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Looking for Friendship with Germans older than 45 years old

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GuestPoster0801

Hallo, I will be moving to Germany next year because I am going to married a German man and I am loooking for new friends. However I found out that here on this forum there are literaly NULL Germans older than me. Where can I find people older than 45 years old and speaking English as my German is not enough good yet? Do middleaged Germans meet somewhere and would be eager to know an expat? Or are  they  completely closed society and I must looking for friendship among Expats.? I am very interested in German cutlure so I want to know people, not only look at them in the street.

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Living in Stuttgart: the expat guideHow to make friends in StuttgartNewbie in StuttgartFinding friends in StuttgartHallo looking for pinay friends living here in stuttgart
Angelo.Mascaro

I suggest you to visit meetup website and also the Toastmasters club in your area. I'm member of one Toastmasters club since 2009 and the majority of my friends come from there. You can also visit a club in Poland: there are many and the quality is very high. Guests are welcome and you don't have to pay. You like it? You joint it. You don't like it? It's fine.
In Stuttgart there are many, both English and German speaking clubs.
You can learn what's about from the Toastmasters website, I just anticipate the main point: the club in a friendly enviroment where the members practice public speaking skills helping each other to improve. Because of its nature, everybody speaks of something familiar and the topics are various. There is always something very interesting to listen to.

Cheers, Angelo

GuestPoster0801

Thank you Angelo very much. I did not know aboit such clubs. I will do a reaserch then :-)
Cheers
Marta

TominStuttgart

Well, this site is maybe not really the place to do this although plenty of the site users ARE over 45.
Trying to make social contacts is OK but dating or suggesting personal contacts that can be interpreted as such is not.  Just so you know, because it needs to be very clear what your intentions are although by stating you are married would indicate this. :o)

You can make an appeal to people in the city you where intend to live. But it really makes sense to get there first and check out the situation. And plenty, not all, Germans of middle-age are going to speak some English. And the ones who don't are probably the ones not so open to getting to know new arriving immigrants anyway.

Making contacts is of course harder at this age since hanging around in bars and clubs like a 20 year old is out. There are clubs for interests of all types: sports clubs, fitness studios, book clubs, knitting clubs etc. are all examples. But the bigger the city, the more likely one is to find a variety of people and interests. Taking courses in cooking, languages, pottery, cloths making etc. are just a few other possibilities where you can meet likeminded people. Through work, school or clubs is how most Germans make friends.  Casually meeting people on the street, unlike in America for example, is not.

GuestPoster0801

Thank you Tomin,
Actually I travel to Germany very often since 2014, mostly to Tamm. This is close to Ludvigsburg. Tamm is a very small town or village, I am not sure. So I just could not find  myself there as a person who does not speak German yet. And of course I will attend to a German language course but Until I will speak enough fluent I can not sit and wait 2 years but rather would like to meet people fast, especially women or families. My man would not be glad if he was at work and I meet other lonely men ;-)
I will try to find any hobby club. Maybe there are some painting or photo classes because I am a painter and a photographer myself so it would help I hope.

beppi

Although I do not like to admit it, I am far older than 45 (and I'm sure I'm not the only one here).
Of course Germans over 45 do meet (see Tom's suggestions above). And, like with all other age groups, some like and others don't like foreigners. The level of English in Germany generally decreases with age (above 60 English is rare) and not everyone is comfortable with spending leisure time in a foreign tongue - so you must make a real effort to learn German, which is the key to a fulfilled social life.
Germans in general are quite reserved - and especially the older ones often have a schedule full of work, hobbies, family commitments, etc. so they might not see the need to seek people like you. This means you need to make the first steps (and have sufficient patience and frustration tolerance for it).
That said, Tamm is really not a hot spot of cosmopolitanism - but nearby Ludwigsburg and Stuttgart do offer plenty of choices even before you understand German. Contact me by PM if you need some pointers!

TominStuttgart

I don't know Tamm but it honestly seemed like a horrible place to me. But Bietigheim-Bissingen is nearby. It's still a small town but very pretty and has lots of culture. Ludwigsburg is bigger and a bit farther - or Stuttgart, the biggest city in southwestern Germany is just 30 Km away.

beppi

Tamm is at the foot of an old hill fortress (now used as a prison) and next door to Ikea. Does that make it "horrible" in your opinion?

GuestPoster0801

Guys, I like Tamm. There are a lot of wild nature, silence and as Beppi mentioned historical fortress with a beautiful view on Asperg. Also there are forests for walks and sports.

GuestPoster0801

I personally consider all three towns as "one" because they are so close to each other so trully speaking it is even possible to go there by longer walk if a person have sport shoes.  Bietigheim Bissingen has lovely main street. I will look aroud there more closely because I was there only once with my man by his car. And I do not have a car myself so must to learn about how expensive are bus and tram tickets.

beppi

Bicycling is another option - you see a lot more of the surroundings, can stop where and whenever you like and it keeps you fit!

Angelo.Mascaro

Hi Marta!
Your description of Tamm made me willing to visit it. When you will be there, I'll pay you a visit so I can know the two of you and be our first friend  :D
By the way, I decided to write you again to inform you that there is a Toastmasters club in Ludwigsburg, city that I like very much.

GuestPoster0801

Hi Angelo, my boyfriend already is living in Tamm for 14 years but I will be there with a visit propably in December or January. But permamently I will be moving there in 2017 maybe summer time. However it is not maybe permamently as I have my own appartament in my country and I am not going to sell it.
It would be a pleasure to meet you. I will tell him. By the way are you single or have someone who can accompany you?

GuestPoster0801

Unfortunatelly my boyfriend is a little too much domestic so he has only a few collegues in work but does not meet with them in a free time. So the main effort to build social life is from my side. :-)

beppi

Internations also has an active group in Stuttgart, but it seems to be mainly the younger, party-loving crowd. Apart from that, I heard about a Facebook Group "New in Stuttgart", but have never searched for.

Angelo.Mascaro

As for now I'm single, but I hope I will no longer single soon :-)

carlsonfields

Hallo,Marta, Germans are very friendly people if  they know you.If you like cafes just pick one in your area and go have a cup of tea or coffee.
Start a conversation in attempting too speak German that will make them more motivated to speak English with you until you learn German.

GuestPoster0801

Thank you Carlson, I will remember your advice. :-)

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