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INSIDE GERMANY

Inside Germany: Spy scandals, coalition upset and German noises

In our revamped weekly newsletter, we look at spy drama, rocky politics, German noises and culture.

Published: 27 April 2024 10:01 CEST
The FDP's Christian Lindner has been rocking the coalition boat this week.
The FDP's Christian Lindner has been rocking the coalition boat this week. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jessica Lichetzki

From decoding political rows to cultural and language tips, our weekly newsletter Inside Germany – formerly Living in Germany (we decided to give it a little makeover) – looks at what we have been talking about in Germany this week. Members can receive it directly to their inbox on Saturday.

Spy drama grips Germany 

Germany is no stranger to spy scandals (check out the ‘Deutsches Spionagemuseum’ in Berlin for more on the history) but the past few weeks have seen intelligence agencies working overtime. Last week we had two German-Russian men arrested in northern Bavaria after being accused of helping Russia to plan attacks in Germany. This week there were more high profile arrests, this time concerning reports of suspects spying for China in Germany. One suspect is an aide to Maximilian Krah, a Member of European parliament for the far-right Alternative for Germany or AfD, plunging the party into more chaos. 

Spying certainly comes with high penalties in Germany. Journalist Aaron Burnett told our Germany in Focus podcast: “Some spies caught in Germany have been sentenced to eight to ten years… But more serious cases carry a life sentence. One head of division at the German intelligence service arrested last year is accused of having spied for the Russian FSB about Germany’s espionage methods, for example – and if he’s convicted he’s looking at life.”

‘Divorce papers’ hit the coalition

It’s been a rocky week for the coalition government. Junior partner, the FDP, proposed a 12-point plan aimed at boosting Germany’s economy. It included stricter sanctions on those receiving Bürgergeld (long-term unemployment benefit) and limiting early retirement. As you can imagine, it didn’t go down well with the FDP’s government partners the Social Democrats and Greens. Meanwhile, Bavaria’s state premier Markus Söder, of the opposition CSU, couldn’t resist a jibe, calling the plan a “divorce certificate” for the coalition partnership. With an election next year, it will be interesting to see if the coalition can hold it together.  

The noises you need to sound German

If you’re looking to sound more like a local, we recommend getting in on some of the noises that Germans make during everyday conversations – including Hä!

Is Germany attractive to foreign workers?

A survey released this week ranked Germany as the fifth most attractive destination for foreign workers. This week on our Germany in Focus podcast, we chat about the positives and negatives of moving to Germany for work. We also looked at when you might want to consider a legal challenge on your German citizenship application and Berlin’s new €29 rival to the Deutschlandticket. 

Making time for culture 

Every day (and night) there are gigs, events, exhibitions and lots of other cool things to do in Berlin. But it can be hard to fit it in among work, catching up with friends and chores (not to mention getting the grocery shopping done on a Saturday because Sunday isn’t an option in Germany). So I was happy that I carved out some time to check out art last weekend. House Berlin is a gallery tucked away on Friedrichstraße in Mitte. It’s currently showing Jeff Cowen’s exhibition Séance, where you can expect a creepy yet ethereal vibe examining the crossover between the spiritual and physical realm. 

I was also glad to hear about an awesome event recommended by a reader of The Local. Lucinda Kirkby is exhibiting her porcelain collection at Galerie Orange in Tegernsee. Let me know if you have some cultural recommendations in Berlin and elsewhere in Germany!

House Berlin' Séance exhibition.

House Berlin’ Séance exhibition. Photo: Rachel Loxton

Lastly… 

For readers who don’t know me – hallo! I recently took over as editor of The Local Germany full time after my lovely colleague Rachel Stern left the position. I’ve worked at The Local for more than five years in different roles and I also covered for Rachel during her parental leave. Some of you might also know me from the Germany in Focus podcast. I’m delighted to be spending more time editing The Local Germany and working alongside our awesome team of journalists. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me to say hi, with feedback or if you have a story. You can email me directly here: Rachel.loxton@thelocal.com

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For members

FAMILY

Why so many couples in Germany go to Denmark to get married

Couples with at least one non-German partner who try to get married in Germany often run into near-impossible hurdles. The solution that many international couples resort to is crossing a border for a day or two and returning as newlyweds.

Published: 13 May 2024 12:40 CEST
Why so many couples in Germany go to Denmark to get married

Germany is not particularly well known as a wedding destination, but its neighbour Denmark is.

Denmark has been an especially popular wedding destination for people coming from Germany since the 1960s. 

To be clear it’s not that couples in Germany are swapping their wedding carriages for tandem bicycles, or that they want Smørrebrød at their reception dinners. 

Actually what attracts couples to Denmark for marriage is not what the country has, but what it doesn’t have – that being outrageous bureaucratic hurdles.

The Local spoke with one newly wed husband and one engaged bachelor who both opted for Danish weddings. They explained why they avoided getting married in Germany, and how seamless the process can be in Denmark.

Impossible documents and language barriers

For many foreigners, and even some native born citizens, Germany’s paperwork and German language requirements for the marriage process are simply too much.

Sam Care, 32, who lives in Berlin told The Local that he didn’t spend too much time investigating the marriage process in Germany. Rather he and his newly wed wife were recommended to marry in Denmark from the beginning.

“Given our experience with German bureaucracy, it didn’t take much to convince us,” Sam admitted. But he did look into the process enough to realise the list of required documents is substantially longer in Germany than it is in Denmark.

“I’m sure lots of people don’t arrive in Germany with their birth certificates and proof of civil status. At least we hadn’t, so the German process had this added hassle of trying to get documents from my wife’s home country.”

newlyweds in Denmark

Sam Care and his newlywed bride as seen in Copenhagen shortly after getting married. Photo provided by Sam Care.

While requesting documents from your home country (and then getting them translated and apostilled) is difficult enough if you are coming from the US or the UK, for example, it can be nearly impossible for people coming from countries like Kenya or South Africa, or countries where regular processes may be disrupted by conflict, like in Ukraine or Russia.

William Bryan, 28, who is scheduled to marry his fiancée in Denmark in a few months said that as a German-American he had made an honest effort to start the German process.

“It was so quickly, overwhelmingly bureaucratic in classic German fashion,” Will told The Local. 

He added that an official translator was required at the marriage if either of the partners couldn’t prove sufficient German language skills – which would have been an issue for his fiancée – and they didn’t offer options beside German language for the ceremony.

Ultimately, Will says the extra paperwork and the language barrier, and the fact that both of those issues could be avoided with a quick trip to Denmark, made it an easy choice.

‘You could be married next week in Denmark’

Beside the language and paperwork barriers, another issue for those trying to marry in Germany can be the timing. Scheduling a marriage in Germany can take months, especially in bigger cities where local venues are often fully booked well in advance.

Of course marriage is not something to rush into, but there are certain situations where couples may need to marry sooner than later.

Will noted that after he and his fiancée submitted their documents to Danish authorities, they received approval on their application within five business days.

“You could probably apply today and get married next week,” Will said.

bride and groom celebrating

A bride and groom celebrate their union with a toast. Photo by Pexels via Pixabay

Sam also noted how easy and quick the Danish process was: “You just go to the Danish website, upload a few documents, get approved, choose a venue, done!”

He said that they did have to register a day ahead of the marriage at the town hall: “When we got to the town hall there were a bunch of couples from around the world. It was actually sweet to see the other couples in a similar situation to ours, all in need of a feasible way to secure their lives together.”

Germany gets its papers either way

There is one catch. When German residents are married abroad, they need to have their foreign marriage officially recognised in Germany before that marriage will count in terms of tax and citizenship / residency effects.

Sam, who was married by the end of 2023, says he is still in the process of having his marriage recognised by the German authorities, which would also be required to arrange a name change in the country.

READ ALSO: How to have your marriage abroad recognised in Germany

“In my experience it’s not so straightforward,” Sam said. “Depending on your circumstance, you have to either go to the Standesamt or Bürgeramt and it’s not entirely obvious which one until you contact one and are told to go through the other – and then over to the Finanzamt.”

Typically, married couples can start this process by presenting the marriage certificate at their local registry office. But if you’re moving to Germany for the first time, you can try brining the certificate with you to your first Anmeldung appointment.

But here also, coming from Denmark has an advantage. Danish weddings come with marriage certificates in five languages (Danish, English, German, Spanish, and French) at no extra cost. 

So at least you won’t have to translate your marriage certificate when you turn it in to the relevant authorities in Germany.

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