this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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[–] torknorggren@lemm.ee 176 points 1 year ago (3 children)

"Stadtliche luft macht man frei" is an old German saying. City air makes you free. Life in a small town can be stifling. That close-knit family wants you to be just like them. God forbid you want to do or see anything new. The moving-to-a-big-city trope is as old as cinema, and has strong roots in reality.

[–] jaanus20@lemm.ee 47 points 1 year ago

In the middle-ages in at least in what is now Estonia, if you ecaped to the city and lived there for a year and a day you would be set free from your serfdom. "Linna õhk teeb vabaks" same frase was used for that.

[–] HerrVorragend@lemmy.world 42 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Stadtluft macht frei" but yes, everything else is spot on.

[–] Godric@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I agree with the sentiment, but Germans have a horrible track record on what makes you free.

[–] reverendsteveii@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Came here to try to make this joke. You did better than I could have, I was trying to create a Germanic folk hero named Arvid McFry

[–] BigNote@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" is Celtic anyway, not Germanic, so you failed in that sense too.

[–] reverendsteveii@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

And Arvid is Scandinavian. That's why I didn't do it.