Toggle navigation. German Culture Facts The culture of Germany includes its philosophy, music, literature, cinema, language, art, architecture, cuisine, design, sports, and religion. Germany's oldest settlements originate from the Romans and today are some of the countries urban centers. Although considered one of the most respected countries in the world today, Germany's image was severely damaged in the eyes of the world following World War II and the murder of over six millions Jews under the Nazis.
Literature in the German culture dates back to the Middle Ages with authors such as Wolfram von Eschenbach. The fairy tales of the brothers Grimm date back to the s in Germany.
People generally pay more respect to those with expertise, evidence of a higher education and experience.
One usually finds that the social hierarchy structures authority around these qualities. However, class barriers were largely broken down after World War II.
Most Germans had to rebuild their lives from scratch after losing most of their possessions or being displaced. Therefore, the class system is not deeply stratified; most Germans share the benefits of the strong middle class and receive a comprehensive, classical education. As in every society, there are those who do not have as much privilege; a proportion of the population is unemployed or underemployed.
Recent refugee and immigration arrivals from the Middle East and North Africa also tend to find themselves in lower-paying occupations. Nevertheless, the dominant German attitude tends to aspire towards ensuring that everyone has equal access to opportunity regardless of their social background. Privacy and Socio-Relational Boundaries.
Privacy is highly valued in Germany. People tend not to divulge a lot of personal information about themselves or discuss their political and social views when first meeting strangers. Some people may also prefer not to invite acquaintances to their homes on a regular basis, unless they have a close relationship. To foreigners, this can make Germans come across as distant. However, one can understand why privacy is so important when considering how it has been invaded by governments in the past.
For example, those living in Germany during the Cold War were subjects of one of the most expansive and repressive secret citizen surveillance networks in human history the Staatssicherheit or Stasi.
As such, some people are sensitive to sharing their personal information and take precautions to protect their privacy to the degree they feel personally comfortable with. Personal privacy is also important to maintain the socio-relational boundaries between people's professional and personal lives. Germans tend to compartmentalise leisure and work time, distinguishing their relationships with people into one of these spheres.
The social boundaries in this sense are quite strong. People generally keep a certain social distance from those they work with. Individuals are expected to downplay any personal friendships they have with colleagues whilst in the office to detach their emotions from business.
It can take some time for people to break through this social perimeter of privacy and the formality of the professional realm. This may give foreigners the impression that Germans are quite aloof. However, these boundaries dissipate among friends. This assertiveness combined with their reserved approach to strangers can produce a misjudgement of them as having a standoffish public demeanor.
Nevertheless, Germans usually become very open and personal once they find a common denominator with someone. From a German viewpoint, reserving warmth and friendly energy for those who are truly important to them gives their relationships greater integrity and value.
Personal friendships are deeply prized. The time and sincerity involved in building such relationships can make them particularly durable and loyal.
Organisation and Directness. Germans are known for being industrious, orderly and punctual. People generally like to understand the context to interactions and what is required of them in certain scenarios. Germans generally arrange to meet one another by clarifying exactly when and where they will be meeting, for how long and what they will be doing. Things are rarely left to chance.
Integration is a long-term process intended to ensure that all lawful and permanent residents are included in German society. The Federal, State and local governments all share the responsibility for ensuring this although it is acknowledged that integration also requires a major effort on the part of society. But university attendance still lags behind that in many other European nations. Germany prohibits home-schooling; however, this is still practiced by a number of people and there has been some campaigning for government prosecution of this practice.
The emphasis is on socialisation, debate, vocal participation in class and critical faculties. For a period of three years, you are an apprentice in the company. The practical parts of your job description are taught at the company, while the theoretical parts are mostly taught at vocational schools.
However, unfortunately, because of the subsidies given to companies taking part in the dual educational system, some companies have begun to train the apprentices for three years and then exchanged them for new apprentices with the attendant subsidies.
For higher qualified work, German companies expect German universities to complete the education of their potential employees. Training-on-the-job is either uncommon or simply an introductory activity for students, as companies demand ready-to-go employees from the educational system.
Business culture in Germany is encouraged during studies. Most German universities are State-owned and are very nearly free of charge. In Germany there are several academic degrees.
Traditionally, the lowest degree has been the Magister in Arts and the Diplom in Science and Engineering. Sometimes incorrectly regarded as an academic degree, the Habilitation Professur is the highest academic title in Germany. The Basic Law of grants every German citizen the right to self-fulfilment.
In theory, citizens are able to choose the type of education they want and are given access to their preferred occupation or profession. Bratwurst, a form of sausage, is closely associated with German food. Cabbage, beets, and turnips are commonly incorporated into meals, as they are native to the region, and potatoes and sauerkraut are also stars of German cuisine.
Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage, and the country is known as the birthplace of a number of beer varieties, including Pilsner, Weizenbier wheat beer and Alt. These beers were crafted according to Reinheitsgebot, or the "Purity Law," a 16th-century Bavarian law that decreed that beer could only be brewed from barley, hops and water, according to NPR.
Brewers used the yeast available in the air. Brandy and schnapps are also favorite German alcoholic beverages. Culture doesn't just refer to how people interact and look. With their penchant for precision and engineering, it is not surprising that Germans have a strong tradition of printmaking by woodcut and engraving.
There is also a strong representation of all phases of architecture — including Romanesque, Gothic, Classicist, Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance — represented in cathedrals, castles and public buildings. One well-known example of classic German art is the Brandenburg Gate , a former city gate that is now used to symbolize Berlin's unity. The desire for orderliness spills over into the business life of Germans.
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