|
Connections
with France
Cologne
Plane : Air France or Lufthansa,
flight time 1h-1h30 (depending on the type of
aircraft) from Paris
Train : 5h30 to arrive at Köln
Hauptbahnhof from the Gare du Nord in Paris.
Car : about 4 hours from Paris (480
kms, by autoroute/autobahn).
Munich
Plane : Air France and Lufthansa,
several flights a day from Paris and other big
towns
Train : Several trains each day
leaving from Paris-Est.
Frankfort
Plane : Air France and Lufthansa,
several flights a day from Paris
Internal transport
- in Berlin, all kinds of transport
circulates well : personal cars, underground,
buses, urban train and taxis.
- in Hambourg, it is easier to use the
underground, buses and taxis.
- in Munich and Frankfort : underground,
buses, taxis and the tramway.
Air and Rail : There are good air
and rail connections all over Germany
Road : A very good network over the
whole country
Ports : Hambourg is an important
international port.
Deutsche
Bahn : bahn.de
SNCF : sncf.fr
Raileurope: raileurope.de
Lufthansa : lufthansa.com
Air France :
airfrance.fr
18 - Information
A letter or a postcard takes a stamp costing
1,10 DM
Driving
Licence :
Your French driving licence must be converted into
a German one within a year.
It is best to apply for a local one during the
first six months of your stay.
To do this you have to go to the
Strassenverkehrsamt, taking your French licence and
identity photos.
If you don't do this within the time limit you will
be obliged to sit for another driving
test.
When you give
in your French licence it will be sent to the
administrative service in France that delivered it,
when you are back in France you can recuperate it
by handing in your German licence (this is a decree
dated 15/2/1983 from the EU).
In Germany
you drive on the right-hand side of the road and
give priority to traffic coming from the
right.
The speed
limit is 50 or 60 kph in town (in some residential
areas it is 0 kph), on the road it is 80 or 100 kph
and on the highways it is 130.
It is
obligatory to have a third-party insurance with
civil responsability for corporal and material
damage.
If you don't have an insurance you will have to
take one out locally.
Habits and traditions
Germans don't kiss, they either shake hands or just
say hello.
Often you have to remove your shoes when you enter
a German house.
On the phone you give your name immediately before
saying anything else.
Germans usually pay in cash and don't use credit
cards very often.
Shopping
Shops close at 6.30pm during the week, 8.30pm on
Thursdays, 2pm on Saturdays and 4pm on the first
Saturday of each month.
They are all closed on Sundays, except at the
railway station.
Gastronomy
- the famous white sausages (Weisswürste)
- liver paté (Leberkäs)
- cakes
The National Anthem (the 3rd verse of the 'German
Song') was written by August Heinrich Offman and
Von Fallersleben (1798 - 1874) and the music is by
Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809).
19 - Time difference
It is the same time in Germany as in France
20 - Telephone
The
German telephone directory
Index
of German postal codes
To dial
Germany from Europe : 00 49 + the town code + the
number of your correspondent
The town code for Berlin is : 30, Dusseldorf : 211,
Bonn : 228, Hambourg : 40, Leipzig : 341
To telephone France from Germany : 00 33.
Emergencies : 110 (police).
(medical emergencies) : 112.
Consular section of the French Embassy in Berlin :
Tel. : 00.49.30.88.59.02.43. (Berlin, Brandebourg,
Saxony,Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringe, Mecklembourg)
24 hour service (week-ends and holidays):
00.49.30.20.63.90.00.
Consulate in Düsseldorf : 00.49.211.49.77.30.
(North Rhienland - Westphalia)
Consulate in Frankfurt : 00.49.69.79.50.960.
(Rhienland, Palatinate, Hesse)
Consulate in Hambourg : 00.49.40.414.10.60.
(Hambourg, Brême and the town of
Brême,
Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony)
Consulate in Münich: 00.49.89.419.41.10.
(Bavaria)
Consulate in Sarrebrück : 00.49.681.93.67.50.
(Sarre)
Consulate in Stuttgart : 00.49.711.23.74.70.
(Bade-Wurtemberg)
21 - Airports
Cologne :
the Köln/Bonn airport is 16 minutes out of
Cologne
Munich :
the new airport is 30 kms to the north of the
town
Frankfurt
:
the airport is 10 kms out of town with a train
connection to the central station which is in the
centre of the business district
There are
buses and taxis running from the airports to
town
22 - Car rental, vehicles
There are one
or more Avis offices in every town in
Germany (at least 300 agencies in all).
The central reservation office telephone number is
06171 681800.
Some towns :
Bayreuth : 0921 7857710
Berlin : 030 2309370, airport 030 6091570
Bonn : 0228 228020
Bremen 0421 201060, airport 0421 559055
Köln : 0221 9130063, airport 02203 402343
Dortmund : 0231 9172170, airport 0231
9213153-253
Dusseldorf : 0211 8656220, airport 0211
4216747/48
Frankfurt : 069 423017, airport 069 69027771
Hambourg : 0405403032, airport 040 50752314
Hannover : 0511 12174-0, airport 0511 772081
Munich : 089 403091, airport 089 97597600
Stuttgart : 0711 2237258, airport 0711
9484451
All Avis cars
are completely equipped, have done less than 15,000
kms and have an average age of 3 months.
The vehicles are carefully prepared and checked
between each rental using a procedure containing 7
obligatory control points.
The cars are rented with a full tank.
Renting from Avis automatically means that the car
passengers, renter and/or driver are covered by a
third party insurance as well as an insurance
covering repatriation and the immobilization of the
vehicule in case of an accident.
You can
reserve a car :
- from your travel agent
- from the international reservation centre at 0
820 05 05 05
- or from any Avis agency
Avis has an interactive network worldwide, a client
can reserve a car instantly from anywhere in the
world.
We recommend
that you pay your rental using your accredited Avis
card or with another credit card accepted by Avis :
American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Diners.
Through a simple free membership system, Avis gives
identity and/or payment cards, which are a real
help for a rapid and efficient service.
REASSURING :
No on-line payment, you can pay Avis directly at
the agency when you return the car
RAPID : Avis has the quickest car rental
reservation service on the web
ECONOMICAL : The cheapest rates on the market are
available on the Avis microsite
COMPLETE : You can rent a car anywhere in the
world.
The Avis network : 5000 agencies in 172 countries,
is now on-line!
EFFICIENT : Find your town (you don't have to fill
in the country), enter the date and click on
estimate
PRACTICAL : You only have to fill in 4 boxes and
you will receive an e-mail confirming the
reservation.
You can even rent a vehicle at the last minute just
round the corner or ... on the other side of the
world.
Importing a car
You have to register your car within 12 months
following your arrival, we recommend that you go
about it immediately after you have moved to
Germany.
Go to the registration service which deals with the
area in which you live (Strassenverkehrsamt) with
the following documents (which must be up-to-date)
:
- car registration papers (carte grise in
France)
- certificate from the licence plate office
- your identity card or passport
- a proof of your domiciliation
- your residence permit
- a certificate of non-objection
(Unbedenklichkeitszeugnis) which you can get from
the Kraftfahrtbundesamt, 24932 Flensburg, fax 0461
/ 316 16 50, this document can be sent to you if
you send a stamped addressed envelope and 26 DM
If you are in Berlin, contact the
Kraftfahrzeugzulassungsstelle, Jüterborger
Str. 3, 10965 Berlin, tel. 030/699 5 or Ferdinand
Schultze Str. 55, 13055 Berlin, tel 030/902 37 - 0.
Your car will
undergo a technical control in a TÜV agency
(Technischer Überwachungsverein).
Once these formalities have been completed you will
receive your German licence plates.
23 - Hotels and restaurants
All
categories of hotel are available, Munich, Berlin,
Cologne, Frankfurt, ...
Free
Booking Reservation
request
24 - Your suitcase
Winter on the North Sea coast can be intensely cold
with the wind and the humidity, even though the
temperatures are not very low.
In summer the evenings tend to be cool.
Also don't forget to bring a raincoat and an
umbrella.
Munich : thick sweater, suit and tie
recommended.
Cologne : suit and tie for
business.
25 - Banks
Opening times
: Monday to Friday 8h30 - 13h, 14h - 16 h,
Thursdays till 17h30
You can either exchange Marks in Germany or take
them with you from France
The Visa card is generally accepted, but it is more
practical to pay in cash, or with Travellers or
Eurocheques as there are not very many automatic
distributors.
26 - Schools
German schooling is very similar to French
schooling.
The German equivalent to the French
baccalauréat is the Abitur, which is
recognized and has an automatic equivalence.
The equivalence of a degree in French Studies is
the Zwischenprüfung.
Inter-university agreements authorize other degree
equivalences.
School grants
From the French government :
Only available for local schools where the
programme is recognized by the French Minstry of
Education.
For French children in the primary or secondary
sections.
The grant can cover schooling, half-board or
boarding.
General
information about grants :
* the candidate and his family must reside in the
country where the child is going to school
*the candidate and his family must be registered at
the local Embassy or Consulate
*demands for grants are initially examined by a
local commission at the competent diplomatic post
or consulate (whether it is for a complete or a
partial grant)
*the proposition is then made to the national
commission for a final decision.
Get information from the French consulate.
Courses by correspondence
The organization of national correspondence courses
(CNED) is a French public establishment. The
programmes they offer are identical to official
programmes given by national education. Admittance
to classes is decided by the CNED teachers, the
system functions in all French schools in France or
abroad.
French schools :
Ecole
française de Sarrebruck et Dilling
Halbergstrasse 112
66121 Sarrebruck
Tel: 0681 62624
Lycee Antoine
de Saint Exupery
Hartsprung
22525 Hamburg
Tel : 0049 40 582768 Fax : 0049 40
582498
Internat
franco-allemand "Villa
Röchling"
Kohlweg 7
66123 Saarbrücken
Tel : 0681 37904-12
- Learning
German in Hambourg
Deutsch-Institut
für Ausländer e.V. (Goethe Institut)
Heimhuder Strasse 39
20148 Hamburg
Tel : 040/44 00 79
Volkshochschule
Schanzenstrasse 77
20357 Hamburg
Tel : 428 41 - 3238 or 428 41 - 3304 Fax : 428 41 -
3033
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Calendar
of school holidays in Germany 2000 -
2001
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Area
|
Summer
2000
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Autumn
2000
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Xmas
2000
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Bade-Wurtemberg
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27.07.-09.09.
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02.11.-03.11.
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23.12.-05.01
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Bavaria
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27.07.-11.09.
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30.10.-04.11.
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27.12.-08.01.
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Berlin
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20.07.-02.09.
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28.10.-04.11.
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23.12.-02.01.
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Brandebourg
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20.07.-02.09
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30.10.-04.11.
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23.12.-02.01.
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Brême
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13.07.-26.08.
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23.10.-01.11.
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22.12.-06.01.
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Hambourg
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20.07.-30.08.
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16.10.-28.10.
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21.12.-02.01.
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Hesse
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23.06.-04.08.
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02.10.-14.10.
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27.12.-13.01.
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Mecklembourg-Poméranie
western.
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20.07.-30.08.
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23.10.-28.10.
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20.12.-02.01.
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Lower
Saxony
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13.07.-23.08.
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19.10.-01.11.
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22.12.-06.01.
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Rheinland
of North-Westphalia
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29.06.-12.08.
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02.10.-14.10.
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22.12.-06.01.
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Rheinland-Palatinate
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23.06.-04.08.
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02.10.-13.10.
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22.12.-05.01.
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Sarre
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22.06.-02.08.
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02.10.-14.10.
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23.12.-06.01.
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Saxony
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13.07.-23.08.
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16.10.-27.10.
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22.12.-02.01.
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Saxe-Anhalt
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13.07.-23.08.
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23.10.-30.10.
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27.12.-02.01.
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Schleswig-Holstein
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20.07.-02.09.
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23.10.-04.11.
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27.12.-06.12.
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Thuringe
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13.07.-23.08.
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16.10.-21.10.
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22.12.-06.01.
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Land
|
Winter
2001
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Easter
2001
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Whitsuntide
2001
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Bade-Wurtemberg
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26.02
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09.04.-20.04.
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28.05.-09.06.
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Bavaria
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26.02.
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09.04.-21.04.
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05.06.-16.06.
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Berlin
|
03.02.-17.02.
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14.04.-30.04.
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25.05.
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Brandebourg
|
05.02.-16.02
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17.04.-30.04.
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-
|
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Brême
|
-
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26.03.-17.04.
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-
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Hambourg
|
-
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05.03.-17.03.
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30.04./21.05.-26.05.
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Hesse
|
-
|
09.04.-20.04.
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-
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Mecklembourg-Poméranie
western.
|
05.02.-16.02.
|
09.04.-18.04.
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01.06.-05.06.
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Lower
Saxony
|
-
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30.03.-17.04.
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30.04./25.05./05.06.
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Rheinland
of North-Westphalia
|
-
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09.04.-21.04.
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-
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Rheinland-Palatinate
|
-
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05.04.-20.04.
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-
|
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Sarre
|
26.02.-27.02.
|
09.04.-28.04.
|
25.05.
|
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Saxony
|
12.02.-23.02.
|
12.04.-21.04.
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02.06.-05.06.
|
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Saxe-Anhalt
|
12.02.-24.02.
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17.04.-30.04.
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25.05.
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Schleswig-Holstein
|
-
|
09.04.-24.04.
|
-
|
|
Thuringe
|
05.02.-10.02.
|
09.04.-21.04.
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01.06.-05.06.
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|
|
|
|
|
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Land
|
Summer
2001
|
Autumn
2001
|
Xmas
2001
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bade-Wurtemberg
|
26.07.-08.09.
|
29.10.-02.11.
|
22.12.-05.01.
|
|
Bavaria
|
26.07.-11.09.
|
29.10.-03.11
|
24.12.-05.01
|
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Berlin
|
19.07.-01.09.
|
27.10.-03.11.
|
22.12.-05.01.
|
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Brandebourg
|
19.07.-01.09
|
29.10.-03.11.
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24.12.-31.12.
|
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Brême
|
28.06.-11.08.
|
01.10.-13.10
|
24.12.-05.01
|
|
Hambourg
|
19.07.-29.08.
|
15.10.-27.10
|
24.12.-05.01
|
|
Hesse
|
21.06.-03.08
|
01.10.-13.10.
|
24.12.-11.01.
|
|
Mecklembourg-Poméranie
western.
|
19.07.-29.08.
|
22.10.-27.10.
|
19.12.-02.01.
|
|
Lower
Saxony
|
28.06-08.08.
|
01.10.-13.10
|
24.12.-05.01
|
|
Rheinland
of North-Westphalia
|
05.07.-18.08.
|
08.10.-20.10.
|
24.12.-05.01.
|
|
Rheinland-Palatinate
|
28.06.-10.08.
|
01.10.-12.10.
|
21.12.-04.01.
|
|
Sarre
|
21.06.-01.08
|
01.10.-13.10.
|
21.12.-05.01.
|
|
Saxony
|
28.06.-08.08
|
08.10.-19.10
|
22.12.-02.01.
|
|
Saxe-Anhalt
|
28.06.-08.08.
|
04.10.-13.10.
|
20.12.-05.01.
|
|
Schleswig-Holstein
|
19.07.-01.09.
|
22.10.-03.11.
|
24.12.-05.01.
|
|
Thuringe
|
28.06.-08.08.
|
15.10.-20.10.
|
21.12.-05.01.
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Source of information - German Embassy
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