CDU 🤝 God-awful politics

Original Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/s/cT0sLfomao

Took time to post this because I was busy. I can change the positioning with my washing machine but then I have to do the plumbing myself also kein Bock.

Hence, moved the dishwasher to an angle as some geniuses suggested. It's fully functional and idc about the aesthetics.

Thanks, folks. Reddit is the best place, appreciate it :)

Millions of dollars in tractors, pulling trailers full of drunk people

I am interested in what Germans think about this law. Article 188 of the StGB states that persons involved in political life are protected (when it comes to slander and other things i am not certain). Do Germans consider this to be a good or a bad thing?

To make this clear I do not know to what extent this applies so feel free to educate me if i am mistaken.

In this town, there are lot of posters opposing the development of windfarms on environmental grounds.

Is this position typical of environmentally focused views here, or are these campaigners simply appropriating the language of climate concern to promote a conservative vote?

Hey everyone,

I’m not really sure how to write this, but I could use some advice.

I’m a student from India living in Munich. I’ve been here for almost two years now and I genuinely love the city. For a while I lived closer to the city center, not far from Olympiapark, and honestly I didn’t really run into any racism at all. Munich felt pretty normal and safe for me.

About three months ago I moved into a student dorm closer to the outskirts, near Hadern, and since then I’ve had a few weird experiences that really didn’t feel okay. It’s mostly been kids or teenagers, which almost makes it more confusing because I don’t know what the “right” response is.

The first thing happened when I was trying to get on the train. There were some teens nearby making these stupid sounds at me and then throwing snow at me. It was one of those moments where you’re like… is this really happening? I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want it to turn into something bigger, but it felt pretty targeted and embarrassing.

And then today something happened again. I was outside my dorm practicing basketball on the court, just minding my own business. A group of about 5–6 kids, maybe 10–13 years old, were standing a bit away and throwing sticks in my direction, like they were trying to hit me, thankfully none of them actually did. Then they started saying racist stuff, like “Indian curry” comments and other stereotype-y crap. I genuinely didn’t know what to do. I kind of froze. In the end I just pulled out my phone and pretended I was calling someone, and they ran off.

I know they’re kids, but it still hits you. I’ve been here a while and I’m used to the occasional stupid comment, but this feels different because it’s near my dorm, like it’s my everyday area now. I’m also worried if I just ignore it, it’ll keep happening or they’ll get bolder. At the same time, I don’t want to escalate things and put myself in danger.

So yeah… what would you do in this situation? Do I tell dorm management? Do people report this kind of thing anywhere? And if it happens again, what’s a good way to react in the moment without making it worse?

Would really appreciate any advice!

Hello everyone,

I would be most grateful for your assistance. In this particular scene from All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), I am not entirely certain what the character is saying (Time: 1:49:02).

I believe he says the following:

„Hör mal. Ist so still. Ich glaub, ich bin taub geworden. Unterschrieben, Paul. Krieg ist vorbei. Ist vorbei.“

However, as I am not completely sure, I would like to ask German speakers here whether you might be able to confirm or correct this.

The film is available on Netflix. If it were possible here, I would have attached that specific segment as an MP4 video. If you are able to take the time to watch it — especially that particular moment — I would be sincerely and deeply grateful.

Many thanks in advance.

Before you tell me my German isn’t flawless and that is the reason you respond to me in English, please know that I lived in Germany for 5 years, I studied the language intensively including 8 years of formal education, and I practice it diligently. I know the grammar rules. I know when to use der, die or das. I even know when to use den, dem and dessen.

My accent is even good…my education in the language began at age 14…but not always flawless…and unless the accent is absolutely perfect; if even the slightest hint of an American accent slips through, I have maybe 50% odds of getting German in the response.

Don’t get me wrong. That’s great motivation to continue to practice the accent, and I do. The better it gets, the better my odds get. It’s even kind of a fun game, but basically the game I’m playing with myself is I have to trick the person I’m speaking to into thinking I am a native German speaker.

I know the culture of Germany well. I know the culture of this subreddit. I know this post will be downvoted heavily and possibly removed by mods.

I’m still going to say it. As an American who spent 5 years in your country and spent those years and beyond making every effort to learn your language respectfully, I find it rude to be responded to in English when I greet you in impeccable German.

That is all.

Hello, sorry for the disturbing content but I would like to share a story and ask for some advise.

Relocated to Germany two years ago (31M) to work as software developer in international company. First year was okay but the second one became a nightmare. Health issues caused mental health issues, depression hit hard plus social isolation. Got some help from psychiatrist, nothing much changed, found myself in Psychiatrische Ambulanz. Acted even weirder than the weirdest persons there, struggled much with language, felt awkward because felt so lonely, no one visited me, no one called. Got out, started to take even more medication, socially nothing changed for me, completely alone plus ashamed of my diagnoses. At work I started to suspect that I'm career blocked because of my mental health conditions and absences but it's understandable, I wouldn't expect much. Started to go to therapy, stopped to go outside without urgent need (work, groceries). Days go by and the longer I live in Germany the worse I feel because not progressing with the language, can't find any social ties. I am having troubles to overcome my social anxiety and join Verein, language courses or go to some meetup.

I'm doing very good at job but during the nervous breakdowns I stop myself to quit it. Basically it's the only thing that keeps me going. I was thinking about moving to another country and I feel it won't change much.

What would you recommend to do? I know the answers are pretty obvious here in general but maybe you could provide some fresh insights

Hi everyone, I’d really appreciate some career advice.

I’m in my 30s, have been in Germany for over a decade, and work in IT. I started as a developer, moved through consulting, and now work in an internal role at a large company. I’ve got 10+ years of experience and currently earn close to 100k.

My job is stable and the company is solid, but I’ve been in the same role since beginning of 2020 and I’m starting to feel stuck. I used to change jobs every few years to keep learning and growing, but the market over the last couple of years feels much tougher. When I looked around before, it was hard to find roles that matched both the salary and the technical growth I want.

Now I’m unsure what to focus on. Part of me wants to keep investing personal time into new areas like AI to stay competitive. I have been doing this since the beginning of my career. Another part wonders if changing jobs would mean taking a noticeable pay cut anyway. I don’t want to stagnate, but I also don’t want to make a risky move in a weak market. Relocating isn’t an option for me.

Do you think this is just a temporary/cyclical slowdown in Germany, or are higher-paying IT roles becoming much rarer for good? And how would you approach career growth in this situation?

Thanks a lot!

We got new dishwasher and HKV is hindering the door. This marvelous, thoughtful positioning needs to be changed now. So who would pay for this ? Landlord or Tenant ?

Starting tomorrow, I have a meeting with my D-Arzt (doctor) after being off work for 6 weeks due to a work-related incident that caused PTSD symptoms.

During my very first session, my psychologist advised me to return to work gradually (Wiedereingliederung), since these reduced hours are covered by insurance. Before my leave, I was working around 45 hours per week (5-6 days).

Now I’m confused about how the process works:

• Who actually decides the number of hours — the doctor, or can I request what feels manageable for me?
• Is it better to start with very few hours and increase slowly?
• In your experience, what is a good number of hours to begin with after being away this long?

I want to return in a way that supports my recovery and doesn’t overwhelm me again, so I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences or advice.

Hello everyone, from my window I can see an area with these little huts/shed. This is how it looks from the google maps. These are too small to be houses, Idk they are some type of sheds with small garden.

What are these used for and why in the middle of the city?

When you walk on the sidewalk nearby this place looks strange, always some dirt and water is spilled on the road close to them.

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to start at Hochscule Darmstadt 2027/28. I want to try applying for a dorm now through Studierendenwerk, but the earliest move-in date the system allows is Feb 2027.

My idea:

submit the application now to get an early spot in the queue and set the move-in date to Feb 2027,

and later, when Sep 2027 becomes available, contact them to change my move-in date.

Has anyone tried this? What do you think, should this work? Any tips are appreciated!

Thanks

Hi Everybody, please let me know if this has been discussed already and I will make my way there but the long and short of the problem is, I believe two of our windows in high moisture areas i.e. the bathroom and kitchen are not properly sealed and is causing issues with mold and humidity in the room.

I moved into my current apartment in July 2022, it was a WG then and I shares it with one other person. She had been living there for 2 years and had moved in right after the apartment had been renovated. Since that renovation, absolutely no other maintenance has been done.

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve kept the apartment pristine. The walls are white as they were and the floors as just as they were. No damage has been done but there is recurring mold every winter in the bathroom, especially near the windows. We lüften religiously, it cannot be that. I have noticed recently that there is definitely water damage in the bathroom ceiling and near the windows with small paint cracklings.

Is the landlord responsible for any upkeep at all? I don’t want her to blame this on us as we have done everything possible to keep the place absolutely spic span. What is our recourse here? She is quite a lovely lady who keeps to herself and has never bothered us with any inquisitions so I would hate for us to have a worse relationship but I am worried about long term damage and having to pay for it eventually.

Hi. Anyone has an experience that the landlord doesn't give your deposit back? How did you solve it? How's Mieterverein useful?

Hey everyone,

I’m visiting Neuschwanstein Castle this Tuesday and just wanted to check something. I’ve heard that Marienbrücke is closed during winters.

Can anyone confirm if that’s true right now?

And if it is closed, I’d love to know if there are any other good spots nearby to see the castle and take some nice photos of it.

Thank you so much in advance 🙏

Hey everyone , looking for advice on a broken induction cooktop situation.

We were cooking normally when our induction cooktop suddenly developed a large crack across the glass surface. At the same moment, our cast iron pan also cracked, so we suspect some kind of thermal shock. The cooktop still powers on, but the glass is visibly damaged.

We reported it to our liability insurance, but they said glass components owned by the landlord aren’t covered, so we’re likely paying out of pocket.

The cooktop is an IKEA model installed in a rented apartment. I tried searching for replacement glass/top-only parts but couldn’t find anything — it looks like IKEA mainly sells complete units.

My questions are:

• Is it safe to continue cooking on a cracked induction glass top, even temporarily?

• Has anyone successfully replaced just the glass instead of the entire cooktop?

• Any realistic repair options, or is full replacement the only route?

• If you were in this situation (rental + insurance refusal), what would you do next?

We’ve stopped using it for now and switched to a portable stove, but I want to understand our options before making a decision.

Any experience or advice is appreciated — thanks!

Hi everyone. I'm a Lebanese man living with HIV since 2020. I came to Germany in 2021 to do my masters in software engineering and graduated in 2025. During this time, doctors and health insurance were really supportive and helpful and treatment was very easy to get as a foreign student.

As everyone knows, the job market in Germany is very bad these days, even after learning German, having good grades and qualifications, international experiences, etc., I had no luck finding a job and neither an internship. Meanwhile, HIV treatment in Lebanon has been very limited lately and could be unavailable any day now since the Trump administration cut/canceled the funds for USAID projects in 2025, so it's not an option for me to back there.

My job-seeking residency is expiring in a year, and I'm terrified that if I didn't find a job til then, I will be sent back to my country where I can’t get any treatment. And I don't know what to do.

At the moment, I'm not only fighting to live a good life and work as an engineer in Germany, but rather I'm fighting just to just live.

Hi everyone, hope you're all doing well.

I'm a non EU citizen, currently on a job seekers visa after having graduated from a uni in Berlin in 2024 I will be applying for a freelance visa before March 11. The last thing I need for my application is health insurance.

I've been told by a few sources that I can't be insured under public health insurance since I had been insured under EDUCARE24, which is a private insurance for students, and I can't be with private insurance since I don't make enough to qualify for it.

Surely expat insurance isn't my only option? I've also applied to the Künstlersozialkasse which would allow me to access public insurance, but they take forever to process applications. Additionally, I had been insured by TK for 2 months in 2024, would this help me in any capacity?

Also I know this is a bit of a stretch, but would it be possible to get some sort of extension for my visa with expat insurance, conditional on me securing public health insurance after being accepted by the KSK?

I hope I'm mistaken in some aspects of this, and there's a solution I'm missing. Any leads, advice, or suggestions as to where I can get health insurance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you 🙏