Englisch a Guide for Orientation and Communication in Germany
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Landkreis Biberach Achstetten Donau Burgrieden Riß Laupheim B465 B311 Wain L275 Mietingen Unlingen Schemmerhofen Schwendi Riedlingen Bussen B30 Iller Langenenslingen Altheim B312 Uttenweiler Attenweiler Öchsle Bahn Warthausen Kirchberg/Iller Maselheim Dürmentingen Betzenweiler Alleshausen Seekirch Gutenzell-Hürbel Dettingen/Iller L275 Moosburg Tiefenbach Biberach Ertingen Mittelbiberach Erolzheim Kanzach Oggelshausen Ummendorf Ochsenhausen Kirchdorf Bad Buchau B30 Erlenmoos Dürnau B312 Hochdorf Steinhausen/ Berkheim Allmannsweiler Ingoldingen Rottum Rot an der Rot Bad Schussenried Eberhardzell Tannheim Museumsdorf Kürnbach www.refugeeguide.de Communication Orientation and in Germany A Guidefor englisch ENGLISCH A Guide for Orientation and Communication in Germany Contact Landratsamt Biberach Rollinstraße 9 88400 Biberach www.biberach.de|sg-fluechtlinge.html RefugeeGuide.de RefugeeGuide.de elcome to ontent WGermany! C illkommen Win Deutschland! Welcome to Germany! This guide will provide you with information about the country you now fi nd yourself in. It has been designed in response to common Public Life 3 questions asked by refugees. Much of the advice in this booklet should not be seen as a law or a strict rule. People in Germany Personal Freedom 5 will not always act according to this guide. However, most of the behavior described Community Life 6 here is common practice for most of the people, most of the time. Equality 7 Environment and Ecology 8 Food, Drinks and Smoking 9 Formalities 11 In Case of Emergency 13 About this guide 14 1 one two 2 eins zwei RefugeeGuide.de RefugeeGuide.de ublic Life P Sunday is a quiet day. Almost all shops are On escalators, people usually stand on the closed and few people go to work. Neigh- right and walk on the left. “Guten Tag” (Good day) and “Auf Wieder- if you are talking to a stranger. People are bors might complain if you make a noise sehen” (Good bye) are common greetings. just being friendly and welcoming when and disturb them on a Sunday, e.g. if you If you need help, you can ask any adult Saying “Guten Tag” is common when you they smile. mow the lawn or put new shelves on the person: Most people are usually friendly. meet a person or a small group of people. wall. People in Germany also expect there You shouldn’t approach children without For example in small shops or the doctors’ People in Germany value their personal to be no noise at night while they sleep. permission from their parents. waiting room say “Guten Tag” to greet the space and privacy, so they can sometimes ‘Sleep time’ is between 10 pm (22.00) and people who are already there. You can greet appear distant. For example, it is quite 6 am (06.00). people on the street in small villages in the normal to sit next to a stranger on a train same way. for hours and only say hello and goodbye. Urinating in public can be an offense. Most people prefer to sit on their own on Public toilets (WCs) are available in most Smiling in public is fine and quite accep- public transport. places. WCs usually have toilet paper, but table, it is not considered to be flirting, even not a bidet. It is perfectly OK to throw toilet paper into the toilet. Don’t throw it into the waste bin. However, you should throw sa- nitary pads or tampons into the bin not into the toilet. There’s usually a toilet brush next to the toilet: use the brush to clean off any marks you’ve made. Make sure you leave the toilet clean and dry. Therefore, it is ad- visable to use the toilet in a sitting position. Where no urinal is available, this applies for men, too. For reasons of hygiene it is expected that you wash your hands before you leave the toilet. In public, particularly on public transporta- tion, it is considered rude to have long, loud conversations. Conversations and phone calls are rather made in a quiet voice. For privacy and quiet, people usually close their doors, e.g. in offices and at home. On public transport special seats are re- You should knock on the door before you served for the elderly, sick, and pregnant go in. Usually you will then be made wel- women – and there are spaces for bug- come and asked to come inside. gies and wheelchairs. People usually try to leave these places free or move aside if they are needed. 3 three four 4 drei vier RefugeeGuide.de RefugeeGuide.de Personal freedom Community Life Everybody is allowed to practice whatever Saunas and some swimming venues are People in Germany often shake hands religion they want – or no religion at all. known as “textile free” or FKK areas. Here with each other. They shake hands when Religion is considered a private matter. So people are naked, so they wear no clothes they say hello and goodbye and when they you are free to believe whatever you like, at all. Otherwise, in public pools people meet new people. It is common for a per- but you are also expected to accept that wear swimwear. Usually men and women son who joins a group to shake hands with other people may believe in another God go swimming and to the sauna together. each person who is already there. When or nothing at all. Sometimes special times are reserved for you shake hands look at the other person males or females only. in the eye. Both men and women all shake Discussions and debates in Germany hands with each other. usually try to find a compromise or come to an agreement. The press has a special Good friends often hug each other when kind of freedom, known as ‘the freedom of they say hello or goodbye, and sometimes the press’. This is guaranteed by law. The they also kiss each other on the cheek. press reports on a wide range of topics, They do this with people of the same and So, if you are late, call the person and tell and is allowed to criticise the government the opposite sex. This kind of hugging them that you have been delayed. You and other institutions (such as churches). and kissing is just being friendly and is not should do this both in work situations and meant in a sexual way. private occasions, such as when you are “Freedom of speech” allows you to express visiting friends. your opinion – as long as you don’t dis- People often say exactly what they think. criminate, or seriously insult or threaten They are not being rude, they are just When you are offered something, say anyone. being honest. Accepting and offering “nein, danke” (no, thanks) to say no or (constructive) criticism is considered to be “bitte” or “gerne” to say yes. It is common for couples of the same or dif- an important way of improving your cha- ferent sex to show affection in public. This racter, particularly in working life. So it is includes holding hands and sometimes not uncommon to be criticized or criticize kissing or cuddling in public. This is accep- someone else. ted and acceptable behavior. This should just be ignored. Punctuality is very important. If you are going to be late for an appointment or a Having bare arms or legs is common and meeting by even only 5 minutes this will normal, for example when wearing a t-shirt be seen as a lack of respect because you or shorts or a short skirt. Staring at other have kept the other person waiting. people is considered impolite. 5 five six 6 fünf sechs RefugeeGuide.de RefugeeGuide.de Equality Environment and Ecology Discrimination because of gender, race, Homosexuality is normal and legal in Ger- People in Germany are known for their religion or sexual orientation is illegal. If many. For example, one of the previous environmentally friendly behavior: they someone discriminates you, or you feel foreign ministers of Germany was openly separate waste and try to recycle many threatened, even if only verbally: call the gay. Homosexual couples can register things. Litter isn’t just dropped or left on police. Never use violence in response to themselves as a legal partnership. the ground. This is true in towns and in the any type of comment, even if it is insulting, country, for example in parks, next to roads discriminating or threatening. Use of vio- People are free to choose who they want or in the woods. In public places people lence is illegal in Germany. to marry and/or whether they want to get take their waste with them and throw it married at all. It is perfectly normal not to into the next waste bin, even if it means Men and women have equal rights and get married, to have unmarried parents or carrying their waste until they reach the must be treated as equals. If a person tells not to have or want any children. waste bin. There are usually waste bins in you to leave them alone, you should leave public spaces, such as train stations, bus them alone immediately. Harassing other stops, parks, etc. Many kinds of bottles have a deposit of people, both men and women, is strictly between 8 Cents and 25 Cents on them. forbidden. Ask for permission before taking Lots of people in Germany try not to use This deposit is refunded when you return a picture of anyone. too much energy or resources. They do the bottle. You can return bottles to any this to protect the environment but also supermarket which sells them, not only to save money. For example, people try the supermarket where you bought them.