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almost had to return to berlin for a job.....luckily got a job elsewhere --- I WILL NEVER RETURN....left 2 years ago and still get flashbacks..
Went to a party at 1 of the germans home and guess what ... 20 minutes after that, they grabbed spray cans, gave one to me and went outside to spray the walls ... wtf
Young, lazy, arty, job centre's mony sucker who spend that huge amount of money you paid in taxes to smoke weed or drink them pilsner.
I feel like I could have created this website a million times over during the last six years here. I think when I leave this city, I may well pretend I never lived here, just to avoid the stunned expressions on my English mates' faces when I say, "it's not all that, really!" However, much as I agree with many of the complaints above, I have to say that the 'lazy arty job center money sucker' stereotype ain't true of the English that I've met here, nor even the Spanish, Greeks, and other EU nationals. It DOES seem to be very very true of the German youth here, who have a completely, how can I put this, alien expectation for what their lives and jobs (if you can call an internship in a hair salon a 'job') can and will amount to. One thing I will not miss here is doing shitty, minimum wage jobs as a self-employed person in 'careers' that the category self-employed was not invented for. Such as toilet cleaning and basic administrative roles. The fact is that I am stuck doing these jobs as a 'freelancer' because the Deutsch and their misty eyed brats have willingly obliged whenever the business world told them to bend over and grab their ankles. They should be PROTESTING for fuck's sake. Not just for the refugees - who do need help too - but also for themselves!! I'm starting to think that the average German would sell his great grandma for 50 bucks to any business man who said "Naya, but it's gut for ze German economy" They've sold all their kids to degrading internships in which, unsurprisingly, they do little but scowl and play on the smartphones their parents bought them. And who can blame them? Well, I can - they actually speak the language well enough to give their government what for, but instead they fornicate around on Fakebook, posting their fantasy lives on an imaginary wall in the hopes that some other airhead will 'like' it.
Does Berlin make me more disgusted with German youths, or just with young people all around? I'm not sure yet. All I can really say is that it's given me new respect for kids from the rest of austerity-ridden Europe for making a go of it in a and where they can't speak the language, and silently, cheerfully putting up with all the BS that German peers scowl and roll their eyes at when they should be doing their bloody jobs.
For all the people who've moved out of Berlin and want to re-live the hate-and-rudeness times again, I can happily recommend checking out r/Germany on reddit. On there, you'll find classics like:
- we're not racist, we just don't like brown people in our clubs.
- look at all those stupid people in greece, ireland, portugal, and now britain. If only they were as smart and efficient as we are, they wouldnt be so poor!
- look at all those stupid, fat, and loud americans! They dont have healthcare!
- look at all those stupid, dirty, uneducated slavs. I will now completely disregard all they went through under communism and just call them lazy and stupid! Oh, and yeah, half of my country had to go through something similar, but I'll just call them stupid and lazy Ossi's too!
- how DARE you ask about how to find something/do something in Germany? Any human with half a brain would know that you have to fill out this 7 page form, register an appt 2 months in advance with The Most Holy Bureaucrat, then re-file the paperwork because you used blue ink, then you must provide your: passport, ID, insurance number, insurance card, shoe size, brand of shampoo, and a blood test. Mein gott, you auslanders are so uneducated.
- HOW DARE YOU question a certain aspect of germany culture or way of doing things. You must be lobotomized to think we are not doing something most efficient, enlightened, profound, fast, quality way mankind has every imagined.
- "This tv-tax thing is pretty weird, can you expl-" YOUR COUNTRY IS FAT/BOMBED IRAQ/POOR/HAS CROOKED TEETH/etc.
Really, whenever you're having a bad day and berlinhater.de just doesn't seem to hit the spot, just go to r/Germany and you will imbued with a new sense of joy and wonder of having gotten the fornicate out of cesspool.
Little known fact about German clubs regarding point one of the classics (- we're not racist, we just don't like brown people in our clubs.) Ever wondered why no hip hop famous artists and black techno - EDM artists play in Germany anymore, or never even tried to perform there? It's because the ones that tried have been denied entrance at clubs they tried to go almost always, there is even one case where the artists were in the VIP list and the bouncer and even the police didn't let them in with the classic super rude and obnoxious German club attitude . Later, the owner of the club tried to contact the artists after the incident but them wisely never picked up the phone ever again. No names here. But these things don't go unnoticed in the music scene.
I know of a foreign investor and owner of some VC firms who was interested in the tech companies in the city. I only know about the last incident, the one that was the last straw, he was asked to leave the restaurant in some 5 star hotel because he was staying there for too long reading the newspaper and browsing the internet and he wasn't consuming anything, but we all know that really means. Needless to say the next morning he left the city because he had too many incidents regarding xenophobia.
Can we have a referendum to remove Berlin from ... the world?
The whiny British Expats that are now worried they may have to actually GET REAL JOBS! lol
Most of the posts are relating to Germany as a whole, but not to Berlin especially. For God's sake, Berlin is not Germany. I am a German and a Berlin hater as well.
Berlin is unfriendly, overestimating itself.
Maybe the cause for the rudeness is that Berlin(West) has been an island for many years, attracting other losers for 40 years. Now they have the impression they are in the center of anything. That's why things don't happen here, that are normal in other German cities. Then people, that have lived for a long time under communist rules, that have never seen any foreigners for a long time. They are xenophobe (not only to people from other countries, but also to people, that come from former Western Germany). Berlin is the city, which is for me much more strange, that other cities in Western Europe), Paris, London are less strange for me, because I was socialized in Western Europe.
I am really astonished, that Berlin has such an attraction to people from other countries. Berlin is Wladiwostok or Minsk, ugly, poor, only a few steps to Siberia. So it is no wonder, that people who come here are massively disappointed.
Thanks for posting here - could you share what other places in Germany one might go that are different from Berlin?
I wanna point out that you yourself may have a pretty lopsided view of the East. If you go to Poznan, Cracov, or Lviv, all cities in deep post-commie places, you'll immediately notice that despite being incredibly poor and much closer to the big smelly russian bear, the people there... smile. There's even color in the streets despite people having very little resources to spare.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised if you go to those places. You might also be even more filled with awe and disgust at just how bad, sad, rude, gray (despite tons of money) Berlin and other parts of Germany are (I've only been in the former Eastern Germany regions, so take this with a grain of salt).
Last but not least - people don't have high expectations - they merely expect what they'd expect from any other 1st world capitol city, and even from 2nd world capitol cities.
I used to live in South Germany, and it was much much better than here. The people on the South are kind of more closed, but once they open - you can make really good friends. Just keep right distance, and you'll have a chance to build a decent and joyful relationship. In Berlin it's impossible. Nobody gives a poop about you, all "friendliness" of this place is just totally superficial. So, I'd definitely agree. Germany is very much different, and I don't like it myself when people extrapolate Berlin to entire country. Thanks God, Berlin is just Berlin...
Agreed, i moved to Germany 5 years ago and only came to Berlin because for some ridiculous reason I thought I could get more work here. Berliners are a*seholes, I was shocked because my previous experience of Germans has been wonderful. There are issues all over Germany, the expensive health insurance, the threatening vibe you get in the letters from anything from the landlord to the TV license, which is also insanely expensive. I am now sh*tting myself because I'm in Berlin and I already feel like I've made a huge mistake. It's a disgusting city. No work, horrible dirty streets, massive failures to integrate immigrants, the muslims are not interested even if you try to be friendly and treat the place like a rubbish tip. I will be looking to move on as soon as possible because if I end up poor and stuck here I am f*cked.
I used to live in the hellhole entitled Berlin before escaping 2 years ago ....I ended up in the UK 5 months ago and I am getting flashbacks to Berlin (loads of unemployed people, student economy, bums and homeless everywhere) systems that don't work.... the only difference is that British people are on the whole friendly, whereas Germans are cold rude robots....anyway I will NEVER live in UK or Berlin again - both are total dumps on their way out.... shame.
This City is a great misfortune,it must be cursed or something.
ALMOST had to take a job in Berlin - after promising I would NEVER return to that idiot 1.5 years ago...luckily I managed to get a job in another city...funnily if the job had been in a different city I might have taken it..but not Berlin ...NO WAY I will returmn there ...most UK cities are like Berlin (no jobs, bums and druggies everywhere, tons of students and bad vibes) so I dont recommend you flee here either .....peace out.
I've lived in Berlin for a year and today I've discovered sanity! I've discovered this place! I've always thought that something must be wrong with me for hating this place, that maybe I'm growing old, or maybe something's wrong with my brain, but NO! There are so many other people right here that are bitching about things that make me go crazy that I finally feel sane again!
Everything written on this site is absolutely true. All the xenophobia, rudeness, dog shit, broken systems, bureaucracy, insane laws, insane people, crazy bikers - all of it is true!
You want to make friends? No way, because you're not a German ie. you're not superior. You know how in the US you got Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, etc.? No such thing here, you either assimilate or you are ostracized! Forget your culture, throw out everything you hold dear - it's only fussball, beer, and how fat americans are ha ha ha. I've literally had people switch from English to German when talking with me because theyre so xenophobic. You know how you know you've become accepted by the neighbors? They begin to acknowledge you by _scowling_ at you instead of just flat out ignoring you. Customer service? Those people will LIE right to your face if it means you freaking off. Also, haven't seen this mentioned here before but Berliners hog the street like crazy. You will have a family of 4 stop in the middle of the sidewalk, spread out, force you to pass them by stepping onto the street because, I kid you not, they just _thought_ of something! People will never make way for you if they see you walking fast or running because fornicate you.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Once you meet some Berliners, they will immediately start telling you how everything you do is WRONG because they are almost done with their PhD. We're talking about grown people here, aged 30 or more, who live with parents and who have never had a job in their life trying to teach you about life itself. These people will tell you about the world, about politics, about everything and you will feel like you're talking with your friend's 13 year old cousin that just finished watching Transformers and thinks it was a documentary.
What also gets me is this absolute belief in rules and systems. If a system is in place, it has to be the best thing ever. You gotta wait for 2 months to register, so that you can open a bank account, after which you have to wait 6 months to get a credit card? This must be all right and good, you stupid foreigner, some meister _designed_ this system, right? How can you, silly foreigner, comprehend the glorious 1000-year bureau-reich? Oh, and don't forget that there is a Proper Time and Proper Place for everything. There is a set of clothing if you want to exercise and a set of clothing if you're taking a brisk walk, and a set of clothing for taking slow walks. These people are insanely consumerist but they will deny it with all hearts while thinking of another useless freaking gadget to buy for their 2500euro+ bicycle that they never ride because their lovely compatriots will steal it.
Everything in this country that should be easy is hard - going to the doctor, opening a business, making friends, having fun, being polite, asking questions... Oh god, ever ask a Berline for help? The fornicate you're getting any help, you'll just get a scowl and something that translates to "IDONTKNOWBYE".
And again, I must circle back to the topic of xenophobia because it is so common here. Germans will easily tell you that 2nd or 3rd generation children of Turkish immigrants aren't Germans because of some stupid reason, suffice to say that anyone with non-white skin simply cannot be German. Germans are famous for being tourists and you'd think that seeing so many other places is educational, but alas, it is not - I get the feeling that when Germans visit other countries, it's like visiting a zoo for them - it's entertaining to look at all those funny animals and their funny, untermenchen culture. They will speak of absolutely normal things like jaywalking or raccoons or, god forbid, children mowing lawns to earn some summer money (all income in germany must be taxes, therefore any un-registered labor is completely and utterly verboten. Remember, when you shovel snow for a neighbor for 20 bucks, it's like you're giving a sexual act to hitler) - they talk about it as if they saw people walking on their hands. "Ha ha ha, crazy americans, can you believe anyone there can open a business? That's crazy Hans, what if someone Breaks a Rule? What if someone pays One Penny Less of Taxes Than They Owe? Don't they know their hole country will implode? Oh Otto, let me now tell you about the crazy...".
Ugh. Enough. I feel cleansed after getting this off my chest. But there's much more. I can't wait to get out of here, I dream of it. Now, that I know I'm sane, I have to hasten my preparation to leave this dump.
Fellow inmates of this shit-hole of city, fear not, we will escape this place! All of us! Sooner or later, we will be free and this city will crumble back into the bog that spawned it.
Haha good job mate, I had a blast reading your post. Sadly, everything you say is true!
When you say "customer service lies to your face", I can only applaud.
I went to a cloth shop last week, sale lady there looking like she's about to commit suicide, no smile on her face whatsoever approaches me and asked "do you need help?" I didn't want to be bothered so I simply replied "danke, aber ich spreche kein Deutsch". I want on wandering in the shop and taking some items into my little basket, then the old sale woman asks one of her younger co worker to tell me that I can't buy only one nor two items but I am obliged to take 3 of them (they had a special discount for 3 items bought but in no way the customer HAS to buy 3 items...) So that young worker comes and tells me in English "you must buy 3, not only one or two" and then leaves and tells her boss or whatever that she told me I had no choice but buy 3 items, laughing stupidly.
I turned around and said "you know I actually understand what you say, right?" They both blushed looking like robots and looked down as I left pissed off but at the same time happy I didn't spend one cent on their shaddy business.
See, this is how they treat foreigners here: people we can just make fun of, disrespect, belittle and rip off.
Fu.ck this joke of a city
This happened to a friend of mine, he got out the supermarket with too many bags and offered a kid 5€ to help him carry the bags to his apartment 3 blocks away from him, the boy was going to agree but some woman overheard the conversation and starting screaming and the lady actually started yelling and accusing him of solicitation. He had no option but to leave the supermarket as fast as he could with as many bags as he could carry because he was terrified of that attitude, even worse he heard that the police was coming so he ran away. He no longer lives in the city and I plan to leave after the summer too. It's not ok to offer people money for small tasks but it's completely fine to give away money for free for drugs and such. I guess that's the German logic way.
Berlin is a post-communist city and you should adjust your expectations accordingly. Coming from Eastern Europe, I am used to dull architecture, rude attitudes and dysfunctional administration. I can kinda shrug it off.
Also, I knew about the german culture before, about the pathologically competitive and calculating people, unable to form a genuine connection, always on the mission to save the world, make fun of your inferior ways and complain about everything good or bad. Whatever, I can live with that, as long as there are foreigners living here.
The combination, however, is almost unbearable. The post-communist hostile society combined with ruthless capitalistic economy, the narcissistic superiority complex combined with the laziness and ignorance. But I had a feeling that there is so much going on that I'll find freaks just like me and I'll be ok.
And I am ok. I learned to not smile too much. I learned to not talk to people. I learned that people will bump into you on the sidewalk, either out of spite or because they have no concept of "other people" except them. And I am ok. not great, but ok.
However, I am not ok with the fact that this pile of poop is sprinkled with glitter, packaged, marketed and sold as an upcoming city, tech startup hub, cultural melting pot full of great artists, musical underground, hippie utopia or scientific center or whatnot. It's not.
All that noise is bullshit. This city is an alcoholic that pissed itself, sleeping while standing up, having a great time on his most recent hit of heroin. It's a bearded idiot on his fixie bike proud of his ignorance. It's a rude 12 years old kid on some kind of painkillers that will kick you for no reason. Screw that.
Oh man, so true! I think I've had enough time to taste all of these "fruits" and all of them are rotten inside.
Most of my experience has to do with the "startup scene" and it's a darn joke! None of the start ups are doing anything innovative (probably because it is VERBOTEN or something) and I mean - how can they? Any sort of improvement or innovation is frowned upon in this country. You're either a company making cars or selling insurance or you're a nobody. God damnit, they even have those old ladies doing toilet duty - the most degrading job I've ever heard of, all in the name of avoiding any sort of change like the plague. Most foreign workers that came here, lured by the "hot start up scene" are sick and tired of it and wanna get away from it and move to someplace warm where people are nice. I mean, most of these start ups should win "The Most Unambitious Company of the Year" awards. First, you got poop that are just plain rip-offs of other companies, then you got the "big guns", but their products look like they were made 10 years ago (and coded in PHP, lol, what a joke), then you got the pump-and-dump start-ups: companies that have an idea like 'facebook for dogs', so they get funding for a year and they sit around, drinking club mate, until their money runs out - nice, easy job for a year, free money essentially. Funniest thing I've seen in this space: serious PhD "informatikers" completely and utterly disdaining front-end developers for not working in "industrial" languages like C++. Too bad that you got all these PhDs and none of them can make a decent looking product, even a decently functioning product.
I once had to work for a "top tier" financial company that thought having a SQL server was edgy and innovative. Stable companies (i.e. not startups) in Germany aren't that much different. Still, I'm glad to see other people scammed by startups here. I've been thinking of making an anonymous site for startup workers in Berlin so people working in the city and abroad can actually share their awful experiences so that the rest of the world knows what is really going on in the "startup capital of Europe". PD the front end development in C complaint I've heard it so many times already is no longer funny to me.
I went down the same road and tried to register my business in Germany cuz I lived there and I had an idea that I wanted to make real. Long story short, they even brought a social worker to convince me not to because "reasons", they even asked me if I had ties with Iran and Iraq, even though I'm hispanic and almost all my family comes from Florida. All this was in 2013 if this had happened in 2016, good lord I cannot even imagine what it might have happened. Now I have my business registered in Delaware, it costed me somewhere around 300$. I'm glad I did it because I don't have to pay 50% income tax to Germans and maybe other weird hidden very German taxes that make no sense.
What do I hate about the city well:
I hate that one in 10 Germans wants country to be led by a 'Führer' (dictator)
I hate that eleven percent of respondents say that Jews have too much influence in society.
I hate that twelve percent think Germans are by nature superior to other people.
Tell me about that 1/3 French believe in Marie Le Pen and half of Austria wants a far-right president but Germany ain't too far back.
www.thelocal.de/20160615/one-in-every-ten-germans-wants-to-be-led-by-fuhrer
Also related Why German mistrust made Hitler's Mein Kampf a bestseller again
By Thomas Weber University of Aberdeen www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36536317