Germany solves the problems of the first world, part 2

If you are a regular reader of this blog (and you're probably not because, let's face it, I am not a regular writer of this blog), you know that I have a soft spot for German innovation, particularly when it comes to the little things in life (please see: German shampoo bottles). Germany isn't like, "Hey, we invented a device that can teleport you to the moon," it's just like, "We took something you thought was fine and made it better, and now yours seems stupid and useless."

So today we're going to talk about German windows. You think yours are okay, right? They let the light in, and if you're lucky you can crank them open a bit and get a breeze going. What more could you possibly want from a window?

This is a German window.

  
If you're leaving the house but still want to let some air in, or you have a child/cat/hamster that makes regular escape attempts, you can turn the handle up and open the window just a little bit, at the top. This is called kippen.

If you want to let a bunch of air in at once because you burnt the grilled cheese again, or you are the child/cat/hamster that makes regular escape attempts, you can turn the handle sideways and open the window ALL THE DAMN WAY. Wow! So open!

I also have it on good authority that this functionality makes it super easy to clean the outside of your windows (no matter what floor your apartment is on) without getting ladders, pressure washers, or contractors of any sort involved.