A Guide to German Integration: How to Fully Immerse into Life in Berlin

A Guide to German Integration: How to Fully Immerse into Life in Berlin

illustrations: Berk Karaoglu. 

Berlin is often thought of as a capital of individualists, and its inclusivity is something we’re grateful for every day. But as many of us Ausländers know, the idea of having to integrate into life in Germany is still very much preached by some institutions, and its principles are accordingly taught in special courses. Obviously, the western mindset of molding unique people into perfect(ly boring) citizens is inherently flawed and we can do better. But why not have a little laugh as we’re striving for social change? We’ve put our own spin on the integration process, and present you with our iHeartBerlin Guide to German Integration that will finally let you fully immerse yourself into life in Berlin!

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Seeing Berlin with Fresh Eyes

Seeing Berlin with Fresh Eyes

On my first visit to Berlin, a man spat at my feet. His eyes were the eyes of a soldier at war. Precise, alert, and distrusting. And he had just spotted a body he considered the enemy. That body was queer, stout, and black. We were sitting across from each other on a train headed towards the direction of Alexanderplatz. A few moments before, I had just described Berlin to my mother as the embrace of a dearly loved one. Warm, soft, and safe. As I was peeling my phone from my ears, the spitter looked me in the face, coughed out the whiteish foam which he splashed across my feet. The act of spitting at my feet wasn’t a cleansing and or a fortification ritual done to welcome my feet to new and uncharted terrain. That was disgust, anger, and a kind of aggression that sent shivers down my spine. He was sending a clear message. One that was unmistakably meat to say; you are not welcome here. His message had three clear intentions; to warn me, put me in my place, and remind me I did not belong. He needed me to know that. It resonated. I didn’t even say a word. I took the message, got off the train one stop before my intended exit location. There, I waited for the next train in a stooping position. With a sigh and a paper napkin, I wiped my feet clean again.

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Assimilation – Wilfully Forgetting to Remember Who You Are

Assimilation – Wilfully Forgetting to Remember Who You Are

In trying to get back to a sense of normalcy again, we must all agree that a lot has happened. People have lost their lives. Children have whisked themselves away from family responsibilities into distant places to ensure their parent’s safety. Plans have been shifted, changed, and postponed. Jobs, relationships, and several other opportunities have evaporated into thin air. Universities, Shops, and Restaurants have turned down services. Schools and other institutions have closed their doors and turned towards the digital. And we are now learning new ways of treating ourselves and each other as we find better alternatives to our lives. In the spirit of wanting to take a new leave, I did something I haven’t done in a long time. I forced myself to remember. I reflected on my past. I traveled through certain corners of my mind I had completely cut off for reasons I cannot say out loud without risking putting myself in an uncomfortable position.

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Jobless in Berlin and Still Trying to Make it

Jobless in Berlin and Still Trying to Make it

photos: Roger Sabaté. 

Close your eyes for a second.
Imagine a 28-year-old who just moved to Berlin. She lived here a while ago, but was unable to find a proper job and returned to the country of origin. She promised herself that one day she will be back and conquer the city.
Five years later, she’s here again, this time not as a cleaner but as a project manager. She feels immune to any job market crisis, she has a strong game plan and some money to spend. New shoes? Sure! Techno party every weekend? Bam! Eating outside all week? No problem!

Now pause for a minute. Or maybe pause forever. Can you? Can you pause it forever for me, please? Cause what’s coming next is the infamous “Contagion” reenactment which washed away all my dreams and hopes. Yes, this careless adult was me, stuck so much in my capitalist privileges, that being laid off completely crushed my world.

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How It Was Like to Arrive in Berlin 20 Years Ago

How It Was Like to Arrive in Berlin 20 Years Ago

photoPatrick1977Bln / CC-BY-SA

It’s the year 2000. While I was already in my late teens and fresh out of school the rest of the iHeartBerlin crew that you know today was still munching on Fruchtzwerge. It’s the year that I arrived in Berlin, and boy, this was quite a different kind of spectacle than it is nowadays. Imagine coming here without knowing anybody because there were no social media channels to connect with people before you even arrive. And imagine walking around the city with a foldable paper map because there was no Google Maps. Imagine the Eberswalde U-Bahnhof in now-quaint Prenzlauer Berg being the Kottbusser Tor of the time (no idea what the real Kottbusser Tor would have been like because you would JUST NOT GO THERE). 

It was the time before the big Berlin hype, the time before waiters that only speak English, before the cult of Berghain, before all these big shopping malls, before Berlin’s main train station, before people complaining about high rents or gentrification, before casual conversations about drug use, before mobs of tourists, before laws against leaving dog poop in the streets, before Air Berlin went bankrupt, before Tempelhof was turned into a gigantic park, before jobs existed in Berlin. It was a totally different world back then. It was a Berlin on the borderline between the raw, untainted post-wall 90s that so many of us older new Berliners idolize, and the Berlin of now.

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How to Get a Visa to Live in Berlin

How to Get a Visa to Live in Berlin

photos: Vismante Ruzgaite. 

No matter how great their love for Berlin is, many non-EU expats agree that the visa process can be quite off-putting. Nevertheless, it’s a challenge that many of the most brilliant members of our community have to deal with. We’ve spoken to some of them – who also happen to be dear friends – and, basing on their personal experiences, we’ve put together a rough overview of the most common visa types. While this article isn’t aimed at helping you navigate through the maze of available options, we hope it might inspire you to pursue your Berlin dream – especially in spite of the setbacks that many others had to face as well. 
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Today, I feel German: A reminder of sorts, for all the days I don’t.

Today, I feel German: A reminder of sorts, for all the days I don’t.

Before I proceed, you should know that I am Black and a first-generation immigrant. Therefore, it is not completely lost on me that my feelings on this subject of identity will be met with resistance, disagreeing opinions and questions, all of which may emerge because “Today, I feel German” will be considered by many an atypical declaration. It is not every day a man who was born and raised at the heels of Mount Fako, Cameroon audaciously declares himself part of a giant colonialist nation, Germany, in such a public format. These are not feelings I am allowed to claim ownership of, because possessing such opinions can easily be mistaken for the denouncement of one’s own traditions and heritage in the quest to insert one’s self onto a culture that has no place for one’s sensibilities and difference.

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Studying in Berlin: 4 International Students Share Their Experience

Studying in Berlin: 4 International Students Share Their Experience

Deciding to move away from your home country to study abroad can probably be one of the most difficult decisions in your life. Choosing the right city is not about spinning the globe with eyes closed and dropping a finger on a random destination. Unfortunately, the choice is way more complicated, and even if it is not easy to realize it at the very start, it can be literally life-changing.

Sending applications to universities in other countries means to gradually plan your future and to figure out a lot of important issues, like which university and which program could be the right one for you or for your future career. But besides all that, the choice should not fall upon the university only, but also in the city you would love to live in!

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Can Berlin Change You (For The Better)?

Can Berlin Change You (For The Better)?

One motif recurring in all kinds of Berlin-related memes is the metamorphosis one is supposed to go through after living in Berlin for a certain amount of time. The emphasis is usually on the stark contrast between the person’s initial chastity and beauty and the result of the transformation – most often symbolized by an ugly mess in some form.

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A love letter to my Berlin Friends who left the City!

A love letter to my Berlin Friends who left the City!

I find it really hard to believe it, but November will mark my third year of living in Berlin. The whole thing started as an innocent fling, and then somehow turned into this pretty serious business including university exams and tax declarations. I’m still quite stunned as to when did this all happen.

I’ve always aspired to a particular image of myself, carved out mostly by rock’n’roll lyrics, and when I came to Berlin, I decided to live that out loud. Accordingly, I have made my share of bizarre memories. But as I’m walking along the now familiar streets, without the need to consult every next step with a map, I look back and what really stands out are the dear faces of my friends. Some of whom aren’t in Berlin anymore.

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