Culture denotes the knowledge and traits of a specific group of individuals, described by all things from arts, cuisine, language, social habits, and religion. Germany is regarded as one of the most influential and successful European nation. It is a nation that is well-known for its accomplishments in engineering. In addition, it has catalyzed a majority of the globe’s great composers, philosophers, and poets. The culture of Germany varies across regions depicting diversity in the thoughts of the population. The culture of Germany is affected by numerous factors such as the two world wars, which split the nation into East and West Germany, and its reunification that formed the Oktoberfest. The vast culture of Germany has numerous influences that molded it into its current state.
Germans highly prioritize punctuality, structure, and privacy. The Germans often encompass the values of hard work and productiveness and there place high emphasis on time. According to Stubbs (19)”the German people are contented when they organize and classify their environment into manageable units. As such, time is carefully managed, and the schedules, calendars and agendas need to be respected.” Furthermore, the Germans are enduring individuals striving for accuracy and perfectionism in every feature of their lives. Germans are known for not admitting faults, even humorously, and they seldom give out commendations. A first encounter with a German might depict an unfriendly attitude, but they believe in social conscience and a sense of community.
Germany celebrates most of the normal Christian holidays, such as Easter and Christmas. In addition, Germans celebrate Oktoberfest as part of their culture to mark the reunification of East and West Germany. In current times, Germany’s traditional clothing is only worn in special events like festivals and weddings. The Oktoberfest is one event that Germans dress in their full traditional attire. The tradition began in 1810, with the wedding of Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen and Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria. During the event, the men dress in their Lederhosen and women dress in their Dirndl with vibrant colors, which are part of Germany’s traditional attire.
The food in Germany is different. Germans prefer rich, hearty cuisine, although every German region has its own preference of their traditional meals. In addition, Germans include beer as part of their culture and it is the most common alcoholic drink. The nation is recognized as a birthplace of several beer varieties, which include Weizenbier, Pilsner, and Alt. The beers are crafted based on the “Purity Law” or Reinheitsgebot, which is a 16th-century Bavarian law stating that alcoholic beverages would only be prepared from barley, water and hops (Stubbs 19) Brewers utilized the yeast existing in the air. In addition, schnapps and brandy is a favorite German alcoholic beverage.
Germans are mostly Protestants or Catholic. In the local community, the priest or minister is part of the publicly recognized set of the local dignities, which encompasses local business leaders, school officials, and governmental officials. The Roman Catholic priests are the local agents of the global church hierarchy found in Rome. On the other hand, the protestant ministers signify Lutheran, United or Reformed churches, which are prepared at the regional states level.
Germans have numerous stereotypes. One of the stereotypes is that Germans make the best engineers as observed in their products such as the Mercedes Benz. Likewise, in the world of business and generally, Germans are identified as straight shooters. The trait is sometimes depicted as being impolite, particularly in the cultures that prefer indirect communication. Part of the reason for this stereotype is the goal-oriented nature of Germans when interacting. They desire getting straight to the point to save time. In addition, Germans are more reserved when compared to Americans as they rarely talk to people on the streets.
Another stereotype is the punctuality associated with Germans. Germans prefer being early than late. Punctuality is observed as a respectful gesture to the individual that one is meeting. In the event that a German is late, they will apologize and attempt to make up for the lateness. Furthermore, Germans have been stereotyped as being cold and humorless. The reason is because the personal space bubbles of the German people are bigger than in other nations. Thus, the Germans often treat strangers formally, particularly during the first meeting. When it comes to football, Germans are known to love football and pride in their national team and the regional league teams.
Germans stereotype other nations and their people. For instance, the Germans identify the French as arrogant. Several historians assert that the stereotype is the outcome of the international policies of the non-alignment following the Second World War, which was started by De Gaulle. In addition, the Germans perceive the French as great lovers but they lack hygiene.
Germans appear to have a vivid image of the Spaniards. They perceive Spain as the nation that always parties, with beautiful women. In addition, the Germans and most of other European nations believe that the Spanish people are lazy and loud but passionate in character. According to Stubbs, “The noise, beach, and fiestas, are the goods that the Spaniards traded abroad to minimize its economic issues”. On the other hand, the Germans perceive the French speaking Swiss as extremely rigid. As such, the Germans perceive the Swiss as being rude, even though the rest of the world views Germans as rude.
The Germans stereotype Africans based on what they see on TV and social media. They perceive Africans as strong and masculine, and speak improper English. In addition, they associate Africans with Rap, athletics, or Basketball. For instance, the Germans view Kenyans as athletic based on the good world records they have broken in major global athletic tournaments.
Furthermore, Germans have diverse stereotypes regarding the Americans. Germans believe that Americans are superficial. The reason is because of the celebrity culture of Americans and their love and praises of their lavish lifestyle. In addition, their superficial nature is observed by their lack of consideration for poor people. In Germany every individual is entitled to specific benefits. If a German citizen is unable to afford a house, clothes, food, or health care, they are assisted through various government programs. Americans are stereotyped as dumb by Germans due to their lack of Knowledge of the rest of the Globe. For instance, A German might identify where New York is but and American might not even know the biggest city in Germany. However, Americans are known in Germany as being very friendly and good at small talk.
Germany is regarded as one of the most influential and successful European nation. It is a nation that is well-known for its accomplishments in engineering. The traditions and culture of Germany have existed for years. The culture varies across regions depicting diversity in the thoughts of the population. The nation has endured numerous issues that have helped form its culture. Through the experiences, the German population in current years started finding the identity of the nation and has pride in the nation’s accomplishment. Regardless of the struggles experienced by Germany in the past, its rich legacy is seen through their cuisine, literature, art, festivals, and architecture. The culture of the Germans is centered on efficiency, punctuality, and discipline.
- Stubbs, Michael. “German loanwords and cultural stereotypes.” English Today, vol. 14, no. 01, 2011, p. 19.
