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History

The German Saga - Who We Are

September 30, 2016

The German people are said to be punctual, orderly, and hard-working; they're known for their hearty dinners, and for public clean-up days. Historian Christopher Clark explains who the Germans really are.

https://p.dw.com/p/2Qb6u
Doku Deutschland Saga Teil 6 Christopher Clark
Image: ZDF

A 2013 BBC poll of people in 25 different nations showed that Germany is the world's most popular country. What was behind their choice? Still, Germans are often caricatured overseas as rabid aggressors with Hitler moustaches, or buxom Teutonic goddesses wearing spiked military helmets.

 

Doku Deutschland Saga Teil 6 Christopher Clark
Australian historian Christopher Clark asks, "What is typically German?" Is it beer, sausage, or that cozy atmosphere known as "Gemütlichkeit?"Image: ZDF

"German Angst"

In Episode 6 of "The German Saga," historian Christopher Clark presents some amusing and sometimes contradictory aspects of German life -- and also a few stereotypes that have their roots in German history. These include "German Angst" -- a concept often dismissed by foreigners as mere melancholy and pessimism. But some historians and psychologists say that this phenomenon has its origins in the armed conflicts that have plagued the German experience -- from the Thirty Years' War to World War II.

 

Doku Deutschland Saga Teil 6 Gartenzwerg
Germans like to keep things orderly -- even in their gardens. Recent estimates indicate that Germans own an estimated 25-million "garden gnome" figurines.Image: ZDF

Typically German

A number of other "typically German" characteristics -- such as a sense of thrift -- also have their origins in times of crisis: "Waste not, want not." Martin Luther has been quoted as saying, "A penny saved is better than a penny earned." So professor Clark is not in the least surprised that many Germans squeeze the last possible milligram of toothpaste out of the tube, turn off the lights when they leave a room, darn socks instead of throwing them away, and faithfully clip supermarket coupons from the papers. 

 

Living in Peace with Neighboring Countries

Germany enhanced its international image even further by hosting the 2006 football World Cup. The Germans have long since put their militaristic ways behind them -- and today, they are a generally happy and open-minded people. Christopher Clark has come to the conclusion that Germany wants to live in peace with its neighbors, not dominate them.  

 

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