14. The "Lüftung"
October 20, 2025•205 words
Room ventilation is a very important matter in Germany and Germans tend to take it seriously at the office and at home.
It is even stipulated in most lease agreements :
Er hat insbesondere für ordnungsgemäße Reinigung, Lüftung und Beheizung zu
sorgen.
Which translates in English as : "In particular, the tenant must ensure proper cleaning, ventilation, and heating."
Here is a nice video from the Arte TV show "Karambolage", in French, that explains it all:
"L'aération des pièces"
I completely agree, except that in Winter, as everyone heats their homes with wood, either with a fireplace or a stove, the air gets very polluted 24/24h, in addition to the traffic and intensive agriculture pollution all year round.
The filters of my windows ventilation system goes from white to black in less than a couple of months.
The road in front of my apartment is not an Autobahn, but the traffic is so dense all day and night that it feels all the same in terms of noise and vibrations, and of course in terms of smell: Autobahn In Da Room!
I have made my choice and decided to try and preserve my lungs so my windows will stay closed for the cold season.