Hello from Witten, Germany, a moral and intellectual wasteland that is dirty, broke, haughty, and really unfriendly. This page is devoted to the uglier reality: a page about the nicer side of Germany is on its way. Please note that this is not about Germany or Germans in general, but about those I have had contact with in Witten and the Ruhrgebiet. There are of course exceptions: I have met lovely people who will be mentioned on another page.
I have lived here now for over 18 months, attempting to immerse myself in the culture and lifestyle, and integrate with the locals. I married a German, thus I need to live here. Not an easy task, since the “Ausländerfeindlichkeit“ here is second to none. Nicely put, since they can’t be racist because of their history, they choose to hate based on nationality instead. And boy, do these Germans love to hate! It seems to be a national pastime. So here is my way of evening the score....by telling you all about life in Germany from the other side.
There are certain people who have an "Ordnung muss sein” attitude and that perfectionist bit and intolerance has worn thin with me. Most of the Germany I have met through work, shopping, the neighborhood, schools, etc. have this is “I am better than everyone, smarter than everyone and my country is better than anywhere else on earth just because I am German and exist” attitude. I humbly am allowed, it seems, to breathe the same air. What a treat.
Then there’s the neighbors...They spend a great deal of time complaining loudly so that the other two families in our house, who are foreigners, can overhear them, about how foreigners are not as clean and don't take care of the house like they do, and so on...yet we are the only ones who actually stick to the schedule and do our part regularly. They complain that there are no other pure Germans in the house...I think they just like to hate. Ah, the whole lot can kiss my grits. Nosy, nosy people... want to know what tax bracket you are in, do not allow their child on the street or in the garden when mine is there (can’t mingle with the Ausländer, might poison his pure German blood there...), etc. Now, the neighbors we DO enjoy are better educated and speak better German than the locals, believe it or not, but are Yugoslavian by birth!
But let’s talk about daily life. Since these people seem to thing they hung the moon and easily find fault with everyone else in the world, let’s look at THEM and put a mirror up to their face.
Bogestra, the local streetcar and bus provider, takes the cake. Their drivers, especially on the 310 (which I have to take to work frequently) must be trained in how to insult, be rude to, and degrade non-Germans. “Kundenorientierung,” or customer service as we in the English world know it, is non existent. Need to get somewhere? Don’T bother the nasty driver... they will tell you to buy a map. Want to know where to get off? Guess and jump off at the wrong stop. In all fairness I did report several incidents to the supervisors and received an apology, but it didn’t change anything. And I should point out that although on one occasion the driver was trying to catch up on his schedule and wouldn’t let ANYONE out, including his fellow krauts, and drove the entire route with people banging on the doors and screaming. He just ignored everyone. Two drivers have actually greeted me in the early morning on my way to work, something that put me out of sorts all day...it was such a pleasant surprise I almost forgot where I was.
With the exception of grown men terrorizing my 9 year old child on the street car because they heard her speak English to me and deducted she was one of those horrible “Amis” who is personally responsible for every move US politicians make, people have expressed their hatred verbally and not physically. We were accosted , and my child was threatened, but only once have we been physically grabbed and that was on the streetcar.
The best thing about this city is ABRAKADABRA TANZTHEATER GRUPPE, a dance group that gets absolutely NO recognition because... you guessed it.... the whole thing is run by foreigners.....those dreaded “Ausländer”.... and Russian ones, to boot (it is almost as chic for Germans to hate them as hating Americans is in vogue). But they are amazing, and what they do with hard work, dedication and training is recognized by President Rau, but no one in Witten. In Witten, if you are German and wiggle your pinky, you’ll make the front page of the WAZ orr the Ruhr Nachrichten, but this group performs in Berlin, wins contests and sells out auditoriums and they get two afterthoughts in the paper...
Ah well, good things come to those who wait, and they've been waiting 10 years for recognition or appreciation...
You can see them at the SAALBAU in Witten on 22 February 2003, performing WEST SIDE STORY.... A NEW GENERATION. (Although another group in Witten copied them and is doing a "Rap" West Side, in March this one has been in the works since late last year and they will be amazing. The other group may have good connections with the very biased, and slanted Ruhr Nachrichten, but THIS group will give the better performance, guaranteed!
And that is our review for the day of Witten , Germany. |
