Germany - Deutschland, but in English

I've been enjoying Videos of the YouTube channel “Sammy in Germany” about the German language and culture.

German Language

• Vowels / Umlauts
• Double and triple meanings of words
• Words that change meaning with the article
• Doch - positive disagreeing response to a negative statement

Cultural

• Germans will correct you, but mean well
• Lack of spicy food
• Blitzer - automated speed traps

*It's Miele

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/40596535

I hope it's okay to publish this here, as I believe my personal experience as an immigrant in Germany is deeply political. Here is a piece from my blog:

"...in case the reader and I feel careless, helpless or (politically) cynical, so that we have something to read as a reminder that despite all the misery in the world, we still have ways to resist!"

(Thanks to @joshuaidehen for the inspiration of the title).

Der8auer ist machtbesessen geworden. Kühlkörperherstellung | Hergestellt in Deutschland

• Invidious
• Youtube

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43307501

...

Sinan Selen, head of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), said in Berlin that Germany is under particular scrutiny from Moscow, as the country serves as a key NATO logistics hub and is a strong supporter of Ukraine.

He emphasized that Russia could exploit elections as a platform to influence public opinion and political processes.

In an interview with AFP, Selen noted that several state elections will take place in Germany next year, making the country vulnerable to disinformation campaigns.

According to him, Russian intelligence agencies have already actively carried out cyberattacks, sabotage, and online operations across Europe, which have intensified since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"We are being attacked here and now in Europe," Selen said in a speech marking 75 years since the founding of the BfV.

...

It`s important to note that Russian election interference has become a consistent and established tactic for Moscow in neighboring countries.

In September 2025, Russia reportedly invested nearly €400 million in efforts to influence Moldova’s parliamentary elections and secure a victory for pro-Kremlin forces, according to parliamentary speaker Igor Grosu. The campaign included voter bribery, large-scale AI-driven disinformation, coordinated cyberattacks, and attempts to provoke street protests.

Despite Kremlin pressure, Moldovan voters elected the pro-European PAS party, which won a parliamentary majority.

Beyond financial operations, Russia also leveraged religious institutions to shape public opinion. Moldovan Orthodox priests received funding for pilgrimages to Moscow and, upon returning home, created Telegram channels for their parishes to spread anti-European narratives.

The Kremlin’s use of such legitimate platforms for political influence demonstrates that the threat of foreign election interference is systemic and widespread.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/53998064

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.today/post/42655760

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the western German city of Giessen on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany’s new youth organization was set to kick off its founding convention.

Groups of protesters blocked or tried to block roads in and around the city of some 93,000 people in the early morning. Police said they used pepper spray after stones were thrown at officers at one location.

The new youth organization of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is to be set up in a meeting at Giessen’s convention center. Its predecessor, the Young Alternative — a largely autonomous group with relatively loose links to the party — was dissolved at the end of March after AfD decided to formally cut ties with it.

More in the article.

So, first, my tattoo is covered by long sleeves, and I will rarely walk around without sleeves. However:

I am on my way to Germany in a few days (Blue card and all!) to start work, and I have a Klingon Trefoil tattoo on my left forearm (It was the first of many planned Star Trek tattoos on that forearm, with the IDIC and the Starfleet Delta coming soon). I have been working myself into a frenzy worried that people will immediately think I am some sort of fascist for having this tattoo either because it's Klingon or because they won't know what it is...

Do I actually have anything to worry about? Or should I just get it removed/covered?

Schweitzer is a lawyer and member of the Global Sumud Flotilla. The aggressors appear to be using a genuine personal profile to send the threats. Original post here https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNdwtNCm2/ but I will add more screenshots in the comments.

Reformation Day is on October 31, and November 1 is All Saints' Day. It is up to each federal state to decide whether one or neither of these days is an official holiday. (Further information without guarantee).

Berlin and Hesse come away empty-handed.

Reformation Day is a public holiday in Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia.

In Baden-Württemberg, schools are probably closed.

All Saints' Day is a public holiday in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. It is also a public holiday in Austria, Liechtenstein, and parts (?) of Switzerland.

Expect the usual chaos on the day before a public holiday, but multiplied by the traffic from neighboring states and federal states, where people feel compelled to go shopping elsewhere on their "day off".

And if you're residing in an area with small(er) children: Halloween is also celebrated by some people but on a way smaller scale than in the US. You might get small spooky visitors trick or treating but as it's not as common you might wait with a box of candy and nobody's showing up.

Betteridge's law doesn't really apply to this article. They don't answer the question though.