Evening star., 1901-02-19
GERMAN EVERYDAY LIFE
WORK AND HARMLESS RECREA-
TION SENslBLY DIVIDED.
How the People Enjoy Their Leisure
Hours at Public ResOrts-Res-
taurants of Berlin.

| Berlin Correspondence Baltimore Sun.
| In gathering information and experience
with regard to everyday life in Germany
much depends upon your purpose of So
! journing in that country. For the study of
music there are the cities of Berlin, Dres-
| den and Leipsig; for that of art, Munich,
| Dusseldorf and Karlsruhe, in addition to
| the former
! For special pursuits in technology, sci
| ence or law numerous towns offer advan-
| tages in schools and universities. For ac-
| quiring the language in its purity northern
| Germany is preferable, but if n little gram
| mar and phraseology is all you desire
| southern Germany may do.
| For the romantic there are the cities
along the Rhine, in the Thuringan and
| Black forests. To those who love art for
| the enjoyment it affords the choice is linn
| tied to the capitals of the Kingdoms which
| form the German empire.
Labor and Rest.
The sun rises the same all over Germany,
so your early morning experiences will be
the same in every place. A little before or
| a little after you will rise, for at the
| business of the day Is we'll started. By
1870 or II 1t has progressed far enough to
| admit Of an intermission for refreshment
| and repose. The first meal has in most
! cases been cup Of tea or coffee, with cold
| rolls and butter. and possibly boiled egg.
The second meal consists Of some bread
and butter. with cold meat or cheese, and
| beer or wine.
AT 1890 or / there is a general cessation
| of all work. Everybody who has home
| hurries thither, and whoever has none re-
sorts to whatever passes for such to enjoy
| his dinner hour. So universal are the regu-
| lations governing the business Of living
and working that one might regulate his
| fpl, 1,-t tl1. fhn
| pie or their complete disappearance from
| the streets.
After an hour or two work Is resumed
AT 4:30 again everybody drinks his beer or
coffee. At o'clock finally the days busi-
ness is over and everybody is on the streets
to stay there for an hour or more before
going home, or to the theater, or concert
hall, or public garden. Supper Is COM
monty eaten In some restaurant or cafe.
Table D'HOtc.
Wherever the American goes his taste is
catered to, but he gets only the German
Interpretation of American food. At hotels
he is expected to order beefsteak for
breakfast at pensions he is given oatmeal
and eggs. He also is sure of an abundant
dinner and supper. Dinner, however, IS
always supplied according to the national
standard, that is to say, entirely a la
Deutsch. This meal lasts an hour at least.
usually an hour and a half. 1t occurs at 1
VI u CiOCk, dNu luleTIeTcS SERIOUSLY Will
the business and enjoyment Of the day.
There are soup. fish, meat. with vegetables,
an entree. game or chicken, with salad
and compot, pudding or Ice. fruits.
cheese, bread and butter, grapes, etc. You
may omit any couise you please. but YOU
gain no time by that, for you must sit the
meal through and the courses come be-
tween long intervals. If you have passed
one course you grow hungry waiting for
the next, and you have a good opportunity
for the exercise of patience and practicing
colloquial phraseology and courteous con-
Versation with your neighbors
American manners will do for table d'hote
provided they are supplemented by the
adoption of certain German formalities.
Before taking your seat you bow to those
sitting opposite and beside you. During
the meal you converse with them to your
hearts content and at the end of the meal
you bow again to those about you after
having said: "Mahlzeit' (an abbreviation
of the phrase "Gesegnete Mahzeit," or, in
English, God bless your meal!')
Restaurant Life.
Next to table d'hote restaurant life Is the
proper and most interesting course for
those wishing to indulge in and become
used to the real German way of existence
The length of the experience differs ac-
cording to the police regulations and the
social customs of the place.
restaurant life generally begins at
O'Clock In the evening, and everywhere in
Berlin 1t goes on all night. Those who
make it their regular habit must trv IN
catch the first car home in the morning
that Is. If they are in the condition to
catch anything.
The crowd is greatest and most interest
ing just after the places Of amusement close
between 10 O clock and midnight For every
class, for every purse, the restaurants and
the cafes are wide open The difference be-
tween the two places Is that at the former
a regular meal may be had a la carte or
certain dishes Cunnljed iuu
supper, while at the latter only the slight
est refreshments with drinks are served.
The cuisines of all nationalities and the
beverages Of all countries form the attrac
tions at many Of these public resorts. There
Is no person Of any land or cline who cam
not go to the restaurant or cafe when his
cook is out or the fancy suits him to charm
his palate and supply his cravings for his
favorite dishes and drinks With women
1t IS different In the cities they cannot
go to these places without male company
They can, however. go unattended to the
confectioners to get something to eat.
Outing Suppcrs.
The sooner one frees his mind Of the idea
that the essence and practical features of
the American restaurant, cafe or hotel are
found In the same places in Germany, the
sooner one will be able to enjoy the reality.
The first and general impression Is one of
wonderment If one has not gotten into the
doorkeeper, in livery, who greets you with
his "Guten abend" as he swings the glass
door open to admit you.
There are signs on all Of the SUBSEQUENT
doors that tell you to pull or to push, so
that two people, one on either side of the
door, need not run into danger by unex-
pected collisions. There may BE a sign
'Garderobe frei'' "Garderobe, 10 pfen-
nige," meaning you may either take Off
your overcoat and hang it on a peg for
nothing or hand 1t over to one or two WON
en- IN exchange for a number and have 1t
hung up on a special peg and taken care
OF for cents. Not to discourage one at
the outset, the overcoat or wraps generally
are free. and in this case instead of being
compelled to leave them at the door Won
can wear them until you have found and
selected a table, near which there is sure
to be place for storing them away. Later
IN the evening this arrangement gives you
the impression as though supper were be-
ing served in a wardrobe
Some of the restaurants are large, SIM
PIE rooms; others series Of small
rooms, few steps up down at the en-
trance of each. Their innumerable tables
are very small and close to each other
Those near the walls have sofas along one
f.In