Sundays are nice. You normally have a day off and there seem to be no limits on what to do with your free time. Unless you happen to live in Germany where rules apply.
Your small
shop around the corner will be closed. No barber, no bank, no baker, no
butcher will serve you. It’s an annoying inconvenience if you happen to run out
of milk or some friends show up unexpectedly. OK, let’s give small shop owners
a break. But supermarkets are closed too. Whole shopping malls won’t open and
high street is deserted. If you
couldn’t do your groceries on Saturday or after work you’re in trouble.
So why this
limitation? Germany’s
“Ladenschlußgesetz” (shop closing
law) is the simple answer. It tells you exactly when shops are allowed to open
and when not. For Sundays the rules are almost straight forward. Basically everything
has to be closed on the day of Lord – except confectioneries. You see, German
law makers are human after all and know that you cannot survive a Sunday
without a decent piece of cake. Many
bakeries tend to have pastries and cakes. So they can open but won’t be allowed
to sell bread.
When you’re
craving for a cake please keep in mind that confectioneries can only open from
10 am to 5 pm for up to three hours. In a weak moment German lawmakers failed
to pin this down more narrowly. If you need some flowers with the cake 10 am to
noon is the time to get them.
There is
however a loophole. Most gas stations are open virtually 24/7 and developed into considerable
convenience stores and Germans appear to appreciate this. Also shops located in
train stations or airports open on Sundays. Prices will however be considerably higher than in normal shops and your range
of choice will also be limited.
I can
handle doing my groceries during the week (although supermarkets are packed
with grumpy Germans buying stuff after work and on Saturdays). It’s just that
cities appear to be ghost towns on Sundays. There is literally no one on the
street. You don’t feel like exploring another city as a tourist when it seems
to be abandoned. Apart from a few restaurants everything else is simply closed.
Public live in city centres virtually seizes This can really fell depressing. Besides,
cities are not just about buildings. It’s their inhabitants and the life and
atmosphere they create.
Having said
all that, I discovered that mountains, forests and lakes do no close on Sundays
and offer a wide range of activities
for a lovely Sunday. Just don’t count too much on public transport then.
"Sundays are nice. You normally have a day off and there seem to be no limits on what to do with your free time. Unless you happen to live in Germany where rules apply."
ReplyDeleteWell, this opinion is truly based on the experience to have a (Sun)day off. In order to enjoy the things that make a city's atmosphere so great, other people need to work on Sundays. Such people have to work in services for 12hrs...and can't enjoy lovely Sundays with their kids or families.
This was the reason why German law still cherishes this old rule...just to give (almost) the whole society a day off...so that everybody can enjoy some time with their kids.
In the UK, for instance, people normally have to work 5 days within a whole week with having changing shifts. But where is the benefit for someone who gets Monday off when his wife/her husband is at work and kids at school!?
Shop closing law is just fair; especially in a society where low-paid workers in services have fewer and fewer negotiating power. Do they really have to work for people who just can afford it to have every Sunday off?
I really like my quiet Sundays, and I think it's nice that there is one day in the week where most people (except nurses, doctors, train conductors, pilots, police, journalists, bakers, ...) have a free day all together. It's great for family time, and, let's face it, people working in shops have families as well.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the big supermarkets are open till ten pm or even midnight during the week. If you cannot manage to do your shopping then, I'm sorry. :)
Nice post Roland - you know I am with you on this one.
ReplyDeleteI don't see why weekend shifts can't be filled by people without families. Not everyone has kids, and even less have kids of school age. Not everyone lives in the same city (or even country) as their family (mum/dad/siblings/grandparents). Not everyone has a partner. There are plenty of students and low-paid workers in these situations, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind an extra shift on Sunday if they could have one.
The one argument that persuades me the other way is that when you have shops open on Sundays, people probably spend/consume more, unnecessarily. However, an economically minded person once told me that Germany would be doing even better if their own citizens learnt how to spend a bit more!
One the one hand, I would say that it is every person's own decision whether and when to open and close his or her business. People should have the freedom to decide for themselves. On the other hand, Roland, you must consider that we have 2/3 Christians in Germany and Germany has a strong Christian influence throughout history.
ReplyDelete