Germany

While relatively small by world standards, Germany's attractions tend to be bigger than in the surrounding European neighbour countries, which is no surprise as Germany is the biggest country in Central Europe, runs Europe’s biggest economy, and has the largest population on the continent (excluding Russia). The country's financial capital (Frankfurt) features an unusual skyline for Europe with its many high-rise buildings, including the continent's tallest office tower. Berlin, though, because of the country's decentralized structure, is not as dominant in Germany as London is in the United Kingdom or Paris in France. Nevertheless, it has been touted as one of the world's most fashionable big cities since the early 90s. The world's most famous beer culture is centered around Southern Germany's leading city (Munich), where beer is traditionally served in 1 liter mugs (not in Kneipen (pubs) and Restaurants); Munich is also the site of the annual Oktoberfest, Europe's most visited festival and the world's largest fair. Germany's biggest winegrowing areas are Rheinhessen and Pfalz (Palatinate). While Rheinhessen produces slightly more wine the Palatinate is the biggest coherent wine growing area in Germany. The biggest wine fest worldwide with over 600 000 visitors each year is held in Bad Duerkheim on the German Wine Route. German cars such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen (VW) are famous internationally for their quality. This quality is matched by Germany's excellent network of roadways including the famous Autobahn network, which has many sections without speed limits and lots of speed hungry drivers on it. Germany also features an extensive network of high speed trains - the InterCityExpress (ICE). Germany was the host of the FIFA World Cup 2006

History

Eisenhardt Castle in Belzig (Brandenburg) The roots of German history and culture date back to the Germanic tribes and after that to the Holy Roman Empire. Indeed, Germany as a single state has existed only till 1806 and then since 1871, when a large number of previously independent German kingdoms (created by Napoleon) united under Prussian leadership to form the German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich). The empire ended in 1918 when Emperor (Kaiser) Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate after Germany's defeat in World War I (1914-1918). The Empire was followed by the short-lived Weimar republic, which tried to establish a liberal, democratic regime. However, the young republic was plagued with extensive economic problems, strong antidemocratic forces and inherent organizational problems of the Weimar constitution. 1933 witnessed the final rise to power of the nationalistic and racist National Socialist German Workers' (Nazi) Party and its charismatic leader (Führer), Adolf Hitler. Under the Nazi dictatorship, democratic institutions were dismantled and a police state was installed. Jews, Slavs, Gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped people, socialists, communists and other groups not fitting into the Nazi ideology faced persecution, and ultimately murder in concentration camps. Hitler's militaristic ambitions to create a new German Empire in central and eastern Europe led to war, successively, with Poland, France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States - despite initial dazzling successes, Germany was unable to withstand the attacks of the Allies and Soviets on two fronts in addition to a third front to the south of Austria in Italy. In 1945, Germany lay in ruins with most major cities bombed to the ground. Furthermore, losing 25% of its territory, east of the newly imposed Oder-Neisse frontier to Poland and the Soviet Union caused a major refugee crisis following the end of the war. Even more stateless people came with the massive numbers of ethnic Germans expelled from their eastern european homelands in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia. Numbers totaled over 10 million. After devastating defeat in World War II (1939-1945), Berlin was divided into four sectors, controlled by the French, British, US and Soviet forces. The eastern half of Germany was given to Poland and the Soviet Union. With the beginning of the Cold War, the entire country was divided into an eastern part under Soviet control, and a western part which was controlled by the Western Allies. The western part was transformed into the Federal Republic of Germany, with Bonn as the capital. The Soviet-controlled zone became the communist German Democratic Republic (GDR). Berlin had a special status, with the eastern part featuring as the capital of the GDR. The western sectors of Berlin were de facto an exclave of the Federal Republic. On August 13, 1961 the Berlin Wall was erected as part of a heavily guarded frontier system, and hundreds of Germans trying to escape from the communist regime were killed here in the following years. In the late 1960s a desire to confront the Nazi past came into being. Students' protests beginning in 1968 successfully clamoured for a new Germany. The society became much more liberal, and the totalitarian past was dealt with more unconcealed than ever before since the foundation of the Federal Republic in 1949. Post-war education had helped put Germany among countries in Europe with the least number of people subscribing to Nazi ideas. Willy Brandt became chancellor in 1969. He made an important contribution towards reconciliation between Germany and the communist states. Germany was reunited in 1990, a year after the fall of the GDR's communist regime. The re-established eastern states joined the Federal Republic on the 3rd of October, a day which is since celebrated as the German National Holiday (Tag der Deutschen Einheit). Together with the reunification, the last post-war limitations to Germany's sovereignty were removed.

Culture

Throughout the world, especially in the English-speaking countries, Germany and the Germans have earned themselves a reputation for being stiff, brusque and strict with rules, but also hard working and efficient. As with all such clichés, these should be taken with a grain of salt. The German language is not as smooth as English, so even a friendly word can sound harsh to the English-speaker (not to mention the French, for that matter). More importantly, the German sense of "politeness" differs significantly from the Anglo-American concept of courteous remarks, small talk and political correctness. Germans highly value honesty, straight talking, being able to cope with criticism and generally not wasting other people's time. Consequently, business meetings (though not necessarily shorter than American ones) tend to lack the introductory chit-chat. On the other hand, there is also a strong desire to achieve mutual agreement and compromise which can easily drive an American manager mad. As for the infamous efficiency: Germans are the world's leading recreationists (at an average of 30 days of paid leave per year, not counting public holidays), while maintaining one of the highest productivities on earth. A late-running train is considered a sign of the degradation of society. Arriving more than 5 minutes late to a meeting is about as damaging as slapping your opponent in the face and will only be tolerated with unknowing strangers, unless you can cite a late-running train in your defense (which is a bit like using "the dying grandmother" as an excuse: It cannot be used too often before it becomes unbelievable).

Politics

Germany is a federal republic, consisting of 16 states ('Bundesländer'). The federal parliament ('Bundestag') is elected every four years in a fairly complicated system, involving direct and proportional representation. A party will be represented in Parliament if it can gather at least 5% of all votes or at least 3 directly won seats. The parliament elects the Chancellor ('Bundeskanzler', currently Angela Merkel) on its first session, who will serve as the head of government. The formal head of state is the President ('Bundespräsident', currently Horst Köhler), who gets barely involved into day to day politics and has mainly ceremonial and representative duties. Nevertheless every law passed by the parliament has to be signed by the president. He can also suspend the parliament, but all executive power lies with the chancellor. The 'Bundesländer' are represented at the federal level through the Federal Council ('Bundesrat'). Many federal laws have to be approved by the council. This can lead to a situation where Council and Parliament are blocking each other if they are dominated by different parties. The two most powerful parties are the Christian Democratic Party ('Christlich Demokratische Union (CDU)') and the Social Democratic Party ('Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD)'). Due to the proportional voting system, smaller parties can also be represented in parliament. "Smaller" parties of relative importance are the Christian Social Party ('Christlich Soziale Union' (CSU)', most important party within Bavaria, a kind of CDU subsidiary), Liberals ('Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP)'), the Green party ('Bündnis 90/Die Grünen') and since summer 2005, the new Left Party (Linkspartei.PDS), founded from the "PDS" and the Alternative for Work and Social justice (WASG). There have been some attempts by extreme right-wing parties (NPD - National Democratic Party / REP - Republicans) to get into parliament, but so far they have failed the 5% requirement (except in some State parliaments, currently Saxony and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania).

Germany is a very safe country and the law is strictly enforced. There are no ghettos but certain city areas should be visited with care. Recent statistics show a significant drop in major crimes like murder or robbery. Pickpockets can be a problem in large cities or at events with large crowds. Big cities also have their share of beggars and punks, but they are not dangerous. Germany has one of the world's best social systems, at least keeping its inhabitants alive, so those asking for money may be "professional beggars" who want to improve their standard of living. It is not illegal to give money to them, but keep in mind that they do not really need it. Except for the very few outside of the welfare system for various, individual reasons.

Emergencies

The nationwide emergency number is 112 for medical emergencies and fires, while the police emergency number is 110. Even if you call the "wrong" number, your call will be forwarded to the right emergency services. These numbers can be dialed toll-free from any phone, including phone booths and mobile phones, even those without a valid SIM card. If you're reporting an emergency, the usual guidelines apply: Stay calm and state your exact location, the type of emergency and the number of persons involved. Don't hang up immediately, the operator may have further questions. The German Polizei [14] is not corrupt (they do not have to prosecute every misdemeanor, so talking to them in a friendly and careful way might help ...) and generally competent. They received special training to deal with tourists in preparation for the 2006 World Cup. Many officers speak basic English, or have colleagues who do. There are emergency telephones interspersed along the main motorways. Medical emergencies All except for the smallest private hospitals (Krankenhäuser) have 24 hour emergency rooms able to cope with all kinds of medical problems, although you may have to wait if your problem is minor (in this case, the word "minor" is used in a very extensive sense). The German health system allows specialists to run their own surgery so you will be able to find every discipline from Dentistry to Neurology on duty within reasonable reach from even the most remote villages. Ambulances can be summoned via the national toll-free emergency number 112 and will help you regardless of insurance issues. The ambulance service, in contrast to the Anglo-American system, does not follow a "load and run" philosophy but uses the "Notarzt"-System: A specialised emergency physician (typically an anesthesiologist or emergency room surgeon), together with a small team of paramedics works in a full-fledged mobile intensive-care unit, trying to stabilise critically ill or wounded patients at the scene before transporting them to the emergency room. Hence, if you should be unfortunate enough to get to see them in action, do not be distressed by a delayed transport from the scene. Pharmacies are called "Apotheke" and are marked by a big, red "A" symbol [15]. At least one pharmacy per city or suburb will be open at all times, and pharmacies with limited hours will post the name and address of this pharmacy in the window. Be warned that a lot of medication that is freely available in other countries (e.g. Antibiotics and the "morning-after pill") needs a prescription in Germany, so you may want to check before your journey. The staff of an Apotheke always consists of specially trained personnel, as it is mandatory to have a university degree in pharmaceutics to run an Apotheke in Germany. So, a German pharmacist is able to assist your medical needs in a highly professionalised way like in other countries only a doctor could do.

Racism

Racism is not as bad as many foreign people think, having in mind the Nazi era. Actually, you will encounter less racism than in most other western countries. Most large cities in Germany are extremely cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic with large communities of foreigners including non-whites and religious minorities. People in Germany are aware of the issue and will usually be tolerant or at least politically correct; public displays of overt antisemitism are forbidden by strict laws. Most foreign visitors never deal with issues of open discrimination or racism. The most common forms of racism against non-white visitors include wary looks (often caused by uneasiness or insecurity), some snubbing, and at worst (very rarely) verbal insults. In parts of the former East Germany (including the outskirts of East Berlin), the situation is different. Higher unemployment rates and the desperation caused thereby are fertile grounds for racist ideas; consequently, there are more incidences of racist behavior than in the West with somewhat more frequent outbursts of physical violence, although such events remain rare and out of the ordinary even there. Most incidents happen in the evening/night when groups of drunken "Neo-Nazis" look for trouble (i.e. solitary victims) downtown or near public transport stations. It is however unlikely that 'white' tourists to get in trouble with this bunch of people. In the Ruhr area, also suffering from unemployment, a similar development has been observed recently.

Papers, please!

In cities the police and custom officers are working to control illegal immigration, mainly at construction sites and small businesses. It is a good idea to have a passport and/or visa papers with you, especially when you are obviously not German. If you don't, you could at best face a considerable delay as your story gets checked, and at worst more serious consequences. Again, remember that German police are generally very helpful, but they have heard all the stories about "I forgot my papers" before and will likely be skeptical of your explanation. If you leave your papers at the hotel, at least take a photocopy with you.

Prostitution

Prostitution is a legal business in Germany. Pimping and taking advantage of the sex workers (official term) is illegal. All larger cities have a red light district with licenced bars, go-gos, escort services and separees. Tabloids are full with ads and the internet is taking over as the main contact base. Be aware of the huge amounts of fakes. Brothels are not necessarily easily spotted from the streets. Best known for it's red-light activities are Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne. Due to the proximity to Eastern Europe several cases of human trafficking and illegal immigrations have taken place, and the police are doing regular raids to keep this business in its legal boundaries. In general the police are not interested in the clients but better have some ID with you.

Drugs

Be aware that--Germany being a federal state--laws may vary from state to state, getting more lenient the further north you go. In Bavaria the laws on drugs are very strict. You will get prosecuted for carrying any amount of drugs, even less than 5 grams marijuana. This traveller emerged from an overnight train to Munich to be confronted by Bavarian customs officials of some description asking for "purpose of visit, you take drugs? e.t.c" In most Länder (states), possession of less than 5 grams of marijuana (in northern Schleswig-Holstein the limit is 30 grams) for personal use is illegal, but it won't be prosecuted: The police will confiscate it and a formal complaint will be filed, to be dismissed for want of sufficient ground. All other recreational drugs (e.g. ecstasy) will definitely lead to prosecution and earn you at least a police record. Bringing marijuana into the country--even for personal use only--will be prosecuted as drug trafficking.

Protection of minors (Jugendschutz)

Germany has a strict Jugendschutzgesetz (= protection of minors), regulating what people under a certain age can and can´t do. Staying out

• Age 13 and under: Not allowed in public places after 8:00 PM unless accompanied by a parent
• Age 14 and 15: Not allowed in public places after 10:00 PM unless accompanied by a parent
• Age 16 and 17: Not allowed in public places after 12:00 AM unless accompanied by a parent

Buying computer games and movies, watching a movie at the cinema Computergames and movies have age classifications on little logos somewhere on product saying: "USK" (for computer games) or "FSK" (for DVD, VHS movies and at the cinema) The most common age classifications are:

• "Ohne Altersbeschränkung" (no restriction)
• "ab 6" (age 6 and older)
• "ab 12" (age 12 and older)
• "ab 16" (age 16 and older)
• "ab 18 / keine Jugendfreigabe" (age 18 and older / not for minors)

You might be asked for a document proofing your age when buying computer games or DVD/VHS at shops, or at the cinema.

Sanitary and medical facilities in Germany are excellent. The phone book lists telephone numbers for various medical services, many hotlines and services exist that are open during "off hours". Emergency services (fire brigade and ambulances) can be reached via the telephone number 112. This number works from any phone without charges, even otherwise locked cell phones. On the Autobahn, you should prefer the frequent orange emergency posts because they'll automatically transmit your exact location. As always, check with your insurance company about coverage before traveling abroad. Tap water is safe for consumption, in some areas it is even of very high quality, you may wish to employ caution with public sources of water (restrooms et cetera) but even these should not be harmful. Exceptions will be labeled ("Kein Trinkwasser", no drinking water). Many lakes and rivers, as well as both the North Sea and Baltic Sea are generally safe for swimming. This depends on the locale, however. A 2006 survey by the German automobile club ADAC showed that the water at the beaches of the North and Baltic sea is in a good to very good condition with the exception of two sites near Kiel and Lübeck. Nevertheless, while there may be no life-threatening pollutants in most bodies of water, you would do very well to inform yourself about local regulations. If you intend to swim in a large river, at best do so only on official bathing locations. Keep away from structures in the river or reaching from the shore into the river, also keep out of the path of ships. Both structures and ships, even if they look harmless or far away, may create major sucks underwater. Watch your (and others') children. If you intend to visit the North Sea, you should inform yourselves about the tide schedules and weather conditions - getting caught in a tide can be fatal, getting lost in the mist, too. Hiking in the Wattenmeer without a local guide is extremely dangerous, so keep out if you do not really know your way around. There are no tides in the Baltic Sea. Finally, while there is really no dangerous wildlife in Germany, you should be aware of rabies (Tollwut) which has been a problem in some areas in the past. If you want to go to Germany for hiking or camping, you should inform yourself about the situation at your destination and take appropriate precautions. Normally, you won't have to worry about it however. You usually need a permit to camp or make a campfire and German authorities can be quite strict about this. The most serious risk are two diseases transmitted by ticks. In some parts of Germany there is a (low) risk of contracting tick-borne encephalitis; an inoculation is advised if you plan out-door activities in high-risk areas. The risk of Lyme disease is much higher, and inoculation is not available. Therefore, you should try to prevent tick-bites by wearing long trousers and appropriate shoes. Chemical repellents can also be effective. You should also check for ticks afterwards, since the risk of transmission is lower if the tick is removed early. If in any doubt consult a doctor, especially in high-risk areas.