Interpersonal relations in the German culture – in both East and West – might be described as “slow to warm up.” During my first six months in the country, neighbors, shopkeepers and other local people seemed brusque and unfriendly. However, once they got used to seeing me and learned my name, I was personally greeted with a friendly smile – and chocolate for my kids – and when it was time for me to leave the country, they showed heartfelt regret at my departure.

Dow Chemical employee Frank Kothbauer and his wife Colleen ran into this phenomenon when they moved to the smaller city of Merseburg, intent on fully immersing their family in the local culture: “We sent our children to German schools, and I imagined myself quickly learning German over coffee with the neighbors and exploring the region with new German friends,” notes Colleen. “But it took several months before people even started saying hello.”

Friendships follow the same pattern; they are comparatively slow to develop, but strong and lasting once they are formed. Since we left Leipzig a year and a half ago, four German friends have come to stay with us, and several others telephone regularly, including one who calls on each family member’s birthday.

Unfortunately, a xenophobic undercurrent exists among some social groups in eastern Germany, especially in economically-depressed neighborhoods and towns. There is a widespread suspicion (as a teacher we knew was shocked to hear from her fifth-grade students), that “foreigners” have “taken jobs away from Germans,” although the foreign population of the new states aside from Berlin is only some 2%, compared to 10% in former West Germany.

Berlin itself, with a foreign population of 13.1% in 2002, is a highly cosmopolitan place, where people of any nationality, religion, style of dress -- or degree of body piercing -- can feel at home.

Work And Residency

Unemployment rates of about 20% in the East, combined with the German insistence on proper qualifications (even restaurant waiters undergo lengthy training), make it hard to find a steady job. On top of this, unlike EU citizens, Americans cannot be hired in Germany without a work permit (Arbeitserlaubnis). As Lucy Jacobs notes: “It is unfortunately difficult for Americans to get work permits for salaried positions (as Angestellte in German), unless they have been transferred here from another company.  Current German law will only grant a work permit to an American if a German or someone from the European Union cannot do the job.  The process usually takes between 8-12 weeks, and most companies are not willing to wait and sponsor the costs of the process.” 

Eleanore Fox of the U.S. Consulate in Leipzig cautions Americans against coming to Germany as tourists and then trying to apply for a work permit. “This is a way to get into serious trouble with the authorities, and I know of at least a few cases where people have come to grief by trying to bend the rules, for instance applying for a student visa rather than a proper work visa,” she comments. 

However, there are a few hidden opportunities. Self-employed or freelance workers do not need a work permit, and according to Jacobs, the Americans she knows who work as self-employed consultants have usually had no trouble obtaining permission to do business in Germany. This would also include “virtual workers” such as the technical writer I met recently who was planning a move to Europe, since he could complete his projects wherever his laptop traveled.

A special “green card” program has also recently been launched to attract highly-qualified information technology specialists to Germany. Furthermore, as Jacobs notes: “With increasing globalization, more and more international companies are locating in Berlin and East Germany.  Looking to the near future, with the opening up of the East Bloc countries, Berlin will be a major hub for business between the East and West.  I do believe that this expansion will offer employment opportunities to expats from all over the world.”

Teaching English is another option, especially if you have experience and credentials in the field. The pay is not stellar as in some Asian countries, but it is possible to earn a modest living. Hemenway knows several Americans teaching English in eastern Germany’s smaller cities, “because native speakers are rarer there.” If this option interests you, Fox recommends contacting language schools in advance in the area where you hope to live, in order to get the formal employment process started.

There are quite a few international schools in eastern Germany offering opportunities for teachers of all kinds, without the prior requirement of a German work permit:
Berlin International School (www.berlin-international-school.de),
Berlin Brandenburg International School (www.bbis.de),
The John F. Kennedy School (www.jfks.de)
The State International School of Berlin (www.sisberlin.de),
Erasmus International School in Potsdam (www.erasmus-is.de),
Dresden International School (www.dresden-is.de),
Leipzig International School (www.intschool-leipzig.de), and
Thuringia International School of Weimar (www.this-weimar.de).

University study presents another possibility for adventurous Americans. There are three good universities in Berlin alone, and the Free University (Freie Universität) of Berlin has some master’s programs in English. Study at public universities is nearly free of charge, making it an attractive option for American students who are willing to learn the language.

Simple residency permits for Americans who do not plan to work on the economy and are able to support themselves (such as retirees) involve the typical layers of German paperwork but are usually no problem. 

Hemenway advises that Americans needing assistance with German residency permits or other paperwork can contact the helpline where she has served as a volunteer: Helpline International Helppoint, at +49 (0)30 44 01 06 07. “If they don't know something, they can at least set you on the path for the information,” she adds.

Of course, if you are contemplating a move to Germany, your first steps should include contacting the nearest German embassy or consulate to discuss your options. “It will save any rude awakenings and help prepare for the transition,” as Jacobs notes. 

Consul Eleanore Fox advises: “My primary recommendation for Americans thinking about this part of the world would be either to study some German before arriving or to be sure to make time for it once they're here -- otherwise, integration into the larger community is really an issue.” She also offers the suggestion, “only a little tongue-in-cheek,” that all would-be emigrants watch the recent German movie Goodbye Lenin, “just to have at least some idea of the changes people in this part of the world have been through.” 

Resources

www.expatica.com
www.howtogermany.com
www.agbc.de  American-German Business Club, with a Saxony chapter based in Leipzig
Statistical information was obtained from www.statistikportal.de

Patricia Linderman is co-author, with Melissa Hess, of The Expert Expatriate: Your Guide to Successful Relocation Abroad (Nicholas Brealey Intercultural, 2002).  For more information, see www.expatguide.info . She is also Editor-in-Chief of Tales from a Small Planet, www.talesmag.com.