Goodbye Germany: Thomas earned 2500 euros as chief physician - in Sweden he gets twice as much

Created: 07/07/2022, 20:00

By: Claire Weiss

In Sweden, "Goodbye Germany" emigrant Thomas Schimke has much more freedom © Screenshots/RTL+/Goodbye Germany

12 years ago, the Schimkes emigrated to Sweden and said "Goodbye Germany".

There, the parents of three not only have more time for their families, the move also had financial advantages.

As a doctor in Lapland, Thomas Schimke earns twice as much as before.

Thomas Schimke was once chief physician in Soest.

There he earned 2,500 euros net and worked 80 hours a week for it.

Added to this were 140 unpaid overtime hours per month.

In Sweden he was offered twice the salary, a 40-hour week without overtime and a lot more vacation time.

The Schimke family ventured a new start in Sweden

"Germany makes it so incredibly easy to leave at the moment,

" said Thomas in 2006, packed his things with his wife and six-year-old daughter Leonie and emigrated to Sweden accompanied by "Goodbye Germany" (all news on the topic page).

The Schimkes have been living in Sweden for 12 years - only five were actually planned.

© Screenshot/RTL+

At that time he bought a 160 square meter dream house for 55,000 euros - later they moved to a farm with two hectares of land and numerous animals.

In Germany he could not have afforded his own home with his doctor's salary.

Not just more money - more free time too

But emigration has even more advantages: In Lapland, as a working parent, you get a lot of vacation time so you can spend time with the children in the summer - Eva and Thomas now have three: two girls and one boy.

The children have ten weeks off - Eva and Thomas six weeks.

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On the other hand, Lapland is “not for wimps”.

There is snow for months, in winter it is dark around the clock.

But the Schimkes don't want to leave Pajala anymore.

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