Wittenberg Luther house closed

Almost no one in town spoke English

Not surprising since Wittenberg is in the old East Germany, where Russian was the first second language.

even young adult food servers

That is surprising considering anyone under about 25 was born after reunification.

But I've been in a lot of places in "West Germany" where no one spoke English.

Almost no one in town spoke English, even young adult food servers.

The pay for food servers in Germany is crap. Tips, too. So you cannot expect them to have a good education. And as there are only a few English-speaking tourists in former East Germany, restaurant owners don't pay them any better if they speak English.

There are lots of places in western Germany where you won't find English speakers, or didn't in the past in the last few decades. It all depends on whom you encounter and where you go. And, don't necessarily assume if "they" speak English, the person will want to speak it with you. If you don't want to run into English speakers, spend more time in the eastern part, more refreshing.

We have been only in the East this trip. So far amount of English related more to size of city than anything else. Berlin and Leipzig are no problem.

Hi,

It probably stands to reason that if a place is a a small town not the goal of international tourists, let alone Americans, then the chances of encountering English speakers will be slight or zero. Lots of interesting places like that in eastern Germany.

Having worked in the food industry in Germany, the majority of servers aren't German, so what ever country they are from is going to reflect on their knowledge of English. It is easier to tell you they don't speak English then struggle to understand your slang being delivered at a high rate speed. Slow down a bit, speak clearly, don't use slang. I have had very few German employees in the restaurant business. They avoid the food industry unless they are in a small town and that is the only work available.

English is a required subject in all of Germany, but after you get out of school, those 4 years of classes slip away.

This is low pay work and a hard job, with lots of customers who believe they earn a "living wage" and that the "service charge" is going to the server. It isn't. Yes, they can live from this, but it isn't a lot. They do enjoy small tips.

The Luther Way for those who are interested.
https://www.luther2017.de/en/news/saxony-opens-the-luther-way-250-kilometres-of-reformation-history/

English is a required subject in all of Germany, but after you get out of school, those 4 years of classes slip away.

4 years of English is the minimum I think. Most kids will have 6 or more years of English in school and if you don't choose your second foreign language at the exit exam, you finish this with 8 years of English classes.

Certainly you see a lot of food servers at train stations in Germany who are of various nationalities, such as Korean, Czech, Chinese, Polish, Sri Lankan, Vietnamese, Italian, etc. You have to cut through their accent in German too, if not listening to their English. They're learning two foreign languages.