The second part of my WIP takes place in West Germany in 1983, and I'm making the final edits to make sure I've got everything right. I've got a German paramilitary unit involved, and of course they'll use military time: 1200 hours, 0330 hours, that kind of thing. How would you write that so civilian readers will hear it properly in their heads? The more crucial question is, what about ordinary German citizens? I'm pretty sure they operate on a 24-hour clock now, but what about back then? Digital watches were beginning to come in, but few people had them. Barring your fancy-schmancy military-grade Rolexes, watches and clocks were all 12-hour analog devices. So would my Germans be the same as my Americans and say, "The bank closes at four o'clock"? Or would they say, "It closes at sixteen o'clock," overlooking the fact that their watches only go up to 12?
I lived in Germany from 1957 to 1966, and visited there frequently until the early 70s. I don't remember anybody using a 24-hour clock outside the military. I don't think that would change much by the 1980s. So I'd suggest that you go with the 12-hour clock. But there is a difference in how they told time. Instead of saying "three forty-five," they would say "drei-fiertel Vier" or "three-quarter four," indicating that you were three quarters through the fourth hour. If you were trying to convey that in English, the best way might be to have your character say "a quarter of/til/to four" instead. It gets tricker with "three fifteen" because the German idiom "ein-fiertel Vier" (one quarter four, meaning a quarter of an hour into the fourth hour) wouldn't work in an English translation, so the character would have to say, "a quarter past three" ... not a literal translation of what they'd say, but one that would work in the context.
Since posting my question, I saw an online article that said Germany went on a 24-hour clock in 1927. But come to think of it, when I visited in 1988 it was all 12-hour. I don't recall having to "translate" the time at all. So maybe the 24-hour clock was only for trains and such, and I glossed over that part.
100% agree depending on the context both existed but 12hour much more common, think of wrist watches and charms all 12 hours not 24 which is more digital in nature
Not related to Germany (sorry) but outside of travel vehicles (trains, ferries, planes) I have only heard of "military" time (24:00) used in medical settings, like meds are given at 0800, 1200, 1600, 2000; and in industrial settings such as factories that run on a 24 schedule. I'm just thinking that "normal" people that sleep from.....2200 to 0600....they'll never use the 24 clock because they're sleeping during that time. Is it strictly necessary for the 24 clock to be used in your story? If so, could you refer to something like false dawn as someone glances at their watch so there's a "visual" cue as to the actual "real" time for people that don't understand the 24 clock?
