1. History

2. Positive stereotypes
    Extremely punctual people  Love of order 

3. Negative stereotypes
    No small talk  Nazis  No sense of humour  German women 

4. Wrong stereotypes

5. The kitsch

6. See also

7. References

8. External links

History

After the German reunification in 1990, the fear of nationalistic misuse of Pan-Germanism nevertheless remained strong. The overwhelming majority of Germans today are not chauvinistic in nationalism, but in 2006 and again in 2010, the German National Football Team won third place in the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, igniting a positive sense of German pride, enhanced by success in sport. For decades after the Second World War, any national symbol or expression was a taboo.^[2] However, Germans are becoming increasingly patriotic.^[2][3][4]

There exist stereotypes of Western Germans Wessis, especially Besserwessis (people who always know better), and Eastern Germans Ossis.^[5]

Positive stereotypes

Extremely punctual people

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.^[6] Part of the contribution to this was the similar image of the German work ethic seen 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". An exception is the German railroad system, which occasionally runs late.^[7]{{Better source|reason=User generated source. Reliable sources needed for any assertions.|date=September 2016}} The punctuality and discipline of the German people is also ridiculed by newspapers like the Guardian.^[8]

Love of order

Attachment to order, organisation and planning is a trait of German culture. Germany has an abundance of rules and Germans appear to enjoy obeying them.^[9] 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.^[10]{{Better source|reason=User generated source. Reliable sources needed for any assertions.|date=September 2016}}

Negative stereotypes

No small talk

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."^[11]{{Better source|reason=User generated source. Reliable sources needed for any assertions.|date=September 2016}}

Nazis

Due to collective guilt attributed to Germany and the German people for perpetrating the Holocaust and starting World War II, Germans are often stereotyped as Nazis. 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. 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. Bernard Schlink's novel The Reader concerns how post-war Germans dealt with the issue.

No sense of humour

Germans are perceived to be stiff and humourless.^[8] They are presented this way in the Funnybot episode of South Park. At work, the Germans are very serious, but in their free time, they are completely different. Edward T. Hall, an American sociologist and intercultural expert, has identified certain dimensions to explain cultural differences. He noted in particular that the Germans are task-oriented people, while the French for example prefer personal relationships. ^[12] See: Anna Claire Gunter.

German women

There are assumptions that German women are cold and unromantic. Some people even assume that German women are unable to cook.

Wrong stereotypes

Some of the popular assumptions about Germans can be quite imaginative. The outward seriousness of the German people can lead to assumptions that they are cold and unromantic people. The kindness of the average German may not be observed by the casual tourist who only notices a reluctance to deal with perfect strangers.^[13]{{Better source|reason=This is a personal blog. Reliable sources needed for any assertions.|date=September 2016}}

The kitsch

The idea of kitsch comes from Germany, the word is German. A stereotypical example is the Garden gnome.^[14]

See also

• Stereotype
• Stereotypes of Jews
• Stereotypes of South Asians
• Stereotypes of Americans
• Stereotypes of African Americans
• Three Men on the Bummel, an English novel by Jerome K Jerome, set in 19th-century Germany

References

External links

• Stereotype. Was ist typisch deutsch?

• The West siblings
• The West Side Highway
• The West Side Highway (Oregon)
• The West Side Historic District
• The West Texas Outlaws
• The Westville Cutoff
• The West Virginia Senate
• The Westward Journey
• The Westway
• The West Wind (disambiguation)
• The West Wing episodes
• The west wing episodes
• The West Wing (season 6)
• The West Wing (season 7)
• The West Wing (TV Series)
• The Westwood Mall
• The Westwood Press
• The Wetback Hound
• The Wetherby News
• The Wetlands
• The Wets at the Castle
• The Wexford Carol
• The Wexford Girl
• The W Files
• The 'W' Files