Stereotypes about Germans/Germany

[Monatsende]

Due to the fact that is an overall international place I`d like to know how you (not German) think about Germans/Germany.

What do you think is "typical German"?
What comes in your mind when you think of "Germany"?

I think it`s useful to know where you are coming from and how old you are.
(Just if you like to put down these informations.)

You can also post pictures which represent "German culture" in your opinion.
You can think in any direction. But please avoid forbidden statements which are against AUP.

 

[Ibonibo]

Well, as I live next to Germany my opinion isn't as stereotyped (maybe).

You like it clean. Are rigorious with your work (majority). Coming at time is really important in Germany. Your beer rightfully is good. You like to over rule things (laws), which sometimes is very good other times just questionable (like no alc at pumps after 8?), if you don't want youngsters to drink apply the laws in place instead of inventing constantly new ones.

You are emotional colder than southern Europeans (which has its + and -).

All in all a folk I like to hang out with, work with and .... you have some real hotties out there, not all like everyone thinks but duck there are some beauties

Ohh and to throw in a bad one : you made "slavery" socially acceptable (1€ Job) (a bit harsh I know, but it's like I see it, if they work full time and still need social help to make the month something is not quite right, as someone in this chain makes a lot of money on it)
All that is sterotypical, I know very well that noteverybody in Germany is like that.

 

[ScouserInExile]

Beer
Mullet and a mustache
Efficient
No sense of humor
Towels on sunloungers
Good at taking penalties
Don't mention the war

 

[Grayfox]

Serious all the time about craftsmanship.

 

[Keef]

Socially awkward
No sense of humor
Always angry
Tasty beer
Kinky porn
Engineering
Productivity
Constantly plotting another takeover of Europe

 

[Liquid]

Smokers
Bad fashion
Clean streets
Efficiency and punctuality
War guilt
Black Audis everywhere
Lederhosen
Brass band music
No sense of humour
Hawt women

However, as a German speaker and having lived in Germany for a year, I noticed;

Clean streets
Smokers
Nice clothes but awful haircuts
Horribly delayed trains
Fords and not just VAG or Mercs
Very good sense of humour (It's just different)
War guilt is on the wane
Anglicisms and Anglicisation are widespread. And misused.
Too many public holidays
But excellent recycling culture and productivity
Friendly people
Very hawt women

It's a nice place. I want to go back.

 

[KinLM]

Haha all I can think of is "Schtig."

 

[Dean]

Food - especially sausage - and insane drivers. That pretty much sums it up.

 

[Rykon Zero]

However, as a German speaker and having lived in Germany for a year, I noticed;

Clean streets - Yep.
Smokers - Dear god yep.
Nice clothes but awful haircuts - Ditto.
Horribly delayed trains - NEVER.
Fords and not just VAG or Mercs - I was in Wolfsburg, not the best authority here.
Very good sense of humour (It's just different) - Yes, a bit like the British. Tad dry, very self depreciating.
War guilt is on the wane - You have no idea how much the war was joked about.
Anglicisms and Anglicisation are widespread. And misused. - YES
Too many public holidays - Too many?
But excellent recycling culture and productivity - Somehow, definitely.
Friendly people - Just like my corner of the world, felt like I was at home.
Very hawt women - Just with more hot girls.

It's a nice place. I want to go back.

Yep, awesome place. I was seriously reminded of Seattle every moment. I didn't see the cold part, but maybe the southerners are more prone to being loud and partying.

 

[G.T.Ace]

Best.Thread.Ever.

Although I'm always getting slightly pissed off that so many people think Germany = Bavaria.

 

[Dennisch]

People who takes over our beaches as soon as the sun shines! Und kaulen graben!

 

[Johnnypenso]

Due to the fact that is an overall international place I`d like to know how you (not German) think about Germans/Germany.

What do you think is "typical German"?
What comes in your mind when you think of "Germany"?

I think it`s useful to know where you are coming from and how old you are.
(Just if you like to put down these informations.)

You can also post pictures which represent "German culture" in your opinion.
You can think in any direction. But please avoid forbidden statements which are against AUP.

I passed through Germany once on my way to Spain but never left the airport. Spent many years living in the city (200,000) in Canada with the heaviest concentration of German descent, Kitchener, formerly Berlin. Huge Oktoberfest every year which was a bonus, the town literally goes Oktoberfest mad. It's not Germany obviously, but a huge part of the population is of German descent and if it means anything, it's been my favourite place to live in Canada so far. Great family oriented town.

What pops into my head when I think of German is, industrious, hard working, like a good party, stubborn, obstinate, family oriented, efficient, precise, stuff like that.

 

[Liquid]

People who takes over our beaches as soon as the sun shines! Und kaulen graben!

But who's better at football?

[/pot stirrer]

 

[Encyclopedia]

Efficient, care about quality. Industrious etc.

I seem to be one of the few who actualy like german as a language. I think it sounds cool. A bit harsh perhaps, but cool.

 

[Johnnypenso]

But who's better at football?

[/pot stirrer]

Americans

 

[orimarc]

A lot of them live in the Balearic Islands, specially in Mallorca. And don't forget about the porn.

 

[Keef]

German immigrants are the main reason America grew to be the most productive country in the world. We sure as hell can't thank the Spanish, Italian, or French for that.

 

[Liquid]

I think it's 6/10 United States citizens who claim European ancestry claim German. Then Irish, then 'English'/British.

That's a hefty fraction.

 

[Lissa]

Having been fortunate enough to have traveled through Germany twice on our bike, I can say that all my preconceived notions about the German people being unfriendly were completely wrong. Everywhere we went we met nothing but the utmost friendliness and hospitality. We stopped off in one village not far from Weimar to have a drink and a bite to eat at a small cafe. The lady who came over to serve us asked if we were Dutch. When we replied that we were English, she ran all round the cafe telling the other staff and local customers. They had never had any English visitors there before. Everyone wanted to speak to us, to ask how we were enjoying our visit to their country, and they wouldn't let us pay for our food and drinks.

 

[Callum B]

Hard working, efficient, never do a half arsed job, strong, serious apart from RAMMSTEIN, beautiful women.
Also a fondness for massive moustaches...

 

[CodeRedR51]

I think it's 6/10 United States citizens who claim European ancestry claim German. Then Irish, then 'English'/British.

That's a hefty fraction.

Pretty sure my family is from Germany.

And when I think of Germany, I think....beer!

 

[Johnnypenso]

Having been fortunate enough to have traveled through Germany twice on our bike, I can say that all my preconceived notions about the German people being unfriendly were completely wrong. Everywhere we went we met nothing but the utmost friendliness and hospitality. We stopped off in one village not far from Weimar to have a drink and a bite to eat at a small cafe. The lady who came over to serve us asked if we were Dutch. When we replied that we were English, she ran all round the cafe telling the other staff and local customers. They had never had any English visitors there before. Everyone wanted to speak to us, to ask how we were enjoying our visit to their country, and they wouldn't let us pay for our food and drinks.

Nice...can I get the name of that cafe'?...lol. A little Canuck flag does wonders at breaking the ice in most places..

 

[Dennisch]

What? No reaction from Mel yet?

 

[Slash]

Nazi's. Please no one take offense to this, this is not something that I'm trying to offened anyone with. Ever since I learned in depth things about WWII I just can't look at Germany the same ever again.

 

[MSTER232]

Hard working, efficient, never do a half arsed job, strong, serious apart from RAMMSTEIN, beautiful women.
Also a fondness for massive moustaches...

This .

*snip* . Please no one take offense to this, this is not something that I'm trying to offened anyone with. Ever since I learned in depth things about WWII I just can't look at Germany the same ever again.

And this. But you might want to pray that a German native doesn't read your post . I can't look at Germany in the same way again either, don't blame you.

 

[Dennisch]

I learned in depth

You need to learn deeper.

 

[sumbrownkid]

Tend to make cars that go wonky after the warranty period ends...

 

[Pagey279]

You need to learn deeper.

+1

I currently live with a German girl, and a couple of my friends are German, and this is what I have picked up on:
Very patriotic.
Hard working to an extent, but procrastinate quite often.
Food lovers.
Beer lovers.
Very social, but sometimes they kind of try too hard, and it ends up a little awkward.
Good sense of humour.
Fond of house parties.
Music lovers.
Sporty.

Generally very very nice people, easy to get on with, you can have a laugh and have fun, but when the time calls you can have a rational serious conversation with them.

 

[Azuremen]

Nazi's. Please no one take offense to this, this is not something that I'm trying to offened anyone with. Ever since I learned in depth things about WWII I just can't look at Germany the same ever again.

That was 70 years ago, so you might want to learn a bit more and maybe, just maybe, reevaluate how you perceive the country. Or do you also hold Japanese concentration camps against the US, along with segregation and a lack of women's rights? Because those are all about that old (if not younger) than WWII. Saying you learned in depth about Nazi Germany from, I'm assuming, a high school history class and maybe an intro to World Civ class at college doesn't really qualify as deep.

As for the topic, my family hails from Germany. We have a decent set of old German books from the 1800's and my father spent several years in Berlin when they were building the wall. We also hosted some German exchange students and my brother then spent several months in Berlin as well visiting them. Thus, I feel I have a decently accurate perception of Germans, though somethings still baffle me, like the dislike for Turks in parts of the country and why Bavarians are so damn stubborn - my ex's mother is from Bavaria. That, and jokes about Hitler do not go over well - the exchange student did not like any of the Hitler Meme videos, regardless of subtitles. Could have to do with him speaking German, thus making the scene for than angry German sounds

 

[Slash]

That was 70 years ago, so you might want to learn a bit more and maybe, just maybe, reevaluate how you perceive the country. Or do you also hold Japanese concentration camps against the US, along with segregation and a lack of women's rights? Because those are all about that old (if not younger) than WWII. Saying you learned in depth about Nazi Germany from, I'm assuming, a high school history class and maybe an intro to World Civ class at college doesn't really qualify as deep.

As for the topic, my family hails from Germany. We have a decent set of old German books from the 1800's and my father spent several years in Berlin when they were building the wall. We also hosted some German exchange students and my brother then spent several months in Berlin as well visiting them. Thus, I feel I have a decently accurate perception of Germans, though somethings still baffle me, like the dislike for Turks in parts of the country and why Bavarians are so damn stubborn - my ex's mother is from Bavaria. That, and jokes about Hitler do not go over well - the exchange student did not like any of the Hitler Meme videos, regardless of subtitles. Could have to do with him speaking German, thus making the scene for than angry German sounds

I've taken it upon myself to really get into it...not just from a class. On my own time.

But I don't really care how long ago it was, it won't change my opinion on it.

Not that I'm hating on anyone. Simply not the case.