What do you think about Germans?  or what are some stereotypes ?
831892
I lived in Germany for four years and I absolutely loved it!  I want to go back.  Here are some stereotypes, good and bad.\n\nBAD - Many of them have type A personalities.  They ask very personal questions to almost total strangers or political questions like "what do you think about Bush".  They don't take nudity seriously - they get naked in front of anybody without any hesitation.  Because they have such type A personalities, they can be really rude, especially on the road.  They don't speak to people who they don't know.  So if you're walking down the street and you say "Guten Morgen", they'll just look at you crazy and keep walking.  The women don't mind having REALLY hairy armpits.  Some people believe that the not-so-well-off German women (the have nots) want to marry an American man so that she can get a green card.  \n\nGOOD - Food, beer.  Need I say more?  Once they know you, they are REALLY friendly.  They have almost photographic memories.  So don't try to lie to a German.  Americans tell white lies to try not to hurt someone's feelings, but Germans will call you on it.  The health care is EXCELLENT.  I had both of my babies in German hospitals and we were treated with great care.  Their villages are really clean.  They are family oriented.  The Polizei are friendly and ARE really there to protect and serve, unlike American police who are widely known to view everyone as a suspect.  I have NEVER been afraid of the Polizei.  They are healthy people.  You can see an elderly person on a bike or taking a walk in almost any village.  They are smart, especially as far as engineering.  I have never felt racial prejudice from German people, there are a small few who might not be too crazy about Americans, but they don't seem to be racist, which might be a surprise to many Americans.  Many people believe that only Germans live in Germany, but you can find people from many different races and countries in Germany.  People think that there are no Jews in Germany, since the war.  But you can find many Jews living in Germany, very happily.  Orthodox Jews, too.  They protect the environment.  EVERYONE recycles, which is not the norm in America.  They love animals.\n\nI can go on and on, but that's just some of the stereotypes that I know of.  And oh yeah, I'm an american from the south, so I was used to the southern hospitality thing.  So it was a big shock to me that when I would go to the market and say "Guten tag" to people and they wouldn't speak back.  When I learned that this was their norm, it was OK.  And then after seeing a few of the same people again, they began saying hello to me.  OH YEAH!  I absolutely LOVED the castles!  OMG!  They have such a long and beautiful history despite all of the Nazi stuff.  Many people think that most Germans have blonde hair and blue eyes, which is not true.  There are as many blondes in Germany as in any other country.
1107522
My German's not the greatest but, \n\nDie Deutsche sind schlecht an fussball\n\nAnd by the way, the next time you want to pretend you speak another language, you should do a better job of it. -_-
155151
I lived in germany for 17 years.  I also speak the language quite well, sorry to say that that word means nothing to me!
609026
It's not offensive at all... They were not such a well-intended guys. Well, I'm from Romania and if someone asks me if i speak german.. i just say "no, i don't".
246942
I always wondered that to.  Why did the Germans hate them so much?
520320
Different cultural perspectives in America?  Germany?  Japan?  Be more specific and I probably can help you.
584942
sure, Germans are funny, and enjoy a joke as much as anyone, but are wary of auslanders, so it takes a while to see it. And bravo to all the individuals who use this question to draw a link to the nazi party. Glad to see the youth of today is always willing to remind us Germans and German Americans that despite what we've accomplished since the dark days, we're still jew-hating killers. I mean, I forget sometimes, and then "POW", right in my face. It's better than coffee. (jackasses)
1131289
I am not German, but English. I have read Mein Kampf in German and also the translation into english. You can read in parts how Hitler was a genious in his earlier days, but also the points where his reasoning went slightly astray. ie "Give me an army behind me, a minority to hate and I will rule the world"  Bit like Bush really, come to think of it !!!!
74941
Ahh. Finally an intelligent, meaningful, properly spelled and punctuated question.\n\nIn my educated opinion:\n\n1) Because of the way the German people were treated after World War I came to an end. The Americans, French, and English foolishly did not offer any aid to the Germans, but instead allowed the economic conditions in Germany to deterioriate. After WWI, Germany experienced a hyperinflation that, in practical terms, meant that the average person's standard of living got worse every month. People were quite unhappy, and Hitler exploited this unhappiness by pointing to a scapegoat: the Jews. (Please note that the opposite happened after World War II because of the Marshall Plan.)\n\n2) Because of a continuing and underlying hatred of Jewish people, not only in Germany, but across Europe. In my opinion, this hatred was not only tolerated, but to some extent encouraged, by the Catholic church. It goes back to the ridiculous idea that Jesus Christ was killed by Jews. When Hitler offered up the Jews as scapegoats, many Germans agreed with the concept.\n\n3) The unquestioning loyalty to goverment and country of the German people, and the unwillingness of good people to speak out before it was too late. See below.\n\n4) Hitler's brilliance as a motivator and public speaker.\n\n5) The average person's well-founded fear of Hitler's government.\n\nHere is a famous quotation from Martin Niemoller:\nFirst they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—\nbecause I was not a communist;\nThen they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—\nbecause I was not a socialist;\nThen they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—\nbecause I was not a trade unionist;\nThen they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—\nbecause I was not a Jew;\nThen they came for me—\nand there was no one left to speak out.\n\nTHANK YOU for asking this question.
160342
Although I understand that there have been government reforms in recent years, in the past, being born in Germany did not necessarily grant citizenship.  There has been much discussion for years about the "Gastarbeiter" - "Guest-Workers" mostly from Turkey who were brought to Germany after World War II.  Many of the grandchildren of these Gastarbeiters still were not given citizenship despite the fact that they and their parents were born and raised in Germany.\n\nI would like to also say that I find the reference to an "Arian" ideal in the post below both ignorant (it's misspelled) and offensive.  The Aryan race was invented by the Nazis to justify their genocide against Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, and other minority groups.  It does not correctly typify pre-Nazi ideals about German ethnicity, nor does it represent what German citizenship means today.  \n\nIt is also silly to call Germany's citizenship system "primitive."  While the post below holds French immigration policy in high regard, it ignores the fact that France is leading the way in modern Europe toward oppressive and restrictive laws aimed at Muslims and other ethnic groups.\n\nWhile Germany certainly ought to rid itself of the "Gastarbeiter" class, to continue Nazi stereotypes while glorfying a similarly faulty system is silly and unhelpful.
271346
This perception begins with the fact that the Germanic languages (also the Slavic) are, in fact, by the very SOUNDS they use, and their sound patterns, more "gutteral" than those languages --such as the Romance languages or Hawaiian--which make far more use of VOWEL sounds.  \n\nBut this is not the whole of it.   There are historical and cultural factors that come into play, including how people tend to view the PEOPLE who speak a particular language, and their culture or sub-culture.\n\nTo appreciate the particular attitudes toward German, it may help to note that native speakers of German have a number of different accents, BUT the one that others most often *think of* as 'the' German accent is one of the harsher ones, viz., that of Adolf Hitler.   The fact that it is Hitler-esque German many of us are most used to hearing (in WWII movies, for example) and usually from very unsympathetic characters (esp. Nazis) certainly adds to the perception.\n\nWhen I say this particular dialect was "harsher" I have in mind not just the sounds they use (noted at the start), nor the perceptions of outsiders... but that of native German speakers themselves!    In the mid-70s, when I visited Germany, I was intrigued to discover that many GERMANS thought that the Hitler's type of accent (from Austria, where he was born) was particularly harsh and would make fun of it!     (The folks I stayed with who shared this attitude were themselves from the Dresden area of East Germany.)\n\nThere are many other instance of these views among German speakers.  For instance, Schiller, the great German poet and playwright of the early 19th century had great difficulty in marketing his own work, because when he read it aloud people were put off by his harsh accent (from the Black Forest region); but when they read it themselves they were impressed!\n\nIn fact, this is not so very different from what English speakers do amongst themselves -- certain types of accents are considered harsh or backwards by many English speakers (e.g., 'New Jersey' accents, 'mountain' accents from parts of the U.S. South, 'cockney'), whereas others are widely esteemed and enjoyed as genteel, refined, etc.  (History & views of superior or dominant culture play a role here too.)\n\n(In point of fact there are actually a number of different German DIALECTS that are quite distinct from the "High German" of eastern Germany that became the official formal dialect, not only because of the political dominance of "Prussia", but the cultural significance of those who spoke this dialect, beginning perhaps with Martin Luther & his Bible.)\n\nThere are doubtless other cultural factors that have, over the centuries, contributed to outsiders' perceptions (and even those of natives!) of what is pleasant and what is not.  At times this is unfortunate, since it can prevent people from exploring and appreciating artistic and cultural attainments.  Many with no real acquaintance with German, for instance, have no idea of the power and beauty of the verse of Goethe (which I'd put up against ANY French poet of the last three centuries!)
958221
The incredible variety of German beers (Pilsner, Lager, Altbier, Bockbier, Maibock, Doppelbock, etc.) and the history of the Reinheitsgebot (German beer purity law). \n\nOr talk about the nude sunbathers in the Englischer Garten (or along the Baltic coast).\n\nI'd say either one of these subjects would be highly entertaining.
1125317
that it will be a interesting game which germani has the presure of being the local and rep chek. dont have that much to loose everyone is fighting for the same thing but like i say germans have the presure of being in their own country, soil, people, so they must do a good job. :D
99337
Pretty good\nSee this list of facts\nhttp://www.germany-info.org/relaunch/politics/german_us/facts.html
638690
Bonjour\n\nHmm I don't think I'm able to speak on behalf of all us English (despite their please for me to ascend to the throne). However the French have a mixed reputation over here - they are seen as cultured, good food, good wine, fine fashions, great lifestyle...however they are seen as a bit too quick to hold Europe hostage whenever they have an internal labour dispute (think tractors blocking ferry ports, air traffic control on strike). We've been quite jealous of their soccer success in recent times. We don't think you're much good at wars. You and Germany are trying to centralise and control Europe. We don't like Chirac and we were all very happy when we won the 2012 Olympics. You have very cheap houses. Your employment laws are a bit strange (especially this whole idea of not being able to make people redundant). You tend to be a bit introspective and sulky (think Albert Camus - although I don't believe he was French born). We don't like the way you try to make everyone speak French (Olympics, FIFA etc) when everyone else in the world seems to want to speak English - even your own Government had to legislate to protect your language I believe. You're well educated. Your economy is struggling (but is in better shape than the Germans). \n\nOK those are my off the cuff comments. Hope that helps.\n\nAu revoir\n\nPS Paris is startlingly dirty!
998880
I find that really strange too! I do not go around saying that i am German-American. I am American and so are those black Americans. JUST AMERICAN.
197234
I was stationed in Germany...and had heard all the rumors about "hearty German Woman".  I had only been in country about 2 weeks and "the regulars" took "the newbies" out to a VERY German bar.  \n\nI not only drank ALOT of German beer....I did ALOT of banana schnapps  << did I spell that right...anyway.  So a little into the evening I am feeling AMERICAN and GIRLY and I loudly yell in a crowded, smoke infested room of old German men......"BIG BREASTED GERMAN LADY, BRING ME A BEER NOW".......!  I don't know the look on anyone ones face when I said it, I was too caught up in my moment....BUT...I did hear their cheer when she brought me a brimming beer and said in PERFECT ENGLISH......"HERE SMALL TITTY GIRL.....SOMEDAY YOU WILL WISH YOU HAD WHAT I DO"!\n\nConclusion:  I passed out....they brought me home.....they plopped me on the top bunk.....I fell.  I puked banana for the next 2 days.....I now wish my Grandma was German.  Go figure!