Rachel Stern

Berlin

Editor, Germany at The Local (Europe)

Editor @TheLocalGermany, Germany's news in English. California native in Berlin, 9 winters strong.

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Articles

Living in Germany: What 'war ready' means, signs of spring and books galore

Feb 16, 2024 | thelocal.com | Rachel Stern

This week we look into the debate in Germany about being better prepared in the event Russia's war in Ukraine expands, as well an early spring fever and the Bundesrepublik's love of books. Living in Germany is our weekly look at some of the news and talking points in Germany that you might not have heard about. Members can receive it directly to their inbox on Saturday. Why is there so much discussion about preparing for war?
Germany ties for top spot of 'most powerful passport in the world'

Jan 11, 2024 | thelocal.de | Rachel Stern

For the first time, Germany snagged the top spot in an annual ranking of the world's most powerful passport. It shares the title with a handful of other countries.
Train strike: How will transport in Germany's five largest cities be affected?

Jan 9, 2024 | thelocal.com | Rachel Stern

Whether in Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt or Hamburg: here's what passengers in need to know about the three-day train strike on Wednesday, including which lines are affected and which travel alternatives exist. Negotiations between the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn (DB) have failed to lead to an agreement, so the GDL has announced its longest strike to date. Passenger train drivers are expected to walk off the job from 2am Wednesday until 6pm on Friday.
REVEALED: This year's top 10 German 'youth words' and what they mean

Aug 9, 2023 | thelocal.com | Rachel Stern

A mix of both long-standing slang terms and freshly-minted Denglisch, the list forms the basis for an annual competition that aims to crown one “Jugendwort des Jahres” (youth word of the year). READ ALSO: Denglisch: The English words which will make you sound GermanUntil September 20th, anyone can cast their vote for the top ten words on the website jugendwort.de, Langenscheidt announced Wednesday.
Germany grapples with '360,000 open positions' in public sector

Aug 8, 2023 | thelocal.com | Rachel Stern

According to the German civil service association dbb, there are currently around 360,000 unfilled positions in the public sector, with a further 1.3 million public sector employees set to retire by 2030. “If politicians do not take countermeasures, there is a threat of a personnel collapse,” Daniel Merbitz, a board member of the Education and Science Union (GEW), told the newspapers of the Funke Mediengruppe on Tuesday.
Why does the Bavarian city of Augsburg have its own public holiday?

Aug 8, 2023 | thelocal.com | Rachel Stern

The High Peace Festival (Hohes Friedensfest), which takes place every year on August 8th, has been an official public holiday in Germany since 1950. However, even though it’s recognised as a nationwide holiday, it’s only an official work-free day within Augsburg itself. That means that the city of around 300,000 residents boasts the most Feiertage (public holidays) in all of Germany, or one more than the already generous 13 in Bavaria.
9 ways to learn German for free in Berlin

Aug 7, 2023 | thelocal.com | Rachel Stern

Among many foreigners, Berlin is a notoriously difficult place to learn German. With so many international residents and Germans who can seamlessly switch to English, it can be a challenge to perfect your Deutsch – or even speak it at all. But there are still a myriad of ways to learn the language, and kostenlos at that. Bonus: you’ll get to know Berlin better too.
Heavy rainfall and flooding hits Germany's most populous state

Aug 6, 2023 | thelocal.com | Rachel Stern

Several parts of North Rhine-Westphalia were flooded amid an incessant downpour on Sunday – but no areas reported the maximum flooding levels that would merit evacuations. In Bielefeld, the fire brigade said they responded to numerous calls over cellar and street flooding, and the Wackelpeter family festival was cancelled. In Gütersloh, part of the Osnabrücker Landstraße was still under water on Monday morning. It remains closed to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
OPINION: Why Germany needs to stub out its smoking habit

Aug 1, 2023 | thelocal.com | Rachel Stern

One of my biggest culture shocks as a Californian in Germany has been the ubiquity of smoking: not just inside musky-scented Kneipen (pubs) or from people puffing away on their private balconies, but – well – everywhere. Even though technically forbidden by law in certain places, I’ve frequently spotted people taking a drag inside S-Bahn stations, at the perimeter of playgrounds and even once inside the cancer ward of a hospital when bringing flowers to a friend there.
EXPLAINED: What you should know if you want to quit your job in Germany

Jul 31, 2023 | thelocal.com | Rachel Stern

Maybe you want to quit your current job in Germany because you found another one (logical, right?). Or maybe you decided to make the switch to freelancing, or simply have saved up for a self-funded sabbatical on a picturesque island. Whatever your reasoning, there’s a process – like everything else in the Bundesrepublik – for giving up your position. And if you’re not moving onto another one right away, you could even qualify for unemployment benefits – despite voluntarily giving up your job.