{{Short description|Web site for English-speaking foreigners in Germany}} '''Toytown Germany''', known as "TT" to its users,<ref>{{Citation | title = TT wiki | url = https://www.toytowngermany.com/wiki/Wiki | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231128093604/https://www.toytowngermany.com/wiki/Wiki | archive-date = 28 November 2023 }}</ref> was an English-language community website for Germany. It was an information resource, a meeting point and a communication platform for English-speaking foreigners throughout Germany.
==Website== This moderated community was free to join, but required registration to participate. The site was frequented by travellers and expatriates alike.<ref>{{Citation | last = Howe | first = Tim | title = It's net gain for sociable expats living in Germany | newspaper = The Daily Telegraph | date = June 4, 2008 | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/4205304/Its-net-gain-for-sociable-expats-living-in-Germany.html}}</ref> It was owned and operated by The Local Europe AB,<ref name="Imprint">{{cite web|url=http://www.toytowngermany.com/xtra/pages/imprint.html|title=Toytown Germany Imprint|publisher=Toytown Germany|accessdate=15 October 2013}}</ref> publisher of ''The Local'', an English-language digital news publisher with local editions in Sweden, Austria, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Norway and Italy.
Toytown Germany, provided information about all aspects of life in Germany and its various cities and regions, from local bar and restaurant guides with reviews to events and advice on dealing with the confusion expatriates often face when dealing with life in a new country. The site additionally included areas for classified advertisements. The heart of the site was the chat forum in which English speakers discussed news, posed questions, gave advice and organised social events.
Toytown Germany was partnered with major German news companies, including ''Der Spiegel'', ''Deutsche Welle'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,9221,00.html |title=DW-WORLD Partners {{!}} Deutsche Welle |website=www.dw-world.de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051206084503/http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,9221,00.html |archive-date=2005-12-06}} </ref> and ''Die Welt''. News feeds from those companies were published on the website. In return, the latest German news related discussions from the chat forum were published on the English news pages of ''Die Welt''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.welt.de/english-news/|title=English News - WELT}}</ref> While those mainstream news companies provided professional reporting, Toytown Germany provided the general public with a community platform on which to discuss the latest news from Germany.
==History== The site was originally created in August 2002 as "Toytown Munich". The name originated from the observation that Munich was an unusually clean, well-organised, and crime-free city. In mid-2006, the site merged with Britboard, another expatriate site geared toward British expatriates in Germany. Shortly thereafter a decision was made to expand to cover all of Germany and the name was changed to reflect this.
In February 2024, the forum was closed. Members of Toytown Germany then created a new, non-commercial chat forum.<ref>{{ cite web |title = About this site | date = February 28, 2024 | url=https://happy.toytown.ing/viewtopic.php?t=30 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links==
[https://happy.toytown.ing/ New Toytown Homepage] Category:Internet properties established in 2002 Category:2002 establishments in Germany Category:2006 mergers and acquisitions Category:German social networking websites Category:British expatriates in Germany