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| Britain's German-born population prefers life under the radar | Britain's German-born population prefers life under the radar |
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| "It's all this beating around the bush that I found hard to understand," said Stefanie Klinge-Davis, who in 2003 swapped her native Berlin for Leeds. Germans, famously, are more direct. | "It's all this beating around the bush that I found hard to understand," said Stefanie Klinge-Davis, who in 2003 swapped her native Berlin for Leeds. Germans, famously, are more direct. |
| "I only discovered this when I went around to an English friend's house and remarked on how I didn't like the colour scheme. I didn't mean to be cruel. I only said it because I was feeling so comfortable and at home. But I realised immediately it was a faux pas. I remember thinking afterwards, 'Why would you lie to a friend?'" Having married a Yorkshireman and landed a great job at Opera North, she has learned now. | "I only discovered this when I went around to an English friend's house and remarked on how I didn't like the colour scheme. I didn't mean to be cruel. I only said it because I was feeling so comfortable and at home. But I realised immediately it was a faux pas. I remember thinking afterwards, 'Why would you lie to a friend?'" Having married a Yorkshireman and landed a great job at Opera North, she has learned now. |
| More people in England and Wales are likely to have been exposed to German bluntness than ever before, according to the latest census results. An astonishing 273,654 German-born people are now living here – or at least were last March, when the census was carried out. That's an increase of 72,000 since 1991. | More people in England and Wales are likely to have been exposed to German bluntness than ever before, according to the latest census results. An astonishing 273,654 German-born people are now living here – or at least were last March, when the census was carried out. That's an increase of 72,000 since 1991. |
| It is a somewhat misleading figure, however. Home Office statistics in 2009 revealed that 250,000 Britons were born abroad in military bases. Many of these, one can safely presume, took their first breaths in Germany and have returned home as bases have closed down in Germany since unification, or when their parents were have relocated. | It is a somewhat misleading figure, however. Home Office statistics in 2009 revealed that 250,000 Britons were born abroad in military bases. Many of these, one can safely presume, took their first breaths in Germany and have returned home as bases have closed down in Germany since unification, or when their parents were have relocated. |
| The biggest clusters of German-born people tend to be in garrison towns or counties. There's Richmondshire district in North Yorkshire, home to Catterick, the biggest British army base in the world, where 2.1% of the population (1,101 people) was born in Germany. Or Wiltshire, with the biggest military community in the south-west, where there are now 6,240 German-born. | The biggest clusters of German-born people tend to be in garrison towns or counties. There's Richmondshire district in North Yorkshire, home to Catterick, the biggest British army base in the world, where 2.1% of the population (1,101 people) was born in Germany. Or Wiltshire, with the biggest military community in the south-west, where there are now 6,240 German-born. |
| The full census data on passports held and language spoken has not yet been released. That will give us a far better picture on how many real Germans have made this rainy island their home. Until then, there is no scientific way of finding out how many Bavarians and Berliners really lurk on these shores – and lurk they do. | The full census data on passports held and language spoken has not yet been released. That will give us a far better picture on how many real Germans have made this rainy island their home. Until then, there is no scientific way of finding out how many Bavarians and Berliners really lurk on these shores – and lurk they do. |
| An article in Der Spiegel magazine in 2005 noted that in contrast to many other nationalities, British-domiciled Germans "keep a low profile: they do not dominate the high street with schnitzel restaurants or corner sausage shops". Whereas Spaniards and Italians tend to gabble loudly in groups, Germans favour a more undercover approach. | An article in Der Spiegel magazine in 2005 noted that in contrast to many other nationalities, British-domiciled Germans "keep a low profile: they do not dominate the high street with schnitzel restaurants or corner sausage shops". Whereas Spaniards and Italians tend to gabble loudly in groups, Germans favour a more undercover approach. |
| While the census figures show us that many nationalities tend to live in ghettos – such as the 6,669 French in South Kensington, who make up over 4% of the London borough's population – the German-born population is remarkably well dispersed across the land. | While the census figures show us that many nationalities tend to live in ghettos – such as the 6,669 French in South Kensington, who make up over 4% of the London borough's population – the German-born population is remarkably well dispersed across the land. |
| Of non-military towns, Leeds has one of the biggest German-born populations outside London. A little over 2,800 of the city's 750,000 population hail from Germany. Ninety-four Germans work at Leeds University and a further 200-odd students matriculated last year when the census was carried out. But what about the rest? | Of non-military towns, Leeds has one of the biggest German-born populations outside London. A little over 2,800 of the city's 750,000 population hail from Germany. Ninety-four Germans work at Leeds University and a further 200-odd students matriculated last year when the census was carried out. But what about the rest? |
| A small number are Holocaust survivors who escaped from Nazi Germany. Edith Goldberg, 84, from Rockenhausen in western Germany, arrived in 1939 on Kindertransport aged 11, with her then nine-year-old sister. The girls' parents realised what Hitler had planned for Jews after the Kristallnacht pogrom in November 1938, and resolved to get their daughters to safety. | A small number are Holocaust survivors who escaped from Nazi Germany. Edith Goldberg, 84, from Rockenhausen in western Germany, arrived in 1939 on Kindertransport aged 11, with her then nine-year-old sister. The girls' parents realised what Hitler had planned for Jews after the Kristallnacht pogrom in November 1938, and resolved to get their daughters to safety. |
| Goldberg was taken in by the Craskins, a Jewish family from Leeds who had three daughters of her own. Her sister was cared for by the Craskins' neighbour. | Goldberg was taken in by the Craskins, a Jewish family from Leeds who had three daughters of her own. Her sister was cared for by the Craskins' neighbour. |
| Aged 14, Goldberg left the Cowper Street school and went to work as a corsetmaker at Schofield's, then a famous department store. | Aged 14, Goldberg left the Cowper Street school and went to work as a corsetmaker at Schofield's, then a famous department store. |
| "I remember arriving and thinking how dirty it was," she said. "We came from a small village with 52 houses and suddenly we were in this big, dirty city." For the first three weeks her sister joined Goldberg in her bed, too scared to sleep alone. | "I remember arriving and thinking how dirty it was," she said. "We came from a small village with 52 houses and suddenly we were in this big, dirty city." For the first three weeks her sister joined Goldberg in her bed, too scared to sleep alone. |
| Her sister eventually left Britain, but Goldberg remained, and lives today with her Leeds-born husband. In the flat below is one of her adopted sisters from the Craskin family. Her accent is Yorkshire through and through, and though she can still read German, she claims to speak it only falteringly. Now retired, she does educational talks about the Holocaust and is a member of the Association of Jewish Refugees, but doesn't want to ever visit Auschwitz to see where her parents were murdered. "You don't have to see the place to know what happened," she said. | Her sister eventually left Britain, but Goldberg remained, and lives today with her Leeds-born husband. In the flat below is one of her adopted sisters from the Craskin family. Her accent is Yorkshire through and through, and though she can still read German, she claims to speak it only falteringly. Now retired, she does educational talks about the Holocaust and is a member of the Association of Jewish Refugees, but doesn't want to ever visit Auschwitz to see where her parents were murdered. "You don't have to see the place to know what happened," she said. |
| Helga Pearson, from Oldenburg near the Dutch border, came to Leeds in 1948. "It wasn't easy to get work in Germany after the war," she said. | Helga Pearson, from Oldenburg near the Dutch border, came to Leeds in 1948. "It wasn't easy to get work in Germany after the war," she said. |
| From the off, everyone in Leeds was friendly, she said – "Apart from when I went to register at Pontefract police station and the officer shouted, 'I've got an alien here!'" There wasn't ever a strong anti-German feeling in the city, said Pearson. "But I always said, 'I never ever talk about politics or religion.'" | From the off, everyone in Leeds was friendly, she said – "Apart from when I went to register at Pontefract police station and the officer shouted, 'I've got an alien here!'" There wasn't ever a strong anti-German feeling in the city, said Pearson. "But I always said, 'I never ever talk about politics or religion.'" |
| Despite a spell living in Holland, Pearson has always felt most at home in Leeds, and now lives with her Brummie husband Bill in Guiseley. | Despite a spell living in Holland, Pearson has always felt most at home in Leeds, and now lives with her Brummie husband Bill in Guiseley. |
| A cluster of German speakers work in and around Opera North – Klinge-Davis is customer relations manager and there is also Quirin Gerstenecker, head of campaigns. | A cluster of German speakers work in and around Opera North – Klinge-Davis is customer relations manager and there is also Quirin Gerstenecker, head of campaigns. |
| After four years in Leeds, there are some things Gerstenecker still cannot understand about life in the north of England. "Why do English people insist on wearing so little when it is so cold?" he said, over a Glühwein at the annual German Christmas market in Leeds city centre, as a flash of bluish bare legs and arms went by. Before moving to Britain, he had a vague idea about what was in store: or at least he had heard of Leeds United and Chumbawumba ("They were big in Germany! In fact, they still are"). | After four years in Leeds, there are some things Gerstenecker still cannot understand about life in the north of England. "Why do English people insist on wearing so little when it is so cold?" he said, over a Glühwein at the annual German Christmas market in Leeds city centre, as a flash of bluish bare legs and arms went by. Before moving to Britain, he had a vague idea about what was in store: or at least he had heard of Leeds United and Chumbawumba ("They were big in Germany! In fact, they still are"). |
| "I was pleasantly surprised when I came here," he said. "I had read David Peace's Red Riding books and was ready for it to be really grim up north. But it's not really. The people are lovely and I love the diversity. The one thing I will never get used to is the weather. These deep, hanging skies! I miss having a proper summer." | "I was pleasantly surprised when I came here," he said. "I had read David Peace's Red Riding books and was ready for it to be really grim up north. But it's not really. The people are lovely and I love the diversity. The one thing I will never get used to is the weather. These deep, hanging skies! I miss having a proper summer." |
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