Federal Republic of Germany / Germany
- Cross-Cultural Nursing Database

Language

• Official language is German
• Low Saxon: North Germany
• Upper Saxony: Saxony
• (Alemannic: Baden-Württemberg)
• Bavarian (Bavaria)
• Limburg (part of North Rhine-Bestfalen)
• Mainz Language (Mainz)

(wikipedia Germany)

nation

• Large number of Germans whose native language is Germanic German.
• Slavic Sorbs, Germanic Danes, and many naturalized Poles.

(wikipedia Germany)

religion

• Protestant (32.71 TP3T)
• Catholic (31.4%)
• Islam (4.0%)
• Judaism (0.25%)
• No religion or atheism (29.6%)

(wikipedia Germany)

Food culture taboos, etc.

In German cuisine, dishes made with potatoes are counted among the must-haves.
(wikipedia Germany)

Other customs and culture

• As said to have much in common with Japan, they are kind, diligent, and punctual.
• It has a simple, solid, and frugal side, including a simple and well-developed economic outlook.

Customs, habits, health, etc.

1. Germans generally value frugality and rationality, value order, and have excellent organizational qualities. They are also assertive and uncompromising.
2. Each state's laws and regulations regarding national holidays, noise control, etc. regulate these hours respectively. In Berlin, for example, weekdays are considered rest periods (Ruhezeit) between 6:00 am and 7:00 am and between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm, while noise is prohibited between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am (Nachtruhe), except in unavoidable circumstances.
3. In Germany, there is a risk of infection in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Thuringia, etc. In Germany, about 150 to 300 people are infected annually. In Germany, the tick bite can cause fever, headache, disorientation, and in severe cases, death.
4. Tap water can be used as-is for drinking, but many German households use filters (simple water purifiers) to reduce the hardness.
5. In Germany, removal of a child under 18 years of age by one parent out of the country without the consent of the other parent may be punishable.
   (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas Safety Web Site)

Customs related to pregnancy and childbirth

• In Germany, a midwife and public health nurse called Hepam is in charge of all births. The birth specialist is not an obstetrician-gynecologist, but a midwife.
• The obstetrician is there in case something is wrong, and if everything is going well, the doctor will give you a list of midwives close to your due date, and the system will decide on one of these midwives.
• To celebrate the birth of a baby, Germans toast with beer while in the hospital. They also drink coffee while in the hospital. They do not care about details about breast milk.
• In Germany, where herbal teas are very commonly consumed, lactation teas exist for those who are breastfeeding.
• At most, three years of parental leave is granted. This can be taken by either spouse, and can be taken at the same time.

(in Japanese history)Care the World Overseas Childbirth & Child-Rearing Information)

Customs related to childcare

• In Germany, fathers come home early and the last TV program for children is around 7:00 p.m., and even elementary school children are put to bed at 8:00 p.m. at the latest.
• Most kindergartens have an educational philosophy that promotes thorough gender equality. It is natural for boys to wear bright colors and play make-believe.

(in Japanese history)Care the World Overseas Childbirth & Child-Rearing Information)

Customs related to end-of-life and funerals

• The most common funeral method is burial, with cremation accounting for less than 40%.
• The bereaved family members and attendees, dressed in black mourning clothes and silk hats, shuffle along behind the hearse, which is carried by a horse-drawn hearse with black cloth draped over it and a coffin bearer, to the cemetery. Sometimes a brass band stands at the head of the procession and plays funeral music. While the funeral procession continues, the church rings a bell to show respect for the dead and gratitude to those present.

(Funeral Institute)

breast-feeding

Pregnant women frequently drink beer and coffee, even during pregnancy and lactation. It is not customary to be as meticulous about breastfeeding as in Japan.
(in Japanese history)Care the World Overseas Childbirth & Child-Rearing Information)

education

• Elementary school is a four-year school system, and the career path is determined at the age of 10.
• To go to college, they go to a nine-year gimnasium. If they do not feel the need to go to college, they go to a five-year junior high school for compulsory education.
• Germany is not an academic society, so we do not look at a person based on his/her academic background alone, but rather what knowledge and skills he/she possesses.

(German education system)

National Health and Medical

• Germany has one of the most well-developed health care systems in the world.
• There is a large number and variety of hospitals, private hospitals, medical facilities, and medical services available to everyone.
• 10.7% of gross domestic product is spent on health care.

(in Japanese history)Facts about Germany)

cause of death

• heart disease
• malignant growth
• myocardial infarction
• respiratory illness
• gastrointestinal disorder
• unforeseen accident

("Public Health Systems of the World," 1999, Japan Public Health Association)

immunization

• 6 combined (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, influenza, polio, hepatitis B) vaccine
• MMT: 3 (measles, mumps, rubella) combined vaccine
• chicken pox
• HPV (girls only)

(in Japanese history)Ministry of Foreign Affairs Germany)

DTP1: 99
DTP3: 99
Hepatitis B: 93
Hib: 93
Measles: 99
Polio: 95
(2011) (WHO)

medical facilities

• hospital
  general hospital
  mental hospital
• Residential rehabilitation and prevention facilities
  Privately operated (34.9%)
  Public benefit management (56.6%)
  Public operations (8.5%)

(Overseas research study on cooperation between medical care and nursing care Germany)

total fertility rate

1.4 (2010) (WHO)

Infant mortality rate (thousands of births vs.)

3 (2010) (WHO)

life expectancy

Male: 78 (2009) (WHO)
Female: 83 (2009) (WHO)