Only younger generations and those at the university level appreciated being able to practice their English. This made it extremely difficult for my husband and me to adjust to the city since we had to bring a student translator to help with the issues of registration. My other Fulbright friends who were living in cities where many people spoke English were able to do all of their bureacracy in English. The town we were in was so traditional that they even had us pay for a German marriage license since they refused to accept our English marriage license. Thankfully, the Fulbright program staff were able to translate all of my documents into both English and German to help ease the stress of registering in our little town, which was proving to be more difficult than even the Fulbright staff had expected!
Art/Literature
Culture is dramatically impacted by art and literature, and understanding quite how much Germany was shapeshifted by its writers and artists is still something I am trying to learn. I only knew the basic popular European geniuses, but I challenge you to dive in deeper to know the people that shaped your country. As I was learning the German language, I wish I had purchased some basic German fairytales to read during my time there. One of my friends read many famous authors during her time, and that was something I wish I had prioritized. In fact, we actually had a small museum dedicated to Germany’s most famous Romantic painter, Caspar David Friedrich, who was from the town of Greifswald. (I have posted some of these beautiful pieces of art).
Holidays
Holidays are important to know especially since they coincide with the history of the country.
