Cultural Differences While Traveling In Germany

Cultural differences abound when one travels abroad. This is evident in what we eat, where we go, places we see, people we meet, and even in the foods we try. Naturally, you would expect cultural differences when you travel, this is probably one of the reasons we do travel, to get a sense for the local cultures, see new things and meet new people that would otherwise be out of reach in our normal day to day lives.

There are tons of cultural differences between the United States and Germany. These can be seen in more obvious things like local cuisine and language, but they can also be appreciated in much more subtle ways, as in ways and means of disposing trash and recyclables and other mundane tasks that as Americans, we would do differently in our local cultures. Cigarette smoking is as predominant in Germany as it is in America with 30% of the population being considered smokers and smoking very widely accepted as it is still legal to smoke in restaurants and bars. However, Germans have incorporated a cigarette butt receptacle in all the public trash bins that are scattered about throughout the city. We have even witnessed many instances in which janitors will go pick up butts one by one to be disposed of properly.


Recycling is also a huge part of German and European culture with Germany contributing a large part to the global fight on increasing waste The chemical make up of the plastic bottles are more durable than their American counterparts so they can be returned, re-used, and recycled for future uses. They also managed to accomplish this by introducing the “Green Dot” program in which manufacturers pay a fee for using more packaging. Another major factor in this recycling ideal is when you return the bottles to the vendors you can even receive a small fee in exchange for the bottle therefore insuring that the majority of recyclables have the greatest probabilities of being returned.

A very curious and not so subtle cultural difference is how the various immigrant communities have kept their identity in the face of such a culture shock as leaving their homelands to come to a completely different world, with a complex language, and a very strong nationalistic identity. This was evident in the Carnaval of Cultures, in which many nations with citizens living in Berlin displayed their homeland’s flag and national music among other things. This was amazing to see in a country with such a strong sense of pride and rich history. The immigrants have picked up the language yet kept their own as secondary and have made Berlin into a much more international city while keeping its ancient mystical history alive and well.

Sources: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1828019,00.html

http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/recycling.html