Do's and Don'ts - Study in Germany

Etiquette ist in!

Of course, you'd like to make a good impression at your university, with your landlord or landlady, as well as among your new friends. If you're feeling a bit uncertain about how to behave properly in certain situations, we've got a few useful tips for you.

Hände schütteln zur Begrüßung, 
Bild: Britta Simon.jpg

Antonio has been invited to a party. It's his first in Germany. When he sees the host, he goes straight to him and hugs him. However, instead of returning the embrace, the host looks a bit irritated. Antonio is perplexed. "That's not what we do here," explains another guest.
The German guide to etiquette is called "Knigge" after Baron Adolph Franz Friedrich Ludwig Knigge,  and its rules are always immediately recognisable for outsiders. This is why it is helpful to spend a bit of time reading about them.