Tim Worstall

10 responses so far ↓

• 1 Richard // Jan 24, 2012 at 11:20 am

  Are you still in Germany? You’ll probably need a business permit to buy a desk. Not a huge problem though; you just need a form from the Chamber of Commerce (Monday afternoons) stamped by the local council (Friday mornings).

• 2 dearieme // Jan 24, 2012 at 11:50 am

  Desk? Whatever happened to bricks and boards?

• 3 Nick Luke // Jan 24, 2012 at 12:07 pm

  Surely you can get a pre-loved, ex-stasi desk with permit that has the option of built in microphone or drainage channels ( de-luxe model has both)…

• 4 JamesV // Jan 24, 2012 at 2:09 pm

  @Nick – problem is all the former East German desk ownership and transfer licenses were declared invalid upon reunification – though those with even serial numbers issued at most Volksschreibtischerwerbsundveräußerungsämter (except those in east Berlin) were considered acceptable for a transitional period of 6 months or 2 years depending on the combination of your tax class, registered religion, and number of children.

• 5 JamesV // Jan 24, 2012 at 2:10 pm

  I seriously hope Tim isn’t planning on spending more than 183 days here in any one year.

• 6 paul ilc // Jan 24, 2012 at 2:30 pm

  slags is cheap over there.

• 7 bilbaoboy // Jan 24, 2012 at 2:40 pm

  Do I take it that Germany has a first-class bureaucracy?

• 8 Nick Luke // Jan 24, 2012 at 3:51 pm

  @JamesV
  I’m sorry to say you are misinformed. All desk regulations in place on the date of re-unification have been superseded, (see:
  http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/e-facts/efact13. et seqq.) the main thrust of which is to ensure that these regulations are applied throughout the European market.
  However, in view of the numbers and age of the desks remaining in the Former Eastern Germany, local committees have been formed to review the granting of licenses under these provisions. None have so far reported. It is therefore, not possible to purchase pre-used desks.

• 9 JamesV // Jan 24, 2012 at 3:54 pm

  @Nick, I think I shall go on strike until I get a diskette drive. But they’ll probably downgrade my monitor in retaliation.

• 10 So Much For Subtlety // Jan 25, 2012 at 3:50 am

  dearieme – “Desk? Whatever happened to bricks and boards?”

  Bricks and boards? Loooxury! When I were a lad all we had were two matchboxes and some used match sticks.

  And we were damn grateful to get that!

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