bell, but it took forever for a nurse to come. She had no idea what to do.I had to push her to get a doctor. When the doctor finally arrived(at least 20mins after the seizure, she admitted that she came only for regular check and NO ONE had informed her.
- That night, Lia was moved to ICU and her fever spiked to 42°C again. A nurse mocked me for calling for help, treating me as if I was STUPID to a “simple problem.” Another doctor came in aggressively, saying, “I heard you want to talk?About what? ” with no intention of helping.
- After BEGGING for proper care, they gave her IV fluids — BUT the next morning, we realised that NOT a single drop had entered her body.
- January 28: Lia had another seizure. Ambulance and went to the Wilhelmstift. After 4 hours waiting, they sent us home with the same instructions: “Keep her fever under control.”

The Harsh Reality of the German Medical System
As a family, we pay ~€2K per month for health insurance, yet when our child needed urgent care, she was dismissed repeatedly.
• How can doctors ignore repeated seizures in a 16-month-old?
• Why is a desperate mother mocked instead of helped?
• How does a hospital fail to administer IV fluids to a critically ill baby?
• Why must parents beg and fight just to get basic medical care?

I want to trust this system. I want to believe people will do their jobs. But after this nightmare, I ask: Who can we trust? Where do we go when the system fails? Who is protecting our basic rights?

I demand accountability. I demand answers. And I refuse to stay silent.

Hi everyone! I’m looking to make long-term, long-distance friendships, preferably with someone who can understand my feelings and nature. I’d also love to connect with friends from anywhere in Europe or America – we can always figure out ways to get to know each other!

Im American, and I am scared of what is going to happen to me, as there are many demographics i fit into that our government is increasingly hostile to. What are your thoughts on US citizens trying to flee to Germany? I know a path to citizenship is difficult, and work visas don’t just fall in your lap. Do any of you have any experience or insight to people (reguees) fleeing to your country out of fear?

The irony is- is that my ancestors fled Germany for very similar reasons, and now I’m trying to find out a plan to escape the persecution here that’s seeming more inevitable by the day.

I just want to live somewhere where myself and my cats are wanted and are free. 😭 I’d also take simply being tolerated, if not wanted.

Can i use the DB LOUNGE in frankfurt flughafen with a first class ticket for ICE? I'm not from Germany so i'm kinda confuse. The airport website says yes, but the DB LOUNGE website says it needs to be a flex first class ticket. Any help it's welcome vielen danke

So theres this one exchange student from Germany whose I talked to for about 2 days. And he recently asked me whether I want to go out for a walk with him one on one AT 8pm or not (our houses are pretty close). Is this a date or is he just being friendly?? In class, he seems to make an effort to talk to me and tease me quite often, and I cant tell if he likes me or he wanted to be my friend. PLS LET ME KNOW cos I have a biggest crush on him

sorry for bad english (english is not my first language)

Evening all, got a strange question/situation that I'm struggling to find an answer on and wanted to reach out here before going further. I'm American, and if you watch world news at all you know what a cesspool out country is currently falling into. I want out. Full stop.

The issue is, I'm a roadie(it's not the 80's anymore, it's a real job that is highly competitive and challenging and I LOVE my job) So I tour full time with music artists and work for a company that is based in the us. They do not have a European office. Is it even possible for me to establish residency? I would have an apartment, I just wouldn't actually live there much but it would be home base none the less. I make good money, don't mind the increase in taxation at all, and would ideally like to have the long term goal of citizenship in mind. I have been to several cities for work and would ideally choose Berlin or Munich. I have every intention on learning the language, I want to integrate. But is my traveling job prohibitive? Thanks in advance for any advice or insights!!!

My current German skills are way below B1. I have passed Telc B1 but cannot converse in German language. Clearly you don't need to know a lot to pass the Telc certification.

in 2026 beginning, I want to start my remove MS data science in fern-uni hagen while doing a full time job... that uni requires "testdaf TDN 4"... just now I tried to read a book that uni recommends for mathematics for this MS course and I couldn't understand even a single sentence in that book... this freaked me out.

Is one year enough to go from my current level (A2+) to testdaf TDN 4? Any recommendations on how to prepare? I can put a max of two hours per day studying German language.

I don’t know why everyone insists that Germany has a skilled worker shortage? The only sector which is lacking is the caregiver for elderlies. I should finish my PhD soon in Engineering, but can’t find a job for 6 months now.

I was planning to study in Germany after finishing my International A levels. But the migration situation with the AFD makes me worried. I keep browsing the reddit and other sources about how likely they’re going to win and how my future will look like.

Is the AFD truly focusing only on deporting illegal migrants or all migrants? Why do some people say different opinions?

Hello everyone,

Like many, while searching for a new apartment, I came across the famous SCHUFA. I did my research on it, and decided to get the paid version of it, since that is the version that the majority of landlords want to see.

While trying to get a paid SCHUFA-report through ImmoWelt I was stuck in the step where I am asked if I want to get the SCHUFA-report as a PDF or through the post. In my opinion, having the possibility is one of the biggest advantages of doing the paid version of the SCHUFA-report, so that is the option which I would prefer. However, when I choose the option that I would like to have the SCHUFA-report as a PDF, I come across a problem where I am asked to provide information from my German ID (as an identification measure).

The photo below shows the view which I see when I choose the option that I want to download the SCHUFA-report as a PDF:

https://preview.redd.it/bafia35hulge1.png?width=1270&format=png&auto=webp&s=6adbb375d1881220a27a3c74cc1c71b5e8769953

I am not a German citizen, but rather a person who lives in Germany on a visa. I am wondering can the SCHUFA-report be downloaded as a PDF by a non-German, and is there any other identification method that could be used?

I don't want to wait weeks until I get the SCHUFA-report by post, and beside that, I think that it would be very discriminatory if it was only available as a PDF for people with a German passport.

Thank you in advance, I appreciate your help.

I bought an expensive camera (1000 EUR) from the Saturn online store. It was delivered by DHL and when I opened the package, I found the seal on the camera box was broken. I emailed customer support and they said it was probably broken accidentally and the content inside should be new. From what I can see, the camera seems to be fine. Is this something that can happen "accidentally"? Would you recommend I return the device and demand a different one?

Germany faces a major shortage of skilled workers, especially in engineering fields. For example, the bottleneck ratio for mechanical and automotive engineers is 368 vacancies per 100 unemployed engineers, and for electrical engineers, it's even higher at 558 vacancies per 100 unemployed (according to home-of-foundry.de). This shows there are far more jobs than qualified people. Given this, how do the AfD and its supporters justify opposing immigration, even for skilled workers who could help fill these gaps? Is it mostly cultural concerns, or do they believe domestic solutions are enough?

Checked Frankfurt Zoo but they don’t have Raccoons. Also went to a small zoo in Offenbach, they got a Raccoons area, but during our visit in the afternoon no Raccoons were visible from outside of the cage. There’s a small shelter in the cage but too dark inside to tell whether the Raccoons were taking a nap there. Would appreciate if anyone can share any place to see or even feed some raccoons!

Hello everyone, I’m looking to purchase a USB-C expansion part for my mini PC, but unfortunately, it’s only available in the US, and the seller does not ship to Germany. the part is tiny and weighs no more than 300 grams.

If anyone happens to be traveling from the US to Germany in the coming months and would be willing to bring it for me, I would greatly appreciate it and can compensate you for your help.

Unfortunately i failed to account for the fact that tomorrow would be a sunday and that all the grocery stores are closed and i have almost no food in the house, is there anywhere i can go tomorrow to get groceries or any restaurants that are open on sunday?

excuse my dumb question, its my first week in germany

I am looking to visit the fair and live far away so my question is does this book fair have English books or is it only German books?

Hello everyone

I'm from switzerland. About 15 years ago, my family went on a vacation to southgermany.

While there, i found a metal button on the floor in a field.

Does anyone know what kind of button this is?

I have a double name and was largely raised outside Germany so much of my documents (other passport, work, education, etc) is in it. But my German documents are all just in my dad's last name because the double name wasn't allowed. With the new naming law, can I change my name? Or do I have to wait for a "qualifying event" like marriage?

I'm currently living outside of Germany again so it's not a huge deal, but would love my name to match everywhere.

Hello guys. I'm interested to get my driving licence done. May I know like what's the cost required to clear the license test?

I am confused between studying masters in manufacturing technology at TU Dortmund and Mechanical engineering at RWTH ACHEN. Can somebody please guide me on what is more suitable for me based on the number of jobs and quality of studies.

Hello fellow gym goers. Is it hard to find a place to do InBody in Munich or in Germany in general? since back in my country it was available at basically every gym for a fee. I train at McFit but haven't found it

(21 M) Mid March I'm gonna be traveling to Frankfurt (3 days) and Hannover (2 days). I was planning to kinda just free-ball it and walk around until I just find something sick to do, but I would love any suggestions for either places to just go that really capture these places and not just the stereotypical tourist hits. Also any places to avoid.

I am pretty much open to anything but suggestions for any cool markets, coffee shops, bars and clubs food places , and nature/views would be awesome. I don't know how friendly Germans really are with foreigners or just in general but I really like the opportunity to just experience the local "vibes" of the people and these places.

Hi! I am moving into a new apartment with no internet and the only internet package available with a decent speed for the address seems to be Telekom Magentazuhaus M hybrid. However, they also have the option of "buying" the speedport4 modem for 10 extra euros every month. Is that a good deal or can I buy another router? I know nothing about how this works or if I need a specific type of router for this to work. Please help!!

Hi all, I’ve been living in Germany for a few months now while pursuing my master’s degree, and I’m generally on good terms with everyone on my dorm floor. However, there’s one person I’m starting to have issues with, and I’m not sure how to approach it without escalating things. I’m hoping some of you might have advice on how to deal with a passive-aggressive floormate.

At first, I had a good relationship with them, but lately, I’ve been noticing passive-aggressive behavior that’s starting to get uncomfortable. There have been several instances where I felt like they overstepped boundaries, whether it’s through actions or comments. For example:

Once, when we were deciding who would take care of the garbage for the week, I mentioned that I felt like my name had been added more times than others. They snapped at me and told me to “shut the fuck up.” They also started making a list of who would do the chores without consulting anyone, and since I had just moved in, I felt like they should have asked me beforehand about my availability. Another time, I had some brownies from a mutual friend and enjoyed them, asking if we could have more. My floormate then passed a remark about me “taking advantage of the friends kindness.” During winter break, their siblings were living in their room and invited me to bake cookies with them in the common kitchen, and I was going to help but decided to study instead. My floormate then said, “You’re just interested in eating,” which was unnecessary. I decided to be with them and help them for 2 hours. Recently, I had to address the issue of dirty dishes in the sink, and after a group chat discussion, everyone agreed to clean up. She was the only one who didn’t seem to care and started making passive-aggressive comments toward me about it. I’ve seen her behave similarly with others, especially with non-white people, they is a German ( I don't want to assume that they are racist or anything other, but the one time I saw them talking like so was to another non-white person) and I’ve let these comments slide, but it's starting to wear on me. I’m the kind of person who likes to maintain peace, but I’m finding it difficult to ignore their behavior anymore. They casually uses disrespectful language like telling people to “shut the fuck up” and doesn’t seem to care about boundaries.

How do you deal with someone like this? Should I confront them directly, or should I just continue to ignore it? I’d really appreciate any advice on how to handle this situation without making things worse. Thanks!

Hi guys, I am new to this country, will soon be moving to an apartment (which is on the 2nd floor) and am looking for furniture. I won't be living in this place for more than 3 years. I know ikea is a reliable option for getting furniture delivered to your apartment, but it feels absurd to buy everything brand new when I'll be moving anyway. I'm considering only buying a bed and wardrobe from there.

Which other cheap places offer home delivery? I know a lot of places e.g. Kaufland offer it, but the one time I ordered something online from Kaufland, the delivery person never rang the bell and instead left the packet at a Paketstation far from me. I cannot afford to risk this while ordering furniture, so I am asking here (in case someone recommends me to just Google)

I'll be living in a very small city. Would also like to know what other options I can expect to find, eg. if I can buy from a secondhand store nearby and another service could deliver the stuff to me. Would that be worth it (as in, cheaper than buying new furniture)?

Edit: I have no driver's licence, as mentioned in the title.

Hey Germans, this year i am planning on coming to Germany in order to study in media related field. I found two universities whose programmes i like, but can not decide which one to choose. One is in Dortmund and the other one is Mainz. Honestly, Mainz seems like a better option for me, but i would not be mad to be proven wrong. The main factors for me would be free time opportunities, nightlife, queer scene and weather. Thank you in advance!

Hi Guys I submitted by tax return to finanzamt and paid the tax as well for yearly income of me and my wife and other income approx. 200 k euros.
Now i realised i missed to file gain from stock market of approx. 2k euros because i was bit careless.
does germany tax department initate the tax evasion even when i am willing to voluntary fixed the return .
In germany is there a way to correct a tax return and dont raise red flags . Given i have already paid tax and i just forgot minor amount to declare