Two German refugees

It was an escape from the Germans' lack of interest in current events and from defamation and abuse.

Doris and Jürgen Schwarz welcome me to their little house in Zalaszentlászló (western Hungary), which they bought in January 2022. Doris, 61, is a graduate engineer in clothing technology and had her own business in Germany for many years, but it fell victim to the coronavirus measures. Jürgen, 58, is a financial specialist and has been running his own company since 2005.

What made you think about emigrating from Germany?

J.S.: There were several reasons. Most of them have to do with Germany's coronavirus policy. But the clear breach of the law in 2015, when the Chancellor opened the floodgates to illegal immigration, was one such moment. As a logical person, it was clear to me that this type of immigration would lead to problems. I actually expected that there would be a broad discourse on this, that the problems associated with it would be addressed by the media, but nothing came of it!

Was there a particular moment that you would say was decisive for leaving home?

The house of the Schwarz family

D.S.: The first time was on the eve of the second big demonstration against the coronavirus measures and mandatory vaccination on August 1, 2021. We were at the Brandenburg Gate waiting for a friend. There were lots of people in and around the square and a woman was singing. Then the police came and asked us to leave the square. I asked why and was told that this was a prohibited assembly.

"You're a lateral thinker and you were singing!" said one of the policemen. I tried to explain to my counterpart that we were waiting for a friend and had nothing to do with a meeting. I had neither joined the lateral thinkers' movement nor was I singing.

I will never forget the policeman's comment: "When you are in a foreign country, in a foreign city, you have to abide by the rules."

My husband laughed in disbelief, still thinking that the man in uniform was pulling his leg. He was then taken away to be arrested and had to stand against a wall with his hands up for an hour and a half. He was then banned from the entire city center of Berlin for 24 hours. The purpose of the whole thing was obviously to keep us away from the demonstration the following day. Incidentally, the police officers did not comply with the request to identify themselves. We took to the streets as normal citizens and were treated like criminals.

Were you also at other events against the coronavirus measures?

J. S.: In April 2020, we took part in the first, still small demonstrations in the Upper Swabia/Lake Constance region and in Bavaria. We were delighted to see how the number of participants increased from time to time, even in smaller towns, reaching well into the four-digit range. Even then, the speakers were defamed by the media and suffered reprisals.

The corona measures were now a drastic threat to the existence of small self-employed people like us. That's why it was only natural for us to take part in the big demonstration in Berlin on August 1, 2020.

View of the garden

D. S.: We initially thought that this demonstration would be very small due to defamation by the media and were moved by the masses of people from all geographical and political directions in Germany who gathered at the Brandenburg Gate. It was indescribable! So many people walking or dancing peacefully side by side, recognizably middle class, with both German and foreign roots, and who all thought so similarly about Corona politics. So what the media wanted us to believe wasn't true at all. There weren't so few of us, there were a lot of us! That was a great realization.

J.S.: In the mainstream media, however, there was only talk of a significantly smaller number of participants. The issue of police violence was also downplayed. Yet we witnessed terrible scenes on both August 1 and August 29, 2020.

For example?

D.S.: We saw an elderly woman being dragged along the street by two police officers. Her husband was brutally prevented from coming to his wife's aid. We found it quite frightening that people were arbitrarily taken away from the demonstration. Especially older people and women. One of the police's favorite measures was to encircle demonstrators so that they could then say that the distances had not been observed. They practically created a reason for themselves to take people away and ultimately ban the demonstration altogether. Anyone holding the Basic Law in their hands was "educated" by the police to the effect that this was a prohibited "poster".

What about your environment? Did they share your opinion?

D.S.: Our environment was mixed. There were quite a few people who went to the demonstrations with us and saw what was happening in Germany. But unfortunately, we also had to experience that acquaintances who we thought were absolutely intelligent simply did everything the government ordered and laughed at us with our doubts.

Were you not afraid of reprisals?

J.S.: We were simply exercising our right to demonstrate. We also felt it was our civic duty to protect our freedom and democracy. Nevertheless, we were of course subliminally afraid. But what choice did we have? The economic existence of both of us was under massive threat. The media and politics were colluding with each other. Fourth estate? Not a chance! What could we do but take action ourselves? Incidentally, I think it is essential for a normalization of conditions in Germany that the media resume their actual role as the fourth estate. They should control politics instead of courting it. If this deficit is not remedied, then the door will be open to future abuses of power, regardless of the political side.

D.S.: We had taken part in coronavirus demonstrations in several large cities in Germany and experienced a number of disproportionate police measures. We had the impression that the police had been ordered to spread as much fear as possible and not to engage in any verbal exchange with us demonstrators. As if the black-clad, helmet-clad, burly figures weren't scary enough, they also displayed ruthless, brutal behavior. The thought that we were hated because of our attitude was by no means uplifting.

You mentioned several events that made you think about emigrating. What else was it?

The kindergarten in the village

D.S.: On November 18, 2020, the most important demonstration for us took place in Berlin, because it was about the fundamental nature of freedom. Meanwhile, in the nearby Reichstag, the debate on amending the Infection Protection Act was taking place. The state greeted us with water cannons, which were used liberally. We still wonder today why so many demonstrators (including my husband) had to rinse their eyes afterwards and some even suffered from shortness of breath. Many people were completely soaked, and that in extremely low temperatures. This disproportionality finally made us question whether we still have a future in this country.

J.S.: Our experiences at the various demonstrations are so varied that it would go beyond the scope of this interview to recount them all. But after all that, it became clear to us: in Germany, freedom of opinion and the right to demonstrate are no longer protected by the Basic Law.

D.S.: We will never forget how we were insulted by large sections of the mainstream, our fellow citizens, politicians and the so-called Antifa: Corona deniers, covidiots, anti-vaccinationists, murderers, appendicitis, Nazis, packs, "you should be beaten up" etc. This still affects us deeply, especially as we have always been good citizens in a free and democratic country, just as we were taught by our parents.

Was the Hungarian coronavirus policy better?

J.S.: At least here in the country, people were very civilized in their dealings with each other. Live and let live! It was never as extreme here as in Germany when people reacted to a non-existent or incorrectly worn mask!

Was that one reason why you chose Hungary of all places?

J.S.: The Hungarians' love of freedom and their skepticism towards any kind of authority were of course a big plus for our decision in favor of Hungary.

Incidentally, Hungary was not an unknown territory for me. I had been traveling to different parts of the country from time to time since 1992. First alone, then with my wife. The fact that we finally ended up in Zalaszentlászló is pure coincidence, because we heard about this house from several acquaintances.

D.S.: We definitely wanted to stay geographically close to our former home. Countries such as Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary were obvious choices. However, Croatia and Slovenia were ultimately ruled out because of the euro as the national currency.

When did you finally decide to leave Germany?

J.S.: When the result of the federal election was known in the fall of 2021. That was the last straw. We finally realized that German democracy was increasingly turning into an ineptocracy.

D.S.: Waiting any longer after that would have been a waste of time!

What do you like about Hungary?

D.S.: The naturalness of the country and the cultural offerings. And of course we appreciate the rational government policy, which is geared towards the interests of the country. It may also have something to do with the fact that Hungarian government politicians are all still competent and knowledgeable - just as they used to be in Germany.

J.S. (laughs): The good Hungarian cuisine also played a role in our decision!

How are you doing now in your new home?

D.S.: Our thoughts keep revolving around what is happening in Germany, why people are not finally waking up. However, it may take some time before larger sections of the population feel the consequences of the political decision-makers' mistakes in their wallets.

Nevertheless, we are slowly settling down. I've been writing a diary since we arrived in Zalaszentlászló. It helps me to come to terms with the events of the last three years.

We have already made a few contacts here, we have nice Hungarian neighbors and regularly go to events organized by the municipality. I attend a Hungarian course at our cultural center.

J.S.: I continue to run my business digitally, and if necessary, I sometimes travel to Germany for a few days. In addition to working on the house, we take time to discover the surrounding area. We travel at least once a week to get to know the country and its people better. We already know every place in the immediate vicinity.

Do you have the feeling that you have arrived?

J.S.: Not yet perfect, but the circumstances give us a subjective feeling of freedom. We feel safe here! We can now even imagine staying in Hungary forever. That wasn't planned at all.

D.S.: "Better a home away from home than a stranger at home" is our current motto.

What is strikingly different in Hungary than in Germany?

D.S.: The children are different. They really are! They seem to be happier, there is still respect for parents and older people, and last but not least, a lot is done for the children.

What are you planning for the near future?

J.S.: We want to travel around Hungary in our motorhome, drive to more remote areas and take our time.

Are you missing something in Hungary?

J.S.: Regular work. But as soon as the language barrier is gone, that will come too.

Do you have any advice for future emigrants?

D.S.: If you intend to buy a property, it is of course advisable to inspect it in person, otherwise you may be in for some unpleasant surprises. You would think that this goes without saying, but we have actually experienced that this is not always the case.

J.S.: You should bring a solid financial cushion with you, because it can take a long time for everything to go as planned. Finding a job, learning the language and dealing with any remaining obligations in your home country take up a lot of time and energy.