Wikipedia

Stereotypes of Germans

Stereotypes of Germans include real or imagined characteristics of the German people used by people who see the German people as a single and homogeneous group.[2][3]

Germans were characterised as rapacious Huns during the First World War. This followed the Kaiser's Hun speech during the Boxer rebellion.[1]

Stereotypes among German people

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There exist stereotypes of Western Germans and Eastern Germans, Ossis.[4]

Positive stereotypes

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Extremely punctual people

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According to the stereotype, in Germany, everything happens exactly as per schedule and Germans do not tolerate being late for any occasion and are proud of their punctuality.[5][6] Part of the contribution to this was the similar image of the German work ethic perceived by American GIs in the postwar period: "Many West Germans are serious about their duties, keeping to their timetables, and do not enjoy many tea or coffee breaks". The German railroad system, which usually runs late, notoriously challenges this stereotype.[7][8][9] The punctuality and discipline of the German people has been ridiculed by The Guardian.[10]

Love of order

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Attachment to order, bureaucracy, organisation and planning is a stereotype of German culture. Germany is perceived to have an abundance of rules (for example, copyright trolls often come from Germany) and Germans are generalized as enjoying obeying them.[11] Jerome K. Jerome's novel Three Men on the Bummel makes fun of the perceived German craving for rules and passion in obeying them; the regimented life of German people is discussed in detail in this novel.[12][better source needed]

Negative stereotypes

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No small talk

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Some people think that the Germans are all straightforward and undiplomatic. The perceived inability of the Germans to engage in small talk and their unromantic nature are discussed by foreigners. As far as a German is concerned, 'A yes is a yes and a no is a no.'[13][better source needed]

Nazis

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For Germany perpetrating the Holocaust and starting World War II, Germans are often stereotyped as Nazis.[14] This stereotype, while now rare, persists to this day. After the war, the German people were often viewed with contempt because they were blamed by other Europeans for Nazi crimes. Germans visiting abroad, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, attracted insults from locals, and from foreigners who may have lost their families or friends in the atrocities.[15] Today in Europe and worldwide (particularly in countries that fought against the Axis), Germans may be scorned by elderly people who were alive to experience the atrocities committed by Nazi Germans or by veterans who had fought against the Nazis during World War II. This resulted in a feeling of controversy for many Germans, causing numerous discussions and rows among scholars and politicians in Post-War West Germany (for example, the "Historikerstreit" [historians' argument] in the 1980s) and after Reunification. Here, the discussion was mainly about the role that the unified Germany should play in the world and in Europe. Bernhard Schlink's novel The Reader concerns how post-war Germans dealt with the issue.

No sense of humour

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Germans are perceived to be stiff and humourless.[16][17][10] There are many popular culture references to perceived lack of humor in Germany, a notable example being the Funnybot episode of South Park. Edward T. Hall, an American sociologist and intercultural expert, has identified certain dimensions to explain cultural differences. He noted in particular that Germans tend to be task-oriented people, while the French, for example, seem to generally prefer personal relationships.[18]

Attitudes from specific countries

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The character Federico Von Pilsener, created by Pedro Subercaseaux and featured in a Chilean comic strip in 1906 and 1907, is based on stereotypes of Germans.

British tabloids often portray Germans negatively.[19]

In the course of the Greek government-debt crisis, Germany became a generalized object of critique as cruel and inflexible.[20]

Despite the enormous influence of German Romanticism upon Russian literature and intellectual life, in modern Russia, the stereotype of outward seriousness of the German people is the basis for further stereotyping that they are cold and unromantic people. The kindness of the average German may not be observed by tourists who may only notice a reluctance to deal with complete strangers.[21][better source needed] Russians, on the other hand, also have a positive stereotype of Germans due to being serious and punctual, as well as being good entrepreneurs, thus serving as an inspiration for Russians to develop.[22]

The United States has a mixed view on Germany. World War II movies in particular usually depict only German villains, rather than including Japanese or Italian characters.[23] Since the 1930s to modern day, Hollywood still portrays and makes use of Nazis as villains in films such as Captain America: The First Avenger, The Dirty Dozen, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Rocketeer, and Inglourious Basterds.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Andreas Musolff (January 2018), "The afterlife of an infamous gaffe : Wilhelm II's 'Hun speech' of 1900 and the anti-German Hun stereotype during World War I in British and German popular memory" (PDF), Pragmatics and Society, 9 (1): 75–90, doi:10.1075/ps.16026.mus
  2. ^ "The myth of the humourless German". BBC News. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  3. ^ Bertolette, William (2004). German stereotypes in British magazines prior to World War I (MA thesis). Louisiana State University. doi:10.31390/gradschool_theses.2740. S2CID 149288518. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Typically Ossi -- Typically Wessi". DW.COM. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  5. ^ Taylor, Paul (25 July 2017). "The dishonest Germans". POLITICO. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  6. ^ Zudeick, Peter (9 December 2012). "Germans and punctuality". dw.com. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  7. ^ Michelle (20 December 2012). "German Stereotypes…truths! lies! and more!". Confessedtravelholic.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  8. ^ Berry, Alex (1 January 2024). "Germany: A third of long-distance trains delayed in 2023". dw.com. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  9. ^ Smith, Rory; Eddy, Melissa (23 June 2024). "In Germany, a Tournament Runs Smoothly, but the Trains Do Not". nytimes.com. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  10. ^ a b Erlinger, Rainer (27 January 2012). "German stereotypes: Don't mention the towels". The Guardian. Süddeutsche Zeitung. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  11. ^ Zudeick, Peter (19 November 2012). "Order makes Germans' world go round". dw.com. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  12. ^ Simon T (5 December 2012). "Three Men on the Bummel – Jerome K. Jerome". Stuckinabook.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  13. ^ Schäferhoff, Nick (9 November 2014). "9 German Stereotypes That Are Straight Up True". Fluentu.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  14. ^ Heyer, Julia Amalia; Batzoglou, Ferry (29 February 2012). "When in Doubt, Call Them Nazis: Ugly Stereotypes of Germany Resurface in Greece". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 11 April 2019 – via Spiegel Online.
  15. ^ "Opinion: This is why Germany needs a new, enlightened patriotism". The Independent. 2 August 2019. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.
  16. ^ Bennhold, Katrin (23 December 2014). "A German Comedian in London: Working Out the War in Punch Lines". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  17. ^ McPherson, Amy. "Why people think Germans aren't funny". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  18. ^ Catherine (15 December 2015). "Seriously, do Germans have a sense of humor?". Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  19. ^ Multiple sources:
  20. ^ "Don't Blame Germany for Greece's Debt Crisis". Time. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  21. ^ Olga (27 March 2015). "8 False German Stereotypes". The Russian Abroad. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  22. ^ Þórðarson, Bjarki (2016). "Germany and Russia–Friends or Foes" (PDF). skemman.is. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  23. ^ Multiple sources:
  24. ^ Snyder, Eleanor Barkhorn, Spencer Kornhaber, Daniel D. (26 July 2011). "Nazis as Movie Villains: The Evolution of a Cliche". The Atlantic.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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