Podcast “Grenzgeschichten – Living and Working between Luxembourg and Germany”

🚨 This podcast is only available in German. A French version is planned for 2026

“Grenzgeschichten” is the podcast for everyone who lives and works between Germany and Luxembourg.

Whether it’s starting a career, retirement, training, or language barriers at work – everyday life as a cross-border worker is often complex. The podcast “Grenzgeschichten” sheds light on exactly this reality. Cros-boder workers share what it’s like to live and work between Germany and Luxembourg, and experts explain what really matters.

Topics covered in the podcast:

• Social security & tax law for cross-border workers
• Labor law, parental leave, home office & child benefits
• Vocational training & study grants in Luxembourg
• Languages and & cultural differences in the workplace
• Personal stories & experiences from everyday cross-border life

Who is the podcast for?

For everyone who works in Luxembourg or plans to, for young people looking for training or study opportunities, for families, employers, and anyone interested in intercultural life in the Greater Region.

Grenzgeschichten is a podcast from the Luxembourg Ministry of Family Affairs as part of the Biergerpakt “Zesummeliewen.”

📅 New episodes every two weeks – available wherever you get your podcasts.

📩 Contact : info@fm.etat.lu

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Episode 1: Working in Luxembourg – What You Need to Know

In this first episode of “Grenzgeschichten – Living & Working between Luxembourg and Germany,” everything revolves around the rights, obligations, and practical questions for German cross-border workers employed in Luxembourg. Together with Martine Mirkes, legal expert at the Chambre des salariés, and Myriam Schank, director of the Caisse pour l’Avenir des Enfants, we address the following questions:

• What rules apply regarding health insurance, teleworking, the minimum wage, and tax law?
• What concrete advantages do Luxembourg’s social security system and labor law offer?
• Am I entitled to Luxembourg family benefits, and how do I apply for them?

These conversations are complemented by personal anecdotes from cross-border commuters.

Grenzgeschichten is produced by the Luxembourg Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception, and created within the framework of the Biergerpakt.

Episode 2: Retirement & Social elections

This episode of “Grenzgeschichten” highlights two key topics that are particularly important for cross-border workers: retirement in Luxembourg and your right to participate in decision-making in the workplace.
When can you retire in Luxembourg? How does health insurance work in retirement, both in general and in the case of mixed insurance histories? And what do social elections mean for you as a cross-border worker?

Topics covered:

• Retirement in Luxembourg: What requirements apply to cross-border workers?

• Early retirement & minimum pension: How high is the minimum pension, and when can you retire early?

• Pension coaching: How to prepare properly for retirement

• Social elections: What are social elections, and why is it important to take part?

Guests of the episode:
Michel Krämer and Patrice Oster (CNAP), Sylvain Hoffmann (Chambre des salariés), Vibeke Walter (GERO), and cross-border workers Michèle, Joachim, and Ruth.

Un podcast réalisé par Audiotextour : www.audiotextour.de

Episode 3: Education and Studies – Your Opportunities in Luxembourg

In this episode of “Grenzgeschichten”, everything revolves around the topic of education opportunities in Luxembourg, as well as the study grants that cross‑border workers and their children can apply for.

Topics covered:

• Who can apply for study grants in Luxembourg?
• What education opportunities are available for cross‑border workers?
• Recognition of German diplomas
• Deadlines and common pitfalls in the application process
• The dual vocational training system

The guests of this episode are: Mirko Mazzi from mengstudien.lu, Marc Sinner, Deputy Director of the Service for Vocational Training (SFP), and David, a cross‑border worker currently in training.

Episode 4: Working Without Borders – 40 Years of Schengen and Everyday Life in Between

What does it actually mean to be a cross-border worker today, and how has this changed over the past decades? This episode takes you on a journey through the history of the Schengen Agreement and the development of cross-border work in Luxembourg over the years.

Topics covered:

• Schengen then and now
• 275,000 cross‑border workers – from the early days to today
• A virtual tour through the Schengen Museum
• Atypical cross‑border workers
• Borders in the mind and in the heart

The guests of this episode are: Martina Kneip, Director of the European Museum of Schengen, Marie Feunteun‑Schmidt, Coordinator of the Interregional Labour Market Observatory (IBA), and cross‑border workers Anne, Michèle, and Frank.