The tax situation is Germany is crazy. When I visited Germany a few years ago I brought my own cigars with me. As much as I would have loved to buy some Cubans there (or a regional release Tat is I had the chance), $30 and up for smokes knocks me out of the game. Maybe they skip the VAT or other taxes when they ship, but I doubt it.
Remember, they have to pay for all that "free" healthcare.