The Critical Difference of Life in Germany

Charlie and the Angels (and Bosley)

at the Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) in Stuttgart

Karlsruhe Christian and Stuttgart Pete at a cafe in Stuttgart

After almost a year and a half living in Germany I don’t normally notice much outward differences between myself and Germans, however, I believe there to be an imaginary line that you could draw down the Atlantic Coast of France and up through the English Channel that separates continental Europeans from us Anglo-Saxon Islanders. On the continental European side of this line a significant proportion of people enjoy participating in public nudity. This might be a stroll in the English Gardens in Munich or a spa where people enjoy being naked together in a hot sweaty sauna. In Canada we might call this exhibitionism. In Germany this is a respected tradition, not practiced by all, but still widely practiced from Leipzig, in eastern Germany to Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg in the south west.

To be clear, this is far from exhibitionism, the Germans have that too, where some crazed fan will run across the soccer field wearing nothing but his birthday suit, we have that at Toronto Blue Jays games every once and a while. In fact in 8 years of post strike Major League baseball (94 – 2002) the only time I remember noticing a Blue Jays game on TV was watching the spectacle of a nude fan being chased by security guards across a field. Hilarious!

So if you come to Germany, don’t worry, people look basically the same as Canadians, but are in better shape and paradoxically, more of them smoke. Just don’t be surprised when a German friend invites you to a nude Sauna. And Germans, don’t be surprised when the prude North American, like me, says no. My first instinct was either to say “no” or “can I bring a date?”. I think that last statement will appal people on both sides of the Atlantic so I will stop here. And in true Canadian form I apologize.