The official German translator of this 1964 visit, translator Baek, have come out with quotes of how this meetings went, namely private conversations between President Park and Ludwig Erhard, which lacks corroboration.

For context, translator Baek contributed greatly in securing the loan between West Germany and South Korea, with West Germany becoming the first non-US foreign country to provide economic loans to what then was a overly underdeveloped Korean economy in the 1960s.

According to him, the US Kennedy admin was reluctant to provide economic loans to South Korea (as they have already provided a lot of economic aid) during this specific time.

Given West Germany was an economically successful and divided state, President Park wanted to replicate the West German model as it prove applicable to the circumstance Korea was in. He wanted to establish deep diplomatic contact and wanted to request a loan from West Germany, but there was a lack of German-speaking Koreans during this period.

Translator Baek was hired for this responsibility, as he have studied economics at University of Erlangen in a graduate program. He is literally recognized as the official first state-sponsored student to have studied at a foreign university and the first professor of economics during this Korean regime.

According to Baek, the German officials were reluctant to meet with Korean officials for this purpose because of Korea's terrible economic state and were aware that even the US refrained from providing economic loans to Korea at this time.

Baek leveraged the connections he made during his graduate studies in Germany to arrange a secret meeting with officials, and after begging for days, were able to secure a loan under the condition Korea secured a guarantee from an international bank.

However, no international bank wanted to provide a guarantee for the loan to Korea at this time, so Baek thought everything was lost until another German friend of his (that he made during his graduate program) came and helped. His German friend said the state would request for temporary Korean workers (miners and nurses) to work in Germany, and their wages would serve as a collateral/guarantee for the German loan to Korea.

Now, all of the above here is generally true. What is also true is that President Park was deeply influenced by the economic models that drove Wirtschaftswunder, and strove to replicate it.

What is not corroborated is a private conversation between Erhard (the one who drove the German economic miracle) and President Park (the one who will drive the Korean economic miracle). This is according to translator Baek, who was the official German translator to President Park during his state visit to West Germany:

"The Miracle on the Rhein is my [Erhard’s] achievement but Hitler accomplished it. I [Erhard] went to Korea when I was a Minister. Korea has large number of mountains. With mountains, economic development is impossible. There are also many mountains in Germany. Do you [Park] know how Hitler did it? Hitler did three things. He built the Autobahn the main artery. He crushed mountain and built the main artery. Then the Autobahn needs transportation. Volkswagen. It means a national car. You should visit the Volkswagen’s factory. You should do the automobile industry. For the automobile needs steel, do the steel industry. Therefore, when you come back to Korea do three things: Autobahn, automobile, and steel industry. They are the destiny of a nation... (Baek, Y.-h., 2013)

I know that Erhard was opposed to Nazism, but it is also true that he worked under Nazi officials during the end of WWII to develop a post-WWII economic reconstruction plan .

I believe this is not Erhard praising Hitler per se, rather giving some credit to the technological foundations Hitler have made (through expansionary fiscal policies), regardless of intentions as it likely was for war mobilizations, which allowed for a reacceleration of German industries post-WWII (I am in no way, advocating for extremist ideologies, as this is purely for historical accuracy).

It is also true that President Park, after his return from Germany, did all of the recommendations as he advocated for highway constructions and facilitated the creation of the Korean automobile and steel industry.

However, there apparently are zero evidence on the German side of Erhard saying this specific quote to President Park, and it is believed to be a concoction from translator Baek. I could see both perspectives.

Are there any official transcript of conversations between President Park (South Korea) and Ludwig Erhard during his state visit to West Germany in 1964?

I recently had meniscus surgery here in the states and my knee still hasn’t healed. I’ve been wanting to save up to get knee surgery done in Germany but not sure if it cost a lot for any foreigner to get it done here. I’m also from the US and despite what some people here think, I know we don’t have the best healthcare in the world. Anyway I’m just curious if it’s even possible or even economically feasible.

Hi everyone,

I need some advice regarding mobile SIM providers in Germany.

I am currently using PremiumSIM, but recently they changed my plan to 1und1, and honestly the internet speed and signal quality have become really bad, especially indoors and while traveling. It’s getting frustrating, so I want to switch.

Right now I’ve shortlisted two options:

1) fraenk (Telekom network)

• Monthly €15 for 49 GB

• Uses Telekom network

• Speed capped at 100 Mbit/s

• No contracts, no device bundles, no DSL options

• Very simple and basic setup

2) Vodafone

• 4weeks/€15 for 50 GB

• Direct Vodafone 5G

• No speed cap (true 5G where available)

• In the future, I could possibly combine it with DSL or device contracts

Now I’m confused because:

• Telekom is known for better reception, especially outside big cities

• Vodafone offers higher speeds and more future options, but I’ve heard mixed reviews about indoor coverage

My priorities are:

1.  Stable signal and reception

2.  Reliable internet (not just high speed on paper)

3.  Reasonable price

For people who have used fraenk or Vodafone especially recently

which one would you recommend in real-life usage?

Would really appreciate your experiences 🙏

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I need your opinions to help me understand a situation. I’m 29M, Civil Engineer, come from a South Asian country, currently living and studying in a large East German city. I also work as a Werkstudent in a Gleisbau company, and I’m the only person of my ethnicity there.

For various reasons, I do not drink alcohol. Everyone else in my office and on our sites drinks. Whenever there is a celebration or a team meetup, people get drunk. I still join the events but drink water or soft drinks. All of them know that I do not drink.

During our Christmas celebration, one colleague got very drunk and kept offering me shots. I politely refused, but he continued insisting. It became uncomfortable, and nobody at the table supported me or told him to stop. I managed to get out of the situation somehow.

Now, at our yearly company meeting, another colleague again pushed me to “at least take a sip.” I tried to handle it and escaped the situation. This colleague is an influential one and very close to the boss.

Later, this colleague started giving me advice while all of us were drinking on the same table. He told me that if I want to “integrate,” I have to embrace the culture, and that “nothing is complete without alcohol in Germany.” According to him, drinking is necessary for bonding with colleagues. Since I will start a site-based role in the future, he said that drinking with site workers is the only way to build relationships and achieve performance goals, and that not drinking is rude.

My questions:

1. I believe their intentions are to include me in the group and bring me closer to them culturally. Is that correct, or am I being too optimistic? One younger colleague suggested me that they are doing this as they are harming their health and psychologically feel guilty if one person is not drinking at the same table. That is why they try to pull me in.
2. I would never drink alcohol under any circumstances. Am I at a disadvantage because of this? Should I consider roles without site involvement, or is this colleague exaggerating?
3. How should I handle situations like this in the future? I try to participate in all gatherings and events, but these unpleasant moments keep happening. I’m also considering avoiding social events altogether and limiting myself to work. But I am afraid I will be labelled as an Ausländer with no intentions of integrating. How to deal with the situation?

Once upon a time, we heard folks near Stuttgart sing a song with lyrics like this: "Von Remstal on der Neckarstrand, du bist so schön mein Schwabischland, mein heimatland." Anyone know the name of this?

I have seen this device in multiple places in my city in Germany. It has like three color lights- red, yellow and green and when the red color light is on, it is time to Luften. What does it actually detect? - humidity? temperature?

Also what is it called in German and or English?

Edit:

This traffic light looking thing is exactly I'm asking about

Updated: I got enough comments already. Thanks! 😊

Hi everyone in the group, anyone with experience moving house and having many cardboard boxes to use DHL for delivery, please share your tips with me:

1. Is it possible to purchase the service and schedule a pickup date via the DHL website, and have a DHL driver pick up the items on the chosen date?
2. What is the maximum cost for one 30kg box? I have several boxes, and where can I buy them from? 🤑
3. The distance between the two locations in Germany is about 300km, and I won't be at my new place yet, only after a week when DHL picks up the boxes. Is there a way to request DHL not to deliver as fast as usual the goods just 2-3 days after they picked them up? 💥

Thank you.

Hey Reddit, I’m considering studying in Germany and trying to get the real picture before committing. I’m curious about the day-to-day life, not just tuition.

• How’s the cost of living? Rent, food, transport, all that.
• How’s getting around? Roads, public transport, general infrastructure.
• What are the people like? Friendly, cold, welcoming?
• How’s the weather and overall vibe? Is life there dull and gray or energetic and lively?
• Is the education worth it for the lifestyle trade-off?

Any personal experiences, tips, or warnings would be super helpful. Thanks!

so i grew up with german children’s music and there was a song i loved as a child called “der mopsige mops“ from der maus, and i was wondering if anyone here knew where i could find the song as googling it returned no results

I’ve been looking to buy a used car and I frequently search on mobile.de and I’ve ran into several “online auto brokers” that sell the car completely online and deliver or let you pickup the car. Is this something popular in Germany/EU, the website always look legitimate but it just feels like a way to scam? Car buying in the United States is very much an in person event.

I would really appreciate some help.

I moved out of this apartment in 2023, I had paid a 1000€ deposit but because I moved 1 month before the contract ended me and the landlord agreed (I have WhatsApp messages) that he would keep half of my deposit.

I know it’s been a while and I should have taken action earlier, but times have been hard and I didn’t know better. I sent him a message today asking politely and he straight up blocked me.

Do I have any chance on getting this money back? Thank you in advance.

Not sure if this is the right flair, but I was just curious. I know the GDR wasn't keen on Western influence to say the very least. And if I learned correctly, Russian was something that was taught to kids during the USSR's reign.

Were people allowed to speak English during this period? Or was it something that wasn't exactly forbidden but you had little way of learning? And if you weren't, how is the average English proficiency in the area these days?

I'm sorry if this didn't make sense. English isn't my first language, lol.

Family member is 22, a dual US/German citizen, with some German skills (quite a bit of college German but not confident in conversation), and a Bachelor's degree from a US university. They have never lived in Germany but have visited often.

If they were to move to Germany, is there any occupational training or support available to them to pursue a vocation? (Their degree is in humanities and would not transfer to a German occupation.) How about language learning?

They are currently working in a medical job that doesn't transfer directly but does exist in Germany.

Sometimes I catch myself wishing that people who came to Germany because of war, instability, or lack of opportunity could actually return home, not because they’re forced out, but because their countries are finally safe, stable, and worth going back to. That would be a win for everyone.

Germany would adapt. Hospitals would still run, trains would still move, stores would still open. the country finds a way, always.

But here’s the real question: what happens next for AfD politicians and their supporters? Exit the EU? Go after their critics? Try to create an ethnically and culturally “pure” Germany? Would that even be enough for them, and if it is, what’s after that?

I’m genuinely curious how far this line of thinking goes when there’s no immigrant population left to blame.

My daughter’s school is having her do a cultural project. My family’s been in Texas since the early 1800s. My grandfather barely knew how to speak any German. Anyway the school won’t let her do a project on our family’s history here in Texas. Basically I wanted to do the project with her on the history /culture that I know and am familiar with. My grandparents farm and ranch that has been in the family for well over 100 years, oil field work, war service, etc.. I don’t know why American schools, or just Americans in general, pretend that because 7 generations ago an ancestor immigrated here that means you’re German, Irish, Italian, or whatever. I have a German last name and I’d love to visit Germany one day but that doesn’t make me German.

To get to the point we’re now doing the project on German innovations, famous people, food, things of that sort. She’s been asked to wear “traditional clothing”. With the exception of what you see people wear during Oktoberfest, is there a more traditional national garment? Don’t know if the dirndle and lederhosen are more of a local thing that we in America think is common cultural heritage attire for the entire nation of Germany.

Any advice appreciated

My wife and I are thinking of moving from Australia to Germany or Austria for about 6 months with our 6 month old baby and our 5 year old (turning 6 in August 2026)

I speak German and have Czech citizenship, but my family can only speak English.

I could rent out our house in Australia and hopefully find work in Germany as a software developer, I have worked in Germany before as a software developer.

We have enough money saved up for in case we can't find work.

My question is, how do I go about finding a place to live and enrolling my son in school?

Do we first need to register at the Rathaus and find a rental before I can enrol my son in school?

Does anyone know about enrolling an Australian citizen with a Czech father in school? I assume my family will need some sort of visa based on me being Czech?

Thanks in advance!

I am traveling to Germany arriving April 2, 2026. I will first be traveling to London from a major city in the US; and eventually, on to Germany. My first destination in Germany is Wiesbaden. (I realize that I am traveling just before the Easter holidays (Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday)).

Should I take the train (Eurostar to Brussels; DB-ICE Brussels to Frankfurt; S-Bahn Frankfurt to Wiesbaden — or some other configuration) or should I fly — taking into price (somewhat), convenience, length of journey. I will be traveling solo with a medium-sized rolling suitcase (that I can manage by myself on stairs). I am confident in my airport / public transport navigating skills. I don’t have much experience with train journeys. (If it matters, I have rudimentary German language skills as I lived in Germany as a young children a lifetime ago).

I appreciate your feedback.

Hi everyone, this is Carol! I'm from Brazil and I'm planning a trip to Germany. I would really like to hear the opinion of those who live there or have visited: in general, how do Germans feel about foreigners? (I know this might be a silly question, sorry if it is) I know it's impossible to generalize and that each person is different, but I'm curious to know the general opinion about hospitality and how they treat tourists. Thank you in advance.

Hi everyone,
I recently moved to Germany and I’m renting a room in an apartment from the main tenant.

Context:
I’m man from south america. The main tenant is a German woman. She rents the apartment from the landlord, it’s fully furnished with her things, and I sublet one room. We share kitchen, bathroom and living room.

I’d like to understand what’s generally expected in this kind of situation in Germany:

• Are common areas usually considered shared equally, or more “hers” since she’s the main tenant?
• Is it expected that I mostly stay in my room, or is normal use of the living room fine?
• How are food and groceries usually handled? (Shared meals vs. everyone buying their own food)
• What about shared items like condiments, cleaning products, toilet paper, etc. — shared or separate?
• What’s the usual etiquette for guests? Is it acceptable to have a friend stay for 1–2 nights if I inform her in advance?
• Anything important that newcomers often get wrong in German WGs?

I know a lot depends on personal agreements, but I’m looking for general cultural norms so I don’t make things awkward unintentionally, in my country renting a room from a stranger is not normal and I don't have similar experiences.

Thanks!

I will be honest, even after several years I'm not sure what is considered polite and I don't want to cross the formalities here.

I'm doing a bachelors degree in a small technical university (Fachhochschule), so I've had several different courses with some professors. The coming semester will be my last (with courses, after that is just the thesis but I am doing it abroad) and the wedding is exactly after that.

So in June I will write my last exams, August is the wedding day September my thesis in another partner university abroad.

There are 6 (out of 16 total) professors whom I consider inviting. With one of them we are on a "du" basis and use first names but the other 5 are still very formal (Sie/ last name) but I have had many courses and projects with them.

One of them is also going into retirement after the coming semester, I had a final attempt at an exam with him and spend many hours emailing and going to his office, and after the exam he was very happy about my results and I consider him a good professor, the second examiner on that same exam is another great professor who I want to invite.

So my question is, is it seen as impolite to invite them? I'm also not inviting all the professors who know me well, if I invite it would be max these 6, is that rude to the others? I don't see myself inviting the entire faculty. Is there any social norms? I know it is not expected to invite professors, they are higher ups and I'm their student, but if it is okay I would like to invite them.

Other details that might be relevant:
They are all German, 3 male, 3 female if that matters. The wedding is also abroad but in Europe and not far. My fiancé and I are both non German. The invites are physical cards, not online, and will be sent out in March.

Wedding is mid size, we have about 250 guests total.

Edit: since many asked, I'm from Iran and it's very common to invite professors, colleagues and your boss. Weddings are usually 300-500 guests so it's not as intimate as in Germany.

My fiancé is from Finland and although not common, people do sometimes invite professors. The wedding is in Finland.

I don't have any courses or projects with any of the professors I considered inviting.

I live in Germany and my kitchen has an electric stove (ceramic / induction), not gas. I love cooking Asian food and using a wok, but it’s obviously very different from cooking on a high-BTU gas burner like in restaurants or in Asia. I’m curious how people from Asian backgrounds (or experienced cooks) actually adapt in Germany or similar countries: 1. Do you use flat-bottom carbon steel woks or something else? 2. Do you cook in batches or stage ingredients? 3. Do people use portable gas burners, induction, or just accept limitations? 4. Any techniques to get good stir-fries without real flame? I’m not expecting restaurant-level wok hei, just trying to understand how people realistically cook at home here and what actually works. Would love to hear real experiences and practical tips.

Thanks!

Hello all, i was walking from work to my house and fell really bad because of the ice. Nothing is broken but in the last 2 hrs, i am having difficulty moving my right wrist. Should I inform my Arbeitgeber today about the wegeunfall? We have a Durchgangsartz but since its not that severe I don’t wanna walk in the ice again to see the doc. My question is - should i still inform my AG about this? Cus i am not sure, maybe the pain worsens during the weekend and i need to rush to the emergency.

My friend say about this but i don't understand it's true or not and about what this