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Of course I agree with you when it comes to making concessions to the culture in which you live. I mean, it is of course completely unacceptable if you are not prepared to recognize the self-evident rights of women, for example (and of course the rights of those who do not feel they belong to any of the usual genders).

Where we seem to differ a bit, however, is that I don't think much of national concepts. Please don't misunderstand, I am of course well aware that I enjoy privileges as a German citizen and I am also aware of the rich culture of our sphere and appreciate it very much - all that made me who I am. It's just that I'm not proud of my home country as an abstract concept - I never felt the need to. And I think that does more harm than good.

Take for example the AfD in Germany or MAGA or any other political movement that explicitly embraces national concepts of origin: These people always invoke some imaginary notion of the noble people, you know, in case of the Germans, the concept of the poets and thinkers and so on, but none of this intolerant, misanthropic bunch have even an ounce of what they claim about themselves - they are complete idiots, many even monsters, and I think, these very people are the downfall of culture. They will do just as the Nazis under Hitler already did, systematically killing the poets and thinkers.

Again, please do not misunderstand: I also know Swiss culture well - I lived there for five years and am grateful for that wonderful time. I just value personal relationships and openly lived, shared culture much more than the prescribed preservation of traditions and the like (I experienced that in Switzerland as well and it was great!).

In short: I think culture is a living thing that changes. That's why I'm happy when people abide by the law, especially the Constitution, which demands tolerance in Germany as well as in Switzerland.

I don't think any other adaptation or even assimilation is necessary beyond that - except, of course, that you have to be prepared to participate in society, as you say, which of course requires learning the national language.

But apart from that, I think everyone should live as they please, as long as it doesn't interfere with other people's lives.

There may be a difference between Germany and Switzerland these days. We in Germany seem to be much more divided, and especially in East Germany there seems to be a conviction that we should go back to Nazism - I firmly reject that because it's not culture, but inhumanity and anti-culture with reference to the achievements of people who have nothing whatsoever to do with all this, but would turn in their graves if they knew for what evil purposes they were being instrumentalized.

Please excuse this long, surely superfluous rant. It's just that, as a German, lately I have to be ashamed of what some of my compatriots are demanding with false reference to our culture. It's probably a bit different in Switzerland, although you also have some people like that in the ranks of the SVP and elsewhere.