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Posted: 1/1/2006 12:14:03 PM EDT
Looks like lots of Germans are leaving the Fatherland
news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051230/lf_nm/germany_emigrants_dc Germans leaving country to escape unemployment By Erik Kirschbaum Fri Dec 30, 8:24 AM ET BERLIN (Reuters) - Germans are leaving their country in record numbers but unlike previous waves of migrants who fled 19th century poverty or 1930s Nazi terror, these modern day refugees are trying to escape a new scourge -- unemployment. ADVERTISEMENT Yes No Yes No Yes No Flocking to places as far away as the United States, Canada and Australia as well as Norway, the Netherlands and Austria more than 150,000 Germans packed their bags and left in 2004 -- the greatest exodus in any single year since the late 1940s. High unemployment that lingers at levels of more than 20 percent in some parts of Germany and dim prospects for any improvement are the key factors behind the migration. In the 15 years since German unification more than 1.8 million Germans have left. "It's hard for me to even imagine any more what it's like to have so much unemployment," said Karin Manske, 45, who moved to the United States with her two children eight years ago to start her own business as a consultant. "It's hard to fathom because Germans are such skilled workers," Manske said in an interview with Reuters in Los Angeles. "I love the adventurous spirit and won't go back. You can start a business on a shoe string and work hard to succeed." There are an estimated 70,000 Germans living in southern California, many of whom have arrived in recent years. Earlier tides of emigrants fleeing the Nazis went to Hollywood while post-war waves of Germans filled jobs as skilled artisans in nearby Orange County towns like Anaheim. "Some of my friends moved to Australia, to Switzerland or London and I came to the U.S., where I'm definitely much better off than I would have been in Germany," said Wolfram Knoeringer, 33, an German architect who moved to Los Angeles in 2002. "It's not the best time for architects in Germany," he told Reuters, referring to a flat economy, a stagnant population and shrinking building sector. "There are tons of architects in Berlin with little to do. LA is a far more interesting place." EAST GERMANS TAKE OVER ALPS According to the Federal Statistics Office in Wiesbaden, the 150,667 Germans who left last year went to 200 countries -- the United States was the top destination with 12,976, following by Switzerland (12,818), Austria (8,532) and Britain (7,842). Other countries that took in Germany's poor, their tired and their hungry were France, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium. "There are actually far more Germans moving abroad than the numbers reflected in the official statistics," said Klaus Bade, a University of Osnabrueck professor who studies migration. "The poor chance of finding jobs at home is the main reason they're leaving," Bade told Stern magazine in a cover story that gave Germans useful tips on how to emigrate. It's a remarkable change of fortune for Germany, which thanks to the post-war "Economic Miracle" of the 1950s and 1960s was a magnet for millions of foreigners who trekked there from Turkey, Italy and other poor countries in search of jobs. The main exodus from Germany has been from its formerly communist East, which has been depressed and contracting since just after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. The East's population has shrunk to 14.7 million from 16 million since 1990. A Europe Job Center in Magdeburg and a government agency in Bonn known as ZAV have helped tens of thousands of Germans find jobs abroad, mainly in neighboring countries. The numbers leaving Germany are modest considering there are nearly 5 million unemployed, even though the trend seems to be gaining pace. There has been scant economic growth in Germany for years and property prices have barely changed in a decade. Annika Richter left home in Dresden to work as a cook and bookkeeper in a Liechtenstein ski resort. Her Saxon accent stands in contrast to the melody of the local Swiss German dialect. But her easily distinguishable language blends in with the staff at her Alpine hotel because most of them are also east Germans, now seen as among Europe's most mobile workers. "I didn't want to work in Germany because this type of job is looked down on," said Richter, 34. "Hotel service jobs have no status in Germany. I'm happy here. I want to work here, save money and then travel the world. I'll probably come back here." TO AMSTERDAM Germans have been sailing, running and flying away from their home for centuries. Millions of 19th century emigrants escaped poverty while later waves fled Adolf Hitler's Nazis or were eager to leave the post-war ruins behind. Some countries, such as Australia, are now actively recruiting Germans with skills at their embassies in Berlin. In a bizarre twist of fate, construction companies in northern Italy have recently been hiring Germans for low skill jobs. Yet many of those who leave say they have no regrets. Bernhard Klug went to Amsterdam in February after losing his job at his advertising agency at home. "Sure there are some things I miss but I am very happy here," said Klug, a 35-year-old designer taking evening Dutch lessons. "Work is less stressful, people leave on time, and the atmosphere is much more relaxed and informal among colleagues." Klug doesn't miss his homeland. "In the Netherlands, there isn't the constant moaning you have in Germany," he said. "I'm staying here, at least for now." Susanne Lutterbach moved to Zurich two years ago for a job. "It was easier to find work in Switzerland," said Lutterbach, 25, who found a marketing position at a computer company. "I was able to start right away after I graduated." Dagmar Hovestadt had a good job at a Berlin television station but grew bored and quit six years ago, moved to Los Angeles and now works as a freelance journalist. "People said I was crazy," she said. "I always dreamedabout living in California. The mentality is about as opposite from Berlin as it gets. It's a tough working environment and you're on your own. But I really wanted to get away from Germany." |
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The problem is that they are bringing their socialist ideas and 32 hour work week with them. If they are coming to work hard and live the American dream of paying only 50% of your income in taxes they are more then welcome.
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And Mexicans are leaving Mexico. Guess where they are heading???
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yup. we're going to need a force field instead of a wall. |
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Well, it's good to have immigrants that are willing to work for a change, instead of coming to leech off the rest of us. Can we send the refugees from New Orleans to Germany as an exchange, since there aren't any jobs anyway, they should fit right into the welfare line. |
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You know, the right man could straighten things out over there.
OOPS. They already tried that. |
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I say we just expand the U.S. and take over Mexico. ...Lets make it 60 states. |
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Now they are trying with the "right" woman... |
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Leaving Germany to move to California. I wonder what' she'd think Montana is like Think she likes the Governator? |
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I'd rather have LEGAL German Immigrants than ILLEGAL Mexican Immigrants
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You mean the kind of immigrants that actually pay for their own healthcare and benefits rather than making host citizens pay for it? The kind that Don't send all the money they make to the economy of some foreign Central American country? The kind that integrates and learns the English language and American culture rather than creating a subculture that divides the nation and forces bilingualism because they don't want to speak the language of their host country? You bet, bring 'em on! This country needs an infusion to boost the gene pool. |
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Unfortunately Deutchland ain't so Uber Alles any more...
Having said that, when they leave Germany, I've always found Germans to be great people! They get a sense of humour, they are hard workers, are very sociable and usually speak excellent English. Inside every German is an Anglo waiting to get out! ANdy |
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So, "unemployment" is now a code word for "rampant socialism"? |
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Well, A Saxon waiting to get out anyway........ |
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My lazy-ass sack o shit cousin is still in Berlin...
He is 40ish and has NEVER had a job. Spends his life blaming immigrants for the way things are, he invited himself here once, we declined. His older brother is nearly as useless but has had a job as a painter til recently when painters and other trades were forced to bust a little ass instead of fucking off all day...this happened almost to the day that the 2 Germanies came together again. When the older one visited here the first time it was for my wedding, my mom's idea. He and his mother came the week before and were still here for another week after we go back from our honeymoon. Damn near ate us outa house and home. Fuck those lazy socialist Fucks, productive Germans escaping that shit-hole is long over due. Pete |
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Hell, I'd rather have illegal Germans than legal mexicans. |
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I think the Altlantic is a little more difficult to cross than the Rio Grande. The would have more than their back wet. |
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You will not not if the LEGAL Germans become citizens start voting. |
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yep....any day of the week |
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Well if history is any indicator when Germans start leaving German that follows in within the next decade… no joke intended. |
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Sick economy + emigration + rising nationalism = back to the future. |
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I fail to understand why nations allow immigration while there is still significant unemployment. The United States is as bad as any nation. And offshoring/outsourcing jobs to cheaper nations like India. But I know why we do this. Simply greed. |
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The Germans are pretty sharp. Once they move here and get exposed to the gung-ho hard work and play American lifestyle, they'll turn productive. We just have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't turn into Katrina refugees asking for 'gubment handouts and high pay for less work.
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One of my best friends is German. He owns his own business and has been very successful. In the last 2~3 years he has;
- bought out the business partners and taken full control of his company - bought a house twice the size of his old one, without selling his old one - bought his wife a Porsche Boxter - taken several family vacations to Turkey, one to Argentina - brought his family here to Kali & Las Vegas last year - paid for my trip to Germany & Italy last sept and he would give up/sell it all and move his family to Kalifornia, if he could find a job where he could afford to live here. |
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Racism will never cease |
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close the borders
we have enuff hardworking americans with no jobs |
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Racism?!? You dumbass!
How about preferring people from a more familiar CULTURE? German culture promotes cleanliness, hard work, education and responsibility. Drive through a small German town. Now drive through a small Mexican town. Who the hell would YOU prefer for neighbors? |
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honestly, neither |
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Steven Ambrose noted that of all the people they came across in Europe, the ones the GI's found they had most in common with was the Germans. ANdy |
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Germany has a serious issue with unemployment because of their own doing.
It is incredibly hard to fire someone in Germany, therefore firms are less likely to actually hire you. Once you get a job, you are pretty much set... but everyone without one is kind of... screwed. This oversimplifies the German problem but a change in this setup would at least result in immediate benefits for many people there. Solution? No. Good first step? You betcha. - BG |
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It wasn't a racist statement. As I said higher up, I like the German people. |
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How the sun set on Germany's pride By Kate Connolly (Filed: 03/04/2004) A book tracing the nation's economic decline has fuelled its self-loathing, reports Kate Connolly in Berlin This is how bad things have become in Germany: at the five-star Adlon hotel, close to the Brandenburg Gate, they dump the laundry into lorries every night and ship it 80 miles to Poland. There it is washed and the following day it is shipped back to Berlin. Yet even after taking into account drivers' pay and fuel, doing the washing in Poland costs only a fraction of German laundering. The Adlon is not just any hotel. It is a symbol. The building is Berlin's most prestigious establishment, the place for the wealthy and the powerful to stay. The hotel is a facsimile of an older version built in 1907 and largely destroyed in the war. It was patronised by Kaiser Wilhelm II and inspired Greta Garbo's 1932 film Grand Hotel. The story of the Adlon's laundry is just one example cited by Gabor Steingart, the author of a new German bestseller, Germany: Decline of a Superstar, which has the nation hooked with its withering portrait of a country on the brink of failure. The book shot to the top of the bestseller list three days after its publication largely because, according to its 41-year-old author, he is the first German who has dared to break the taboo and reveal the truth. "It is simply not profitable or viable to have German workers, who cost considerably more than they produce," Mr Steingart says. "Our productive core is melting away and Germany is going downhill," he says, drawing on a cigar and leaning back in a leather armchair in his glass-panelled office in central Berlin. "The GDP of both the British and French is higher than the Germans' and this is a shocking discovery for us. In the 1970s, Britain's GDP was only half of ours." He is concerned that Germans are unwilling to confront the issue: "It has not been politically correct until now to admit that we're in decline, that the Deutschland Modell is the wrong one." The book argues with a brutal frankness that Germany needs to be completely restructured and that it has been poorly run since 1945. The result, according to Mr Steingart, is a country where industry is on its knees, where the welfare state is deep in debt, whose inventive minds have been forced into exile, and whose citizens largely hate work. Mr Steingart's book is part of a current trend. Germany has been wallowing for months in a deeply unattractive bout of self-loathing, with everything from performances on the football pitch to the low ranking of German schools in international education surveys attributed to an economic malaise. One joke doing the rounds is that waiters in Berlin restaurants now ask diners which section they want to sit in: "Whingers or non-whingers?" According to the author, there is little to laugh about. "The truth is," he notes, "we now have more debts, more social welfare recipients and soon very probably a higher number of unemployed (now at 4.5 million) than at any time in our post-war history." Mr Steingart is not a sensationalist reporter with a chip on his shoulder. He is a political journalist with an economic background and is bureau chief in Berlin for the respected news magazine Der Spiegel. The arguments in his book, which has sold 50,000 copies in two weeks, were garnered largely from interviews with Germany's senior managers, trade union leaders, economists and the head of research at Deutsche Bank. His desk is piled with letters of response - mainly of praise - from captains of industry and ordinary Herr Schmidts. Government figures have come to him for advice. Mr Steingart says a key reason for the problems lie in what he calls his "core-crust" theory. The "core" consists of the innovators, the producers and the service providers, while the "crust" are those who contribute nothing to the economy. At present the crust consists of the two thirds of Germans who are not in work. Germany, the land that produced people such as Einstein and Daimler and inventions such as aspirin, has for the first time been having to buy patents from abroad because it is insufficiently inventive. "Since 1945 there has never been as small a core and as big a crust as there is today," Mr Steingart says. According to the Federal Office of Statistics, the average German now spends only 13 per cent of his or her life in paid employment, while men devote 18 per cent to sport, television and visits to the pub and women 12 per cent to eating and personal hygiene. Britons work 250 hours more per year than Germans, Americans 350 hours more. But the most important thing, Mr Steingart says, is to cut the punitive labour costs. Employers have to pay 42 per cent of a worker's wages in social costs, which has led to a huge increase in the number of illegal jobs. It is for this reason that Germany is haemorrhaging jobs abroad at a rate comparable with no other industrial land. According to the Institute for Economic Research around 2.6 million jobs have been relocated. This week it was announced that the electronics giant Siemens was on the verge of moving 10,000 jobs to eastern Europe. Surprisingly perhaps, Mr Steingart does not lay the blame at the door of Chancellor Gerhard Schroder whose personal popularity has sunk faster than that of any post-war leader as a result of the few economic reforms he has managed to persuade the country to implement. Rather, he says the fault lies with Germany's post-war leader, Konrad Adenauer and his successors, who featherbedded the Germans rather than risk workers' protests and the return of an Adolf Hitler. "Prosperity for all was the catchphrase not only of German politics, but also of British and US foreign policy towards Germany, to ensure that Hitler never returned," he said. Now Germans' expectations are so high that generous benefits and social conditions are seen almost as a God-given right. A new £6 quarterly fee for visits to the doctor caused such outcry that the health minister, Ulla Schmidt, has been given no fewer than four bodyguards. Despite the doom and gloom of his book, Mr Steingart says he is an optimist. "In its present state, Germany will not collapse but I'd say we have about two or three years in which to turn things around," he said. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=QSDBPR1CTRBK3QFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2004/04/03/wgerm03.xml |
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During the depression in my grandfathers section of Berlin, they had work parties.
The group leader punched your card at the end of each day and you were given food. On Sunday, IF you had 6 punches on your card you recieved your Sunday ration, IF you had missed a day, you ate on Monday...hard lesson but quickly learned. Pete |
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