Hey guys, I just joined Nairaland. I’m a Nigerian living in Berlin, I studied here and have been living in Germany for almost 7 years now. I’ll be happy to tell you about life in Berlin and Germany in general. I’ve traveled around Germany and lived in Frankfurt, Cologne, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Kassel, Berlin.

I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Just be ready to get some raw undiluted answers cos I’m not here for wishy-washy happy moments. I’ve seen it all and experienced a lot in Germany and Europe. Good and bad. I’ll tell you as it is. I will share my experience about being black in Berlin and Germany in general.

Pls if you have questions about visas, application, study requirements etc.... I will not answer them. There are available threads for those questions. This is strictly about life in Germany and the black experience. I also will not reply to any private messages, as I don’t believe in favoritism. My opinions will be for everyone to see.

I implore other black people in Germany to share their experience here as well. I have a busy schedule and may not be here every time but I’ll try my best. That’s why I urge other blacks living in Germany to contribute to the post.

Thank you all.

Here are some of my previous comments from another thread.

Hamburg is great. Not as beautiful as Munich. It is close to Berlin and great for working class. Lots of blacks there and mostly blacks who were born in Germany. The environment of the city center and train station is ghetto and trash. Too many drug dealers and rough people, plus the prostitutes. A lot of black girls prostituting there, most of them came from Italy. It is so bad that most hotels don’t allow visitors or 2 people in a room. Racism is minimal but it’s still there. I love it though. The Germans there are nothing special.

NRW depends on the city. That’s where you find the most black people and friendlier Germans. Dusseldorf has the best Germans I’ve ever met and they’re so good looking. Even the blacks there are living well. It is expensive and can be difficult to find a flat.

People say Cologne is friendly but I don’t believe so. I experienced more racism in Cologne than anywhere else. They literally called me the N-word many times. They just pretend to be open minded. But Cologne is the closest thing you’ll get to Berlin in terms of night life. Bonn is great and mostly full of students. I’d highly recommend Dusseldorf or Essen. Cologne if you want to party and if you’re gay. If you’re homophobic, just stay away from Cologne. The gays there are in flying colors.

Germany is a lot safer than UK. I’ve never felt unsafe walking at night no matter what time it is. The police are very efficient and the streets are very beautiful and cared for.
Just the east of Germany and smaller cities is where you’ll likely have problems as a black person. Example: Leipzig, Dresden, Cottbus, Brunsweig etc... those are skin head Nazi cities.

One of the best things about Germany is transportation. You don’t have to wait at the bus stop. Just stay at home and check when the bus or train is coming via the mobile app, and you can go there in time.

I lived here for 7 years and I’ve never been stopped by police. Nobody ever stopped me to ask for my passport or documents. I heard it happened to some people but in all the cities I lived in, it never happened to me. Oh and the security cameras work. If you make a mess at the train station, police will be there in seconds.

I studied Economics (master) and I currently work at Zolando (a fashion and lifestyle company) in Berlin. That’s where most foreigners in Berlin work because you can work with English. Most jobs in Berlin are English speaking and international because there are many start-up companies here. Most people in Berlin work in IT.

I have done menial jobs like working at DHL, Amazon, Volkswagen, Edeka and factory work. The best were Amazon and Volkswagen. Even as a student you can get paid up to €2000 a month working there. They usually offer short term contracts to students and especially in Christmas season when there are high demands.

The first company I worked for was an agency that was recruiting for big factories. The manager was very racist and rude. Most black people working there did not have a choice because they don’t have papers or couldn’t find a better job. The Germans usually put Russians and Polish people as supervisors in those kind of companies because they are racist and can treat black people like slaves. Very hard job to carry heavy equipments. I quit on my first day. All the black guys I saw walking there could not stand straight.

After I quit, I filed a complaint about the company and promised to expose them and get the press involved. I hated the way they treated us. They eventually closed down the agency and reviewed the working conditions.

I also worked at Frankfurt International Airport. They scrutinized me for that job, including requiring a police report from Nigeria because it’s a high level security job. The experience was great, I met lots of travelers and got good tips but the salary was small as a student.

Many blacks here usually do “Ausbildung” (vocational training) that qualifies you to work in a specific field. Most of them work as nurses, at the airport, at a car company, or working with old and disabled people. It mostly the refugees that do this. Some with German passports do it too.

You will not find a black person working in the bank or at the front desk of a hospital. You’ll rarely and almost never see a black doctor. The day I went to a dentist in Berlin and my dentist was a black woman, I cried. She was smiling and crying as well. You rarely even see a black bus or train driver. Only a handful.

Berlin is an art city and most black people here are Black Americans who are artists and on a freelance visa. You’ll also find lots of Black Brits. A lot of black people in Berlin have professional jobs and are well paid to the standard of Berlin. Most working in IT or a start up company.

A lot of blacks here are refugees as well and most of them depend on “Hartz iv” (government benefits). They just sit at home and receive money from government every month. They receive from €600 to €800. It is an obligation of the government to support the non-working class. You’ll need to be refugee or German citizen to qualify for that. Also need to prove you’re unable to work and you’re trying to get a job.

In summary, you can get a professional job after you study. Just don’t sit in one city. Try other cities. I discovered that mostly Africans don’t like to change cities. They become comfortable getting their chicken change instead of moving to a better city where life would be better. Also try to learn German.

Following back to back
Hadampson come and sign attendance sheet

Danielhouston:
Hey guys, I just joined Nairaland. I’m a Nigerian living in Berlin, I studied here and have been living in Germany for almost 7 years now. I’ll be happy to tell you about life in Berlin and Germany in general. I’ve traveled around Germany and lived in Frankfurt, Cologne, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Kassel, Berlin.

I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Just be ready to get some raw undiluted answers cos I’m not here for wishy-washy happy moments. I’ve seen it all and experienced a lot in Germany and Europe. Good and bad. I’ll tell you as it is. I will share my experience about being black in Berlin and Germany in general.

Pls if you have questions about visas, application, study requirements etc.... I will not answer them. There are available threads for those questions. This is strictly about life in Germany and the black experience. I also will not reply to any private messages, as I don’t believe in favoritism. My opinions will be for everyone to see.

I implore other black people in Germany to share their experience here as well. I have a busy schedule and may not be here every time but I’ll try my best. That’s why I urge other blacks living in Germany to contribute to the post.

Thank you all.

Hello daniel.. What would it take to study... Do master degree abroad.. In Germany... Your narration of Germany elevated my interest...
Thanks

captainking:

Hello daniel.. What would it take to study... Do master degree abroad.. In Germany... Your narration of Germany elevated my interest...
Thanks

Hello,
All questions concerning studying in Germany and the cost has been answered here https://www.nairaland.com/5621308/part-8 and in previous parts
Let's try to maintain this thread for questions concerning living and surviving in Berlin/Germany

In block => EUROPE OR NOTHING

Cc Hadampson

Wow! I love this thread. It's a good idea you decided to create your own thread other than derailing Munichlover(don't know if I get the monicker correctly) thread. Please I want to know how I can work in Germany as a pharmacist. I'm currently in my final year here in Nigeria University. What is the pay of pharmacist like over there? How easy is it to secure a job there? What city is most favorable to work as a pharmacist? Do I need other special skills to make it there?if yes please state.

Sorry for the plenty questions

Nigerians no dey hear word ehn . Op how easy do you think it is to learn German? I presume you speak it already. And can you tell us some of the scenarios you've experienced deliberate racism? Thanks

Nezy4Real:
Wow! I love this thread. It's a good idea you decided to create your own thread other than derailing Munichlover(don't know if I get the monicker correctly) thread. Please I want to know how I can work in Germany as a pharmacist. I'm currently in my final year here in Nigeria University. What is the pay of pharmacist like over there? How easy is it to secure a job there? What city is most favorable to work as a pharmacist? Do I need other special skills to make it there?if yes please state.

Sorry for the plenty questions

I’m not familiar with working in the medical field but Germany has a reputation for not paying doctors what they think they deserve. A lot of doctors who studied in Germany are working outside Germany. You can definitely work as a pharmacist. I have seen a few black pharmacists here and I know a black guy from East Africa who owns 2 pharmacies in Berlin. He’s doing really well.

I don’t know how much they earn and I don’t think there’s a specific city where you would earn more. Germany has a set salary system in hourly rates regardless of what city you work in. You can get paid more in some cities but never less.

Nice one.

Serve them the undiluted truth.

Also want to practice pharmacy over there
I'd also like to know the salary structure of pharmacist over there

SKhanmi:
Nigerians no dey hear word ehn . Op how easy do you think it is to learn German? I presume you speak it already. And can you tell us some of the scenarios you've experienced deliberate racism? Thanks

I’m telling, learning German is NOT easy. I have a B1 language certificate and I’m still struggling. A lot of words have the same meaning and many words mean the same thing.

For example: in English we say “the” bag. “The” in German could be “die, den, das, der” and you have to use them appropriately even though they all mean the same thing.

About racism, I’ve been called the N-word but that was mostly online and by 2 Russian guys in a train in Berlin. It was worse in 2015 during the refugee crisis in Europe. People would yell at me through their windows “Go back to Africa”, “Monkey”. But that was in small cities. There are no strong laws in Germany that protects people of color against racism but we’re constantly fighting against it. They recently established an anti-racism unit but I don’t know if it’s functional.

Germany has a very strong privacy law that racists tend to benefit from. You can experience racism and not be able to film the racist or post their picture online. You can only share that information with the police and your lawyer. You also need to have a witness or evidence. Other kinds of racism are institutional and economic. You don’t see them but they affect the way you’re being treated when you need something.

I’ve experienced more racism from Russians, Polish, Arabs and Turks in Germany than I have from Germans. Germany is no where near USA when it comes to racism. USA takes the cake. The thing is, Germans are VERY good at pretending. Even if they don’t like you, they will still be polite to you but you’ll know by the way they treat you. They also care SO MUCH about their reputation because of their history.

Danielhouston:


I’m not familiar with working in the medical field but Germany has a reputation for not paying doctors what they think they deserve. A lot of doctors who studied in Germany are working outside Germany. You can definitely work as a pharmacist. I have seen a few black pharmacists here and I know a black guy from East Africa who owns 2 pharmacies in Berlin. He’s doing really well.

I don’t know how much they earn and I don’t think there’s a specific city where you would earn more. Germany has a set salary system in hourly rates regardless of what city you work in. You can get paid more in some cities but never less.

Okay. Thanks for the Swift response. Personally I have plans towards doing Msc in Public health in Canada or UK but your little exposition about Germany got me interested in the country.

I’ve experienced more racism from Russians, Polish, Arabs and Turks in Germany than I have from Germans. Germany is no where near USA when it comes to racism. USA takes the cake. The thing is, Germans are VERY good at pretending. Even if they don’t like you, they will still be polite to you but you’ll know by the way they treat you. They also care SO MUCH about their reputation because of their history. [/quote]

Very much true
The racism here in yankee is unparalleled, the whites just don’t like us

But then even in Nigeria, there’s racism, the northerners don’t like the easterners, the easterners don’t like the the west
So racism is everywhere

Hello OP,

Would you advise someone to attempt the six months visa for people coming to Germany to look for work? What are the chances of securing a job within 6 months particularly someone who schooled in Nigeria. Not IT related jobs but something around administration and management.

If cool, which states or cities would you advise such person to target?

Is there any part / season of the year that often possess better advantage for swift job opportunities in Germany?


If someone has an option of doing PhD in Germany or Canada, which one would you advise ? This is not about the academic but the societies and opportunities.

Regards.

You are doing a good job op. It's amazing that you open your own thread rather than derailing Munich lover thread.

Anyway, tell us more about Berlin regarding day-to-day life.

op ride on oh.... any derailer ,i cast and bind... OP do you watch Hertha Berlin's Home games live from the stadium?

We die here.

Following with keen interest.

Danielhouston:


The first company I worked for was an agency that was recruiting for big factories. The manager was very racist and rude. Most black people working there did not have a choice because they don’t have papers or couldn’t find a better job. The Germans usually put Russians and Polish people as supervisors in those kind of companies because they are racist and can treat black people like slaves. Very hard job to carry heavy equipments. I quit on my first day. All the black guys I saw walking there could not stand straight.

In summary, you can get a professional job after you study. Just don’t sit in one city. Try other cities. I discovered that mostly Africans don’t like to change cities. They become comfortable getting their chicken change instead of moving to a better city where life would be better. Also try to learn German.

The first paragraph reminded me of life as a student in the UK working casual for Manchester United on match days. Those polish supervisors can be very mean. They are usually supervisors of those types of jobs.

The Africans not changing cities is very true for most, if not all developed countries. They would rather be drinking garri and stay in a city that doesn't offer them much instead of moving to a different city.

Good thread. Offers alot of exposure about life in Germany as a black immigrant.

Nice one.. Following

iaamxavier:
Also want to practice pharmacy over there
I'd also like to know the salary structure of pharmacist over there

I think getting there first or finding your way to Germany is more important than salary. To practice pharmacy in a developed country, I can almost guarantee that you would have to go through several exams and OSCE assessment. Maybe it would be a good idea to look into that first.

Op you know institution that offers fully funded scholarship to international students and their requirements please

Danielhouston:
Hey guys, I just joined Nairaland. I’m a Nigerian living in Berlin, I studied here and have been living in Germany for almost 7 years now. I’ll be happy to tell you about life in Berlin and Germany in general. I’ve traveled around Germany and lived in Frankfurt, Cologne, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Kassel, Berlin.

I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Just be ready to get some raw undiluted answers cos I’m not here for wishy-washy happy moments. I’ve seen it all and experienced a lot in Germany and Europe. Good and bad. I’ll tell you as it is. I will share my experience about being black in Berlin and Germany in general.

Pls if you have questions about visas, application, study requirements etc.... I will not answer them. There are available threads for those questions. This is strictly about life in Germany and the black experience. I also will not reply to any private messages, as I don’t believe in favoritism. My opinions will be for everyone to see.

I implore other black people in Germany to share their experience here as well. I have a busy schedule and may not be here every time but I’ll try my best. That’s why I urge other blacks living in Germany to contribute to the post.

Thank you all.

Trenton:
op ride on oh....
any derailer ,i cast and bind...
OP do you watch Hertha Berlin's Home games live from the stadium?

Hahaha I don’t know what that is

Kollyman:
Hello OP,

Would you advise someone to attempt the six months visa for people coming to Germany to look for work? What are the chances of securing a job within 6 months particularly someone who schooled in Nigeria. Not IT related jobs but something around administration and management.

If cool, which states or cities would you advise such person to target?

Is there any part / season of the year that often possess better advantage for swift job opportunities in Germany?


If someone has an option of doing PhD in Germany or Canada, which one would you advise ? This is not about the academic but the societies and opportunities.

Regards.

Danielhouston

Kollyman:
Hello OP,

Would you advise someone to attempt the six months visa for people coming to Germany to look for work? What are the chances of securing a job within 6 months particularly someone who schooled in Nigeria. Not IT related jobs but something around administration and management.

If cool, which states or cities would you advise such person to target?

Is there any part / season of the year that often possess better advantage for swift job opportunities in Germany?


If someone has an option of doing PhD in Germany or Canada, which one would you advise ? This is not about the academic but the societies and opportunities.

Regards.

I don’t understand. You want to get a job with a 6 month visit visa? That is not possible. You cannot work with a visit visa and nobody will hire you. There’s no manipulation in regards to that. Only if you intend to apply for Asylum, then you’d have to tell them why you need Asylum.

I have not lived in Canada. I have only visited. So I cannot give a genuine opinion about life in Canada as it compares to Germany. I can definitely tell you that Canadians are helplessly polite and say “sorry” every minute. Canada is also cleaner. Germany seems to be safer and richer. They both have good health care system. Only barrier would be language in Germany. Otherwise, I would say it’s a safe haven

Danielhouston:
Hey guys, I just joined Nairaland. I’m a Nigerian living in Berlin, I studied here and have been living in Germany for almost 7 years now. I’ll be happy to tell you about life in Berlin and Germany in general. I’ve traveled around Germany and lived in Frankfurt, Cologne, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Kassel, Berlin.

I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Just be ready to get some raw undiluted answers cos I’m not here for wishy-washy happy moments. I’ve seen it all and experienced a lot in Germany and Europe. Good and bad. I’ll tell you as it is. I will share my experience about being black in Berlin and Germany in general.

Pls if you have questions about visas, application, study requirements etc.... I will not answer them. There are available threads for those questions. This is strictly about life in Germany and the black experience. I also will not reply to any private messages, as I don’t believe in favoritism. My opinions will be for everyone to see.

I implore other black people in Germany to share their experience here as well. I have a busy schedule and may not be here every time but I’ll try my best. That’s why I urge other blacks living in Germany to contribute to the post.

Thank you all.

Hi Op, thanks for this info.
pls I'm applying for a Master's program in Hannover,.
I'll really like to know how life is over there, d possibility of getting a part time job as a student. I can handle d racist stuff.. All I need is d rough truth about the state if you know anything about it.
Finally, I was told that if your studies is not IT inclined, you'll find it difficult to get a job after graduation, how true is this, as I'm planning to study International Horticulture. Thanks

Nice Trend OP, you can spice it up with pictures thanks...

Op clearly stated the rules clearly and within a page people have broken it into pieces. A good example of the Nigerian problem.

OP, I love your thread, kudos!.

I don't like when I read such threads like this and it's only filled with the positive sides of living in Germany, you already highlighted everything!!. Living in Germany is good, but there are many disadvantages that are rarely talked about especially being a foreign student.


Anyway, I was in Berlin last just for a day, I didn't have time to explore the city. The only thing I liked was the diversity, it was similar to being in Frankfurt cause I've lived there, hopefully I will get to explore Berlin one day .

themaestro08:
You are doing a good job op. It's amazing that you open your own thread rather than derailing Munich lover thread.

Anyway, tell us more about Berlin regarding day-to-day life.

Life in Berlin is very interesting. Lots of psychos and hipsters. Very crazy but exciting culture. They always say Berlin is not Germany and I believe it. You can see someone so good looking but once you get close to them: BOOM... they’re mental.

There’s also a lot drugs and partying. Regular sex parties. We have the biggest club in Europe and possibly in the world called “Berghain”. Even celebrities have visited there. People die to get in. Sometimes people stab themselves with bottles when they get rejected at the door. It is a very vibrant sex club. People f*cking and doing drugs. Some stay there for 3 days no sleep, partying. There’s also KitKat (a sex fetish club) and many others.

Berlin is everything that Sodom and Gomorrah left behind. Nudity is welcomed. There are nudist parks and lakes. Also saunas. The gym I go to has a sauna where everyone is naked, boys and girls. You see EVERYTHING. There’s so much freedom in Berlin and nothing shocks them. You can walk around with a tree on your head and identify as a chicken, nobody cares.

It is a working city but not as serious as other German cities. You can never be bored. Also very international, you can live there 10 years and not speak German. Even in bars and restaurants they speak English. Lots of Australians, Brits and Americans. 80% of my friends are black Americans. My accent changed when I moved to Berlin.

Most restaurants don’t offer tap water, no matter how much you spend on food. You must buy water. They also don’t accept card payments in most places. Must pay with cash. Oh and they don’t give a damn how you feel, they are direct. Someone can walk up to you and ask if you want a Mouth Action. Boys and girls.

There’s also a lot of young suicides due to drug overdose. You can drink alcohol in public. On Sundays in summer, there’s a park called “Mauer park”. There are usually over 40,000 people there chilling, live bands playing, markets, a huge karaoke, do whatever you want. You’ll also find lots of Artists as it’s an artist city.

It is also the home of the gays in Europe. The gays here are not to be played with. They’re treated with top priority and love. The hardest thing here is finding a flat or room to rent, because everyone wants to live in Berlin.