In March 2024, during an industrial dispute at Deutsche Bahn, the train drivers’ union GDL changed its tactics. Until then it had announced strikes about two days in advance. Now it said it would strike without that notice. The union called these Wellenstreiks, wave strikes. Its chairman, Claus Weselsky, said: Damit ist die Eisenbahn kein zuverlässiges Verkehrsmittel mehr. With this, the railway is no longer a reliable means of transport. Deutsche Bahn’s personnel director, Martin Seiler, called the wave strikes eine blanke Zumutung für unsere Fahrgäste, a sheer imposition on our passengers. Dirk Flege of the rail association Allianz pro Schiene said the union was taking away the passengers’ chance to at least prepare and umplanen, to change their plans.
Words for Being Late
sich verspäten — to be late. Ich verspäte mich um zehn Minuten. I will be ten minutes late.
spät dran sein — to be later than planned.
aufgehalten werden — to be held up. Ich bin aufgehalten worden is the usual short reason.
Entschuldigen Sie die Verspätung. — Please excuse the delay.
die Verspätung rechtzeitig ankündigen — to announce the delay in good time.
anrufen und Bescheid geben — to call and let the other person know.
Ten Minutes Early
The Bavarian State Institute for School Quality publishes material that helps pupils choose a career. One checklist prepares them for a job interview. One item reads: Ich habe die Anreise zum Betrieb geplant und werde pünktlich dort ankommen (Tipp: ca. 10 Minuten vorher). I have planned my journey to the company and will arrive on time (tip: about 10 minutes early). For the case where something still goes wrong, the etiquette coach Elisabeth Bonneau gave advice in the Tagesspiegel. If public transport fails or a bicycle tire bursts, one should auf jeden Fall anrufen und Bescheid geben, in any case call and let them know. If nobody answers, one should leave a message.
Everyone Sweep Before Their Own Door
Goethe wrote a short verse called Bürgerpflicht, civic duty. Ein jeder kehre vor seiner Tür. / Und rein ist jedes Stadtquartier. / Ein jeder übe sein’ Lektion, / So wird es gut im Rate stohn! Let everyone sweep before his own door, and every quarter of the town is clean. Let everyone practice his own lesson, and all will be well in the council. The first line became a common saying.
When the Coach Goes Shopping
In March 2020, Bayern Munich’s coach Hansi Flick publicly called for new players. The sporting director, Hasan Salihamidžić, clearly disliked this. Flick had also asked for a veto on transfers. A sports site wrote that there had already been Kompetenzgerangel, wrangling over competences, with the previous coach. During the 2020/21 season the disagreements continued. Club officials objected that Flick had contacted players he wanted on his own. In April 2021, after winning the league, the cup and the Champions League in 2019/20, Flick said he wanted to end his contract early.
Two Leaders, Two Areas
Shared leadership, two people in one job, is becoming more popular in German organizations. In 2024 the trade magazine Computerwoche asked two co-heads of a department at the Fraunhofer Institute IESE for advice. One of their warnings: Beide machen alles – das funktioniert nicht. Both doing everything does not work. Schließlich bleibt dann auch unklar, an wen von beiden man sich mit einem Anliegen wenden kann. After all, it then remains unclear which of the two one should turn to with a request. Their advice is to divide the areas of responsibility as clearly as possible and to tell the team.
A Clear Division Between Managing Directors
On 6 November 2018 the Federal Court of Justice ruled on a company with two managing directors. The company’s insolvency administrator sued one of them for payments made after the company had, he argued, become insolvent. The lower court had accepted the director’s defense that the matter lay with his co-director. The Federal Court of Justice held that a division of areas requires klare und eindeutige Abgrenzung der Geschäftsführungsaufgaben, a clear and unambiguous demarcation of management tasks, agreed by all members. The management as a whole keeps responsibility for matters that cannot be delegated. The division need not be in writing.
Who Has the Hat On?
die Zuständigkeit — responsibility, competence. Duden’s example: das fällt nicht in unsere Zuständigkeit, that does not fall within our responsibility.
Das ist nicht meine Baustelle. — That is not my building site. Duden: it does not fall within someone’s responsibility or area of work.
Wer hat den Hut auf? — Who has the hat on? Duden explains den Hut aufhaben as to be responsible, with the example wer hat bei diesem Projekt den Hut auf?, who has the hat on in this project?
der Ansprechpartner, die Ansprechpartnerin — the contact person. Duden’s example: Ihr Ansprechpartner in unserer Firma ist Herr Müller, your contact person in our company is Mr. Müller.
Every Hose Has Its Owner
In Germany’s volunteer and professional fire brigades, a squad works under service regulation FwDV 3. Die Mannschaft einer Gruppe gliedert sich in group leader, machinist, messenger, attack team, water team and hose team. Each has its own tasks. The attack team nimmt in der Regel das erste einzusetzende Strahlrohr vor, as a rule takes up the first nozzle. The water team stellt die Wasserversorgung vom Löschfahrzeug zum Verteiler und zwischen Löschfahrzeug und Wasserentnahmestelle her, sets up the water supply from the engine to the distributor and between the engine and the water source. Before anyone leaves the vehicle, everyone knows whose hose it is.
Managing Someone Else’s Affairs
The German Civil Code has rules for a person who takes care of someone else’s affairs without being asked. Lawyers call this Geschäftsführung ohne Auftrag, management without a mandate. Under Section 677, such a person must act in the other person’s interest and according to that person’s real or presumed will. Under Section 678, if taking over the matter goes against that will and the helper should have seen this, the helper must pay for the resulting damage, even without any other fault.