Week 47: Fax, Fear of Change, and 20 Percent Berlin: How Internationals Read the City

Week 47 of Plus Forty Nine takes us to Berlin with Andrew and
Maurice, the two minds behind 20 Percent Berlin – a newsletter and
podcast that translates the city’s news, quirks, and politics for
the 20% of residents without a German passport (and the many more
who feel that way). In this episode, we dive into how 20 Percent
Berlin emerged from a pandemic layoff and became a lifeline for
anyone who needs Berlin’s news in English to feel included. We get
into the idea of German burnout - the deep fear of change, the “no
experiments” mindset, and why something as small as a platform
change on a train can send people into panic mode. We also unpack
Germany’s complicated relationship with technology, from faxes and
EC cards to cash-only signs and Datenschutz anxieties that seem
rooted in a fear of repeating history.