Yes there is a very subtle difference in the laws.

Public photography is absolutely permitted in Germany - and in fact it is a basic human right to be able to record your environment for posterity.

What is not permitted is the commercial use of that photography for any reason whatsoever, without consent.

You do not need to get consent to take pictures in public - many Germans do not understand this, however. You only need consent if you are a journalist or otherwise intend to use your photographs commercially.

This distinction is a difficult one to explain, but believe me, I have had many successes in explaining it, many times, in Berlin and Hanover and Munich and beyond ..