Converting Your German Driver’s License to an EU Standard License

If you have an older German driver’s license (one without the expiration date), it has to be exchanged for the new EU standard license. This goes for the grey, pink and older plastic driver’s licenses.

If your license was issued before 31 Dec 1998, it must be exchanged as follows:

Born before 1953 – exchanged by 10 Jan 2033
Born 1953 – 1958 – before 19 Jan 2021
Born 1959 – 1964 – before 19 Jan 2022
Born 1965 – 1970 – before 19 Jan 2023
Born 1971 or after – before 19 Jan 2024

If your license was issued as of 1 Jan 1999, it must be exchanged as follows:

Issued 1999 – 2000 – exchanged before 19 Jan 2025
2001 – 2002 – before 19 Jan 2026
2003 – 2004 – before 19 Jan 2027
2005 – 2006 – before 19 Jan 2028
2007 – 2008 – before 19 Jan 2029
2009 – before 19 Jan 2030
2010 – before 10 Jan 2031
2011 – before 19 Jan 2032
2012 – 18 Jan 2013 – before 19 Jan 2033

driver’s license: (German: der Führerschein)

Have a look at Bußgeldkatalog – Führerschein umschreiben (in German) to learn what you need to do next.

Oberursel and St. Ursula Belfry Viewing

The tower of St.Ursula’s Church in Oberursel will be open to the public on 01 July 2017 (Sat) between 15:00 – 17:00.

The tour includes a visit to the belfry and the roof where you get a wonderful view across  town.

St. Ursula Kirchturm in Oberursel

Entry costs €1.50 for adults and €1.00 for children. Some snacks will be served as well.

This tour takes place every month on the first Saturday between the months of May and October. Additional tours, ranging from Monday to Friday, can be arranged.

St. Ursula-Gasse
61440 Oberursel (Taunus)
Contact Mr. Wilfried Abt at (0 61 71) 55 05 0

On the same day, a tour of the Altstadt is offered as well. This tour starts in front of the Vortaunusmuseum at the Marktplatz at 14:00 and costs €3 per person.

A German Christmas Tradition – Barbarazweige

While growing up in a small village in northern Bavaria, I always saw my mom putting Barbarazweige on top of the kitchen cabinet in early December. These otherwise brown barren twigs would come into full bloom by Christmas.

Traditionally, these twigs are cut on 4 December, also known as St. Barbara Day (Catholic church). After cutting, they should experience a slight frost by either putting them in the fridge or leaving them outside overnight. Then put them in warm water for the first night. This will cause them to bloom later as the change from frosty temperature to a warm room makes it seem like spring is coming.

After the first night of warm water, fresh cold water should be given every three days.

Barbarazweige, a German Christmas tradition

Barbarazweige, a German Christmas tradition

Short list of trees or bush which are best:

Kirsche/cherry    Apfel/apple    Forsythien/forsythia    Haselnuss/hazelnut    Zierjohannisbeer/currant    Birke/birch   Weide/willow   Schlehe/blackthorn   Goldregen/laburnum    Ginster/broom (gorse)

Origin

This tradition is based on St. Barbara (Heilige Barbara), a shopkeeper’s daughter, who was put in jail. On her way there, her dress got caught on a cherry twig. While she was in her jail cell, she watered the little twig every day. On the day of her execution, the twig blossomed.

Blossoming Twigs bring Good Fortune

Bringing Barbarazweige to blossom is an old, but almost forgotten Christmas tradition. If everything is timed properly, the blossoms come to full bloom at Christmas and this means good fortune for the coming year, and shriveled ones brings back luck.

In the old days, a young woman would write her suitors’ names on pieces of paper and hang them onto the twigs. The one, whose twig blossomed first, should be the one chosen for marriage.

This tradition is mostly forgotten. Yesterday morning, I called my neighbor, a nice elderly woman in her late 70s, and asked her for some Barbarazweige from her garden. She said I was welcome to cut some, but she was not sure if they had such a tree or bush named Barbara. I did not bother to explain this tradition over the phone, but went right over to her garden.

I believe I have twigs from an apple tree, but we shall see.

Christmas Tree pick-up in Germany

Today was the big day for the pick-up. We were told to have the tree out there by the roadside as of 6 a.m. and once the truck passed through, there would be no further chance to dispose of it.

The pick-up is always scheduled in the week after Epiphany, when Germans traditionally take down any Christmas decorations. Epiphany signals the end of the Christmas season.

Christmas tree pick-up in Germany

I don’t know why this woman assisted, unless she brought her little tree by at the very last minute and offered to dump it herself. I am surprised this isn’t against the regulations.

Off the trees go to their next destination, where they will be turned into wood chips.

Bicycles on Trains and Buses around Frankfurt

Yesterday’s question from an expat was about taking bicycles on board of trains in buses in and around the Frankfurt area.

Here is a short explanation of what you can and cannot do.

 

RMV Fahrrad mitnehmen

* You can bring your bicycle free of charge on trains and buses of the RMV.

* There are no restrictions for bikes on the S-Bahn and regional trains.

* The following restrictions only apply to U-Bahn, trams and buses:

Bringing your bike onto the U-Bahn, tram, or bus is NOT allowed Monday – Friday between 6:00 – 8:30 and 16:00 – 18:30 (morning and evening rush hour)

All other times (except the listed rush hour times from Mon – Fri) and all other days (weekends and Hessian school breaks), you can bring your bike along.

* You can’t bring your bike onto a minibus.

* Please remember that wheel chairs and strollers/baby carriages always have priority.

The mention of the evening rush hour times prompted another topic – why Germans go to bed so early. There will be more about that in my next post.

 

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