Culture shock, Germany: Electricity!
Photo by Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash
Nowadays, most devices are dual-voltage, so travelers might have to take an adapter or two, but the device itself will function well despite going from the 110 volts/60 Hz in the US to Europe’s 240 volts/50 Hz, but back when we moved there, one had to get transformers half the size of a shoebox to “step down” the current. They were bulky and potentially dangerous if they malfunctioned, and even with transformers, there would still be issues with some appliances: clocks and timers didn’t keep time right, and microwaves didn’t function properly. In addition, devices which heated up were inefficient and expensive to run (irons, hair dryers, electric pans, waffle makers…). The plug-ins were different, too, with two round prongs and a couple of grooves at the top and bottom which served as a ground.
This is why I went in search of a slow cooker on the local economy, only to disgust the shopkeeper upon finding out that ‘Mericans had created a device to allow a cook to be so lazy.
Why the different systems? There are different accounts, and some say it’s because Edison’s perfected lightbulb did best with 120 V/60 Hz. Costs undoubtedly contributed, too: A 220-volt supply can transmit the power more cheaply because a smaller current is needed, and so you can use thinner cables and/or lose less energy through heat generated in the cables.
The military provided a couple of transformers per family, but there was a brisk trade on bulletin boards, as outgoing servicemembers shed the bulky devices they’d no longer need. The transformers were heavy enough to break a toe if you stumbled into one, and added a dull hum to the ambient background noise, and of course, if you had a baby, you had to put them away when they weren’t being used.
Still, they were a daily reminder that we were no longer in the US, and we should take advantage of what there was to learn and see, to be grateful for how spoiled we’d been up to then, and to strive to be good guests in our host country. I’ll always fondly remember my time there.
Never been to Deutschland? Take a trip with Lieutenant Lee with ebook Jan 16th or audio today!
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