My time in Munich is coming to a close, but I want to talk a bit more about the culture in Germany and some observations I made about the political scene there. It’s really striking how very different the German culture is, even while it’s becoming more and more similar to the American culture. For example, I saw
American flags on t-shirts and handbags everywhere. Nearly everyone I met, when they heard I came from America, peppered me eagerly with questions about the American lifestyle. They were keen to discuss American films and sitcoms with me, and everyone was curious what I thought of President Trump and American politics.
Before my journey abroad began, I knew that American culture was popular worldwide, but experiencing this firsthand was truly eye-opening. I was very impressed by the awareness of everyone I met in regards to international news
and culture; I was struck in almost every way by the remarkable difference between the German mindset and the American concerning the international scene, so to speak. Germans are very attuned to the political workings of other countries. It was always fun to ride the tram and watch the brief news clips cycle through on the televisions in the tram. And every day, then news dealt with different areas of the world. Of course Germany featured heavily, but there was always at least one segment about a country outside the EU. In their politics, too, the Germans I met tended to be reluctantly patriotic. Perhaps they wish to avoid seeming nationalistic, or maybe their reluctance is based on some other reason; I really don’t know. But unlike America, you won’t see many national flags flying in the streets or in front of people’s homes.
Germany, like America, is facing a political divide regarding the treatment of migrants and refugees. This has been a huge topic during my time in Munich,
with the result that the German chancellor had to compromise on a new immigration law in order to preserve her chancellorship. It’s very intriguing to me to see the similarities and yet the differences in the way Germany functions compared to my home country. The culture is heavily American, yet also firmly grounded in the German way of life; the global perspective that is common to the German citizen is something I find truly impressive and admirable; and the politics of Germany, though not so sharp and divisive as those in America, deal with some of the same issues.