Younger Germans are finding a home in Yucatán, adding to a small but growing community of expats.
Joining retired Germans who are snowbirds in Yucatán — here just long enough to escape the winter cold in Europe — young expats who are still working or studying have found a life here, said honorary German consul Wolfgang Rudolf Kresse González.
German citizens are not obligated to report to the German consulate in Mérida, so official numbers do not exist. But Kresse González estimated that around 300 Germans live here full time.
“They like to live either in beach communities or in municipalities near Mérida,” he said.
Of mixed Mexican-German heritage himself, Kresse González said that Germans come looking for the tranquility of Mayan culture.
“The region itself is attractive to the Germans. They see in Mérida and its surroundings a place where they can get shelter and peace,” he said.
This is why many expats are retired people who have left behind the hustle and bustle of Europe’s big cities.
He noted that the number of German residents in the state has increased slightly over the last few years. While the majority remain pensioners, every year younger people are observed here, marrying Yucatecans and making Yucatán their home, said Kresse González.
The German consulate is very busy serving many young people, mainly Mexican students with plans to go abroad. This is a result of the 2016-17 German-Mexican cultural year, which was kicked off in Berlin with the opening of a Mayan art exhibit and a visit from Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Source: La Jornada Maya
