My wife started her quest for driving license last year. For the simplicity, we chose to stay with automatic transmission as thats what we use for our car.

She studied for her practical exam very hard and passed in first attempt. All questions correct.
Then came 3 months of driving lessons which she was doing 2-3 times a week.

1. In August she failed her first exam. The original driving instructior was bit too strict and according to him she was not ready. She failed that exam because she was too slow on Landstrasse. We chalked that failure thinking that she really was not ready. She was learning on BMW X1

2. In September, the driving school changed the instructor and changed the car 2 Golf. I have personally met the instructor and he is a nice young gentleman. This time she failed because she went few centimeters beyond white line at a traffic light and later driving 35 in 50 zone.

3. After the second failure, I decided to do a few ride alongs to really see how she is driving. I did 3 sessions together week apart and with each session progressively getting better. Yesterday's ride along was almost flawless and we drove for 1.5 hours(which is already long and stressful for city driving)

4. Today she had the practical exam and her road test was perfect. She failed the S-Parken where she went little over pedestrian way. Immediate failure.

We are at the end of our wits and we have already invested 3k+ Euros in this. I am reaching out to community for some suggestions. From my point of view, its just an examination stress. In my ride alongs, I saw that she is driving quite well. Its getting unnecessarily stressful and so difficult to cope with when the end is so near.

I have recently (few minutes back) posted about the same question but as the post was used with the help of AI for sugar coating the words, I'm posting again with my own words and invested time.

Back to some important reminders again,

* 41.8°C recorded temperature - Möckern-Drewitz, Saxony-Anhalt, on 27 June.
* Only 171 liters of precipitation per square meter
* 29.4°C overnight minimum
* Around 16,000 estimated heat-related deaths in Germany through calendar week 36 of 2026

Sources:

• https://www.wetterdienst.de/Deutschlandwetter/Thema_des_Tages/6684/deutschlandwetter-im-sommer-2026
• https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/dwd-sommer-bilanz-100.html
• https://www.rki.de/DE/Themen/Gesundheit-und-Gesellschaft/Gesundheitliche-Einflussfaktoren-A-Z/H/Hitze/Bericht_Hitzemortalitaet.html

I'll try to remind myself and people who care about nature, co-existing lives with US that we should take some steps towards this to make at least next generation not suffer. It's easy to say that global Temperature is been changing since decades and will be continue to do so but it is not normally growing.

I always try to avoid using Car (to be honest doesn't own one even though I can) and prefer to use public transport even when it's painful sometimes or use my bike to commute to office and I'm sure many of us do that. Hope this thinking at least follow by rich people for whom this state of urgency never exists and probably never will.

Of course this is an Irony that, I myself are using Reddit to post this and being a part of something I don't want to.

I hope we do our best to not let future generation, our seniors and other animals to go through this insanity every year.

My roommate stole my card and used it at an ATM in a gambling arcade that isn’t under video surveillance. He has a serious gambling problem. Although the police know exactly which ATM was used, he denied the act when they summoned him for questioning. Today, the police informed me that they are closing the case because there is no video footage, meaning they cannot charge him. I am extremely worried, as Advanzia is demanding that I repay the amount—this was my only hope. Please help: Has anyone else encountered a similar problem or had any experience with a situation like this?
Thank you very much in advance.

About a month and a half ago, I ordered three items from Levi’s worth around €250, but the package never arrived.
I contacted DHL, and they informed me that the package had been successfully delivered. I live in an apartment building with around 30 families, so I asked some of my neighbours whether anyone had received my package by mistake, but nobody had it.
After investigating the case for about a month, Levi’s informed me that they would neither issue a refund nor send a replacement. In their latest email, they wrote:
*“The carrier has confirmed that the parcel has been delivered to the address indicated on the order.
Please be advised that, based on our investigation, we have reasons to believe that your request is fraudulent. Therefore, we cannot proceed with reimbursement and reserve our rights; we have also informed the competent authorities.”*
I honestly cannot believe this kind of behaviour. Not only are they refusing to refund me or send a replacement for €250 worth of items that I never received, but they are also directly suggesting that I am committing fraud.
I have been left with no package, no refund, and no replacement. I find it unacceptable that a company can treat a customer this way simply because the carrier marked a package as delivered.
I paid using Klarna, and I would really appreciate any advice on what I should do next.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation with Levi’s or another online retailer? How did you resolve it, especially when the delivery company claims the package was delivered but you never received it?
I am particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has dealt with a similar situation in Germany.

I have visited 3 dentists in Germany, and all seemed to be very casual about removing all 4 of my wisdom teeth even though only one of them is affected (growing horizontally). Now I am reading about the risks of the surgery and some of them are quite serious and permanent (or at least long term). Like paralysis and numbness in the jaw or tongue. Or change in facial structure.

My doctors back home always told me to not disturb something which is not broken. Is it normal for Germans to just take out all wisdom teeth even the ones that are not affected?

The two words are “Guten Tag”. My g comes out closer to “Chuten Tach”, and before I can say anything else someone goes “Ah, Holländer?” with a big grin.

My German is still basic, so I’m used to people switching to English to be polite. The Dutch accent gets a warmer reaction than that. My barber told me I sound like Rudi Carrell, who I had to Google. Even the woman at my bakery, who I hadn’t seen smile once in a year, called it “niedlich”.

None of my apps warned me about the "g" Duolingo and Babbel pass my “Guten Tag” without complaint, and the pronunciation feedback in Praktika hasn’t flagged it either.

Is there something about a Dutch accent in German that makes people smile, or does every accent get its own reaction here?

I posted here last week about a Lieferando refund dispute where a local restaurant owner called my private number to threaten me and showed up banging on my door.

https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/s/QA8SGzqtce

Things had gone completely quiet for nearly a week, so I genuinely assumed the issue was over and that he had moved on. Today around 5:50 PM, someone managed to get through the main building entrance again, came straight up to my apartment door, and started aggressively pounding on it. 

I stayed inside with the deadbolt locked and recorded the hallway from my phone. On the video, you can clearly hear a man shouting aggressive verbal abuse, swearing at me repeatedly, and aggressively demanding that I open the door while violently hammering on the wood. The voice, language, and context match the restaurant staff and the owner who originally threatened me over the phone. I called 110 immediately while he was outside making noise. 

Two officers arrived about 5 minutes later, but the guy had already left the place. When I spoke with them, they told me that because the person had already left and I couldn't provide more details about the person, they couldn't go over to the restaurant or do anything. They told me it is not considered a crime, and told me not to open the door but in next time I should look out the window to take a picture of him or number plate of vehicle. They said they hoped nobody comes back and left.

They are nice but I felt embarrassed because they now think I am afraid.

Should I confront that guy if he comes again? I don’t know what to do.

I feel completely stuck. I live most of the time alone, it is dark outside by 6 PM, and leaning out of an exterior window to photograph an aggressive, shouting man feels totally unrealistic and dangerous. I have clear video documenting the loud banging the 110 dispatch was logged under my name and address.

I really need practical advice.

Please read this below:

Please comment only if you have an advice. Some of the comments below are really rude. This happened in previous post as well. I was tolerating just because some other people were trying to help. You guys don’t even understand how I feel. Since I don’t have friends here, I chose Reddit to ask for an opinion, I am not here to take your hatred. Go show your frustration or hatred somewhere else.

My husband is German and has private health insurance, but getting appointments takes a very long time. He already has ADHD, and now he is struggling with depression and anxiety. He tried to book appointments with a psychologist and a psychiatrist, but both are currently on vacation and won’t have any openings for several weeks. He is crying, and I don’t know how to help him. I looked for online psychologists from my home country, but none of them speak German, only English. While my husband does speak English, I would prefer for him to be able to speak in German so he feels more at ease. Do you know of any psychologists who offer sessions in German, charge a fair price, and have availability in the near future?

Hello sub,

Here is the map of Germany made from 3'500+ drawings of the Länder people have traced from memory.

All the drawings are saved as geographical coordinates and positioned precisely in relation to one another on a blank canvas. When several lines converge at the same point, they become darker.

I don't know if I am allowed to link my page in the post for you to see the live map and your drawings...

Hi everyone,

I’m posting on behalf of my husband, who recently got a mandatory integration course requirement from the Ausländerbehörde (immigration office). We are based in NRW (Duisburg).

The problem is: He just started a full-time job in warehouse work. His working hours are strictly 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, plus a 2-hour daily commute (1 hour each way). This means he is out of the house from roughly 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM every single day.

Because of these fixed working hours and long travel times, attending a standard morning, afternoon, or evening integration course is physically impossible. Weekend courses are practically non-existent for official BAMF-funded courses around here, and evening courses starting at 6 PM or later would completely clash with his commute and leave him with no time to rest after a heavy physical shift.

We’ve read that the immigration offices have become a lot stricter lately regarding integration course obligations due to recent political changes.

My questions for you guys:
1. Has anyone been in a similar situation where your partner had a full-time job right when the integration course was mandated?
2. Did the Ausländerbehörde accept the full-time job as a reason for an exemption or a long-term postponement under § 44a AufenthG ("unzumutbar/unmöglich")?
3. How did you handle communication with the office? Should we just send the employment confirmation/contract right away with a formal letter explaining his hours?

Any advice or personal experiences would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

Hey everyone!

I'm a 25-year-old engineering student currently living in Metz, France. I'm planning to visit Saarbrücken and would love to meet a nice girl around my age to explore the city and spend some quality time together!

I'm pretty easygoing, friendly, and always up for a good laugh. I enjoy discovering new places, walking around the city, grabbing coffee, trying good food, and having interesting conversations.

Honestly, I'm just looking for a genuine connection, good vibes, and some fun memories. No pressure, no weird expectations — just two people enjoying each other's company and seeing if we click!

If you're from Saarbrücken or nearby and feel like hanging out, feel free to comment or send me a DM!

Let's make a random day a memorable one!

Hello, I have travelled to Überlingen many times, and have been up the Pfanderbahn a few. I LOVE Bavaria, and have flights and a car hire booked for 27/12 to 2/01.

This time I'm taking my partner and smart, patient, enthusiastic 6yo boy.

I want to experience some cable cars and wintery mountains, explore some beautiful towns, swim in as many thermal pools (like the Bodensee Therme in Überlingen) as possible. I'd like to watch some NYE fireworks. But I don't know what I don't yet know as I haven't explored the area more widely, especially in winter.

I haven't booked any accommodation yet as I'm not sure where I should head exactly. We haven't got a large budget, particularly, but I'm keen to know what you think are the must sees - the best towns/pools/gondolas. I'm hoping your advice will guide where I should book accomodation for. Is it worth staying in Bregenz/Lindau, or heading over to Füssen? Anywhere else? Or should we just base ourselves in Überlingen and do day trips. If so, where to?

I'm more interested in the landscape, the fresh air and the relaxation than food (because of my awkward needs), but if anyone knows of good vegan options that emulate local food, I'd be thrilled!

Your knowledge is greatly appreciated!

I forgot to renew my health insurance because I didn't realise I'd be staying enrolled for an additional semester. My private insurance expired in August, and now I'm uninsured in Germany.

I contacted the company, but they said they can't renew my policy retroactively.

Has anyone been in this situation? What should I do now? Can I just get a new policy, and what happens to the months I wasn't insured?

Thanks!

Theory test, mission acomplished! Going to have 1st practical lesson tomorrow. Seems it is going to be 1.5h according to schedule, by the end of the day, actually night time. I'm going through the conversion process, so seems I don't need to take any classes, according to what school told me. Any thing I should explicitly ask? It's been a long time since I was behind a wheel. It's going to be in German and my German is not great! What to expect? Thanks for your thoughts!

Hello! I’ll be moving to Germany in two weeks on a fiancé visa, and my fiancé and I will be getting married in December.

I have a few questions about continuing my freelance career in Germany. For context, I’m from the Philippines and a licensed Architect. I currently work as a freelance offshore construction manager for my US-based clients. I understand that I may need to register as a freelancer in Germany, but I have a few questions:

1. Are there any restrictions on freelancing in Germany if your clients are non-Germans?

2. Should I register as a freelancer immediately after arriving in Germany?

For the time being, I plan to continue using my personal Philippine bank account until my fiancé and I open a joint bank account in Germany. We intend to use the joint account to pool our income.

3. What is the most common tax class combination for married couples in Germany?

My fiancé earns more than I do. Once I secure a full-time job in Germany, I may or may not drop my US clients, as I can work with them at any time of the day.

4. Yes, I plan to actively look for full-time employment in Germany once I have fully settled in.

I’d appreciate any advice from those who have been in a similar situation, especially fellow expats who continued freelancing for foreign clients after moving to Germany. Thank you!

Hallo zusammen,
I'm currently looking into German language schools in Duisburg and came across Sprachenschule Trivium.
Before committing, I’d love to hear from anyone who has taken courses there (especially for intensive B2/C1 levels or test prep):

• Teaching quality: How engaging and competent are the instructors?
• Course pace & structure: Is the curriculum well-organized, or does it feel disorganized/rushed?
• Administration & atmosphere: How helpful is the front office with scheduling, certificates, or issues?
• Overall value: Would you recommend it over other local options, or should I consider looking elsewhere?

Any honest feedback, personal experiences, or tips would be greatly appreciated!
Vielen Dank im Voraus!

Amazon lists this Tommy Hilfiger watch at 151 Euros and the same watch is listed by Kaufland for 78 Euros.
I want to buy this watch as a gift and I am confused if the watch from Kaufland is a fake.
Can you please guide me? Thanks.

I see a lot of posts here from people feeling alienated, burnt out, or wanting to pack up and leave. I get it. I’ve been living in Germany for almost six years now, and I won’t sugarcoat reality: yes, racism exists here, and yes, I’ve had my share of absolute garbage experiences that made my blood boil.

Leaving, however, is not the answer.

Despite the rough edges, I love this country, and I love the people here, Germans very much included. Online, Germans get painted as cold, rigid, and unwelcoming. In reality, some of the absolute best human beings I have ever met in my life took me in when I had nothing. My old flatmates, my university professors, and my 80-year-old swim coach a man who I’m pretty sure has never set foot outside of Bavaria in his entire life looked past my background, welcomed me with genuine warmth, and helped me build the life I have today.

Today, I’m an African migrant earning a six-figure salary in tech. My wife is a doctor who wears a hijab, and our daughter was born in Bavaria and will soon have German citizenship. To the small minority of bitter racists out there: we are here, we are thriving, and there is nothing you can do about it.

I also think we need to be radically honest about the other side of the coin. A lot of expats and newcomers never attempt to integrate, refuse to respect the law, act entitled, and then blame every single negative interaction on racism. Respect is a two-way street. If you treat people with basic decency and follow the rules, the overwhelming majority of Germans will meet you halfway. And most importantly: learn the damn language. It completely changes your reality here.

Germany is not a paradise, but it is my home now. If you let the small percentage of loud losers dictate how you see an entire nation of good people, you rob yourself of a future. Treat people with respect, hold your ground against the nonsense, and focus on the bigger picture.

Edit 1:

I didn’t expect this post to blow up the way it did. I wrote it out of pure exhaustion with the endless doomposting, the victim mentality, and the constant painting of every single German with the same brush.

First, thank you to everyone who sent kind, supportive comments and DMs it means more than you know. And a huge thank you to the mods, who have been working overtime clearing out the vile, hateful trash targeted at my family and me. I honestly considered deleting the entire post after seeing what landed in my inbox.

Someone pointed out this line: “We are here, we are thriving, and there is nothing you can do about it.”

Sitting with it now, I have mixed feelings. Part of me realizes it came off as arrogant, posturing, and unnecessarily poking a hornet's nest. But more than that, if I’m being radically honest: it wasn’t entirely true.

It was bravado talking. The reality is, every single day my wife leaves the house in her hijab, my stomach knots up, hoping she comes home safe. The reality is, I dread what my daughter will face growing up. Strangers have already thrown the slur “kleine Äffin” at a baby who hasn't even learned to speak yet. There is something racists can do: they can hurt the people I love most.

I’m caught between wanting to de-escalate so I don't put a target on anyone’s back, and refusing to shrink myself or live in fear. I still believe living on your knees is no way to survive, but real courage isn’t pretending the danger doesn’t exist.

Thank you again to the decent people here who remind me every day why this country is worth building a life in.

I am looking for high school appropriate female German singers that have songs out in the last year...any ideas? Danke!

We have listened to recent songs by Nina Chuba, Zah1da, LEA and Ester Graf...other ideas?

Hi everyone, there was an accident a couple of months ago where I dislocated my knee really badly and went to the emergency room (Notfallaufnahme) where the doctor did an Xray and told me to rest. I no longer have pain, but I sense that it hasnt healed properly and I cant fully move it, cant run, cant squat. I went to a private physio therapist and he told me some to do some excersises and to get an MRT. Since I am a student from abroad (EU) I dont have german insurance, only EHIC (through insurance in my home country).

So the question is, will an Orthopäde take me as an emergency and do MRI covered by my EHIC or will they make me pay out of pocket since it is no longer an acute emergency?

I was given an official residence permit/plastic ID card a few years back, and it’s valid until 2028. But it’s developed black spots that are increasingly making it difficult to read. None of my many other cards have had a similar problem.

The spots don’t seem to want to wash off (although I’m trying to be careful). It seems to me that they might be underneath the top transparent layer of the card.

Has anyone else encountered this problem. Has anyone been able to clean it without having to request a replacement?

Hello everyone!

The title says it (almost) all. I'm a singer-songwriter (Alt Folk, Pop) and multi-instrumentalist side musician, I'm in my mid 30s and I've been living in the East of Germany (Magdeburg) for the past decade. I've been making a living from music for the past 7 years (playing lots of gigs with different bands) but unfortunately I came to a point where I realized there's not much more left to do here and I'm now looking for a new city/State to move into, since I want to make bigger and more significant steps in my career. Basically less bands, better income and better gigs!

With that said, and according to the 4 points I wrote below, what are your tips/suggestions for cities to move in within Germany?

-Singer-songwriter looking for a reasonably affordable city with a good cultural infrastructure that supports music! (cultural funds, music venues, festivals, studios etc)

-Networking with other songwriters, possibly making records.

-Writing music for independent movies/documentaries.

- making a living exclusively from music!

Thank you so much in advance!

Kind Regards,