Cultural differences

Yesterday, we moved into our apartment in Freiburg. After six weeks of traveling, we've finally emptied our suitcases and put them into storage. It feels good to have a space to call our own.

Around the corner from our apartment building is a lovely little fountain--a rectangular stone basin that receives a constant stream of water from a patinaed spout with a floral motif. A plaque above the spout reads "Verschmutzung verboten!," which means "Dirtying forbidden!"

I love what this sign says about German culture. First, it assumes that anyone who would consider befouling a pretty fountain--let us call such persons "vandals"--can read. This is logical, as Germany's literacy rate is one of the highest in the world. Second, it assumes that literate vandals will be dissuaded by a sign that tells them mucking up the fountain is verboten. Perhaps German vandals are too obtuse to understand that dirtying fountains is inappropriate; thus, telling them it isn't allowed will correct their wayward urges.

I maintain that a mere sign will not stop anyone low enough to consider verschmutzing a fountain; Stefan maintains, "it will, if they were brought up right."

Is Stefan correct on this one? Freiburg is the most graffiti-covered city I've ever visited in Germany--graffiti in the Altstadt, graffiti on our apartment building, graffiti on bridges and signs and trees. There are clearly people around who are willing to verschmutz things that most people would recognize ought not be verschmutzed. The fountain, with its forceful, exclamation-point enhanced, cast bronze command, appears untainted.

Yet observe the four mysterious, cement-filled spots around the plaque. What was on the wall before? A Jugendstil flourish, chiseled off by someone unaware of the rules? Or a previous authoritative order, absconded with by vandals who learned about irony im Gymnasium?

Speaking of Schmutz and cultural differences, a word is also in order about prepositions and the Wasser Klo (WC). After 19 years of visiting Germany, I have finally learned to say "aufs Klo" ("on the water closet") rather than "ins Klo" ("in the water closet"), for Germans call the toilet itself the Klo, as opposed to the tiny narrow closet in which it resides, and they laugh at you (appropriately) when you tell them you have to go into the toilet. There is more to be said about German toilets--particularly the special platform within the bowl--but I can't bring myself to write about that on a public blog.