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Eight Covid-safe events not to miss in Germany in June 2021

From open-air film festivals to long-awaited gallery openings, here are eight corona-safe things to do in the Bundesrepublik this June.

Published: 31 May 2021 15:50 CEST
Eight Covid-safe events not to miss in Germany in June 2021
A sign for this year's Berlinale, which takes place outdoors in June. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Paul Zinken

Berlinale Summer Special –  June 9th-20th

The Berlinale, arguably the world’s largest international film festival,happens in Berlin each year. Yet because of Covid-19, Berlinale 2021 came in two parts, starting with online screenings in March. 

 
 
 
 
 
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Now, part two promises to be spectacular, with 16 different outdoor cinemas screening shortlisted films all across Berlin, from Kreuzberg to Mitte and Hasenheide to Rehberge. 

Tickets are available from June 3rd and cost between €5 and €15.

READ ALSO: Berlinale to host outdoor festival for film fans this June

Objective, Realistic, Magical, Duisburg –  Open Now until July 18th 

This history infused art exhibition at the Lehmbruckmuseum explores the wild artistic currents of 1920s Germany. 

Sandwiched between two World Wars, this unusual time of decadence and social deprivation, trauma, glamour and political upheaval gave rise to some of the most renowned – or notorious – German artists. 

Duisburg hosts a whole spectrum of creatives from the heartbreaking illustrator Käthe Kollwitz, the cynical painter Otto Dix and caricaturist Georg Grosz, to painter, printmaker and sculptor Max Beckmann and more. 

Standard tickets cost €9, concessions are €5.

Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele – 12th June – 1st August 

The famous Heidelberger Palace has excitedly but cautiously announced that this year’s Festspiele will be going ahead. 

 
 
 
 
 
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A series of open-air theatre, dance and music performances will be taking place between the atmospheric ruins of the 19th century castle. This includes an interpretation of ‘Dracula’ and the family-friendly German classic ‘Rodrigo Raubein’. Tickets cost €16.

READ ALSO: Why Heidelberg is Germany’s most inspiring city

Erwin Olaf: Strange Beauty, Munich – Open Now – September 26th

This retrospective exhibition follows the development of Erwin Olaf, one of the most famous contemporary photographers from the Netherlands. 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Erwin Olaf (@studioerwinolaf)

As well as his intricately staged photography, Olaf is known for being provocative. A wholehearted believer in tolerance and unity, he’s not afraid of controversy to get his point across. 

No test is required, but you have to book a time slot in advance. Standard entry costs €13, but there’s a 50 percent discount on Tuesdays. 

Diversity United, Berlin – June 9th – September 19th

This ambitious exhibition brings together 90 artists from 34 European countries under the roof of the old Berlin airport, Flughafen Tempelhof. 

The exhibition is meant to showcase the extraordinary diversity of Europe’s contemporary art scene. 

“The works on display shed light on themes such as freedom and democracy, migration and territory, political and personal identity, utopias and fears, which also revolve around the current pandemic.” writes the Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur. 

Tickets will be available soon. Standard entry is €10, and €5 for students.

The Female Side of God, Frankfurt – Open now until June 26th 

In this exhibition, the Jewish Museum Frankfurt takes a look at the feminine element of the representation of God in the three biggest monotheistic religions. 

 
 
 
 
 
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The idea is to look at art, sculpture and scripture through the lens of social and historical contexts. 

Standard entry is €12, test and time slot required. 

Follow the Wine Road

Around since the Roman times, the Rhineland-Palatinate wine region long been a favourite stopping point for German vino fans. Now, the region is open for business again. 

READ ALSO: Meet the man introducing internationals to German wine

Nestled into idyllic rolling hills and cherry-tree lined avenues, many of the historical vintners are offering wine tastings and “Weinstrasse Road Trips”. 

Hotels and hostels are open again in the Rhineland-Palatinate, but require rigid testing, and many are opting for caravans and holiday homes instead.

 
 
 
 
 
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Lunatic Festival, Lüneberg – June 4th and 5th

Every June, 25 students re-invent lunatic festivals in a fresh celebration of culture, art and music. 

This year, they’ve been particularly creative, to make sure the festival can take place in a Covid-safe way, without losing any of its spontaneity.

Performances are scattered across the city and include synth-wielding German rap by Tropikel Ltd. and “avant-garde pop” from Lizki.

Costs €43.60 for each day.

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PROPERTY

Who pays broker’s fees on property in Germany – and how much do they cost?

One of the major hidden costs of buying and selling property in Germany is the estate agent's commission, or broker's fee. We look at some of the unusual rules around it - and how much you can expect to pay.

Published: 17 September 2024 16:25 CEST
Who pays broker's fees on property in Germany - and how much do they cost?

There are many areas of life in which things in Germany function just that little bit differently – and buying a house is no exception.

Though the buoyant property market in the Bundesrepublik makes it an attractive place to buy, anyone looking to get their foot on the housing ladder should consider the hidden fees they might incur.

Beyond interest rates, taxes and fees for notaries and translators, one major outlay is the estate agent’s commission, which can sometimes stretch to thousands of euros.

Here’s what to know about these hefty fees and how you might be able to lower them. 

Who pays commission on property transactions in Germany?

If you come from another European country or somewhere like the United States, you may be used to a system in which the seller pays the broker’s fee. This intuitively makes sense because the estate agent is there to market the property, liaise with buyers and ultimately get the best price for the seller – so it makes sense that the seller should pay for these services.

Until recently, however, it was the buyer who was responsible for paying the entirety of the estate agent’s commission in Germany. That meant that these fees – which could be as high as seven percent of the purchase cost – were added to the mountain of extra costs buyers had to contend with, from notary fees to land transfer tax.

READ ALSO: The hidden costs of buying a house in Germany

Luckily for buyers (but less so for sellers), this was changed under a law that came into force at the end of 2020. Since then, costs are generally split 50/50 between buyers and sellers.

However, there are some details that are important to note here. If the seller commissions the estate agent to help them sell their home, they are technically liable for the costs but must pay a minimum of 50 percent. 

If the buyer commissions the estate agent to find them a home, the same rules apply the other way around: the buyer is liable for the costs but can obtain a maximum of 50 percent from the seller.

In each case, the side that commissioned the broker must prove they have paid their share before the other side is liable to pay theirs. 

How much do estate agents’ fees cost in Germany?

Commission on property sales varies from state to state but is generally set at between 5 and 7 percent of the purchase price.

According to online portal ImmobilienScout24, these were the standard rates that applied in each of the federal states in 2024, with the number in brackets representing a 50 percent share of the costs:

Baden-Württemberg: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

Bavaria: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

Berlin: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

Brandenburg: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

Bremen: 5.95 percent (2.97 percent)

Hamburg: 6.25 percent (3.12 percent)

Hesse: 5.95 percent (2.97 percent)

Lower Saxony: 4.76 – 5,95 percent or 7.14 percent, depending on the region. (2.38 – 3.57 percent)

Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania: 5.95 percent (2.97 percent)

North Rhine-Westphalia: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

Rhineland-Palatinate: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

Saarland: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

Saxony: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

Saxony-Anhalt: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

Schleswig-Holstein: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

Thuringia: 7.14 percent (3.57 percent)

If it’s hard to gauge how much this means in real terms, we can take the example of two properties: a €200,000 apartment and a €500,000 family home.

In the state of Hesse, a buyer splitting the broker’s fee equally with the seller would pay €5,940 to buy the €200,000 apartment and €14,850 to buy the €500,000 house.

In pricier Berlin, meanwhile, the same buyer would pay €7,140 on the €200,000 apartment and €17,850 on the €500,000 house.

READ ALSO: Is autumn 2024 the right time to buy a property in Germany?

Here’s where it gets more complicated, however: under German law, you are technically free to negotiate the commission with your estate agent.

That means that, especially in areas with stiff competition, you may be able to secure a better deal. 

Do I always have to pay commission in Germany? 

Not always. In fact, as a seller, you’re perfectly free to sell your property privately without enlisting the help of a real estate agent.

The benefit of this, of course, is that you can potentially save thousands of euros in fees, both for yourself and any prospective buyer. 

On the flip side, though, you will need to take the entire job of the estate agent on yourself, from marketing the property to liaising with potential buyers and finally closing the deal.

Real estate agent Germany

A real estate agent talks to prospective tenants at an apartment viewing. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Tobias Hase

There can also be some upfront costs involved in commissioning things like floor plans and professional photography, as well as the time you’ll need to invest in learning all the procedures and preparing relevant documents for notary – to name just a few examples.

Ultimately, though, it’s up to you to decide whether the expense of working with a professional broker is worth it in the end. 

As a buyer, there are also some situations where you’ll see the words ‘provisionsfrei’ – or commission-free – written in a property listing.

This is fairly common in new-build properties, where the developer may sell the homes directly to interested buyers. More rarely, an existing property may be listed without commission, making it a more attractive proposition.

In both cases, it’s possible that commission has been built into the purchase price, so you may not necessarily be getting a better deal.

Another case where you’re likely to be able to avoid commission as a buyer are so-called Kapitalanlagen – or buy-to-let properties. 

READ ALSO: Should you think about purchasing a buy-to-let property in Germany?

These tenanted properties are designed to be bought as investments: buyers can enjoy additional rental income over time and, ideally, will also make money when they come to sell the property several years later.

For this reason, costs are generally kept slightly lower for the buyer by eschewing the standard broker’s commission. 

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