Hannah!

Its 6 pm, time to stop working!

I just have to finish a few things off.

No, no, you can do it tomorrow.

Let's go home.

Did you ever stop to think that maybe the reason why Germans are so famous for their work ethic and efficiency is because they actually respect their working hours, and therefore their free time?

In my opinion, German working culture is actually pretty great.

Let me explain why.

Good salaries and flexible working hours are super important to Germans.

Salaries in Germany are typically higher than they are in the UK or other European countries, especially when it comes to public sector jobs like teaching.

Although this does of course depend on the sector that you're working in.

But talking about salary is still a difficult issue here, although there are hopes that this will change with a pay transparency law.

German bureaucracy is notorious and the amount of paper used is astronomical.

The Germans print everything.

It's no wonder digitalization is just limping along here.

The average German works for almost 40 years, which is considerably higher than the European average.

The typical working day is 9 to 6 or 8 to 5.

The minimum amount of holiday is 20 days a year, but most people get even more than 30.

You're fully expected to take all those days, so you don't need to feel guilty or stressed about taking holiday.

The same goes for sick days.

You don't need to feel guilty about taking a day off work due to sickness, and nobody's going to ask you any questions.

You can normally have three days off before you need a doctor's note, and sick days are usually paid.

One thing office workers argue about most often is whether to open or close the window.

Germans love fresh air at work.

Okay, we need to talk about the gender pay gap.

Women are an on average per hour, almost a fifth less than men compared to the rest of Europe.

Germany has one of the highest gender pay gap.

This is for multiple reasons.

Women are often more likely to work in part time jobs, work in lower paid jobs, or negotiate less money.

Germany is actually one of the countries in Europe where people work the least, probably because they actually stick to their working hours.

But the desire for a better balance between gainful employment, on the one hand, and private life and the other is definitely growing.

And surveys show that more and more people are feeling overwhelmed with their workload.

The Berlin Social Science Center is researching the issue.

And what is the younger generations attitude toward work?

Is Gen-Z really that work shy?

Work researcher Lena Hipp can tell us.

I wouldn't say they are lazy.

I think they have somewhat different priorities.

They don't put paid work employment above all else in the world, and I think this can also have really beneficial elements.

If you think about democracy, you know, people need to engage.

You know, you also have to have time for raising kids, for taking care of elderly people.

So I think there's also positive aspects of this.

And, you know, just because you don't want to work 40 hours plus does not mean that you are lazy person.

How has work culture in Germany actually developed over the last few years?

Twice as many people work from home nowadays as they did in the time before the pandemic.

And of course, this changes, you know, how people interact at the workplace, how they organize meetings.

Overall, the labor market is doing pretty well.

It's easy for employees to find a new job.

Employers are looking for new personnel.

They are really having sometimes a hard time finding adequate employees.

And organizations try to fill this by attracting women, in particular mothers, to join the labor force.

They also seek to attract workers from other countries to fill these open positions.

All right, now you're all clued up on German working culture, here's some vocab you need to know.

"Feierabend" - this directly translates to celebratory evening.

But it actually just means the end of the working day.

"Gehaltswunsch" - this is your salary request, which is typically mandatory on job applications.

"Gleitzeit", flexi-time.

This means you have fixed number of hours, but you can choose more or less when you want to take them.

That's all we've got time for, its 6 p.m., which means it's Feierabend, which often comes hand in hand with a Feierabendbier!

Personally, it took me some time to assimilate into the working culture here, but now I really appreciate the work life balance.

What are you doing?

I'm preparing for a German wedding.

Confused?

I can imagine, but breaking porcelain is actually a German wedding tradition.

Let's take a closer look at why and what other German wedding traditions there are, so that you'll be prepared for whenever you attend a German wedding or if you even get married here.

Let's go.

Weddings are having somewhat of a revival in Germany.

The number of people who agree with marriage has been on the rise in the last ten years.

Tradition is trendy again.

The average age of a German bride is 32.3 and the groom 34.8.

Germans often marry a little later than is typical in the US, for example, because Germans study for longer and therefore start working later.

Germans don't always get married just for love.

Sure, that's the main reason, but German couples also enjoy certain tax advantages.

In Germany, people typically have two weddings the civil ceremony at the courthouse and then the second one at a church or venue of your choice.

The cost of the wedding at the registry office varies depending on the federal state and the amount of documents needed, but it's still a pretty small amount compared to how much most Germans spent on their wedding party.

More than half of Germans spend between 5000 and 15,000 on their wedding day, but some often end up spending much more.

The wedding ring is usually a simple silver or gold ring that has typically worn on the right hand in the past.

Women often move their engagement ring from the left hand to the right hand as a wedding ring.

Nowadays, however, most people have separate engagement rings.

When the wedding couple leaves the registry office, rose petals or rice are often thrown at them.

The custom of throwing rice originated in Asia and is supposed to bring happiness and children together, although it's often forbidden now because of food waste reasons.

Although, if you look closely, it seems like not everyone is paying attention to this rule.

If you're invited to a German wedding, the most typical gift is actually money.

Although small symbolic gifts like bread with salt are given for the home, and turning money into these little origami shapes is very typically German.

Of course, the wedding attire is also a big deal here.

Traditionally, the bride wears white while the groom wears black or blue, although other colors are currently very trendy in groom's fashion.

Fashion designer Franziska has seen how bridal wear has evolved.

Many of them pay their dresses alone.

I think in the past the family was paying for the dresses, so they had to make compromises.

Now it's without compromises.

It got more confident.

So women show off.

They want to show what they have.

They show the belly button when they are pregnant.

They show a lot of skin.

They go for 100%, 120%.

German weddings come with their own extensive list of German vocab.

And here are my top three favorites.

Junggesellenabschied.

Basically the end of your bachelor era.

So your bachelor or your bachelorette party, or as we call them in the UK, a stag-do or a hen-do.

Trauzeuge or Trauzeugin.

This directly translates to witness to the marriage.

So it's essentially your maid of honor or your best man.

Flitterwochen: This is the honeymoon, which essentially translates to a week of caressing.

Raunchy.

All right, guys, let's talk German wedding traditions.

My favorite one is the Polterabend: smashing porcelain onto the ground to drive away evil spirits the night before the wedding.

And then the couples sweep up the pieces together to symbolize the fact that they're going to share future burdens.

Wedding planner Marco explains the typical traditions here and which ones are still practiced today.

A typical German tradition is to cut or to saw a tree.

This should be the first work that they should do together.

Sometimes, especially in Bavaria in the south, the bride is kidnaping, so the whole bunch of guests have to look for her, and she is somewhere in another guest house, and she's having a great time alone with her friends.

And then the groom has to pay for her to get her back.

Gay weddings are a bit different.

You have to change traditions because there are no traditions.

Normally, the father of the bride leads the bride to the altar.

We changed that into the mothers will bring their their sons to the altar.

Traditions are important, but they are changing.

Well, there you have it.

The world of German weddings.

I loved learning about all of the traditions as well as the new ones that are being established.

Excuse me.

Yes.

Hi.

I'm enrolling today.

Can you let me know how much I owe you?

Nothing.

It's free.

Mind blown.

Me too.

In Germany, university education is almost completely free.

So it's no wonder that it's one of the most popular countries in the world to study in.

Here are a few things that I bet you didn't know about studying in Germany.

The most important thing you need to know about studying in Germany is that there are no education fees at public unis, even for international students.

There are some small semester fees of around 200 to 400.

But these go towards things like you're probably transport and the student unions.

Germany is home to over 400 colleges and universities.

Universities emphasize the academic, while colleges or polytechnics focus on practical skills.

But the degrees have equal standing.

A bachelor's program in Germany usually takes six semesters or three years.

But many students take eight semesters to finish.

It's generally no problem if it takes a bit longer.

There are almost half a million foreign students in Germany, most of which study in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which has the most students in general.

International students receive a lot of support here for things like scholarships, counseling, initial steps and settling in.

Germans also like to study abroad.

The number of students doing Erasmus is on the rise.

That's an EU program that enables students to study abroad for a year or a semester.

There's even financial incentive as you get paid to do it.

I also did an Erasmus, right here in Berlin.

Studying itself might be free, but the average cost of living is around 1,000 a month, depending on where you live.

This covers things like rent, groceries, textbooks, and socializing.

So most students have a part time job to help cover these costs.

Now I'm heading to the student service organization.

Like the Student Union, it's important for students in Germany.

There, I'm meeting Jana Judisch She's the contact person for everyone's questions about the university.

As education is considered a public good, caring for a student also is considered a public good.

So that's why we exist here in Germany.

And we are basically responsible for all that isn't research or education.

We do the housing, the meals, the canteens, the consultation.

Do you have any tips for international students?

When you get your enrollment, that doesn't mean you have accommodation.

Because most do not know that and they come here.

And I get often emails: “Next week I'm coming and please show me my room.” And then we have to tell them: There is no room for you.

You're one one and a half years too late.

Please check, please look on the on the on the free market.

Most students live in shared flats.

However, these are getting more and more expensive.

Munich and Stuttgart are the most expensive cities to study in, followed by Berlin.

Whereas cities in what used to be East Germany are considerably cheaper.

Skills and session time for some German vocab.

Being fluent in German isn't necessarily a requirement, as there are specialized English courses, or you can often write your papers in English.

However, most universities first language is German, so here are three essential words to help you get started.

Hörsaal: This directly translates to listening room, but it's basically a lecture hall.

Mensa: This is the school canteen where students get their lunch and Ersti: freshers!

Students in their first semester.

I'd like to hear a little about what university life is like from two students in Berlin, members of the AStA General Students Committee.

What does student life in general look like for you?

Do you have a part time job?

Do you go out partying a lot?

Most of the students have part time jobs just like me.

It's like a balance.

It's not always easy, and especially during exams, I have a lot of fun with the thing I study, so I don't feel a lot of pressure from that.

We do drink a lot of beer.

You do not have to do it and like you shouldn't feel pressured to do it.

But it's a good way to meet new people and the Späti you have to get to know... Späti in Berlin, yeah.

It's a kiosk.

Some Spätis have like DJs and music.

And how do you meet people?

The stereotype that Germans can be quite cold, maybe rings true to some international students, but I think if you just like approach us openly, we don't bite and we are actually quite nice, but we're a bit shy.

Enough education for today.

Personally, I love studying in Germany, so much so that I decided to move here permanently.

The fact that it's free is obviously a major benefit, but there are also great programs on offer and a lot of support for students.

Did you know that Germany's afternoon coffee and cake tradition actually precedes the British afternoon tea?

Whilst Germany is maybe more known for its beer or its bread, cake is actually a pretty big deal here.

So what else do you need to know about cake here?

Grab a fork - let's dive in.

Cake in Germany comes with its own rituals, namely ‘Kaffee und Kuchen - coffee and cake, usually enjoyed in the afternoon around 330, especially with friends and family on Sundays.

A trip to my German grandparents isn't complete without this ritual.

Now is a good time to examine the German classics at the end of our forks.

This one is world famous.

Black Forest gateau or Schwarzwälder-Kirschtorte Quite a mouthful - literally.

It's famous for its copious layers of cream, chocolate, and of course, cherries.

It's not clear exactly where this cake originates from.

Schwarzwälder would suggest Germany's Black Forest, but there are lots of myths legends surrounding its origin.

Other cakes are also named after German towns and regions.

Besides the black forest gateau, there's the Lübeck marzipan cake and the Frankfurt crown cake.

Marzipan cake is a Lübeck specialty.

While the eponymous Frankfurt crown cake is one of the German financial capitals tastiest treats.

Other German classic cakes are the bee sting cake, layered Frisian cake with shortcrust, crumble cake, poppy seed cake and the famed apple cake.

A few cakes are popular well beyond the borders of Germany, and some of their backstories have roots in what are now neighboring countries.

Regardless of where in Germany it's from, though, you can get your cake from almost any bakery or from specialized shops like patisseries or confectioneries that specialize in cakes and tarts.

Never as good as Omas secret recipe though my Omas plum cake is unbeatable.

Of course, you can rely on the Germans for some specific cake related vocab.

The most important one is the difference between Kuchen and Torte: It's confusing, but cake doesn't actually mean cake in German.

Torte or a tart is a cake made with cream like this one, whereas Kuchen - cake is usually more related to drier doughs, sometimes with fruit.

Then there's Kaffeeklatsch.

I love this, it literally means exchanging gossip over coffee and cake.

And finally Kalorienbombe; quite literally, calorie bomb.

Self-explanatory, basically cake made with cream and sugar.

The classic German cakes are traditionally made with lots of sugar, butter and cream.

Tastes amazing, but not exactly superfood.

That's why there are more and more vegan and healthy cafés, like this one that offers exclusively vegan cakes.

Demand for vegan products has been rising noticeably for years in Germany.

Pastry chef Steffi Trotzke is herself vegan and has set about reinventing German classics for her café, dispensing entirely with animal products.

Sometimes I get patrons who say butter has to be in it or cream.

None of this is genuine, but right from the start it's been important to me to make it vegan.

For me, vegan and organic go together.

Sustainability is key.

I don't work with any additives either.

I don't use anything like that.

How to respond been?

The best part is the smiles on people's faces when they find they can eat everything here - many are allergic to eggs.

They are overjoyed when they stand in front of the display case and see so many options.

I get many people who say the crumble cake taste just like grandma's.

That's the best!

German cake has always had a special place in my heart because of my German grandmother, and now I understand why her cakes are so good.

It's part of German culture.

My personal favorite will always be plum cake.

How hard can it be to raise a cat?

Oh!

I just adopted three cats.

But it turns out Germany is one of the best countries to have pets because here they are treated like kings and queens.

But why are Germans so crazy about their pets?

And what do you need to know about keeping pets in Germany?

Let's dive into the nitty gritty details.

So what kinds of animals do Germans love the most?

Well, sorry doggies, but there are more cats in Germany than any other pet!

And the number of cats has even been growing over the last ten years.

Dogs take second place.

Overall, around 35 million pets called Germany their home next to 83 million people.

There are so many rules in Germany, but when it comes to keeping pets, these can get kind of vague.

You can keep almost every animal apart from some protected species, such as some monkeys, parrots or several snakes.

And once you've found your favorite animal, there's a lot to think about.

If you get a dog, you need to shell out dog tax every year, and they need to be insured.

Come on, come on, let's go.

Most parks have a designated spot for dogs to run wild and free.

Dogs are also allowed on public transport, most cafes, restaurants and some shops, but not supermarkets.

If you're bringing a pet into Germany or adopting one from another country, you need to check the health regulations first.

And if they're traveling within the EU, they need one of these, a pet passport.

When the time has come, you have to think about where to bury your pet - either in your backyard or at a pet cemetery, but not in a wild meadow or a forest.

Since fairly recently, pets can even be buried alongside their owners.

Did you know that Germans spend the most amount of money on pet supplies in the whole of Europe?

Which isn't really very surprising when you look at everything that's on offer here.

You can buy almost any kind of toy or accessory imaginable.

In some of these shops, you can find a hairdresser or a vet, in others, you can even buy pets.

This has been criticized by animal rights activists, though, because anyone can go and buy a hamster for just 20.

Cats and dogs are still the world's most popular pets.

Pet Psychologist Belinda Kannmacher tells us why.

The dogs, they live in family groups and they have a similar lifestyle to to us humans, so they fit perfectly with us.

People say that cats have human behavior, but I think we just fascinated by the independence of cats.

So the cats, they are like bred for just like 140 years, but the dog actually lives among us humans since 15,000 years.

Yes.

So not 1500?

No.

15,000?

Yes.

Wow.

Okay, now very important to know: Here are some German phrases that I learned recently for a life with pets.

Leckerli - treats!

Derived from the German word ‘lecker, which means tasty.

Gassi gehen - Colloquial talk for ‘walk the dog.

Herrchen or Frauchen - Feminine and masculine references for ‘master.

Of course, there is also a place for homeless pets.

Europe's biggest animal shelter is also in Germany.

I'm at the Berlin Animal shelter to talk to Mareen.

She runs the shelter here and helps animals like this one find a new home every day.

And what happens to most of the animals here?

Do most of them find a home?

Yeah, 90% of animals find a home.

Sometimes we get street cats, wild free roaming cats, and after castration, we release them.

So there are then some street cats in Germany still?

Yeah.

And I think there's no country in the world where there's no street cat population.

In some countries it's very obvious, like Turkey.

Especially in Germany, they are very hidden.

Do you get the feeling that more people are coming to get cats or dogs at the shelter here?

We really like that to see that people are now rather approaching animal shelters than breeders.

We do get about like 200 requests to adopt an animal a day, but people have wrong expectations about what pet ownership means and also what adoption means in general.

There's just too many pets.

90% of the pets we get into the shelter are from owners who didn't keep them and who didn't train them right.

Some are taken away by public authorities because they didn't care enough.

But concerning the responsible owners, of course, we have seen a lot of progress in the past years.

Yes, there are a few laws when it comes to getting pets in Germany, but it's only to ensure that you're taking proper care of your furry little friends.

In my life is definitely better now with three little cats at home.

Ten out of ten would recommend.

Tickets please!

What!

But there were no ticket barriers.

It took me a while to realize that public transport in Germany was not, in fact, free.

When I first moved here, I was pretty overwhelmed by the whole system.

Do I take the underground, the subway, the tram, the bus, or even the ferry?

Or a combination of all of them?

How does public transport in Germany actually work, and how important is it for daily life here?

Well, let's find out.

Germany is definitely more famous for its cars than its public transport.

Mercedes, BMW or Porsche are all globally popular German car brands, but the number of people using public transport here is rapidly increasing, especially in cities.

Alright, let's jump in with a brief explanation about how the public transport system here actually works.

We have a subway system, an underground system, and trams and busses that drive on the street.

They differ in speed and rail network.

The lack of ticket barriers here is confusing.

It's a system of trust.

But don't be a fool.

Inspectors do occasionally walk around the trains to make sure that you've got a ticket, and it's a 60 fine if you don't.

So not worth it.

You can buy tickets through an app, on your phone, or in most stations around the city.

Because they're a ticket machines everywhere.

It's different depending on which region you're traveling in in Germany.

Of course, it would be too easy for it to be the same everywhere.

Don't forget to stamp your ticket, otherwise it's not valid.

There are different types of tickets depending on the zone, the number of people, and the stops you're traveling to.

For example, the short trip ticket... [speech sped up] [speech slows down] ...many different options.

Easy.

Most people I know in Berlin don't have a car because it's so easy to travel by train, tram, or bus.

Plus, if you're driving, you often get stuck in traffic, there are never enough parking spaces, and let's be honest, it's not great for the environment.

It's no excuse to [not] use public transportation in Berlin.

You can use it everywhere, every time.

This is Stefan Carsten, futurologist.

So how important is public transport for a German culture then?

Well, first of all, we are a car nation, you know, and so public transportation is trying hard and is fighting with full extent to get more important.

And people nowadays understand that public transportation is inclusive, it's social and it's sustainable.

The idea of the European city is to be around in public space and not parking your private car here for 23 hours.

The city is about sitting in cafes and restaurants and talk to each other and debating the great discourses of our times.

And public transportation is the enabler.

Now it's time to meet the professionals, those who keep the whole bustling system moving.

I'm meeting Cinquetta-Shirley Jones, who drives trains in Berlin and she loves it.

Entering the tunnel for the first time was a great experience.

The first time in this dark hole, the lights everywhere, the signals, the sounds of the trains.

It's a really great feeling.

It's fun, right?

Is the job stressful?

The most annoying thing is passengers holding doors open when it says, ‘stand back, please, that's what it means - don't get on.

We don't do it to annoy people when they come running up and the doors close.

But we have a schedule to keep and we drivers have to go to the bathroom at the terminus, and those are the minutes we're missing.

There you have it, public transport in Germany.

It certainly makes my life here in Berlin more convenient and more connected, and it's nice to see how it brings everyone else here together too.

[laughter and car horns]