13 Little Known Facts About Germans I Learned After 6 Months Living in the Black Forest

The inhabitants of Germany have a different mentality, understandable only to the Germans themselves. No matter how many articles about this nation you read, these people will always find something to surprise you. For example, her love of vinegar, the eternal smell of fabric softener, and her lack of ambition.

An author of incredible.club lived 6 months in the Black Forest, a region in southwest Germany. During this time, he was able to highlight some peculiarities inherent in ordinary Germans and draw several curious conclusions about them.

The smile never leaves the faces of the Germans. Also, they are very open minded. But that doesn’t mean anything. A neighbor who has lived next door to you for several years can chat amiably on your doorstep and within minutes file a report to the police because
your car is parked a few inches off the line. At the same time, he can advise you to visit a psychologist if the complaint has given rise to emotional problems. “I live according to the letter of the law, and everyone around me is obliged to do the same” is the logic that guides the Germans.

Everywhere: in the supermarket, on the street, in public institutions… the persistent smell of fabric softener is always noticed, as if the clothes had not been rinsed after washing. But that doesn’t bother anyone. The clothes are clean and smell good, they seem to have found the secret of perfect happiness!

This can be seen at the checkout counter in any supermarket and felt in the prepared salads and restaurant dishes. All marinades include the mandatory addition of some variety of vinegar. Moreover, in significant quantities.

Of course, in most cases, the speed of procedures depends on a particular employee. But “on average”, the issuance of almost all documents is delayed beyond the regulatory period. The German bureaucratic machine is very slow due to the exaggerated moderation of its “leaders”. And the universal ability to write texts with ten fingers, without looking at the keyboard (this is a mandatory requirement for working in any office) does not speed up the process.

At nightfall, the streets of most small towns and villages in Germany are deserted. At this time, you will hardly find anyone in the central square. Most of the inhabitants of these places are already in their homes, since in the morning they have to get up early to go to work. However, there are those who go to pubs. But there are no people on the streets — of course, this observation applies only to small towns, and not to megalopolises like Berlin, Munich and Hamburg, where the nightlife is intense.

A paradox: Germany is known worldwide, firstly, for its loyal and tolerant attitude towards minorities of all colors of the rainbow, and secondly, as a very hospitable state, where everyone is equal: Turks, Syrians , Swedes, etc. However, native Germans have a very conservative opinion on this matter. But, being respectful of the law, they avoid expressing their opinion in a way that does not “violate rights”, “cause moral damage” or “insult”. Hundreds of lawyers in Germany have consolidated their businesses at the cost of clashes between politicians and ordinary citizens.

At the same time, drinking a beer in the company of their friends, Germans can afford to let out some practical jokes of all kinds in reference to minorities.

If you do not belong to the circle of trusted people, get ready for the fact that your German interlocutor will not want to talk about unpleasant events in the history of Germany and its inhabitants, will change the subject or remain silent. They don’t trust strangers when it comes to sensitive matters. The same applies to your views on migrants: their behavior, crimes or budget spending.

The average age of native Germans is progressively increasing. Currently, almost a third of the country’s population is retired aged 60 or over. Moreover, according to the forecasts of demographers, there is no tendency for this picture to change. Statistics are confirmed by a huge number of pensioners of different ages on the streets, shops and cafes. Naturally, this does not apply to large cities and university centers populated by young people who come from all over the country.

The reasons for this situation, paradoxical as they may seem, are high-quality medicine, professional care received by the elderly and, of course, the decline in birth rates. German women try to become mothers as late as possible, sometimes for professional reasons, or simply a refusal to trade personal freedom for diapers.

It is one of the reasons for the low mortality. First, of course, they save on heating, so inside their homes it’s cool, to say the least. Second, it is a habit created by generations from birth. First graders often run to school without wearing a hat or scarf, with their jackets unbuttoned at an ambient temperature of −3°C, while their grandmother opens all the windows in the house to ventilate the rooms. Therefore, in February, parkas and shorts coexist on the street without any problems.

Stress is a gold mine for psychologists, neurologists and other specialists in Germany, as the main value of life in German society is tranquility. Germans are very careful about their mental state. Let’s say, even obsessive. For example:

Umzugstress — the stress caused by change. That’s when you have to collect your belongings, put them in bags and boxes, worry about forgetting nothing and keep things in good condition, rent a truck, go out, spend your hard-earned money, and then sit back in your new home in the middle of many things. It seems like it’s a normal and current movement, but it’s not. It’s Umzugstress! Another such eccentricity is weekend stress. It’s just that during the weekend many do not have time to take a break from their daily routine, as a result of which the body does not rest, which affects productivity at work.

It may seem funny, but people end up spending a lot of money to pay for psychological therapy.

Of course, in restaurants you can order meat with any degree of cooking, from very well done to raw. But if it’s prepared by a native at home, don’t expect it to be succulent.

Germans can be happy doing monotonous work on the treadmill for 25 years. The country’s education does not promote ambitions, this is how the entire educational system works in Germany, starting with Early Childhood Education. Especially if the parents are representatives of the working class or employees living in the “work – home – Friday – weekend” mode, generously following television debates with local beer without getting up
from your favorite couch.

A technician who screws nuts all his life in a radio factory deep in the Black Forest is happy in his own way. In Germany, there are very few top managers, businessmen, people with ambitions in art, politics and science. Since childhood, most of the population has been motivated (especially thanks to school teachers) to perform unpretentious work. It is not easy to have ambitions in a country that offers social benefits of all kinds. Why do you need ambitions? They will give you everything according to the law.

They are Bavarians, Hessians, Swabians, Prussians and others. And they are very clearly distinguished, just as a Mexican is distinguished from a Colombian. And since self-irony is one of the most important qualities of Germans, they often joke with each other, publishing postcards on the issue of the difference in dialects and habits.

Do you know other peculiarities of the German mentality?