Dissatisfied Germans fleeing to Hungary

Germans are giving tips and useful advice to their fellow nationals preparing to relocate to Hungary.

Zamárdi, 2023. augusztus 24. Fiatalok a Strand Fesztiválon Zamárdiban 2023. augusztus 24-én. A fesztivált augusztus 23. és 26. között rendezik meg a Balaton-parti településen. MTI/Vasvári Tamás Fotó: Vasvári Tamás

“Why is an increasing number of Germans moving to Hungary?” asks a man in a TikTok video. He has also moved to Hungary, after having left Germany behind.

@die_schmidts_ungarn Warum wandern eigentlich immer mehr leute nach Ungarn aus? 🧳🇭🇺 #auswandern #gründe #ungarn #hungary #packdeinesachen #lebenslust #auswandernausdeutschland #aussteiger #auswanderer #warum ♬ LALA - Myke Towers

Posting under the account Die_schmidts_ungarn, he lists the following reasons why it is good to live in Hungary.

• People live a more relaxed and laid-back lifestyle than in any other European country. Hungary has an immensely rich culture and history
• Hungarians are steadfastly proud of their country and there is great cooperation between them
• There is a wide support of conservative politics among the citizenry, who put the interests of Hungary first
• Crime rates are very low
• The cost of living is lower than in Germany or Austria, for example
• Integration is much easier than in other countries

Data by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office also confirm that Hungary has become rather popular with Germans:

in the past four years, the number of Germans settling in Hungary has risen dynamically, by 34.9 per cent.

While 16,537 German citizens arrived in 2019, the number of Germans living in Hungary reached 22,310 in 2023, Magyar Nemzet also highlighted citing the Hungarian-German Institute's recently published analysis of the number of German citizens in Hungary. In some areas of the Transdanubian region, including around Lake Balaton, a real German-speaking infrastructure has developed, with German craftsmen and service providers, Bence Bauer, the director of the institute, told Magyar Nemzet.

"We found a new home in Hungary. The countryside south of Lake Balaton reminds us of our homeland, which is also characterized by viticulture," German citizen Emily Paersch told Magyar Nemzet.

There is a free country where freedom of expression and the rule of law are guaranteed,

another German man says on TikTok.

@derhonklartext Es gibt ein freies Land, in dem Meinungsfreiheit und Rechtsstaatlichkeit garantiert sind #Märchen #gerichtsurteil Es gibt ein freies Land, da ist der Vater ein Mann und die Mutter eine Frau. #hauskauf #hausmieten#grundstückkaufen #ungarnleben #lebeninungarn Es gibt ein freies Land, mit einer Familien- & Steuerfreundlichen Regierung Komm ins sichere Ungarn #ungarn #komminssichereungarn #derhonKlartext #derhon#ungarnistsicher #ungarn🇭🇺 #ungarn_schwitzerland#ureinwohner #jonapot #jonapotkivánok #ungarnheute #magyartiktok #magyarorszag #victororban #hungary#hungarytiktok #ungarntiktok #ungarnaktuell #nemetorszag#nemetorszagimagyarok #ungarn_nemetorszag #budapest#orban #orbanviktor #peterszijjarto ♬ Klartext - Der HON

The user derhonklartext shares what he likes about our country in his video series Komm ins sichere Ungarn (Come to safe Hungary). Among them, he says that the Hungarian government protects its borders and families.

There is a free country where the father is a man and the mother is a woman.

he says in another video. He describes Hungary as ideologically and physically safe, stressing that Hungary is fighting against gender ideology and illegal migration.

@derhonklartext Donald Trump besucht Ungarn Victor Orban #donaldtrump #trump #trump2024 #trump2024train #trump2024🇺🇸 Es gibt ein freies Land, mit einer Familien- & Steuerfreundlichen Regierung #einkommenssteuer #ekst #steuerbefreiung Komm ins sichere Ungarn #ungarn #komminssichereungarn #ungarnistsicher #derhonKlartext #derhon #ungarnistsicher #ungarn🇭🇺 #ungarn_schwitzerland #ureinwohner #jonapot #jonapotkivánok #ungarnheute #magyartiktok #magyarorszag #victororban #hungary #hungarytiktok #ungarntiktok #ungarnaktuell #nemetorszag #nemetorszagimagyarok #ungarn_nemetorszag #budapest #orban #orbanviktor ♬ Klartext - Der HON

Danke Orban! (Thank you, Orban!)

says the German man, adding that only Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban protects the European Union's external borders.

@derhonklartext Bürgerwehr an den EU Außengrenzen von Ungarn. #bürgerwehr #euaußengrenze ♬ Originalton - Der HON Klartext

An analysis by the Hungarian-German Institute also showed that the number of crimes committed in Germany rose by 11.5 per cent last year, which makes the comparison with Hungary, where the number of crimes has fallen by 64.5 per cent in the last ten years, even more striking: in Germany, there were 6,762 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants last year, while in Hungary the figure was 1,732, a quarter of the German figure. 

In addition to the above people, there are others on TikTok who not only give German citizens useful tips on moving to Hungary, but also help them integrate. 

The owner of the profile magyarbasics, for example, gives tips on shopping, which is essential for day-to-day life, and also introduces foreign immigrants to the forint and numbers. 

@magyarbasics Währung Ungarn #währung #geld #bargeld #fyp ♬ Originalton - Ungarn…..alles rund um 🇭🇺

@magyarbasics Wir lernen Ungarisch #ungarisch #Sprache #lernen #fyp ♬ Originalton - Ungarn…..alles rund um 🇭🇺

Cover picture: A view of Zamardi on the shores of Lake Balaton (Photo: MTI/Tamas Vasvari )