kultur 6

The article Come On In, My Door Is Always Closed made me laugh, because I find that the situation described in it is true here in America as well. In the 50s and 60s in the United States, it was common for neighbors to leave their doors open for each other, because there wasn't as much of a need for privacy or protection, but now I feel like everyone has every door in their house shut at all times. Even on my floor here in the dorms, everyone's doors are shut for most of the day. The fact that this can be a source of irritation in Germany is amusing, but I completely understand it. The author explains that doors in Germany are always closed no matter what, and since it's customary to knock on a door before entering, you can end up with confusion-- did the person inside the room hear you knock? This happens to me all the time at home; I knock on my brother's door, but he always has music playing and he speaks very quietly, so I can't hear him reply. Then, he gets irritated at me when I knock again! It's nice to know that this mixup happens in Germany, too, because of the closed door custom.