What's living in Germany like now?

[tatutata]

I'm originally German, but have lived in England since university 20 years ago. I am married to an English man who speaks no German. It looks as if I might be offered a job in Düsseldorf. It would initially be WFH but I would then be expected to move.
My kids are 2, 5 and 7 and speak only very basic words I've taught them.
Does anyone have any advice?? I'm kind of looking for what expats like about Germany, problems with language, what Germany I'd actually like now - I lived in a small town until 2001 and I know it's not going to be like that now. Is it made to even contemplate this? I just don't see a future here any more with the direction of the economy.

I'm an expat in Germany, but we are leaving in August. I can't think of any positives sorry 😞 I can't wait to leave.

My sister and her partner both live and work in Berlin, they have been there two years but both still speak very little German and they get by fine but I appreciate that it’s probably a lot easier given that so many in the capital city speak English. They absolutely love it out there!

The DC would pick up German quickly but I’d worry about your DH. What would he do? Does he have any other languages to a good standard? If he were fluent in French Italian and Swedish already then the odds of him getting comfortable with German rapidly would be high if he put the hours in. But if he was at “ou est la bibliotheque?” levels of foreign language then that’s more difficult, depending on what the ex-pat community is like in Düsseldorf.

@jerriblank do you mind me asking why that is? I remember that I hated the kleinburgerlichkeit, the endless rules and neighbours bit ching, but that seems so common here now too that I can't see much difference! England used to feel so free and easy, and now it seems so weighed down with woes. And the paperwork has got almost as bad as Germany! Am I full of rose tinted views of the past??

@StrangerHereMyself unfortunately he has zero language skills. That is indeed my biggest worry as he also gets really pissy about it when we go to Germany, and doesn't want to just say "do you speak English" . The key is probably whether he can land a transfer through his current firm. If so, he'd at least get to know people easily and would find some expat mates. If not then yeah I'm probably being stupid!

Many years ago I lived in Germany and worked in a German hospital. It took my 9 months to become proficient in the language and move up from care assistant to qualified nurse. So the 9 months was a probation period just to learn the language. Your kids will pick it up really quickly. I loved it there at the time.

We moved to Germany 3 years ago. DH speaks little German and works in an English-speaking environment. So do I, but I'm originally German so the language isn't an issue for me. DS attends a bilingual kindergarten and will move to a bilingual school next year. His English is at an age-appropriate level and his German has started to catch up.
The positives are that we earn a lot more here. We've got a house that we wouldn't have been able to afford in the UK. DS will go through private education and it's actually affordable.
I do miss the UK. I miss the beach and the coast. We are near Frankfurt, so pretty landlocked. I find making German friends here a bit tricky but I think part of that is down to Covid. There are positives and negatives about both the UK and Germany. From a work-life-balance point of view, Germany is a lot better. Both DH and I are teachers and it feels so much more relaxed at school here. The paperwork and the "but this is how it's always been done here" drives me slightly barmy, together with people's perception that I should know how everything works because I'm German after all. I had done all of my adulting in the UK up to the point when we moved. There's stuff I just do not know...
I am looking forward to going back to the UK once we are able to (we are both vaccinated now) because it still feels more like home. However, I am starting to get stettled here and the feeling of not being welcome in the UK after the Brexit vote was one of the reasons for our move. DH prefers Germany to the UK. He's just glad to be out of it...

I love it. You need to get your DH & DCs speaking German though, or they'll feel isolated. Düsseldorf is fine, but expensive.

We've been living about 30mins outside Dus for the last 12 year's and are very settled. Now dual nationality but both UK nationals to start with. 3dc who've done the range of kindergarten, international school, Grundschule, Gymnasium and are fully bilingual.

There's a good expat base in and around Dus and you can get as involved as you'd like, or not, I've made some very good 'expat' friends here — but we're not really expats as none of us are planning to leave!

Happy to answer any specifics you may have if you want.

We are in the UK and seriously thinking about moving to either The Netherlands or Germany, my dh is Dutch but grew up in Germany. The dc are all for it and we can move in 2/3 years time as that suits work and school years. We will have to go the international school route as our dc are 11-16 (any recommendations welcome ).

I really feel this is the point to get out, the UK is moving the wrong way politically for us and housing is becoming such a problem. I really want the dc to go to Uni/start careers in the EU.