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- Germans like ‘stability and structure’ because of nation’s fractured past
- Respected German institute produce video showing the difference between them and their foreign counterparts
PUBLISHED: 23:40 EST, 17 October 2013 | UPDATED: 07:20 EST, 18 October 2013
As the old stereotype goes, German people are always first to bag the sun loungers, and always last to say thank you.
The Goethe Institute, which is Germany’s equivalent of The British Council, claims that a number of factors could explain away the stereotype.
Famed for their punctuality, they also have a reputation for getting straight to the point – which can be perceived as rude by the British.
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Germans are stereotypically thought of as the first with their towels on the sunloungers (posed by models)
The explanation is that the country’s centuries old divisions may make some feel like they are ‘surrounded by enemies’.
Because of the nation’s fractured past, Germans hold stability, structure and order in high regard.
The Goethe Institute have produced a video which explain the misconceptions – and how Germans differ from people of different nationalities.
In the clip, a German man is seen standing upright and to attention with a handful of documents while the foreigner – possibly British – sits in a slouched position.
Christine Jansen of the Amsterdam branch of the Goethe Institute told website The Local: ‘We produced the films as a starting point of a discussion about cultural differences when doing business with Germans.’
She added: ‘The video-makers attribute Germans’ tendency to avoid personal matters in favour of getting straight to the point to history.
‘They say the historic division of Germany into several smaller states meant Germans were constantly surrounded by enemies and they kept themselves to themselves.’
But Jansen told The Local that the mention of Germany being surrounded by enemies was not a reference to the Second World War and that there had been some criticism of that part of the video.
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