Agnes Sachsenroeder - CultureShock! Berlin: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

This edition published in 2009. Reprinted 2010, 2011.

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Photo Credits:

All black and white photos from the author. All colour images from Photolibrary. Cover photo: Corbis.

All illustrations by TRIGG

Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from ones comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.

Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and covers a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.

Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the peoplewhere they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book

Then on with the practical aspectshow to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But thats not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.

To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.

One might think that foreigners would have no cultural problems to contend with when living in Berlin, as it is a modern and cosmopolitan city. Yet, the reality is that even a German from another state would still be a little stumped as a newbie in Berlin. What more for a Briton, or an American from across the Pond.

This book is a road map for expatriates and long-term visitors on how Berliners tick, and how to get on and along in the city, down to how to separate rubbish for recycling, which, in Germany, is something for which you need an instruction manual.

Observations about the city and its people are as unbiased as is humanly possible, taking into account the views of a cross-section of expatriates and visitors. But when describing a group of people, theres always an element of generalisation involved. Readers of this book may find observations that they agree or disagree with, since we all have our own way of looking at things. The aim of this book is to alert you to certain characteristics of the city and its dwellers, but ultimately, this exciting city is for you to discover for yourself.

One other caveat: dynamic cities always change rather quickly, so between the time of writing this book and its coming off the press, prices may have changed, some shops closed or new ones opened. But that makes the city vibrant and fun for your exploring.

Viel Spa in Berlin.

Many grateful thanks must go to my husband, who obligingly answered my questions about Germany through the years. More importantly, although he inwardly cringed over a few less complimentary observations of his fellow Germans, he never once tried to persuade me to change anything in this book, accepting the fact that such a book is written from foreigners perspectives.

My exploration and understanding of the city were also made much easier and interesting by the many good guide books, websites, newspapers and magazines which I have mentioned in this book.

All the Berliners who I came to know personally or met in passing provided the canvas on which to work on. They have my thanks, too, including those who only growled at me, as they all helped in my compilation of the Berliner characteristics.

Carol King-Reed played a significant role in introducing me to the science of crossing cultures way back in 1998, and I thank her sincerely for that.

Ones destination is never a place, but a new way of looking at things.

Henry Valentine Miller (American author, 18911980 )

IT WAS THE SUMMER OF 1998 when I first flew to Berlin. This was just eight years after German reunification and seven years after the German Bundestag (parliament) made the decision to move the capital of Germany from Bonn to Berlin, some 500 km north-eastwards.

My husband and I were in Berlin to check out our future accommodation and the city, like many other Germans affected by their employers move to Berlin. Acutely aware that this wasnt just any city, but