I agree with the unfriendliness aspect in German government offices. These people are a very particular sort and they can be curt and borderline crude even to German nationals. This is of course in no way excusing what happened to the woman in the article - being exposed to micro aggressions from people you need to see for legal reasons is very disheartening.

I also find it hard to believe she wouldn’t have access to German language courses cheaper than €500. From her description it sounds quite elaborate, however since she’s obviously unhappy with the cost she should have chosen differently in that regard. There’s plenty of online resources and freelance trainers available for a fraction of €500.

All in all it honestly just sounds like she is a person that thrives on socialising and being close to family, which is a perfectly valid reason to want to go back to Germany. I think these factors were never going to allow her to be happy in Germany.