In May 2025 the Goethe-Institut published a column on everyday life in Germany. In its English version, the writer says: If you have managed to be invited into the home of a German, first of all I would like to congratulate you. The writer explains that one’s own four walls are a place of retreat, and that having visitors means revealing a lot about yourself. Nur gute Freundinnen und enge Familienmitglieder dürfen in die Privatsphäre eindringen. Only good friends and close family may enter one’s private sphere. The career site Karrierebibel says the same about an invitation from the boss: Eine Einladung beim Chef ist ein Vertrauensbeweis.* An invitation to the boss’s home is proof of trust.