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?
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. 🤣
Yes Im from a smaller city near cologne. Very pride and csd every year. Nice city, good people.
I went from north to south on my trip originally and I think I encountered exactly one German local who didn’t speak at least decent English the whole time. Also good to know about the accents! I thought I had learned how to say excuse me quite well but tried it in the south and got weird looks lol