Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
another party the nod. Sorting and recycling his rubbish is done religiously and, speaking
of religion, he is, of course, Roman Catholic, though definitely not a regular churchgoer.
He feels comfortable on the hiking trail and ski slopes, but is not fitness obsessed and
could actually lose a few pounds. When he and his wife decide to have a family, they will
have 1.38 children.
Religion
Southern Germany is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic but pockets of Lutherans can be
found in such cities as Munich, Augsburg and Nuremberg, and in the northeastern Black
Forest. Munich has a growing Jewish community of around 10,000 people, most of them
recent arrivals from former Soviet republics. Muslims account for about 2.5% of the pop-
ulation.
MULTICULTURALISM
Every 12th resident of Bavaria is of non-German origin, with most of them setting up shop in the
bigger cities where economic opportunities are greater and xenophobia less likely. In fact, almost
24% of people in Munich and around 18% in Nuremberg are of foreign descent. The largest
groups are those from Turkey, the former states of Yugoslavia and Italy.
Despite a high level of tolerance, few groups mix on a day-to-day basis and racial tensions are
increasing, at least in the cities. Government 'integration courses' for immigrants on welfare pay-
ments have done little to break down barriers and neo-Nazism is on the rise with a growing num-
ber of cases of intimidation of non-white foreigners reported.
A setback for integration was the passage of the so-called
Kopftuchgesetz,
a law that forbids fe-
male Muslim teachers to wear head scarves at school on the grounds that it's a symbol of non-in-
tegration. Both Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg adopted the law in 2004.
Conventions
Bavarians (and their counterparts in the Black Forest) are a culturally conservative bunch.
When in business mode, at fancy social gatherings or at high-brow cultural events, such as
opera and theatre performances, you'll probably feel more comfortable if dressed in smart
casual clothes. However chic threads may be needed to get past face control at fancier
Munich nightclubs.
