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Baden Baden Berlin Cologne Dortmund Dusseldorf Frankfurt Freiburg Garmisch-Partenkirchen Gelsenkirchen Hamburg Hanover Heidelberg Kaiserslautern Leipzig Munich Nuremburg Regensburg Stuttgart Trier TubingenGerman Culture: German Stereotypes
Robert Easton
We all know what Germans are like, don't we? The men are fat, and love beer, leather trousers, sauerkraut or bratwurst and beer, and have dodgy facial hair. The women are icy Teutonic beauties with blonde hair and blue eyes. Both sexes loathe inefficiency, love the Fatherland, have never been late for anything in their lives, and would secretly quite like to invade Europe, even if they have to do it via the EU. They speak perfect English, and eat about five meals a day. They don't know the meaning of the word Witz (joke in German). Well, that's the stereotype, let's check out how true it is. WeightIn spite of the modern trends in Germany away from heavy foods, obesity is still a big problem. In 1999 it was estimated that 47% of Germans were overweight and 11% were obese. So that part of the stereotype is true, but neither Britons nor Americans are going to feel particularly thin in Germany, their obesity rates are similar or worse: Stereotype 1 Political Correctness 0 Leather Trousers Lederhosen are part of the traditional dress of Bavaria, but not
everyone has a pair, and they wouldn't wear them every day if they
did. Even Bavarians have style.
Beer GutsA recent survey of 35,000 people showed that the average German
adult drank 120 litres of beer per
year, 16 litres more than the average British adult, and that 17
per cent of German adults believe the point of drinking is to get
drunk. On the other hand, there is no evidence to suggest Germans
are any more or less likely to floss than anyone else. Good for
them, bad for political correctness. Sauerkraut and Bratwurst There's no denying Germans love a nice big sausage with their
pickled cabbage, but things are changing and you will now find restaurants
from every country you can think of in most German cities. Half
a point each: Dodgy Facial Hair Take a deep breath. This one is actually true. Some, not all,
but some German men are very proud of their luxurious facial hair.
The World Beard and Moustache Championships will take place in Berlin,
on October 1st 2005 (www.worldbeardchampionships.com).
Germans are very prominent in this minority spectator sport. Many
cities in Germany have beard clubs where bearded men can get together
and enjoy the camaraderie of looking like bears
Blonde Hair and Blue Eyes Yes and no, but mostly no. Some Germans do have blonde hair and
blue eyes. You'll find more blondes in Germany than you would in
say, China, but no more than in many Northern European countries. Terrifying EfficiencyPublic Transport is almost always on time in Germany, and if you agree to meet some friends at eight o'clock, they will be annoyed if you stagger in at nine with an impish grin on your face saying you got lost between the bierkeller and the bus stop. On the other hand, Germany has a government and is part of the EU, so half a point each. Stereotype 4 Political Correctness 3 World DominationThe German parliament is dominated by moderate centre-left parties,
but the Socialists and Greens also have more support than in some
Western European Countries. There are regular rallies against the
far right and they are very well attended. Why would Germans want
to invade the world anyway? Germany has the best food and beer already. Sprechen Sie Englisch?The stereotype is not too far wrong on the English-speaking question,
a lot of Germans speak very good English. Vorsprung durch Slapstick and Stand-upGermans have a fantastic sense of humour, able to find lots to
laugh about where no one else can. Here are two German jokes: An
American and an Italian meet in a tavern. The American says: "Give
me your hammer and I will build an aircraft carrier for you!" The
Italian says: "Give me your daughter and I will make you the crew!"
Why are old women even worse at parking than younger women? Because
their hearing gets worse as they get older. Well, I thought they
were quite funny Overall then, the Germans are pretty fond of their beer, Bratwurst and beards, aren't too blonde, don't wear leather trousers much, don't want to invade the world, do have a sense of humour, and have arguably one of the most representative governments in the world. Five points each for Stereotypes and Political Correctness, a draw overall, but a moral victory for all those that love German culture. Related ArticlesBaden Baden Berlin Cologne Dortmund Dusseldorf Frankfurt Freiburg Garmisch-Partenkirchen Gelsenkirchen Hamburg Hanover Heidelberg Kaiserslautern Leipzig Munich Nuremburg Regensburg Stuttgart Trier Tubingen
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