I am considering moving to Germany and was told that regions in the south are more conservative, so much so that an acquaintance ex-pat said they would never want to live there. Looking online there are some sources to support this notion but nothing concrete. I am wanting to move mostly because I loved the country and the people I met while traveling (specifically in Munich and Freiburg) but was hoping to land somewhere that queer folks are more accepted. I didn’t get any bad vibes while traveling but that was nearly a decade ago now.
Another German friend recommended moving to Berlin for these reasons and I’m wondering if German conservative is anything remotely close to US conservative. The conservatives near where I live now fly Trump and confederate flags, love to put those “I did that” Biden stickers on the gas pumps when prices go up, and the local schoolboard managed to pass anti-trans bathroom policies that affected something like 5 students in the entire district. Is it anything like this in parts of Germany?
German here. Lived in Hamburg and Munich for about half my life each. They call Bavaria the Texas of Germany, but that’s just in relation to the rest of Germany politically. German conservatism is nothing like American conservatism, thank God. Right-wing disinformation cancer is spreading in Germany, like it is anywhere else (AFD in the east). Any LGBTQ folks don’t need to worry in any big cities. I’d recommend Munich over Berlin, but that’s personal preference (Berlin is like Germany’s London, loud, dirty, exciting, more crime than any other part of Germany, which is still less than most places in the US). Like, you won’t ‘feel’ the difference between Hamburg and Munich politically. In Berlin you might find a few more people openly displaying their left or right leaning tendencies. It’s also much cheaper than Munich, not sure if that matters.
That’s encouraging to hear. I’m just worried about moving across the world to a place I really loved only to get crooked looks from neighbors when they see my partner and I together, which is exactly the sort of thing I want to get away from. I’m a software developer so I’ll likely need to move to a city to find work regardless, but really do enjoy the more rural settings. Thanks for the insight :)
Did you hear about AfD’s anti abortion policies that’s taking light ? Or even the ones were the criminalise LGBTQ communities as pedophiles and put up posters for the same ? German right wing is just as nutty ad American (or polish) right wing.
I’ve heard of a black person being turned away at a bar by bouncers in Austria (which has similar culture to Bavaria), which is anecdotal. Also anecdotally, when I was there myself in the less-urban parts of Bavaria, I didn’t see any non-white people.
It didn’t remind me much of rural USA or what you described it as (my recollection of that is a bit fainter and more dated than urban USA).
Edit: the person told me the bouncer said “we don’t serve your kind here.”
If you care to look outside the box of your known cities: Cologne (like Munich) for it’s openness regarding primarily gay folks. Since the increased popularity of LGBT+, the acceptance spreads to that forms to. Take this official city home page site as example.
As already said in another comment, the area near the Rhine (especially near Cologne and Düsseldorf) gets mute rural quickly
As a SW-German, I’d say it is way more a rural vs. urban thing. In the greater Stuttgart area f.i. don’t worry about openly living a gay lifestyle. If you live out in the woods, it might be different, but not necessarily so.
That being said, SW’eners are generally way more conservative towards any kind of “fun” or “flamboyant“ things - legacy of the very pietist history here.
I would say that around Fasching time, things get pretty fun & flamboyant, even in the rural areas of BW.
Well I have seen some pretty conservative farmer types get on the village stage and dance in drag, but maybe you have been to some Fasching celebrations that were tame?
If you also like to consider other cities, Cologne might be something for you. It is known for it’s gay and rainbow communities. It even advertises LGBT+ scene events on it’s home page.
If you consider the area near Cologne and Düsseldorf along the Rhine, there are big cities but it gets more rural once you get further from the river. Jobs should be available there as well. Unfortunately, jobs without at least a fraction of office presence time are rare, even in IT.
Unless Munich, in this part of Germany, you walk into a bar a stranger but will find someone to talk to. People are warm and welcoming here. I cannot judge the English language proficiency though as a native. Besides, the local German accent can be just as puzzling here as in Bavaria. 🤣
