This is the podcast we never had and probably the reason why one of us still doesn’t speak German and the other one never really learned French. We’re a German–French duo who spend a lot of time talking about words. Not to teach vocabulary, but to understand what’s actually going on underneath.
This is not a language course.
And definitely not a “how to behave” guide.
It’s about:
why things feel different in Germany and France
what we secretly admire (and don’t understand) about each others culture
work culture, daily life, and unspoken rules
and laughing at ourselves instead of taking everything too seriously
If you’re living between cultures, working in Germany, curious about France, or just enjoy honest conversations with a bit of humor and self-irony — you’re in the right place.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
We are debating our schedule this week: Should we officially move our podcast releases to Tuesday mornings? We ask listeners whether they listen in the morning or to fall asleep though Coline admits she doesn't listen to podcasts at all because she produces them!
After looking at French laws in the previous episode, Coline turns the tables and presents a list of German laws that completely shock French people:
Illegal Dumpster Diving: Taking discarded, edible food from a supermarket's private dumpster is prosecuted as qualified theft under Section 242 of the Criminal Code.
The Church Tax (Kirchensteuer): The automatic 8% to 9% income tax deduction for registered church members, and the paid administrative fee required just to leave (Kirchenaustritt).
The Private Abmahnung System: How private law firms track IP addresses to demand €1,000 to €2,000 for downloading copyrighted media—including Alex's story of settling an €800 fine for downloading a single episode of Modern Family!
Autobahn Rules: Having no statutory speed limit on roughly 70% of the network, while running out of fuel on the highway is treated as punishable driver negligence.
Constitutional Religion Classes: Mandatory religious instruction (Religionsunterricht) in state public schools guaranteed by Article 7 of the German Constitution.
Regulated Prostitution: Legalized prostitution under the Prostituiertenschutzgesetz, where sex workers register businesses and pay taxes (unlike France, where purchasing sex penalizes the client).
Sunday Quiet Hours (Sonntagsruhe): Strict bans on lawn mowing, power drills, and even dropping glass bottles into public recycling containers on Sundays.
Mandatory Registration (Anmeldung): The legal requirement to register your address at the local Bürgeramt within 14 days of moving or face fines up to €1,000.
The Annual Dog Tax (Hundesteuer): Paying a municipal tax for owning a dog and having it wear an official brass tag on its collar.
Traffic Insults & the "Du" Fine: Facing criminal charges and heavy fines for showing the middle finger (Stinkefinger) or addressing a police officer with the informal "Du" instead of "Sie".
Drunk Biking: Riding a bicycle with a blood alcohol concentration of 1.6‰ or higher can trigger an evaluation that revokes your car driver's license.
Prison for Fare Evasion & Baby Names: Repeatedly riding public transport without a ticket (Schwarzfahren) can lead to prison time, while the civil registry office (Standesamt) can reject chosen first names for children.
Insulting Foreign Leaders: Alex adds the law where comedians can get sued in Germany for insulting foreign presidents.
Let us know in the comments if you prefer our new Tuesday morning upload schedule, and tell us which of these German laws shocked you the most!
Follow us for more
instagram.com/hellocoline (https://www.instagram.com/hellocoline)
instagram.com/alex.von.mydealz (https://www.instagram.com/alex.von.mydealz)
tiktok.com/@hellooco (https://www.tiktok.com/@hellooco)
tiktok.com/@alex.von.mydealz (https://www.tiktok.com/@alex.von.mydealz)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
5 Oct 2026
#32 - The One Where We Talk About French Laws
We are running a bit late again, but we are back! We kick off this episode by talking about the German national holiday on the 3rd of October (Tag der Deutschen Einheit). Coline shares her frustration about the holiday falling on a weekend, which means all supermarkets are closed and her only option for getting eggs was ordering through Wolt.
Then, Coline takes the lead with a massive list of French laws that completely shock Alex, proving that France and Germany operate very differently:
DNA Tests & Paternity: Why ordering an at-home DNA ancestry kit (like MyHeritage) in France can get you a €3,750 fine, and why secret paternity tests are strictly banned.
Food Waste & Dumpster Diving: France’s brilliant 2016 law forcing supermarkets to donate unsold food to charities, compared to Germany where taking food from a supermarket dumpster is considered stealing.
Religion & The State (Laïcité): The strict French ban on religious symbols in public schools and official statistics, which completely contrasts with the German system of church taxes and religion classes in public schools.
Public Pools & Speedos: Why French municipal pools legally ban loose board shorts and force men to wear tight Speedo-style trunks.
Workplace Rules: France's "right to disconnect" from work emails after hours, the "Journée de solidarité" (working one unpaid day a year to fund elderly care), and the surprising law that legally protects your right to drink wine and beer at the office!
Weird & Wonderful Decrees: The ability to legally marry a dead person (with presidential approval), writing valid bank checks on napkins or toilet paper, the strict 4-ingredient law protecting the traditional French baguette, and the mandatory 40% French music quota for radio stations.
Tune in to hear Alex’s reactions, and make sure to subscribe so you don't miss next week’s episode where Alex brings a list of crazy German laws!
Follow us for more
instagram.com/hellocoline (https://www.instagram.com/hellocoline)
instagram.com/alex.von.mydealz (https://www.instagram.com/alex.von.mydealz)
tiktok.com/@hellooco (https://www.tiktok.com/@hellooco)
tiktok.com/@alex.von.mydealz (https://www.tiktok.com/@alex.von.mydealz)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
28 Sept 2026
#31 - The One Where We Talk About Bundesländer
Welcome back! We are a bit late this week due to a very busy September, but a huge shoutout to our listener Lily for checking in on us!
This week, Coline prepared a deep dive into a concept that is completely mind-boggling to French people: the German Bundesländer (Federal States). While France operates as a highly centralized nation with 18 regions, Germany is a federation of 16 independent states and the differences between them are massive!
We break down the biggest cultural and legal clashes you will experience when crossing state lines in Germany:
Opening Hours & Spätis: Why Berlin lets you shop 24/7, while Bavaria strictly shuts down all retail stores at 8 PM.
The Holiday Imbalance: Why working in Munich gives you 3 to 4 more paid public holidays per year than working in Berlin, and the crazy story of Augsburg's exclusive Peace Festival on August 8th.
The Education Chaos: Why the German school system is controlled locally rather than nationally, leading to massive differences in the Abitur. We discuss why Saxony and Bavaria rank at the top, while Berlin and Bremen are criticized for the "cheap baccalaureate".
Summer Vacation Rules: Why Bavarian schools always start their summer break last (hint: it dates back to kids needing to help with the farming harvest).
Independent Police Forces: The extreme contrast between Berlin's liberal laws (maximum 48 hours detention) and Bavaria's strict regulations (including keeping the old green uniforms, up to 30-day preventive detention, and phone spyware authorization).
The Election Mess: How having state elections scattered throughout the year completely paralyzes national politics.
Plus, Alex gives a quick history lesson on how Germany went from 300 independent mini-states in the Holy Roman Empire around the year 1800 down to the 16 federal states we know today. Let us know in the comments if your country is highly centralized like France or a federal patchwork like Germany!
Follow us for more
instagram.com/hellocoline (https://www.instagram.com/hellocoline)
instagram.com/alex.von.mydealz (https://www.instagram.com/alex.von.mydealz)
tiktok.com/@hellooco (https://www.tiktok.com/@hellooco)
tiktok.com/@alex.von.mydealz (https://www.tiktok.com/@alex.von.mydealz)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
180 ratings
Contact Zero Effort
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
