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Hi everyone! We recently bought a De’Longhi Magnifica S and are looking for good coffee beans available in Germany.

I mostly drink long black coffee and prefer a balanced, aromatic taste without too much bitterness. My partner mainly drinks espresso and likes a rich body and good crema.

We’d prefer one type of beans that works well for both. Our budget is flexible (€15+ per bag if worth it).

Which specific beans would you recommend? Should we choose 100% Arabica or an Arabica/Robusta blend? Any personal experiences with the Magnifica S would be appreciated!

Thanks! ☕

I've received an email from what seems to be a debt collection company on behalf of Deutsche Bahn out of the blue. They're asking for me to reply to the email and tell them my address. As far as I can make out it's about a bahn card for March 2025 but I don't really understand who they are or why because I permanently left Germany in mid-2024. I definitely wasn't buying any bahn card in 2025. I had one in 2024 but obviously paid up front for this when I was actually living in Germany. They also don't actually say in the email how much they claim I owe Deutsche Bahn or exactly what it's for, just that it's about Bahn Card number XXXXX.

My German is not very good any more and I don't really understand this. The company is "Universum Inkasso", are they legitimate? Also should I just ignore this or contact Deutsche Bahn to tell them I don't live in Germany and haven't since 2024? Any advice would be appreciated.

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Greetings,

I am coming to the end of my utilities contract and I was contacted by the company to decide if I want to sign a new 1 or 2 year contract.

They emailed me the contacts and after reviewing i have decided to sign a contract with another company.

Do I need to notify the old utility country I do not intend to sign, or get confirmation that they will terminate the contract, or is there any chance of contact auto renewal.

I understand there are a thousand what ifs, but what is everyone experience?

Thank you, and I hope i get to live here until the end of my days.

I was confused when I went to a stand for wurst and was given wurst with a side of a round bread roll. How is this typically eaten? Eat the wurst separate from brötchen, or do you cut them up and try to eat them together? Or somehow fit the wurst into the brötchen?

Whenever I see pets in public transport or some gardens, I feel like complimenting the pets and asking their care takers more about their pets. I am non EU citizen and a student here, and cannot afford to have a pet and I really miss being around them, is it find to talk strangers about their pets and asking for petting them?

I don’t know, maybe it’s too obvious question, but I always do doubt myself how the pet care takers will react, especially when there are the strong german stares around.

my niece is attending an official german school in greece (deutsche schule) and they are not learning cursive anymore. my sister said she thinks german kids don‘t learn it anymore, is this correct- or do some states in germany still teach it? I have friends in Austria and their first grader is learning it.
thanks!

Hello, I am a Korean student I am currently planning a menu for German sausages called Bratwurst, but what do local Germans usually eat with them? Do you eat fruit too?

In German speaking comments I feel like I see the abbrev AI rather than KI but I have seen the latter been used as well. I'm not trying to imply anything with this question but I am just curious. Is there a reason ? Is it because the topic of AI is so big in English speaking media that it is more thought of as AI rather than the other. Or purely just off vibes.

I had a Wasserschaden and they installed the drying machines for 2 weeks in my apartment that are quite loud. They told me it can be turned on even during night.

I completely forgot to ask about Sunday because of the law and it's weekend so I'm asking here.

I’ve tried searching on Spotify, but most of the playlists I’ve found are mainly rap. I prefer softer, melodic pop songs that aren’t too loud or overwhelming, without too many different sounds going on at once. Something relaxing and enjoyable to listen to in the car.

Here are a few songs I’ve enjoyed so far:

Walzer – Provinz
Durch den Monsun – Tokio Hotel
Sommerregen – Joris
Geile Zeit – Juli
In deiner kleinen Welt – Philipp Dittberner
Wolke 2 – Philipp Dittberner
Stadt – Cassandra Steen

I’d love to discover more songs with a similar vibe. Thanks!

Hello! I'm an American school student, and I've made close friends with a German foreign exchange student, from (I believe) Frankfurt, and it has come to my attention that there are many foods I would consider "American Classics" that he hasn't tried, for better and for worse. His birthday is coming soon, and I thought it would be fun to bring him a basket of foods he's heard people talk about or might find bizarre or interesting. Things like Mountain Dew Code Red, Twinkies, Moon Pies, Cool Ranch Doritos, slim jims, etc. Are there any foods you think would be particularly resonant with a German who is new to American culture? Bonus points for Red 40!

Hallo zusammen!

Ich suche deutschsprachige Musik mit weiblichem Gesang und starkem, ausgeprägtem Instrumental.

Meine Lieblingskünstler auf Englisch:

https://youtu.be/azIQlQ2Kyoo?si=RbH1XpUlcsN_nQmp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCnvd5QYEns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS1rMx3iVFQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19aPQJ2HYc8

https://youtu.be/OReTmS9mWo0?si=Nw4jzhGwHRpSt6ZO
https://youtu.be/q-V3ZkuzFlY?si=Ue8snU_kDshgHB50

Das Genre ist nicht so wichtig (Alternative, Rock, Pop-Rock, Baroque Pop, Indie, Synth). Wichtig ist der Gesamtvibe, falls ihr ihn versteht: weiblicher Gesang & Frontfrauen-Fokus, Dunkle Alternative, Grunge & Art-Rock, Theatralische & düstere/gotische Ästhetik, Mutige und emotionale Themen

My kitchen does not have a ventilation system so normally I keep my window open to let steam out when I'm cooking. It's very difficult in the winter. My landlord said he would come look for a solution but never came, does anyone have any tricks for this? I tried a fan but it doesn't do anything. Thanks!

Hello everyone,
I occasionally get calls from hidden numbers, I route them to voicemail but they don’t leave a message and hang up. I’m on the Telekom network.

I wonder if there’s a way to block no caller ID numbers from reaching me from Telekom?

Ich wohne in einer Mietwohnung und habe einen Abstellraum auf meiner Etage. Meine Hausverwaltung hat diesen Raum vor Kurzem einfach ausgeräumt.

Das Problem ist: Ein Nachbar im ersten Stock wollte, dass sein Abstellraum geleert wird. Die Firma hat aber einen Fehler gemacht und meinen Raum ausgeräumt. Die Person, die mir damals die Wohnung gezeigt hat, hat sogar ein Foto von meinen Kartons an die Firma geschickt. Trotzdem haben sie alles weggeworfen.

In dem Raum waren fast alle Originalkartons von meinen Elektrogeräten (Airfryer, PC-Setup, Monitore). Die Kartons waren aber nicht leer! In den Monitorkartons waren noch meine Monitorarme. Außerdem waren in einem Karton ein teurer Router und anderes wichtiges Zubehör für meinen PC.

Ich habe bei der Firma angerufen. Sie sagen, die Kartons waren leer und alles ist jetzt im Müll / beim Recycling. Aber ich weiß sicher, dass die Sachen noch drin waren. Jetzt sind meine teuren Sachen weg und ich kann meine Geräte bei einem Umzug auch nicht mehr sicher transportieren, weil das Styropor und die Kartons fehlen.

Was für ein großer Fehler von der Firma! Was soll ich jetzt tun? Kann ich Schadensersatz verlangen?

Vielen Dank für eure Hilfe!

Edit: Wir haben am Dienstag, den 20. Oktober, ein Treffen. Ich bin Student und habe alles selbst bezahlt. Es tut echt weh, dass das passiert ist.

I’m a native-English German speaker and a massive etymology nerd. One of my best things is learning the word histories, etymologies and twists in meaning that have occurred through the centuries. So I thought I’d ask native speakers… what’s your favourite German-language etymology?

Hallo zusammen,
ich schreibe hier, weil ich gerade eine sehr dunkle Phase durchmache und nicht mehr weiterweiß. Ich hoffe auf ein paar ehrliche Ratschläge oder Erfahrungen von euch.
Kurz zu meiner Situation: Ich bin ca. 40 Jahre alt, verheiratet und habe Kinder. Vor 5 Jahren bin ich nach Deutschland gezogen. In meiner Heimat war ich beruflich sehr erfolgreich und hatte ein ausgefülltes Leben. Hier arbeite ich zwar auch, aber ich habe das Gefühl, dass ich mich beruflich auf einem deutlich niedrigeren Niveau befinde. Die Arbeit ist langweilig, der Alltag monoton und das Leben fühlt sich insgesamt sehr grau an.
Finanziell habe ich das Gefühl, auf der Stelle zu treten: Das Geld, das reinkommt, geht direkt wieder raus. Ich kann das Leben hier einfach nicht genießen und vermisse den Sinn in allem.
Der Tropfen, der das Fass jetzt zum Überlaufen gebracht hat: Ich hatte gehofft, wenigstens die praktische Fahrprüfung zu bestehen, um ein Stück Freiheit zurückzubekommen. Aber ich bin durchgefallen. Das hat mich mental komplett am Boden zerstört. Ich fühle mich gerade extrem traurig, depressiv und nutzlos.
Hat jemand von euch ähnliche Erfahrungen gemacht? Wie kommt man aus so einem Loch wieder heraus? Gibt es Wege, sich hier wieder ein Stück weit selbst und die Lebensfreude zurückzuholen?
Danke fürs Zuhören.

Meine Frau hat bei einer Geschäftsreise Kopfhörer im Taxi in München mitgenommen, weil sie identisch mit ihren waren. Einmal zuhause, merkt sie den Fehler und schreibt dem Fundbüro, dass sie nicht mehr in München ist aber die Person sich bei ihr jederzeit melden kann. Sie schickt alle Infos mit (wie, wann, was).

Das Fundbüro ignoriert offenbar die Tatsache, dass sie nicht mehr in München ist und antwortet:

"Bitte lassen Sie uns die Fundsache (unter Angabe z.B. wie Finderlohn) zukommen. Da der Verlierer auch am wahrscheinlichsten bei uns nachfragen wird.

Geeignete Wege sind die nächste Polizeidienststelle, Bürgerbüros, persönliche Abgabe im Fundbüro während unserer Öffnungszeiten (siehe unten).

Es besteht eine gesetzliche Ablieferungspflicht nach § 967 BGB.

Fundsachen werden  bei uns erfasst, sobald sie uns vorliegen."

Sie wird nicht nach München hinfahren, nur um die Kopfhörer abzugeben, hat aber Sorge, dass sie bestraft wird. Wir sind beide nicht sicher - wie gehen wir am besten vor?

Edit: Wir werden es in der Polizeistelle in der Nähe abgeben, danke für euren Input

die Verschlüsse bei den PET-Flaschen bevor ich trinke abreisst? Mich stören die irgendwie und finde das Feeling von früher besser.. Wie gehts euch dabei

Kurze Frage in die Runde: Wenn jemand zu mir „viertel 8“ sagt, hat mein Gehirn daraus immer sofort 8:15 Uhr gemacht statt 7:15 Uhr.

Eine Freundin hat mir das System dahinter neulich lieb erklärt (no front, nur Liebe an sie!) und rein logisch leuchtet es mir jetzt auch ein.

Trotzdem interessiert mich brennend:
- Ging es noch jemandem so wie mir?
- Was war eure erste, intuitive Interpretation, bevor man es euch erklärt hat?
- Aus welcher Ecke kommt ihr?

Ich will hier gar keinen typischen Glaubenskrieg über Uhrzeiten anzetteln, sondern bin einfach neugierig, wie andere Köpfe das direkt verknüpfen. (Vielleicht schießt mein ADHS-Gehirn da auch einfach mal wieder quer, weil eh immer so viel gleichzeitig los ist :D)

Good evening,

I’m writing this post because I’ve been suffering from a long-term condition (2+ years) involving both of my feet. I won’t bother you with how negatively it has affected my life in every area: professionally, mentally, socially, in my romantic relationship, with my family, and in my free time. Ill just say It’s omnipresent and ruins almost every single day of my life.

I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, although my symptoms are entirely different from those typically associated with it. I therefore have good reason to believe the diagnosis is wrong, and I would love the chance to discuss it with a professional (in the best case, an Orthopedist or a sports medicine doctor.)

Here comes the problem, though: I’ve seen tons of them in Berlin (where I live) for this condition, and I’ve barely been able to ask them to reconsider my diagnosis. They simply don’t let me talk. They say that plantar fasciitis takes time, tell me to keep doing the stretches they advise, and send me home. At most, they propose a treatment (shockwave therapy), which did help the first time, but I then repeated it four more times (twice paid out of my own pocket) and no longer benefited from it. I’m not going to repeat it.

So what I’m asking is: is there any chance of finding a doctor who is genuinely willing to listen, without prejudice, to what I have to say as a patient? In the best case, I'd be looking for someone who is willing to accept that I also can read and understand a peer-reviewed paper. (Now, don't get me wrong, I’m the first to say I’m not a doctor. But the only time I mentioned to a doctor one of the many peer-reviewed papers I read on the topic, he admitted he didn't know it, so I think I can claim to have, at this point, some knowledge that even doctors sometimes lack themselves.)

I’m looking for someone who practices their job for the love of science and the sake of helping a suffering human being; someone whose professional goal is not just to get to the end of a Termin (10 minutes, or maybe even just 5?), fill out the patient file, and say Tschüss, but to really cure the patient who keeps coming back to their Praxis. Some of you might comment that doctors choose their profession simply because it’s lucrative, but I don’t want to buy that (yet).

What would be my best bet? Research hospitals like the Charité in Berlin? Or paying privately for an appointment with the most brilliant of the luminaries (and if so, how do I find their contact details to begin with)? Or should I try more “informal” ways of getting in touch with a doctor, here on Reddit for example, or perhaps by joining a Verein, if there is one of this kind? Or do you have any other suggestions?

I don’t want to turn my question into a rant, but I find it absurd that a person can be left stuck in the same tormenting condition for over 2 years without even having the right to say: “I don’t feel what you say I’m feeling, I feel something else!” Is this even healthcare?

Two final notes: 1. I am not asking any of you for a diagnosis. I am asking how to get in touch with a professional who is willing to dive deeper into the problem until a solution is found. 2. my spoken German is far from perfect, but I can form sentences that make sense and are intelligible, even if I sometimes choose the wrong article for a noun or use the wrong Partizip II for a strong verb. I don’t believe language is the issue here. Again, some will cite the stereotype that doctors are conservative and unwelcoming to foreigners, but I don’t want to give in to such thoughts.

Danke an euch alle!

Does anyone know of a podcast in the style of history of Rome and revolutions dealing with the Weimar Republic? Long form and in depth focusing mainly on political history looking at Germany from the revolution to Hitlers consolidation of power. Failing that anyone know any audiobook focusing on just the political history of the Weimar Republic rather than dealing with it as simply a prelude to the Nazi era?

I’m originally from morocco, our traditions are often different than the ones in Germany but we are going for a more “European style” wedding on mutual agreement.
Long story short:
His mother wants to wear a white floor length dress, even tough me and my fiancé agreed on no white/cream color on guest.
I called her to ask her not to, this was the end result:
-she will wear a white dress
-the first dance is traditionally a son and mother dance
-I’m already breaking tradition by not getting married in a church

is it okay to argue over traditions, am i being ignorant here for not wanting or liking these traditions even though it’s my fiancés wedding too?

I recently came across a beautiful Buddha statue in a Buddhist temple, with a swastika symbol on the Buddha’s chest. I found the image genuinely moving, and the symbol really spoke to me spiritually. I’ve been considering getting a similar tattoo.

Swastika existed for thousands of years before the Nazis appropriated it and remains an important religious symbol in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. I also understand the historical trauma associated with the Nazi version, especially here in Germany. My ancestors were quite literally part of it (Serbs/Balkan).

My intention would be entirely Buddhist and spiritual, not political. I would want the tattoo to reflect the religious symbolism of the statue that inspired me.

However, since I’m temporarily living in Germany, I’m concerned about the legal implications. I know that Germany has strict laws regarding Nazi symbols, but I’m unsure how these laws apply to an authentic Buddhist swastika tattoo, particularly if it were visible in public - such as gym or public sauna.

Does anyone have reliable legal knowledge or experience with this? Would the religious context and design make a difference under German law, or could the tattoo still lead to legal trouble?

I’m genuinely interested in understanding both the legal situation and the cultural sensitivities involved. Please share reliable sources if possible. Thank you!

On what date are we Germans all turning on the Heizung?