By Craig Whitlock and Shannon Smiley Washington Post Foreign Service Friday, March 14, 2008; A01

BERLIN, March 13 -- Americans with PhDs beware: Telling people in Germany that you're a doctor could land you in jail.

At least seven U.S. citizens working as researchers in Germany have faced criminal probes in recent months for using the title "Dr." on their business cards, Web sites and r¿sum¿s. They all hold doctoral degrees from elite universities back home.

Under a little-known Nazi-era law, only people who earn PhDs or medical degrees in Germany are allowed to use "Dr." as a courtesy title.

The law was modified in 2001 to extend the privilege to degree-holders from any country in the European Union. But docs from the United States and anywhere else outside Europe are still forbidden to use the honorific. Violators can face a year behind bars.

Ian Thomas Baldwin, a Cornell-educated researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, has stopped calling himself "Dr." ever since he was summoned for interrogation by police two months ago on suspicion of "title abuse."....Read the complete article here

Ok, I know this is suppose to be a English language website but sometimes I need to pass on some important German words that you might need living here in Berlin. This has to be the best German word I have learned since I have lived here. I do not know how I have got alone without knowing it, and will be looking for every chance I can to work it into conversation.

eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher

for those that have not worked out what this word means I have provided the video below.

Dana Carvey and Steve Carell are "Germans Who Say Nice Things"

Seriously, Bielefeld does not exist!

"The city council of Bielefeld tries hard to generate publicity for Bielefeld and build a nation-wide known public image of the city. Even after 13 years however, the mayors office receives numerous phone calls and Emails each day which doubt the existence of the city."

"Whenever folks who have lived or traveled in Germany gather for a beer, sooner or later one subject is sure to rear its ugly head: what is the deal with those toilets?"

"English-language community website for Germany. Over 4,500 English-speakers are currently active members."