1️⃣4️⃣ Will Germans Have to Work More? Night Train to Paris, Health Insurance + Weekly Events & IWB Highlights
Hello again, IWBies! ⭐
Spring is here and Easter is just around the corner! 🐣 The city is buzzing, the days are longer, and there’s a lot to catch up.
This week’s roundup covers topics that directly affect our daily lives in Germany: from health insurance shake-ups and rising transport debates, to Germany’s stance on international conflicts and a very exciting Paris-Berlin night train comeback. We’ve got a ton of events to make the most of your Easter week! 🌸
Just a little reminder: we’re a small group of immigrant women doing this voluntarily, balancing work, life, and everything in between, while trying to keep this space informative, supportive and real for all of us navigating Germany together.
Take a deep breath, grab your coffee ☕, and enjoy your weekly dose of Berlin.
With love, Sabrina & your IWB team 💖
As immigrants, it’s important to stay informed about what’s happening in Germany. Here are the most important news updates you should be aware of:
😵💫 Will Germans have to work more?: Merz wants to scrap the right to part-time work. Here’s what it could mean for you
🎟️ Greens push to reintroduce the €9 ticket: to ease rising living costs. Would you use it?
🏥 Germany may scrap free spousal health insurance: 3 million people could have to pay €225/month extra. This affects many of us directly
💶 Germany mulls VAT increase to fund income tax cuts: prices in shops could go up so workers pay less income tax. A trade-off worth knowing about
🇮🇷 German president says US-Israeli war on Iran is illegal: Germany’s position on the conflict, and what it means for fuel prices and flights
🛡️ How does Germany protect victims of digital sexualized abuse?: the deepfake law debate explained by DW. Relevant for every woman online
🧠 Mental health patients face an uphill battle for help in Germany: waiting lists of 4 to 6 months are normal. Here’s how to navigate the system
🦟 Two areas added to list of TBE risk zones in Germany: TBE is a tick-borne virus. If you spend time in nature, this is relevant
🚆 Paris-Berlin night train is back from March 26!: European Sleeper takes over the route. Leaves Paris at 6pm, arrives Berlin next morning. Oui oui!
🇯🇵 Germany is pushing for closer military cooperation with Japan: what’s behind the new partnership
🌱🍔 New vegan burger joint in Berlin, and they want to meet YOU!
Love Burger Berlin just opened and they are happy to get to know our community! To welcome the first 20 IWB members through their doors, they’re offering a free house drink. Just mention IWB when you arrive 🥰 #partnership
✨Want to advertise with us?
Send us a message at internationalwomeninberlin@gmail.com
👉 Week from March 30th to April 5th - Berlin is a city full with events to suit all tastes. Here are some highlights that we think you and your friends would enjoy:
🐣 Easter weekend alert! Good Friday (April 3) and Easter Monday (April 6) are public holidays. Most shops will be closed. Plan ahead!
🎸 VINCEN GARCÍA live: March 30
🛼 Roller Disco @ SO36: March 30 | Funk, hip-hop, roller boogie and a skating lesson included. Very Berlin
🤖 Brave, Bright, Unstoppable: How Women Lead in the Age of AI: March 31
🌱 Berlin Consumers Social Day: Impact Founders & Conscious Culture: March 31
☀️ BreakfastinMotion: startups, entrepreneurs & creatives: April 1 | Morning networking done right
💃 Tango lessons for under 30s with Evi Sofra: April 1 | Easy, open, zero pressure
🍺 alcoPOP! Quiz first. Slay later.: April 1
🎮 Game Night Dating by Kiez Date: April 2
🎵 Reggaeville Easter Special: April 3 | Astra Kulturhaus. Steel Pulse, Alborosie & Hempress Sativa. This is the one 🔥
💚 bratty with charli xcx & other brat coded artists: April 3
🪴 Try the Wheel: pottery for beginners: April 4 | First time throwing clay on the wheel. Therapeutic and fun
🏃 Running City Tours Berlin: April 1 | Explore the city on foot with fellow runners
🌙 daycare: celebrate the return of the light: April 5 | Annual pagan ritual of dancing until dawn. Only in Berlin
🌸 Cherry Blossom Walk: Social Butterfly Club: April 4 | Bernauer Straße, 2pm. A social walk through Berlin’s blooming cherry trees. Perfect for meeting new people outdoors 🌷
🌐 Berlin Social & Language Exchange: Make New Friends: April 3 | Belushi’s Berlin, Alexanderplatz. Drinks, languages, connections. Good Friday just got better
🐰 Easter Market at Alexanderplatz: open until April 17 | Free entry. Decorated eggs, handmade crafts, food and live music. Berlin’s most famous Easter market
IWB, with +40k members, is a very active community. Given that you might not have time to catch up on everything and some good posts may get overlooked, here are a few highlights from our group, from the last week:
😮💨 “Are all companies using AI a lot these days?”: the anxiety is real and the replies are fascinating
🌹 Weakening of the pelvic floor: real talk, important topic, great community advice
💬 “Behavior question: interviews and messages”: navigating the German job market together
🔎 “How is the flight situation in Doha or Dubai?”: helpful thread for anyone connecting through the Gulf right now
💃 “Are you a dancer or love to dance? Ambra has a proposal for you”: go check this out!
💧 “Is the hard water in Berlin also really affecting anyone else lately?”: you are not alone. The comments are full of tips
😬 “Loud flatulence”: the most relatable post of the week 😭
❤️🩹 “My boss is bullying me and I am not sure what to do”: go show some support to this person 💜
👀 “Nice workshops around Berlin in English”: great list building up in the comments
❤️🔥 “Speed dating event for lesbians and queer women?”: anyone know of something? Help her out!
We’re a small team of immigrant women (mostly women of color) doing this voluntarily, every week, to support this amazing community. As we grow, so do our invisible tasks to keep IWB running. As a community member, your help means everything. 💖 We aim to keep IWB free, independent, helpful and inclusive, while paying immigrant women fairly for their work. Help us in this mission, starting with ✨ONLY✨ 1€:
You’ll also get access to cool perks like anonymous posting, Telegram groups, discounts, and even free entry to IWB events (depending on your tier)!
And hey, if you love IWB, share this newsletter with a friend who might too. 💌
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Wishing you a fantastic week ahead! 💖
Warm regards from the IWB Team