Picture one of the largest countries in Europe with a population of over 83 million people and probably the highest number of clinks of enormous glass beer steins per person. If Germany popped straight into your mind, then this post might be just what you need.
For many, this country is famous for being the place where citizens show admiration for efficiency, bureaucracy, and rules, and share a common love of sausages and bread. But it’s so much more than that. With their complex language and rich culture, there’s also the mesmerizing nature and thousands of medieval and more modern castles.
Plus, like every country in the world, it too has its own weird little quirks. To show you how unique this country truly is, Bored Panda has scoured the internet and put together a list that vividly illustrates everyday life in Germany. So continue scrolling, upvote your favorites as you go, and share your thoughts with us in the comments!
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A German Circus Is Using Holograms Instead Of Live Animals For A Cruelty-Free Magical Experience. And It's Cool
Instead Of A Bible, This German Hotel Leaves A Copy Of The UN's Declaration Of Human Rights
German Olympic Gymnasts Fight Against Sexualisation Of Women By Wearing Unitards For The First Time
To learn more about this fascinating land, we reached out to Sindy, the creator of My Life In Germany — a blog that provides information to ex-pats about studying, working, and living in this country. Sindy is originally from Hong Kong, but she decided to enroll in a master's program at a German university twelve years ago, and never looked back.
Sindy told Bored Panda some of the most interesting things she found while living there. "Germany is a very environmentally friendly country," she said. "Recycling is a big thing here. Streets are clean, people separate their garbage, and do not use plastic bags or straws."
Another intriguing thing she pointed out is that "many German highways have no speed limit. Driving over 200 kilometers per hour is a thrilling experience." Also, lots of people there "consider it a 'sin' to work on Sundays. You are supposed to do nothing on Sundays but rest," she explained and added that work also includes doing laundry or mowing your lawn.
When Traffic Comes To A Complete Stop In Germany, The Drivers, (By Law) Must Move Towards The Edge Of Each Side To Create An Open Lane For Emergency Vehicles
Agree - unfortunately there a lot of drivers here in Germany that can't wrap their head around such a simple and good idea. Or even worse they feel so entitled that those rules does not apply to them (in some cases even using the so called "Rettungsgasse" to leave the traffic jam by reaching the next exit or passing the emergency). It always makes my blood boil!
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Not in Finland. We do that if we hear/see an emergency vehicle but not if the traffic stops for any reason.
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We all know that in many other countries, doing this would end up with assholes taking that lane at high speed and putting everyone in danger.
Not just in other countrys, in Germany, too. I once wittnessed a driver using the „Rettungsgasse“ driving IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!
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It's called "Rettungsgasse" (rescue alley) and almost never works that smoothly.
It's getting better though since the punishment for not complying has become way more expensive.
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I look at this and if this was America, some a-hole would be entitled enough to cruise down the middle in their pick up
We have these ar*m*holes in Germany, too, alas.
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Nope, not here. It's for people whose cars have broken down ("Pannenstreifen">breakdown strip).
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If we did this in the US, some entitled asshat would try traveling down the middle instead of waiting his turn.
That's fairly standard. What do you do in America just sit in the middle and obstruct the road?
In America, most highways have shoulders that are wide enough for emergency vehicles to drive on so drivers don't really need to move. I have no idea what they do in cities where there are narrow or non-existent shoulders.
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And in Germany, they actually DO it. In so many other countries there would simply be chaos.
No not really... there are enough stupid or even worse self entitled people who do not understand/care about this life saving concept. And one or two cars, worse a truck, blocking the lane can ruin it all...
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If there's three lanes or more, the gap is built between the lane furthest left and however many there are on the right side. 1-format43.jpg 
We have a specified emergency lane on highways where I live, on either side of the regular lines.
In the U.S. if you see an emergency vehicle coming then you have to drive to the side of the road and slow down. That's the rule.
If you do that, you'll be fined at least 240 € and you will be banned from driving for a month
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This one is good because (unlike some of the other entries) it's an actual common thing
What, you mean, Common Sense? My god, does it have to be made law? Wish it was in this country
Isn't such common elsewhere? How do you get emergencies to accidents, then? I got stuck 5 hours recently, and ... yes, that we did. Of course. In some cases, the police even loses a jam from behind, in that the drivers who arrived last are told to turn around and leave the Autobahn on the next - observed by police - exit. We only have the space needed to turn around by standing arranged like this. And - it is always the left lane and the second left lane, because trucks are wider and located on the right lane.
needs to be implemented in every country, I noticed this happening in the UK
I'm not sure the majority of drivers here in the states would be capable of comprehending this.
It's the law in the US state where I live ... but of course laws only matter if you get caught, right? /s
and the fact that this happens often enough, that they made a law to deal with it. I mean ?????
This should be done worldwide! In the UK you would see w*ankers using this space to get ahead of the queue..
Their driver training (with safety protocols) is also exemplary.
And they do. And then they get out of their cars and meet the people around them and stand and chat until the emergency is over.
In the US we can't even get cars to stop at intersections to let emergency vehicles pass.
Great idea that would never go over in the U.S. We are a bunch of entitled people, who don't want to be told what to do and who firmly believe in "my rights come first." I live in state where the law states that when coming upon an emergency vehicle or a law enforcement vehicle, a driver must switch to the other lane, or at least slow down. It's a joke here. People don't want to be inconvenienced. A very sad commentary on our nation.
When you have highways with no speed limits, the usual accident involves at least 8 to 10 cars. I lived there for a while before this law was passed it was not unusual to have to wait a few hours before the helicopters came in and were able to rescue the wounded and clear the way... so this is a great idea.
Was in many backups on the Autobahn and I've never heard of this law or seen anyone do it. Also when you hit a jam it's usually bumper to bumper and no way to pull off
This is brilliant. Of course there would be some a-hole that would try to run up the middle to get "there" first.
Huh? Do people actually move to the side? Cause I've never seen that happen.
makes a hellova a lot of sense in america you'd probably see all the cars try to just go through the middle and make more traffic
I'd like to see my dear Israeli drivers do this. Even in my dreams it won't happen.
You cant creep over in America..cars are bumper to bumper when they stop. Otherwise I would always try to creep over. Then other cars would take my spot no doubt.
Not even gonna lie when I read the headline I thought it said "when a giraffe comes to a complete stop...." I had to read again when I scoured the picture and saw no giraffe. 50/10 disappointed there is no Giraffe to be seen.
And then they all get out and wait? Don't all countries pull over in some way?
We kinda do this on the motorway in heavy traffic if we hear a siren but otherwise not, would be faster for emergencies if we did it the german way but its better than nothin
This should be a must everywhere. I wish more people would move out the way!!!! It makes me so angry when they don't. Like hey what if you where in there, what if it's a kid or someone dieing like move the heck outta way
In America, you'd get some entitled people zooming down the middle. In Korea, you just made a third lane of traffic which will get bottle necked and cause more of a jam. I've seen it, it happens often.
This is also in Austria, punishable by law if you do not do so, and I agree completely. And I think that some other countries in Europe have this regulation as well.
I've witnessed this several times when driving in Germany. This is really something I would like to take home.
HAHA yeah we don´t do that. we should, and its the law...but we don´t do it
We are only supposed to get over if an actual emergency vehicle is coming. These folks leave an entire lane empty the whole time. Glad we have shoulders on the highway.
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German law also requires drivers to utilize the "zipper technique" when traffic must funnel from two lanes to one.
It's the law. Our driver's licenses are quite expensive because we need a lot of costly theoretical and practical lessons before we can even apply for a test, and rules and laws like these are part of the lessons.
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We tried passing this in a state in the US I lived in, but it was too much for anyone to bear ---- then they complain it takes forever for EMS to clear an accident! Ugh.
This used to be the case. There have been changes in laws and massive information campaigns to get people to make space as soon as traffic slows down. Once the traffic is very slow or even at a complete stop, it's almost impossible to move to the side efficiently, especially for trucks.
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Well we already have shoulders for this so yea….
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Actually on the emergency lane there could be cars that broke down, had a flat etc. blocking it.
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In April, Cherry Blossoms Bloom In Germany. Gifted By Japan After The Reunification
Planted in 1980, Bonn's "Cherry blossom tunnel" is among Germany's most spectacular
Tampons In Germany Have A Normal 19% VAT, Books Only 7%. So Tampons Are Sold As A Book With The Great Slogan "Stop Taxing Periods. Period"
This is such a great work around! The fact it is "needed", however, quite sickening...
"When I came to Germany, I fell in love with its beautiful landscape. We can easily find nice hiking trails for the weekend, or simply do a picnic next to a beautiful lake," Sindy noted the things she loves most about this country. "Besides, Germany is located in Central Europe. It is very convenient to do road trips to other European countries nearby."
Needless to say, Germany seems like a great country to be in. It "has a very good standard of living. Health insurance is mandatory in Germany, [so] poor people do not have to worry about medical costs," the blogger pointed out some of the benefits.
It turns out there are strong labor laws and high job security in Germany, so people can actually have a good work-life balance. Plus, "German people tend to respect other people's privacy. They do not normally work on the weekend or during non-office hours."
"Parents can also get a few hundred Euros monthly allowances from the German government per kid," she continued. "Public schools and also universities are free. That means students are not left with a huge amount of debt after graduation."
This Is The ‘Neustadt Kunsthofpassage’ A Building In Germany That Plays Music When It Rains
A German City Has Installed A Number Of Pods For Homeless People Fitted With Thermal Insulation To Sleep In
Kromlau Bridge, Germany
However, even if moving abroad is a thrilling experience full of new adventures, different cultures, and unfamiliar cities, no one is immune to culture shock. Sindy told Bored Panda that for her it was quite hard to get accustomed to the German way of life.
"The most challenging thing for me at the beginning was the German language. In my opinion, [it] is not easy to learn. Even though many German people can speak English, most official documents from the banks, insurance companies, or authorities are in German only," she said and revealed she often needed help from her friends, especially when dealing with the authorities.
The Technical University Of Munich, Germany Has Slides On The 4th Floor If You Didn’t Feel Like Taking The Stairs
Who would want to even take the stairs if there are slides. Weeeeeeeeeee!!
The Small German City Bad Vilbel Hadn't Enough Space In The City Center For A New Library Building. So They Build The First And Only Library Bridge In Europe
A Wheelchair Swing In Germany
People often have this stereotype that the citizens of this nation prioritize order and have a deep affection for rules, and Sindy believes it’s true. "German people are efficient workers. They do not like to do small talk as much," she added. "Instead, they like to get straight to business. Germans tend to have a strict separation of business and private life [and] they need to be very efficient so that they can get all the work done during their office hours."
Sindy also mentioned that Germans love rules. "For example, jaywalking is very frowned upon in Germany. People tend to stick to the rule and do not like to make exceptions. While it is a good thing, it can become quite bureaucratic and inflexible."
German Professor Who Is A Hardcore Star Wars Fan Has Just Repainted An Observatory Into R2-D2
Though I'd Show You Guys What We Do In Schools In Germany
Wuppertal Suspension Railway In Germany
Another quite common stereotype that apparently is true is that people there are very direct. "I was not used to it at the beginning. But now, I think that it is a good thing because it is better to know what people truly think." Also, it seems that Germans have a thing for planning. "Instead of throwing a party spontaneously, they like to plan it. This also applies to many other life aspects such as visiting a doctor, a hairdresser, or any government body. You should make an appointment instead of going there directly."
Crosswalk Signals In Friedberg, Germany, The Town Where Elvis Presley Served In The US Army
This House Covered With Overgrown Ivy In The Botanischer Garten Gießen, The Oldest Botanical Garden In Germany
After scrolling through this list, if you found having a deep urge to visit this beautiful country or even consider living there, Sindy has some advice for you. "If you plan to move to Germany, you should try to learn German as much as you can. Try to make local friends and grab any opportunities to speak German. You will feel much more integrated once you are familiar with the language."
Frankfurt, Germany Stunning Geometrical Parking Offers 60% Of Space And Easy Parking And Exit
In Germany There Is A Waterpark Called Tropical Islands. It's Literal Tropical Island Built Inside Old Blimp Hangar
"Women Only" Parking In Germany. About 7% Of Violent Crimes Agains Women Occur In Parking Garages, And This Is An Attempt To Make Parking Safer For Women
yes! those are closer to the exit and are better covered by cvt cameras aswell. if a man is parking there he won't get a fine (normally) but a lot of mean looks from other people. we also have family parking spots (or a bit older "mother and child" parking spots). those are wider and also closer to where the shoppping carts are located.
"German people may seem cold at the beginning. Instead of talking to strangers on the street, [they] make friends through other common friends or interests. Try to join some clubs such as sports or music clubs. You will meet other like-minded German people and can develop a life-long friendship," she concluded.
This Was My View As I Stepped Off The Train In Köln, Germany
Manhole Cover In Wiesbaden, Germany
Cat Shaped Kindergarten, Germany
In Germany You Can Play Pong With The Person On The Other Side Of Traffic Lights
There Is A Street Dedicated To Cherry Blossoms In Bonn Germany
Eschenheimer Turm
The oldest and most unaltered building in the foreground of Modern High Rises, Innenstadt district of Frankfurt, Germany. Erected, 15th century (1426-28).
This McDonald's Has A "Drive-Thru" For Boats. Located In Hamburg, Germany
In Germany, There Is An Elevator That Has An Aquarium Inside Of It
In Berlin, near Alexanderplatz. You can enter the building and see that elevator for free. The rest of the aquarium zoo needs a ticket.
German Supermarket Has A Genius In Charge Of Beer Promotions
This Bridge In Germany Was Painted To Look Like Legos
Germany Just Built An Electric Highway To Curb Pollution From Diesel Trucks
This Antique Door From 1380 In Regensburg (Germany) Helps Finding The Keyhole After You Drank Too Much Wine
In Germany We Have "Puke Sinks" In Some Public Places That Have Events Like The Oktoberfest
Shopping Cart Cleaning Machine In Germany
Snowy Bridge In Germany
The Old German Man Out Of LEGO Bricks In Front Of Legoland Germany Wears Sandals With Socks
My Gesellenstück. A Workpiece That You Have To Design And Build Yourself To Be A Licensed Carpenter In Germany
From Space, You Can Still See The Border Between East And West Berlin Due To The Different Types Of Light Bulbs Used In The Regions
Took me some seconds to realize that it's a photo, and not a cracked glass screen
The Germany Outdoors Store Has A Pool In The Basement Where You Can Try Out Canoes
This Is How Much An Emergency Ambulance Ride Ended Up Costing Me In Germany (10.00€)
A Black House In Germany
A House Being Moved In Germany
The Escalator At The Uni Stuttgart Stop Has Been Broken For Weeks
Giant Slide At A Playground In Germany
Such a short ending for a huge slide. I'd end up breaking both my legs
Standing Wave Surfing In A German Sports Store
I had seen this in Doremon only; makes me so happy this exists in real life
This Baggage Claim In Frankfurt, Germany
This Graveyard Rack Here Is The Most German Thing I’ve Seen So Far In 25 Years: Relatives Bring Their Own Watering Can And Lock It To A Designated “Watering Can Rack”
Guacamole In Germany
In Germany, They Serve Ice Cream Meant To Look Like Spaghetti
Note: this post originally had 105 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Unfortunately, while all these things exist, they are not common. I am from Germany and except for the canoe pool, which is in my city, I have never seen any of them. (Edit: Okay, the Rettungsgasse for emergency vehicles is a thing, that actuully works after they did quite a bit campaigning for it a few years ago. Especially the Autobahn in urban areas often don't have an emergency lane)
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I thought it would be fun to read an article about my own home country for once, however, what I immediately noticed were all my fellow Germans in the comments talking everything down. "The Rettjngsgasse does not always work, sometimes other people use the parking spaces for women, this is not everywhere..." Yes, Germans have a hard time accepting compliments! Not everything is available everywhere, that is true - after all, we are a whole country, not a village with 20 inhabitants only. Not everything is perfect - of course not!!! But it is nice to acknowledge every once in a while that efforts are being made. We have free health care and free education (free meaning paid with taxes which is okay), we have a social network, minimum wages, no-kill shelters, organisations like the "Tafel" who collect and distribute food and so on and so on. The internet oftentimes makes fun of us Germans - we are said to have no sense of humour or people assume we are all still nazis. Both is not true.
I understand, Yoga Kitty. I'm American. I also know our country is quite far from being perfect or even very good - we have a lot of work to do, and our government officials have a lot to answer for. On the very rare occasion BP makes a half-hearted attempt to point out the positive, interesting things about our country - and there are some - it turns into another bashing article, at least in the comments. So from my point of view, I thought this BP post was fairly positive. 🙂
Load More Replies... I didn't see a lot of these, but as with the US, Germany varies greatly by city and / or state. So what's common in, say, Hesse, may not be in Brandenburg, and vice versa.
And don't expect to understand people from everywhere - unlike tzhe US southern accent or some slanfg we have many different accents that require translations
Load More Replies... I’m moving to Germany now! I wonder if they have any good hockey teams?
I have had a number of friends who worked in Germany eventually settle there to raise families. Most plan on moving back to Canada, but felt that German society was more family friendly and they didn't have to carry obscene cost of Uni. Canadian youth do have to incur a fair bit of debt for their degrees.
How is the debt paid back? In Australia it comes out of your pay automatically at a certain rate depending on your income, so often you don't notice it, or you never pay it back if you are only on government assistance for example.
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I didn't enjoy go to google all the time to check which city some things were. Was not much to write the city because Germany it's very big.
Most of these specials are only available in certain places. I haven‘t seen most of these and i‘ve been to many german cities. Parking spots for women are the only thing available throughout germany. still, germany is a fun place :)
I have always wanted to go to Germany, and now I want to move there. Also want to learn German.
Jaja great pics, i didn't see the ones about an army, a defence budget or the ones about clean energy or just independent energy from Russia!! No wander their prime minister is reluctant to cut the Russia energy supply, but everything is good, they got noce stuff all over, so what another dictator invading another country been there done that, all good in Germany!!!
Y'all I know this is going to sounds insane but all of my other social medias have been taken over by my mother and they found some not ideal things between me and some boys and now everything has been taken away. I need help. Can someone please tell me how I can legally move out at 16 without parental consent? I cannot continue living in this house. I am not allowed to sleep in my bed. I am not allowed to pick out my clothes. They said if I leave they will press charges against me and anyone who helps I am so sorry someone please I need advice.
Post your question here: https://reddit.com/r/legaladvice/ You need to make an account first (free). Good luck.
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Finally, A post that isn’t a piece of garbage retelling why Japan is supposedly the best country. Finally, there is diversity on this site!
I'm just glad that it isn't just another post saying the same things that other posts say about the same topic.
Load More Replies... Actually, all of them. Look up Grafitti by "Moses", he's pretty famous around here in my beloved hometown of Hannover ... said to be about my age ... I have a suspicion he may be a guy I met and remotely knew around 1995, 1996 ... but I'm not sure if he's the one, and only met him like 10 times in 2...3 years.
Load More Replies... Another poorly disguised USA bashing article on BP. Food for thought: Germany is Russia’s number 1 customer for oil (by a HUGE margin too) and is, even despite all the sanctions, massively keeping the Russian economy in business.
Can’t people get a break from sad news for once in a long time?
Load More Replies... Unfortunately, while all these things exist, they are not common. I am from Germany and except for the canoe pool, which is in my city, I have never seen any of them. (Edit: Okay, the Rettungsgasse for emergency vehicles is a thing, that actuully works after they did quite a bit campaigning for it a few years ago. Especially the Autobahn in urban areas often don't have an emergency lane)
Load More Replies... I thought it would be fun to read an article about my own home country for once, however, what I immediately noticed were all my fellow Germans in the comments talking everything down. "The Rettjngsgasse does not always work, sometimes other people use the parking spaces for women, this is not everywhere..." Yes, Germans have a hard time accepting compliments! Not everything is available everywhere, that is true - after all, we are a whole country, not a village with 20 inhabitants only. Not everything is perfect - of course not!!! But it is nice to acknowledge every once in a while that efforts are being made. We have free health care and free education (free meaning paid with taxes which is okay), we have a social network, minimum wages, no-kill shelters, organisations like the "Tafel" who collect and distribute food and so on and so on. The internet oftentimes makes fun of us Germans - we are said to have no sense of humour or people assume we are all still nazis. Both is not true.
I understand, Yoga Kitty. I'm American. I also know our country is quite far from being perfect or even very good - we have a lot of work to do, and our government officials have a lot to answer for. On the very rare occasion BP makes a half-hearted attempt to point out the positive, interesting things about our country - and there are some - it turns into another bashing article, at least in the comments. So from my point of view, I thought this BP post was fairly positive. 🙂
Load More Replies... I didn't see a lot of these, but as with the US, Germany varies greatly by city and / or state. So what's common in, say, Hesse, may not be in Brandenburg, and vice versa.
And don't expect to understand people from everywhere - unlike tzhe US southern accent or some slanfg we have many different accents that require translations
Load More Replies... I’m moving to Germany now! I wonder if they have any good hockey teams?
I have had a number of friends who worked in Germany eventually settle there to raise families. Most plan on moving back to Canada, but felt that German society was more family friendly and they didn't have to carry obscene cost of Uni. Canadian youth do have to incur a fair bit of debt for their degrees.
How is the debt paid back? In Australia it comes out of your pay automatically at a certain rate depending on your income, so often you don't notice it, or you never pay it back if you are only on government assistance for example.
Load More Replies... I didn't enjoy go to google all the time to check which city some things were. Was not much to write the city because Germany it's very big.
Most of these specials are only available in certain places. I haven‘t seen most of these and i‘ve been to many german cities. Parking spots for women are the only thing available throughout germany. still, germany is a fun place :)
I have always wanted to go to Germany, and now I want to move there. Also want to learn German.
Jaja great pics, i didn't see the ones about an army, a defence budget or the ones about clean energy or just independent energy from Russia!! No wander their prime minister is reluctant to cut the Russia energy supply, but everything is good, they got noce stuff all over, so what another dictator invading another country been there done that, all good in Germany!!!
Y'all I know this is going to sounds insane but all of my other social medias have been taken over by my mother and they found some not ideal things between me and some boys and now everything has been taken away. I need help. Can someone please tell me how I can legally move out at 16 without parental consent? I cannot continue living in this house. I am not allowed to sleep in my bed. I am not allowed to pick out my clothes. They said if I leave they will press charges against me and anyone who helps I am so sorry someone please I need advice.
Post your question here: https://reddit.com/r/legaladvice/ You need to make an account first (free). Good luck.
Load More Replies... Finally, A post that isn’t a piece of garbage retelling why Japan is supposedly the best country. Finally, there is diversity on this site!
I'm just glad that it isn't just another post saying the same things that other posts say about the same topic.
Load More Replies... Actually, all of them. Look up Grafitti by "Moses", he's pretty famous around here in my beloved hometown of Hannover ... said to be about my age ... I have a suspicion he may be a guy I met and remotely knew around 1995, 1996 ... but I'm not sure if he's the one, and only met him like 10 times in 2...3 years.
Load More Replies... Another poorly disguised USA bashing article on BP. Food for thought: Germany is Russia’s number 1 customer for oil (by a HUGE margin too) and is, even despite all the sanctions, massively keeping the Russian economy in business.
Can’t people get a break from sad news for once in a long time?
Load More Replies...