Differences in Communication Styles of East and West Germany


There are two major differences I noticed in how the people of Berlin communicate and how people of Erfurt communicate.  First, public transit in Berlin is much more lively; people are talking more, moving around, and its a social scene.  In Erfurt, it's complete silence- we've all written about how we have gotten stared at or hushed on the Erfurt tram.  I definitely felt more comfortable talking to the people next to me in Berlin.  Secondly, English is spoken much more frequently; in Berlin it seemed like everyone around us was speaking English or German, whereas in Erfurt German seems to be the primary language.  While certainly there are many employees in Erfurt that can understand a bit of english, in Berlin we could have full conversations with locals and tourism employees about their experiences.  It made me feel more welcome and encouraged me to explore and learn more.

Berlin is very internationally significant because of the role it played in WWII, how it houses many embassies of powerhouse countries, and especially due to the Berlin Wall.  As I walked around the city, I noticed the Wall and Berlin's new constitution is an incredibly prominent part of the culture.  There are monuments everywhere that outline where the wall used to be, which helps remind tourists and citizens alike about how recently the city was an entirely different place.  Because of the prominent government center (especially the embassies and hotels designed for world leaders), the people of Berlin are reminded their city is important.  Thus, you can tell the people in Berlin have a lot of pride in living there.  Every tour guide and local we talked to told us in some way they are happy they live in an area that's so busy and rich in history.  Maybe that's why they're so friendly and welcoming; they want other people to feel the Berlin love, too.

Additionally, I noticed Berlin is incredibly diverse.  Perhaps this is due to how international government friendly it is, maybe it is because it's one of the most popular tourist cities in Germany, or maybe its because there is a scene there that is very friendly to a younger generation.  I felt like Berlin was a very open-minded and fast paced city, and the people who live there love that environment.  Berlin has something for everyone: from historic museums to government districts to nightlife, its a unique city that rightfully attracts people from all over the world.

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