Stereotypes of Germans

According to the stereotype, in Germany, everything happens exactly as per schedule and Germans do not tolerate being late for any occasion and being proud of their punctuality.[4][5] Part of the contribution to this was the similar image of the German work ethic perceived 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". Though the German railroad system, which occasionally runs late, has been exempt from this stereotype.[6] The punctuality and discipline of the German people is also ridiculed by newspapers like the Guardian.[7]

Attachment to order, organisation and planning is a stereotype of German culture. Germany is perceived to have an abundance of rules and Germans are generalized as enjoying obeying them.[8] 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.[9]

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.'.[10]

For Germany perpetrating the Holocaust and starting World War II, Germans are often stereotyped as Nazis.[11] 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.[12] 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.

Germans are perceived to be stiff and humourless.[13][14][7] 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.[15] See: Anna Claire Gunter.

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

The word of kitsch comes from Germany, the word is German. A stereotypical example is the Garden gnome.[16]