Adapting to life in Germany can be challenging — not only because of bureaucracy or language barriers, but because of the emotional weight that comes with navigating a society that often feels rigid, rule-heavy, and resistant to change. For many migrants, one of the most effective coping strategies turns out to be surprisingly simple: humour.
In a Plus Forty-Nine interview, Andrew Bowen and Maurice Frank, founders of TwentyPercent Berlin, talk about Berlin life, German habits, and why laughing at everyday absurdities can make integration easier — and healthier.
Explaining Germany, One Joke at a Time
Andrew has lived in Berlin for over 25 years, long enough to remember the city when it was still half-empty and undefined. Maurice, born and raised in Germany, experiences Berlin from the inside — including its contradictions, inefficiencies, and unspoken rules.
Together, they run TwentyPercent Berlin, an English-language newsletter and podcast that explains local Berlin news to people who live here but don’t read German well enough to follow local media.
Their insight is simple but powerful: understanding a system becomes easier when you can laugh at it.
Humour as an Integration Tool
Many internationals arrive in Germany well-prepared for paperwork, housing shortages, and long waiting times. What often catches them off guard is the emotional fatigue: constant rule changes, cash-only offices, rigid processes, and a lack of flexibility in everyday interactions.
Humour creates distance from that frustration. Instead of internalising the stress, people recognise patterns, share stories, and realise they’re not alone. Laughing doesn’t mean dismissing problems — it means staying mentally flexible while dealing with them.
Andrew’s background as a stand-up comedian and satirist makes this approach especially effective. His jokes about EC cards, Bürgeramt payments, and German tech anxiety resonate because they reflect real, shared experiences.
The „German Burnout“ and Fear of Change
During the conversation, Andrew describes what could be called a collective „German burnout“: a society overwhelmed by change after decades built on stability.
Small disruptions — a changed train platform, a new process, a digital form — can cause visible stress. Maurice adds that German culture often processes risk deeply and seriously, which creates responsibility, but also heaviness.
For migrants used to improvisation and uncertainty, this contrast can feel exhausting. Humour helps soften that clash. It allows newcomers to observe cultural patterns without absorbing the anxiety that comes with them.
Why Migrants Often See Things Differently
Migrants are, by definition, trained in adaptability. Moving countries means dealing with uncertainty, rebuilding routines, and finding solutions when systems don’t work as expected.
That’s why internationals often question things locals accept: why payment is complicated, why processes differ by district, why efficiency sometimes feels performative rather than real.
Humour turns that questioning into connection rather than conflict. It opens space for conversation instead of resignation.
Laughing With Germany, Not At It
What makes TwentyPercent Berlin successful is its tone. It doesn’t ridicule Germany from the outside. It explains, contextualises, and gently pokes fun — often with affection.
By adding humour to serious local journalism, Andrew and Maurice make Berlin more accessible to people still finding their footing. News becomes readable. Systems become understandable. Integration becomes less intimidating.
Integration doesn’t mean pretending things don’t feel strange. It means learning how to live with the strangeness without letting it drain you.
In a city like Berlin — complex, contradictory, and constantly changing — laughter becomes more than entertainment. It becomes a survival skill.
Listen to the full Plus Forty-Nine episode to hear Andrew Bowen and Maurice Frank talk about Berlin, TwentyPercent Berlin, and why explaining Germany sometimes works best with a punchline.
