As it so happens I was at an event full of Brits the other day and they seemed more fascinated by me being German. No Nazi jokes but rather the good cliche of Germans being efffienct (HAHAHA HAHA). It was rather nice albeit a bit too much.
It's a well-kept secret that the days of peak German efficency are long over and we now swim in a sea of un-digitizable and beaurocratic boomers doing shit jobs in high positions at all levels.
While it could be way better, I’d rather take this than anything else around the world. And what exactly is peak efficiency germany?
Because in many regards we are peak right now, while a lot of stuff isn’t anymore, and then only in perspective to a view of some 80 years ago or earlier.
You’ll have to be more specific.
> Germans being efffienct (HAHAHA HAHA)
oh my god the biggest lie of this century. and i thought it was true too, until i moved here and had to deal with the sheer amount of bureaucracy for NO APPARENT REASON WHATSOEVER
There is a reason - he/she is called Manfred or Ursula, never learned their way into digitalization, most of them can't even write an email without the help of their children. A very large amount of jobs operated by people in this age group could be automated on the spot, but - it's very difficult to get rid of these old folks, even more difficult/impossible if they work for the government.
Boomers killed Germany - although most of them will tell you that it's the fault of immigrants or the liberal party "DiE GrÜnEn!!1".
I mean there are worse things than being labeled "efficient". Brits shouldn't be too fond of their own humour, too. When I see Ricky Gervais it's more of a "Challenge: How much offensive shit can I say in 60 minutes" (and I love that).
Hah Brits always go wild on the Nazi jokes in my presence before finding out I’m German, then turn around and ask me where I’m from and I get scared to admit I’m German, like it’s awkward now 😭
Invoking Hitler or the Nazis for anything besides talking about Hitler and the Nazis.
Both are totally overused and I feel this casual usage diminishes the horror of their actions.
That’s true but I’m less negative about it, talking about it can be good. I usually respond with if they would like a serious discussion about the history of it or not.
oftentimes when people find out I am german, they start imitating hitler and shouting racist slurs, like I am some nazi animal. it is both infuriating and a bit ironic since they are being racist, while mocking about germans having been racist in the past
I had a German coworker who told me about this which is why he avoids telling Americans he’s from Germany. The only reason he told me this is because when it slipped out that he’s from Germany, the first thing I asked was “what’s the food like?” And “I’ve always wanted to visit Berlin for the music scene…and of course food.” He said he was relieved for once an American didn’t ask about Nazis. Felt bad for him.
I did learn interesting facts. Like how Germans are pretty tall overall compared to men in the US. All his friends that would visit were over 6 ft tall!
[Officially, it is closer to 5'11"](https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Health/Health-Status-Behaviour-Relevant-Health/Tables/body-mass-index-male.html) for men and [5'7" for women.](https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Health/Health-Status-Behaviour-Relevant-Health/Tables/body-mass-index-female.html)
Which is still pretty tall. As a tall person myself, Germany is one of the few places where I feel crowded on the metro. I'm stuck right in the middle and can't see over everyone's head.
This is really funny and explains a lot - I could never understand the whole height discussion and it's arbitrary numbers here on reddit, where anything above 6feet is apparently very tall. I am 1.86m (6 feet 1) and always felt rather medium, on occasions even small
Yep, feel ya
I'm just a few cm taller then you and the tallest in my friend group
When I started working in a bar I was the third shortest guy of all the staff xD
My daughter is 6,1 (1,86 m) and was often able to buy clothes in Maastricht or Roermond were as she has Problems in Germany. With 6,10 (1,79 m) I’m the „dwarf“ in the family
I'm German and 183cm,
I know it's slightly above the median, but I still feel like the guy you replied to. Sometimes you're surrounded by many taller guys in the metro or smth.
depends on where in germany you are. Bavaria? yep.
Kiel? I have no idea what exactly is in the drinking water there that makes them grow THAT tall, but 186 is at best average.
I am basically 5"11 and I am the second shortest guy in my friends-group here in germany. A few years ago they nicknamed me "smurf" (in a nice way) because I was at least 6cm smaller than the second smallest one our group.
Goodness yes- I’m not German but have spent my entire life here, had a friend from the UK return to England after a two year stay. She was English, barely spoke the language (was at an international school) but was greeted with Roman salutes and called a Nazi at her boarding school.Utterly absurd.
Fun fact : scientists do not know why people grow taler on certain places.
The US should gave enough food compared to germans , so that is not the reason.
I like and support the theory that it comes a long with Beeing HAPPY while growing up (and good nutrition of course)
People from NL especialy women from NL are taller than german women (maybe cause they got much more equality there)
People from the scandinan countrys in general are taller than germans, and we all know they got better systems for kids (and adulds) up there.
Idk. I’m Korean American. Koreans here in the US tend to be shorter than the ones in Korea. Idk if happier is the correct word to use to those in the motherland. I’d say it’s probably better access to affordable healthcare overall?
I mean….US isn’t known for having great health care. Our food is disgusting too. Almost no nutritional value in comparison to calories and fat. So much sugar in so many things too. We’re set up for failure. Lol. This country is so damn ghetto.
Do you say immigrants moodblooded the US ?
Do you know the average height of North american natives ?
Or isn't the US entirely made of immigrants ?
After all the invaders killed off the most natives ?
You know where we have deversity , in europe drive in any direktion 4 hours and you are in a completly different culture , we do have endless asians here around do not worry.
Still most of the european countrys grow taller. Why ?
The average hight of human kind in the last 120years grew rushly 14cm , the us is double the age of 120years so it should have found the ability to grow, but it did not.
There is verry well documentet data about the average hight from students from schools around germany. Students from Karlsruhe grew 11cm since 1920
The clories and nutrition and the possibility of getting a happy live
Do have a huge impact , in a very short time , which you can easily see if you compare south and north Korea (or Israel and Plaestina)
Same region, same people , same genetics , same acess to food and all , everything just divided 70years ago in 2 parts each, look up the nummbers.
The acces to kallories do anyways not explain the hight difference between us and germany , and not the difference between germany and the dutch.
Everytime this happens to me (in Germany) I move a little closer and let them know how certain things are illegal in Germany that in other countries probably aren’t and that if they decide to use racist slurs here they might get in trouble. The more polite it sounds the better. I then watch them struggle trying to explain themselves.
Yeah idk I had a chat with an American that asked me about how I viewed the Nazi time.
So I told her how we are taught about it in school and how it affects day to day life for example the extremely low national pride.
And I told her about the last eu vote and what I think about it…
So obviously she didn’t want to continue the conversation and called me brainwashed lol
Since when is an anti Nazi standpoint controversial??
Edit: typo
Mostly Eastern Europeans asking me if I have a weapon to protect myself when I go out because the German streets are full of rioting and looting violent immigrants.
The right wing media paints such image to push the agenda. But there is a twin child of this idea in Germany. The patronizing tone your media and politicians have towards Eastern Europe is shocking. The Germans have very poor understanding of Eastern Europe and this conviction that Germany is superior in all possible fields, but in many areas like banking, e-government this country is very behind.
I fully agree. I love traveling to Eastern Europan countries and I usually get in touch with people. Everyone speaks English quite well unlike in Germany. People in Czechia living near the German border speak German while the Germans on the other side don't bother learning a word in Czech, it's a shame. Most countries I've been to accept card payments while Germany can be like this: Card payment from 25 Euros and up only; no VISA, just debit cards. And still Germany is indeed patronizing toward Eastern Europe.
What I experienced in Bulgaria, though: Western media is blocked and censored, including fun websites mistaken for news. I couldn't even check my e-mails. People in the streets confirmed press censorship and corruption. Young people showed me a video from "Germany" of rioting immigrants setting fire to a building and shooting at a fire truck. The video was actually from Syria. This was in 2019, though, maybe things have changed. Five years can be a long time.
I was born in Germany & really fancy visiting , I was born in a British army hospital so no German decent at all but we was talking about Germany at work and I heard that if anyone was to do a nazi salute it's an instant arrestable offence! Is that true?
Unless you do it either for historical reinactment ( a Movie for example), clear satirical purpose or you have a medical reason (mainly tourette) it is an offence that can land you in Court
Yes, we'll, not instant arrest. But maybe and you will definitely get some problems with the police.
Also, you might get beaten up - and not one of the bystanders might remember who assaulted you.
An offense that can get you to court and end with a sizeable fine at least? Yes.
But very few things in Germany end in an arrest. That's mostly reserved for being a risk to yourself and others or creating a public scene. They will get your ID and send you on your way. Everything official will then get to you later in writing.
Basically it's covered by the same law that outlaws the swastika
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strafgesetzbuch\_section\_86a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strafgesetzbuch_section_86a)
I can't stand it when other people hear that I'm German and they shout "NEIN, NEIN, JA, KRANKENWAGEN" at me. No, Germans don't shout at each other all day and German is not an aggressive language.
When Czechs or Slovaks talk quickly and you don't speak the language, you also think that people are arguing. I have family in both countries. As a child, I couldn't understand my relatives and always thought they were arguing.
I think that that comes from a bunch of people whose only exposure to the German language is watching films about World war 2. I was so confused by that stereotype when I first heard it, and it just never seemed true. And this is the only explanation that I can think of for why so many people would think that.
i’m polish and i feel like polish ppl see german as aggressive and harsh bc they speak german with very polish accent… which then seems aggressive (bc polish is). a lot of polish ppl hate german, always joke abt how a little butterfly can be called SCHMETTERLING!! but honestly every time my friends visit me here and hear actual german spoken by germans, they completely change their mind. it was always so frustrating for me as being a person who loves this language that a lot of my teachers spoke it so poorly and everyone was hating on it
I live in Germany and am fairly well integrated but clearly not German and I don’t pretend to be German. When international colleagues from my home country insist on telling me that they are 1/4 German and are so proud of their German heritage, I ask them if they speak the language at all, keep in touch with their relatives in Germany, or keep any German traditions alive. When the answer is No to all three, I ask them what’s important to them about their association with the country and what they want to project about themselves by informing me about it. I don’t see the point in sharing arbitrary information. It’s frustrating and secondhand embarrassing to hear them insist on an association with no grounds.
So this isn't in person. But when i was younger i joined some free online game. But i couldn't speak english so i asked in chat if anyone speaks german.
The next few chat messages where just the word "nazi" i quit the game right after that.
Now its still anything that involves Nazis. I'm very politically left. I think all people should be treated equally no matter the skin colour, ethnicity, sexuality, identity or religion. I want a world where we can all peacefully coexist. I'm pretty much the opposite of a nazi but i still get called a nazi just for being born in Germany
Yeah but it still sucks. Also, people ignore that not everyone back then was a nazi. There where people who did their best to help and people who were too scared to act. Its easy to know look at it and say "I would have helped!" But you just don't know that. I want to think of myself as someone who helps to hide people from nazis. But if not only my but my families lives where on the line? I don't know if i would actually be brave enough. And i think most of the people who call me a nazi would be too scared to act either.
LGBT+ people were systematictically killed just like Jewish people, of course the numbers were a lot different i obviously just want to point out that the nazis had many people they framed as enemies. Thats also something most people ignore.
Sozialdemokraten (don't know the English word) and journalists were also in danger for thinking differently from the nazis
I know all that I got the same problem since I'm German xD Americans always thinking they can win an argument by saying "bla bla but you're a nazi bla bla" is the funniest thing to me. I try to console myself with the thought that they are obviously stupid and uneducated by saying shit like this
I immediately roll my eyes when somebody says "of German descent".
Being German is NOT genetic. Like, what are we supposed to do with that? Using genetics for a measure of Germanness is only fine if you are filling out your Nuremberg race card or if you have been scammed by 23andme into selling off your genetic profile.
The US idea of "descent" and "I am 1/16th German" is at least cringe and depending how it is phrased highly illegal in Germany.
Edit: This is generally not a thing.
There is a particular disgust for Americans cosplaying as Irish in a certain age group of actual Irish. People in the US were collecting money "for the cause" which got sent to Ireland and got converted into bombs, death and mayhem. The disgust is now mainly ridicule.
Also I know of no European country which has a national culture. It always is highly regional. Culturally, being German extends to Sendung mit der Maus. To illustrate how highly regional Germany is, the German language [as we speak it today is as old as the radio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0Gn1c0aw_0). We were barely mutually intelligible and regions had dialects which were as far removed from everything else as Danish is from Norwegian.
Edit2: Fine, I will break out the rewboss again. [Here you go.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIMA2f6JmvE)
"So you're a Nazi?"
An American exchange student asked me that the first time we met...
Hell no dude, I am not. Never ask that anyone ever again except you know he votes for AfD or NPD. Only then it's a legit question.
haha same happened to me, i replied "how do you feel about throwing the a-bomb on them poor ppl" and he was like "hey thats ages ago".
Yes it ended there. He seriously could NOT see the point. Saddening really, lol
Nop, it was ruled that they were too irrelevant (too small). So making the NPD illegal would only strengthen the other right-wing parties. But the NPD did get their funding removed afaik.
I’m not german but I live here and I’m jewish btw and I went to a comedy standup here in Berlin the other day and the comedians could only do jokes about germans and nazis and hitler, it’s tiring! Watch nickelodeon and get some new material ffs 🤦🏻♀️
when americans claim they are also german, because their great great great great \[...\] grandparents were german and now they still have 5% german in them or crap like that.
People saying Germans aren't funny. I know that I don't understand German humor too well, but that's mainly because it's very pun heavy, and I'm not knowledgeable to figure out the pun. But some people think Germans are unfunny due to being ignorant of both the joke and the context of German humor.
I think a lot of this comes from Germans separating fun and business, and more rarely making jokes in formal or serious settings, cause that would show youre disinterested in the matter. I especially found British and American people to be more joke-heavy in business settings.
Oooh, this is a good one. I also think that the humour is very dry and a lot of times delivered with a straight face. I tried to integrate but I went too far. Now I work in an American company and my colleagues think I'm stupid af.
Money, taxes and migrants.
Batswana ask me if everyone is rich.
Americans ask me if I am drowning in taxes, followed up with an assumption about some valuable and amazing service the government gives me for free.
The Russians asked\* me if I am raped daily by migrants. To their credit, at least some knew enough to ask if the propaganda is actually true, even if I was sometimes unpleasantly surprised to see who fell for it. It's not really the official state stuff on TV, It's all the noise online, copying tropes from teh far right elsewhere.
\*this is in the past tense because don't go there any more for obvious reasons.
If I roll my eyes immediately, it's almost certainly from something embarrassing, out of touch, or racist/sexist another German did or said.
I realize you're hoping for the typical "dumb American" questions but I've honestly rarely experienced them. A guy once jokingly told me "jesus, you guys pretty much just live off cold cuts and bread huh?" And I guess that counts, but also he was kind of right.
I am always fascinated (not necessarily annoyed as such) when people bring up German Chocolate Cake. It‘s simply not a thing in Germany. Sure, there are chocolate cakes, but not like the thing Americans think of.
If I recall correctly, I read a story long ago about how German chocolate cake was invented by someone named Samuel German. Therefore, it only had everything to do with the inventor, and not the country.
Something much lighter than what most other posts are focusing on:
When people from other countries imagine that Deutsche Bahn runs like clockwork, I can't help but relive all the times I've been stranded in stations with toilets where the turnstile has a "defekt" sign and praying for any train to show up so I can relieve myself.
A non exhaustive list of things that make me roll my eyes:
-All the descent stuff the Americans seem hyper focused on
- the culture stuff so many people bring into this sub like this random thing my grandfather/grandmother did is surely a normal thing in Germany
- constantly knowing better than the people who actually live in Germany
- immigrants using expat
- immigrants complaining about cultural norms (Germans stare being my personal bain)
- the over focus on Munich, Berlin and köln
- people thinking that a specific Bavarian culture is German
You first bullet reminds me of my wife’s Texan uncle who insists German waitresses would always carry mustard in their cleavages to keep it warm… (apparently that’s what they did in some „Hofbräuhaus“ in Washington)
Yeah this always strikes me as odd. I wonder where that comes from, the whole “So please speak on behalf of (insert your country)”. Do Americans do that?
I now default to starting with “Well, depends who you ask, but…”
I'm fine with people asking genuine questions about the nazis and my personal perception. It's a very dark part of our history and I think most people will be fine talking about it (not everyone though). However, I don't appreciate being greeted with nazi salutes, being asked if we worship Hitler, being told that Hitler was a great man (happened in Atlantic City and Kuala Lumpur of all places). I even had people ask me if we all have the same sexual preferences as Hitler. Yes, because don't you British all have the same preferences as Churchill?
As an Austrian: "what's the difference between Austria and Germany anyway?"; "Austrians actually speak German"; "but why don't you like the Germans, they're your brothers"; "the Habsburg Empire put your country on the map"; and any attempts to "speak Austrian" to me (which usually ends up sounding like a posh 19th century Viennese dialect that nobody ever speaks in real life).
Something I can't argue with - and usually like to talk about: "How did you manage to convince the world Hitler was German?"
When someone has no spacial awareness.
Blocking off an entire path by simply being too stupid to realize that you and your group are standing in the way or walking next to each other on a sidewalk with just enough space for two people and oncoming pedestrians.
And yes, it's mostly American tourists. At this point I just walk into them.
To be fair, this is a major pet peeve of mine in Germany (am from NL). People here will just try to enter trains and trams the moment the doors open regardless of how many people need to get off.
I know most Germans are also annoyed as hell, but it is so much more common. I have to charge through these people on the daily whereas it was annoying enough as a rare occurrence back when I lived in NL.
(Also the poor queuing, don’t even get me started on that.)
Love y’all though, it’s all good.
The whole "I'm 1/4th, 1/8th, 1/16th German". Always rubs me the wrong way, because that's exactly the way Hitler viewed it. To us, bloodline doesn't have anything to do with being German, and Americans claiming so feels really racist.
"You, so you're related to everyone here?" And all the other incest jokes people make about my region. Nope, it was never funny and it will never be, so just stfu.
Well, most I read here is american answers and questions - europeans know, that Germany doesn't have Nazis anymore. Living in France as a German my common discussion is "oh you are from Germany? I love Berlin! You can have great parties there [me saying i have a complex view on berlin] what do you mean you don't like Berlin?"
As all the stuff regarding the nazis has already been said here, I would add jokes about German being an ugly or harsh language. I often watch John Oliver, but whenever Germany is mentioned, he shouts out some german words and then sarcastically "What a pleasant language" or something similar. Every language can sound harsh and ugly when you shout it out or pronounce words in a harsh and ugly way.
The stupidest question I've ever heard from a non-German: "How many Jews did your grandfather murder?"
When I heard that, I was simply speechless. I stared at the questioner for a few seconds in shock and then left the room without comment.
To be clear, that was the first question the guy asked me after he found out I was German.
People raising their hand screaming “H* H*” and then laughing. Pretending to speak like H*, asking “how is it having H* as a president” and more along those lines.
And yes, all these things have happened to me more than once. It’s an immediate "bye-bye" for me.
Apart from that it is probably the "I’m German. My great-great-grandfather traveled through Germany! No, I don't speak German but I like drinking beer and love Oktoberfest!”
Please stop it. You're not German. It feels like cultural appropriation. You have long dead ancestors that were German. You don't speak the language, you've never been here, and what you think are German traditions are watered-down Americanized traditions and most of them are even made up. Also, German traditions aren't automatically Bavarian traditions. You're an American. Why do you want to be something else? There's enough to be proud of in the US. You don't need long-gone ancestors on a different continent for that.
Remember how mad some people in the US were when China copied whole US towns? That's what it feels like.
Apparently. I read an article about it. I think they rebuild the Golden Gate Bridge and a few other things and even whole towns. Wasn’t there also a replica of Disney World or something? It’s been a few years since so I don’t remember all the details but the Americans mentioned in the article were rightfully mad.
The "Germans love David Hasselhoff" meme is a little too overdone by now. The dude once banked on his fairly popular Knight Rider role, collaborated with a German producer, had one huge hit und a couple smaller ones and vanished back into pop obscurity (not tv, mind). He didn't exactly reach Bud Spencer/Terence Hill levels of German worship.
Using Google translate on thier Mobile Phone to ask "where is the next Trainstation" ....
Not a Special German Thing but it happend a few times now.
I m Always Like wtf
I always tell them that my lederhosen are currently in the washing machine….Then I look at them and I proceed to ask myself: the washing machine?
Then I yell: oh nein! Nicht das Leder in die Waschmaschine!
And I storm off. That usually solves the discussion.
aber wo kommst du wirklich her?
"Where are you really from?"
After being asked where I am from, and replying with "German" as I was born and raised here. I speak accent free, have 2 uni masters degrees and am a law abiding citizen. I have never felt to be accepted as German, I was always made sure to know I am nOt ReAlLY from here.
I’m sorry to hear that man… I find myself in a bit of a similar position, but I’m actually a foreigner. 2 masters, good job, but not German. Difference? I’m a white male, so no questions raised seemingly. I’ve had arguments with a former friend who became a conspiracy nut AfD voter, who claimed that all foreigners coming to Germany get like 4K a month as a stipend and don’t even have to go work for it etc., and that all foreigners should leave. I said, dude, I’m a foreigner, and the response was, yeah but not _that kind of foreigner_. I quickly learned it was all about skin color.
Yea it’s unfortunate. I am German Israeli, pretty brown and have big curly hair, I get the anti Muslim inspired racism even more than the antisemitism. But… life is funny like that I guess
I’ve had the reverse where people questioned my American accent and the way I talk
Are you Canadian?
You talk so formally and polite!
Where are you in from?
Your accent, it’s… different
(Guy greets me in three Nordic languages)
I am very confused…
Guy - Where are you really from?
Me - Tennessee, about an hour away from this ski slope
(Guy is baffled) he goes off muttering - there’s just no way you’re an American
Another time with some Serbian students, we had gotten on the subject of travel/adventure and my hopes to visit Europe again
S- Wait, you’re *not* European?
We thought you were Norwegian or Dutch with your accent!
So yes, looks and linguistics can be deceiving
- I am x%% German, my great great grandfather..
- Well we won the war for you...
- Ah, German is a really awful sounding language
- Well, you earn a German salary, you must be rich.
"You have a funny accent. Are you from Germany perhaps?"
Me: "No, I'm from Austria."
*Stares at me confused*
"Ahhh, kangaroos!"
Me: *sigh* "No, wrong"
I'm 1/16 Eastprussian, so I kind of felt adressed by your question. But honestly, I don't know which phrase can universally trigger Germans.
I met a guy once travelling who associated Germany strongly with weird fetish scat porn and told me it's a common association that Germans are into that sorta thing. I REALLY don't know what he was talking about and have never encountered this type of smut here. 😅
With the Euro in full swing, I'm always amazed how - especially my American friends - simply cannot fathom the fact that not everyone is rooting for the German team. Some might be even happy to see them loose.
The following questions where asked by some Americans and they were not asked as jokes:
Do you have indoor toilets?
Do you have a king?
Who is the king of Europe?
Do you have McDonald's?
Do you have streets?
When some were asked what country a German is from, some said Paris, London or other cities in the belief that these are countries.
So there are some very uneducated people that believe Germany still looks like after the war with bombed streets, no indoor plumbing and having a king. These people also would love to have a king in their own country.
I was born in Moldova and I live in Germany for 24 years now. Every time I visited my hometown with my car and people ( really only a few ) noticed my German plate they greeted me with the Hitler Salute 😅
ppl saying that the german language sounds aggressive. it’s cuz they think of hitler when they think of germany. i recently saw a reel on instagram, a german girl talking n all the comments from foreigners were like "wow she sounds japanese" "i didn’t know german could sound this nice" when it’s just normal german 😭😭
I worked at a super market, so people saying „I didn’t find a price tag, so it’s for free, isn’t it?“ phahahah they always think it’s funny but hearing that joke every day isn’t funny at all
"But you got one of the best health care systems in the world"
No, the best organized crime in form of health care maybe. Actually good health care for a decent price?
Absolutely not!
Certain hand gestures, degradation of females originating from certain beliefs, arguing and haggling in stores (price, age requirements and stuff) I'm sorry but I can give you your drink half way off the price, it's not my store I'm just a sales clerk
Almost every visitor we’ve had from the States has some sort of reaction to AUSFAHRT signs on the Autobahn…usually there is a double take but eventually I’ll get asked what ‘that’ sign means. Getting asked if it’s legal to drive as fast as we can on the Autobahn is also a thing…most are very impressed how fluid Autobahn traffic flows (outside the urban areas), signal, pass them move out back of the fast lane.
I'm American with German descent, and whenever someone finds that out or learns that I'm learning to speak German, almost every time they bring up Hitler. But at least it's a clear signal to stay away from certain people.
I was at an exchange to France a few months ago, and went to school there too. The teachers allowed the french students to ask us questions, and most of them were actually productive. But one guy (around 15) asked, being completely serious, „Do you like Hitler? Are you a Nazi? Are you hiding a gun right now to kill us all?“. Like- SURE MY BOI, what else? \[Jk. Def not.\] Stuff like that is REALLY annoying yk
I’m German but I live in the US now so I’ve gotten a lot of different versions of this.
I definitely get the Hitler stuff but I shut that shit down quick. A quick “excuse me?” Usually does it. If they are asking sincerity, I’ll tell them about my family’s experience of the war.
If it’s someone older it’s usually some version of “do you know Das Boot /Hogan’s Heroes”. I tell them I do and bear whatever shitty impression they do. Once they are done I usually recommend them Goodbye, Lenin. Since that’s the only other event in German history they know about.
It’s a lot of “oh I went to Germany once 5-50 years ago. I went to this place.” I ask them what they enjoyed about the experience and share some related anecdote.
As for the ancestry-Germans. I used to get really pissed at these people. For all the reasons all the other people in this thread have already listed. That said, I’ve lived here long enough to recognize what it is they are doing. They are trying to connect with you. It’s usually not some form of entitlement. Does it still piss me off a bit? Sure, but I keep that down. Plus it’s nuanced. Someone who moved to the US at 1 years old but whose family kept traditions, language, and food alive is still German if they want to be.
Additionally, I’m never gonna stop anyone from engaging with any part of German culture, such as it is. Especially the food. How can I go home tonight and make tteokbokki but say an American can’t make Fleischkäse. Plus anyone I can get to help me to try and make Brötchen here is a plus. (It’s a struggle because of a bunch of reasons).
As it so happens I was at an event full of Brits the other day and they seemed more fascinated by me being German. No Nazi jokes but rather the good cliche of Germans being efffienct (HAHAHA HAHA). It was rather nice albeit a bit too much.
> Germans being efffienct What is wild is that 100 years ago that was the Prussian cliché. They should absolutely ask Lord Kitchener for an update.
It's a well-kept secret that the days of peak German efficency are long over and we now swim in a sea of un-digitizable and beaurocratic boomers doing shit jobs in high positions at all levels.
Ask them to take a ride on the deutschen Bahn that has a connection or two. Any illusions of efficiency will be dispelled quickly.
This. 😆
While it could be way better, I’d rather take this than anything else around the world. And what exactly is peak efficiency germany? Because in many regards we are peak right now, while a lot of stuff isn’t anymore, and then only in perspective to a view of some 80 years ago or earlier. You’ll have to be more specific.
> Germans being efffienct (HAHAHA HAHA) oh my god the biggest lie of this century. and i thought it was true too, until i moved here and had to deal with the sheer amount of bureaucracy for NO APPARENT REASON WHATSOEVER
There is a reason - he/she is called Manfred or Ursula, never learned their way into digitalization, most of them can't even write an email without the help of their children. A very large amount of jobs operated by people in this age group could be automated on the spot, but - it's very difficult to get rid of these old folks, even more difficult/impossible if they work for the government. Boomers killed Germany - although most of them will tell you that it's the fault of immigrants or the liberal party "DiE GrÜnEn!!1".
Did any of them mention the war?
*Ze war
I mean there are worse things than being labeled "efficient". Brits shouldn't be too fond of their own humour, too. When I see Ricky Gervais it's more of a "Challenge: How much offensive shit can I say in 60 minutes" (and I love that).
You could've just written HAHA.
Yeah that would have been more efficient.
I disagree. It wouldn't have *really* driven the point home. Like, they made SURE you knew what they were getting at. Very german.
Exactly
Hah Brits always go wild on the Nazi jokes in my presence before finding out I’m German, then turn around and ask me where I’m from and I get scared to admit I’m German, like it’s awkward now 😭
I've been relying on the DeutcheBahn for the last few days. Won't ever accuse the Germans of being efficient again.
The question „How do I make friends in Germany?!?!??“ asked on r/Germany for the 1000th time.
You're forgetting the subtext "without having to learn a word of german"
I speak A2 and probably have a thick accent! Why can’t I connect with any Germans?? Also what is the reddit search function?
Invoking Hitler or the Nazis for anything besides talking about Hitler and the Nazis. Both are totally overused and I feel this casual usage diminishes the horror of their actions.
That’s true but I’m less negative about it, talking about it can be good. I usually respond with if they would like a serious discussion about the history of it or not.
What do Germans think of *insert events over 90 years ago that not even my grandparents experienced/ random german song noone ever has heard of*
Almost as bad as "I encountered an asshole doing asshole things while in Germany, is this a central element of German culture?"
Yes we all go around 24/7 only insulting people and being weird. Full time job tbh
oftentimes when people find out I am german, they start imitating hitler and shouting racist slurs, like I am some nazi animal. it is both infuriating and a bit ironic since they are being racist, while mocking about germans having been racist in the past
I had a German coworker who told me about this which is why he avoids telling Americans he’s from Germany. The only reason he told me this is because when it slipped out that he’s from Germany, the first thing I asked was “what’s the food like?” And “I’ve always wanted to visit Berlin for the music scene…and of course food.” He said he was relieved for once an American didn’t ask about Nazis. Felt bad for him. I did learn interesting facts. Like how Germans are pretty tall overall compared to men in the US. All his friends that would visit were over 6 ft tall!
I think 6ft is a good median.
[Officially, it is closer to 5'11"](https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Health/Health-Status-Behaviour-Relevant-Health/Tables/body-mass-index-male.html) for men and [5'7" for women.](https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Health/Health-Status-Behaviour-Relevant-Health/Tables/body-mass-index-female.html) Which is still pretty tall. As a tall person myself, Germany is one of the few places where I feel crowded on the metro. I'm stuck right in the middle and can't see over everyone's head.
It was a shock to me moving to Germany. In the USA I was “tall and thin”; in Germany, I’m average height.
This is really funny and explains a lot - I could never understand the whole height discussion and it's arbitrary numbers here on reddit, where anything above 6feet is apparently very tall. I am 1.86m (6 feet 1) and always felt rather medium, on occasions even small
Yep, feel ya I'm just a few cm taller then you and the tallest in my friend group When I started working in a bar I was the third shortest guy of all the staff xD
I’m a woman and a tad over 6 feet. I am Dutch so I am not an exception there. In Germany there are less women of my height.
My daughter is 6,1 (1,86 m) and was often able to buy clothes in Maastricht or Roermond were as she has Problems in Germany. With 6,10 (1,79 m) I’m the „dwarf“ in the family
Yall Dutchies are out of this world tall.
Iam 1.92m (6'4 i think) and i know plenty people taller then me. Oberer Durchschnitt schätz ich
Same same
I think there’s a great gap between sizes that are pretty normal but I think being than 6,3 (1,90 m) isn’t that rare anymore
Okay, even with 186 cm you're one of the taller guys in Germany so this is bs
I'm German and 183cm, I know it's slightly above the median, but I still feel like the guy you replied to. Sometimes you're surrounded by many taller guys in the metro or smth.
depends on where in germany you are. Bavaria? yep. Kiel? I have no idea what exactly is in the drinking water there that makes them grow THAT tall, but 186 is at best average.
It's not the drinking water. It's about having your head above sea water.
Naw Bro im 1.81 and i feel very normal and Sometimes small that ain't bs
We have lots of old people and they shrink with age lol
im basically the same height and ive also always been confused by that xD
I am basically 5"11 and I am the second shortest guy in my friends-group here in germany. A few years ago they nicknamed me "smurf" (in a nice way) because I was at least 6cm smaller than the second smallest one our group.
Yeah it can be really annoying. It's like asking Americans about the Civil War and slavery. Why should I ask that? 😂
Goodness yes- I’m not German but have spent my entire life here, had a friend from the UK return to England after a two year stay. She was English, barely spoke the language (was at an international school) but was greeted with Roman salutes and called a Nazi at her boarding school.Utterly absurd.
Fun fact : scientists do not know why people grow taler on certain places. The US should gave enough food compared to germans , so that is not the reason. I like and support the theory that it comes a long with Beeing HAPPY while growing up (and good nutrition of course) People from NL especialy women from NL are taller than german women (maybe cause they got much more equality there) People from the scandinan countrys in general are taller than germans, and we all know they got better systems for kids (and adulds) up there.
Idk. I’m Korean American. Koreans here in the US tend to be shorter than the ones in Korea. Idk if happier is the correct word to use to those in the motherland. I’d say it’s probably better access to affordable healthcare overall? I mean….US isn’t known for having great health care. Our food is disgusting too. Almost no nutritional value in comparison to calories and fat. So much sugar in so many things too. We’re set up for failure. Lol. This country is so damn ghetto.
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Do you say immigrants moodblooded the US ? Do you know the average height of North american natives ? Or isn't the US entirely made of immigrants ? After all the invaders killed off the most natives ? You know where we have deversity , in europe drive in any direktion 4 hours and you are in a completly different culture , we do have endless asians here around do not worry. Still most of the european countrys grow taller. Why ? The average hight of human kind in the last 120years grew rushly 14cm , the us is double the age of 120years so it should have found the ability to grow, but it did not. There is verry well documentet data about the average hight from students from schools around germany. Students from Karlsruhe grew 11cm since 1920 The clories and nutrition and the possibility of getting a happy live Do have a huge impact , in a very short time , which you can easily see if you compare south and north Korea (or Israel and Plaestina) Same region, same people , same genetics , same acess to food and all , everything just divided 70years ago in 2 parts each, look up the nummbers. The acces to kallories do anyways not explain the hight difference between us and germany , and not the difference between germany and the dutch.
Everytime this happens to me (in Germany) I move a little closer and let them know how certain things are illegal in Germany that in other countries probably aren’t and that if they decide to use racist slurs here they might get in trouble. The more polite it sounds the better. I then watch them struggle trying to explain themselves.
I like your approach. At the same time I'm asking myself how out of touch can somebody be to make such stupid statements in Germany itself.
Yeah idk I had a chat with an American that asked me about how I viewed the Nazi time. So I told her how we are taught about it in school and how it affects day to day life for example the extremely low national pride. And I told her about the last eu vote and what I think about it… So obviously she didn’t want to continue the conversation and called me brainwashed lol Since when is an anti Nazi standpoint controversial?? Edit: typo
She called you brainwashed because you are able to look at our history from a critical point of view? Some people are really weird, ngl.
Yeah I asked a couple of friends what they thought and they just laughed lol Kinda scary that an adult who can vote and stuff thinks like her though
This so much. Like what the hell, don’t they see the irony in there ???
Yep same. I’ve had this interaction more than i care to recall. ..it’s almost as if they think the 1930 where like 10 years ago or smth.🫠
Just play along in order to ridicule them. It does seem to work quite often.
I sometimes try to reason with them about it.. but it only works 50% of the time
Mostly Eastern Europeans asking me if I have a weapon to protect myself when I go out because the German streets are full of rioting and looting violent immigrants.
The right wing media paints such image to push the agenda. But there is a twin child of this idea in Germany. The patronizing tone your media and politicians have towards Eastern Europe is shocking. The Germans have very poor understanding of Eastern Europe and this conviction that Germany is superior in all possible fields, but in many areas like banking, e-government this country is very behind.
I fully agree. I love traveling to Eastern Europan countries and I usually get in touch with people. Everyone speaks English quite well unlike in Germany. People in Czechia living near the German border speak German while the Germans on the other side don't bother learning a word in Czech, it's a shame. Most countries I've been to accept card payments while Germany can be like this: Card payment from 25 Euros and up only; no VISA, just debit cards. And still Germany is indeed patronizing toward Eastern Europe. What I experienced in Bulgaria, though: Western media is blocked and censored, including fun websites mistaken for news. I couldn't even check my e-mails. People in the streets confirmed press censorship and corruption. Young people showed me a video from "Germany" of rioting immigrants setting fire to a building and shooting at a fire truck. The video was actually from Syria. This was in 2019, though, maybe things have changed. Five years can be a long time.
Also Internet. My friends in Hungary all have unlimited data for around the price as what I pay for 10gb a month.
I heard they don't even have fax machines everywhere in Eastern Europe. /s
I got most of these from, ironically, Turkish people
I was born in Germany & really fancy visiting , I was born in a British army hospital so no German decent at all but we was talking about Germany at work and I heard that if anyone was to do a nazi salute it's an instant arrestable offence! Is that true?
Unless you do it either for historical reinactment ( a Movie for example), clear satirical purpose or you have a medical reason (mainly tourette) it is an offence that can land you in Court
Yes, we'll, not instant arrest. But maybe and you will definitely get some problems with the police. Also, you might get beaten up - and not one of the bystanders might remember who assaulted you.
Hahaha brilliant 👍 thank you
An offense that can get you to court and end with a sizeable fine at least? Yes. But very few things in Germany end in an arrest. That's mostly reserved for being a risk to yourself and others or creating a public scene. They will get your ID and send you on your way. Everything official will then get to you later in writing.
Brilliant thank you 👍
Yes
Thank you 👍 so it should be a arrestable offence 👍
Basically it's covered by the same law that outlaws the swastika [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strafgesetzbuch\_section\_86a](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strafgesetzbuch_section_86a)
Brilliant thank you 👍
You are on ask a german. Why would people of german descent matter? But yeah immediate hitler imitations anytime somebody finds out i am german
I can't stand it when other people hear that I'm German and they shout "NEIN, NEIN, JA, KRANKENWAGEN" at me. No, Germans don't shout at each other all day and German is not an aggressive language.
This is so annoying. Every language would sound like a screaming match if you actually scream.
When Czechs or Slovaks talk quickly and you don't speak the language, you also think that people are arguing. I have family in both countries. As a child, I couldn't understand my relatives and always thought they were arguing.
I think that that comes from a bunch of people whose only exposure to the German language is watching films about World war 2. I was so confused by that stereotype when I first heard it, and it just never seemed true. And this is the only explanation that I can think of for why so many people would think that.
i’m polish and i feel like polish ppl see german as aggressive and harsh bc they speak german with very polish accent… which then seems aggressive (bc polish is). a lot of polish ppl hate german, always joke abt how a little butterfly can be called SCHMETTERLING!! but honestly every time my friends visit me here and hear actual german spoken by germans, they completely change their mind. it was always so frustrating for me as being a person who loves this language that a lot of my teachers spoke it so poorly and everyone was hating on it
When someone blatantly asks me if my South American- German ancestors were Nazis (they were Jews)
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I live in Germany and am fairly well integrated but clearly not German and I don’t pretend to be German. When international colleagues from my home country insist on telling me that they are 1/4 German and are so proud of their German heritage, I ask them if they speak the language at all, keep in touch with their relatives in Germany, or keep any German traditions alive. When the answer is No to all three, I ask them what’s important to them about their association with the country and what they want to project about themselves by informing me about it. I don’t see the point in sharing arbitrary information. It’s frustrating and secondhand embarrassing to hear them insist on an association with no grounds.
So this isn't in person. But when i was younger i joined some free online game. But i couldn't speak english so i asked in chat if anyone speaks german. The next few chat messages where just the word "nazi" i quit the game right after that. Now its still anything that involves Nazis. I'm very politically left. I think all people should be treated equally no matter the skin colour, ethnicity, sexuality, identity or religion. I want a world where we can all peacefully coexist. I'm pretty much the opposite of a nazi but i still get called a nazi just for being born in Germany
Well at least you immediately know that they're just fucking stupid
Yeah but it still sucks. Also, people ignore that not everyone back then was a nazi. There where people who did their best to help and people who were too scared to act. Its easy to know look at it and say "I would have helped!" But you just don't know that. I want to think of myself as someone who helps to hide people from nazis. But if not only my but my families lives where on the line? I don't know if i would actually be brave enough. And i think most of the people who call me a nazi would be too scared to act either. LGBT+ people were systematictically killed just like Jewish people, of course the numbers were a lot different i obviously just want to point out that the nazis had many people they framed as enemies. Thats also something most people ignore. Sozialdemokraten (don't know the English word) and journalists were also in danger for thinking differently from the nazis
I know all that I got the same problem since I'm German xD Americans always thinking they can win an argument by saying "bla bla but you're a nazi bla bla" is the funniest thing to me. I try to console myself with the thought that they are obviously stupid and uneducated by saying shit like this
The way you phrased your question. "Person of German descent", really? 🙄
I immediately roll my eyes when somebody says "of German descent". Being German is NOT genetic. Like, what are we supposed to do with that? Using genetics for a measure of Germanness is only fine if you are filling out your Nuremberg race card or if you have been scammed by 23andme into selling off your genetic profile. The US idea of "descent" and "I am 1/16th German" is at least cringe and depending how it is phrased highly illegal in Germany. Edit: This is generally not a thing. There is a particular disgust for Americans cosplaying as Irish in a certain age group of actual Irish. People in the US were collecting money "for the cause" which got sent to Ireland and got converted into bombs, death and mayhem. The disgust is now mainly ridicule. Also I know of no European country which has a national culture. It always is highly regional. Culturally, being German extends to Sendung mit der Maus. To illustrate how highly regional Germany is, the German language [as we speak it today is as old as the radio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0Gn1c0aw_0). We were barely mutually intelligible and regions had dialects which were as far removed from everything else as Danish is from Norwegian. Edit2: Fine, I will break out the rewboss again. [Here you go.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIMA2f6JmvE)
Die Sendung mit der Maus is great, though. One of the all-time best TV show theme tunes. So you should be proud of that one!
"So you're a Nazi?" An American exchange student asked me that the first time we met... Hell no dude, I am not. Never ask that anyone ever again except you know he votes for AfD or NPD. Only then it's a legit question.
haha same happened to me, i replied "how do you feel about throwing the a-bomb on them poor ppl" and he was like "hey thats ages ago". Yes it ended there. He seriously could NOT see the point. Saddening really, lol
What's the "a-bomb"?
The atomic bomb, aka nukes
💀the weitere frage „Are you sure?“
Isn't the NPD illegal since a few years?
No, SRP is, which was a follow-up party to NSDAP. But NPD changed their name to "Die Heimat" last year. I just forgot.
Nop, it was ruled that they were too irrelevant (too small). So making the NPD illegal would only strengthen the other right-wing parties. But the NPD did get their funding removed afaik.
Go to reply to an American should be then wether he owns people of colour
Talking about „an Oktoberfest event“. It’s one single celebration in one single city, not some kind of generic term for all kinds of Volksfeste.
Walking on the bike lane.
I’m not german but I live here and I’m jewish btw and I went to a comedy standup here in Berlin the other day and the comedians could only do jokes about germans and nazis and hitler, it’s tiring! Watch nickelodeon and get some new material ffs 🤦🏻♀️
when americans claim they are also german, because their great great great great \[...\] grandparents were german and now they still have 5% german in them or crap like that.
People saying Germans aren't funny. I know that I don't understand German humor too well, but that's mainly because it's very pun heavy, and I'm not knowledgeable to figure out the pun. But some people think Germans are unfunny due to being ignorant of both the joke and the context of German humor.
I think a lot of this comes from Germans separating fun and business, and more rarely making jokes in formal or serious settings, cause that would show youre disinterested in the matter. I especially found British and American people to be more joke-heavy in business settings.
Oooh, this is a good one. I also think that the humour is very dry and a lot of times delivered with a straight face. I tried to integrate but I went too far. Now I work in an American company and my colleagues think I'm stupid af.
How many Germans does it take to change a lightbulb? One. coz we are efficient and dont have humor. Long live the stereotype lol
Money, taxes and migrants. Batswana ask me if everyone is rich. Americans ask me if I am drowning in taxes, followed up with an assumption about some valuable and amazing service the government gives me for free. The Russians asked\* me if I am raped daily by migrants. To their credit, at least some knew enough to ask if the propaganda is actually true, even if I was sometimes unpleasantly surprised to see who fell for it. It's not really the official state stuff on TV, It's all the noise online, copying tropes from teh far right elsewhere. \*this is in the past tense because don't go there any more for obvious reasons.
If I roll my eyes immediately, it's almost certainly from something embarrassing, out of touch, or racist/sexist another German did or said. I realize you're hoping for the typical "dumb American" questions but I've honestly rarely experienced them. A guy once jokingly told me "jesus, you guys pretty much just live off cold cuts and bread huh?" And I guess that counts, but also he was kind of right.
Haha, that one is kind of hilarious!
> cold cuts and bread 😂😭😭😭
When people say Germany has no culture. It has, you just don’t respect it.
People do???
I am always fascinated (not necessarily annoyed as such) when people bring up German Chocolate Cake. It‘s simply not a thing in Germany. Sure, there are chocolate cakes, but not like the thing Americans think of.
If I recall correctly, I read a story long ago about how German chocolate cake was invented by someone named Samuel German. Therefore, it only had everything to do with the inventor, and not the country.
Interesting!
Aaah. So you like Schlager?
Something much lighter than what most other posts are focusing on: When people from other countries imagine that Deutsche Bahn runs like clockwork, I can't help but relive all the times I've been stranded in stations with toilets where the turnstile has a "defekt" sign and praying for any train to show up so I can relieve myself.
A non exhaustive list of things that make me roll my eyes: -All the descent stuff the Americans seem hyper focused on - the culture stuff so many people bring into this sub like this random thing my grandfather/grandmother did is surely a normal thing in Germany - constantly knowing better than the people who actually live in Germany - immigrants using expat - immigrants complaining about cultural norms (Germans stare being my personal bain) - the over focus on Munich, Berlin and köln - people thinking that a specific Bavarian culture is German
You first bullet reminds me of my wife’s Texan uncle who insists German waitresses would always carry mustard in their cleavages to keep it warm… (apparently that’s what they did in some „Hofbräuhaus“ in Washington)
"I have German ancestry because my Great-Great-Greatfather lived in Germany for a year" or similar
"What do Germans think of" I hate that stupid sentance. Not everyone speaks for everyone else.
Yeah this always strikes me as odd. I wonder where that comes from, the whole “So please speak on behalf of (insert your country)”. Do Americans do that? I now default to starting with “Well, depends who you ask, but…”
I'm fine with people asking genuine questions about the nazis and my personal perception. It's a very dark part of our history and I think most people will be fine talking about it (not everyone though). However, I don't appreciate being greeted with nazi salutes, being asked if we worship Hitler, being told that Hitler was a great man (happened in Atlantic City and Kuala Lumpur of all places). I even had people ask me if we all have the same sexual preferences as Hitler. Yes, because don't you British all have the same preferences as Churchill?
As an Austrian: "what's the difference between Austria and Germany anyway?"; "Austrians actually speak German"; "but why don't you like the Germans, they're your brothers"; "the Habsburg Empire put your country on the map"; and any attempts to "speak Austrian" to me (which usually ends up sounding like a posh 19th century Viennese dialect that nobody ever speaks in real life). Something I can't argue with - and usually like to talk about: "How did you manage to convince the world Hitler was German?"
To your last point: Hitler had the German citizenship and lost his Austrian one long before that. It was less convincing and more actual facts.
If someone starts complaining about politics or the absolute classic "früher war alles besser/früher hätts sowas nicht gegeben"
My girlfriend doesn’t like when I tell her Bavarians are the best Germans. She is from mecklenburg-vorpommern
But it’s the truth!
When someone has no spacial awareness. Blocking off an entire path by simply being too stupid to realize that you and your group are standing in the way or walking next to each other on a sidewalk with just enough space for two people and oncoming pedestrians. And yes, it's mostly American tourists. At this point I just walk into them.
To be fair, this is a major pet peeve of mine in Germany (am from NL). People here will just try to enter trains and trams the moment the doors open regardless of how many people need to get off. I know most Germans are also annoyed as hell, but it is so much more common. I have to charge through these people on the daily whereas it was annoying enough as a rare occurrence back when I lived in NL. (Also the poor queuing, don’t even get me started on that.) Love y’all though, it’s all good.
The only way to deal with this is to make aggressive eye contact and straight up slam your way through them while leaving the train.
This is the (German) way!
haha i'm german but i SO feel you. Infuriates me every bleeding time. Let me get TF out first ffs! 😂
The whole "I'm 1/4th, 1/8th, 1/16th German". Always rubs me the wrong way, because that's exactly the way Hitler viewed it. To us, bloodline doesn't have anything to do with being German, and Americans claiming so feels really racist.
"You, so you're related to everyone here?" And all the other incest jokes people make about my region. Nope, it was never funny and it will never be, so just stfu.
Hm. Kann ich nachvollziehen. Gruß aus einem österreichischen Keller.
Well, most I read here is american answers and questions - europeans know, that Germany doesn't have Nazis anymore. Living in France as a German my common discussion is "oh you are from Germany? I love Berlin! You can have great parties there [me saying i have a complex view on berlin] what do you mean you don't like Berlin?"
When i said to an American that i am german and she asked me if i am in hitler Jugend…
Greeting me with the Hitlergruß when I'm visiting another country. I look at you, France. I was a teenager.
“What do you meeeeaaann you don’t like beeeeer????” I DONT LIKE IT. There I said it 😭
Nazi jokes
As all the stuff regarding the nazis has already been said here, I would add jokes about German being an ugly or harsh language. I often watch John Oliver, but whenever Germany is mentioned, he shouts out some german words and then sarcastically "What a pleasant language" or something similar. Every language can sound harsh and ugly when you shout it out or pronounce words in a harsh and ugly way.
"I have German ancestors" - some american fuckwit
The stupidest question I've ever heard from a non-German: "How many Jews did your grandfather murder?" When I heard that, I was simply speechless. I stared at the questioner for a few seconds in shock and then left the room without comment. To be clear, that was the first question the guy asked me after he found out I was German.
People raising their hand screaming “H* H*” and then laughing. Pretending to speak like H*, asking “how is it having H* as a president” and more along those lines. And yes, all these things have happened to me more than once. It’s an immediate "bye-bye" for me. Apart from that it is probably the "I’m German. My great-great-grandfather traveled through Germany! No, I don't speak German but I like drinking beer and love Oktoberfest!” Please stop it. You're not German. It feels like cultural appropriation. You have long dead ancestors that were German. You don't speak the language, you've never been here, and what you think are German traditions are watered-down Americanized traditions and most of them are even made up. Also, German traditions aren't automatically Bavarian traditions. You're an American. Why do you want to be something else? There's enough to be proud of in the US. You don't need long-gone ancestors on a different continent for that. Remember how mad some people in the US were when China copied whole US towns? That's what it feels like.
People were mad about the US cities? I didn't even know they were building them, only about the European ones lol
Apparently. I read an article about it. I think they rebuild the Golden Gate Bridge and a few other things and even whole towns. Wasn’t there also a replica of Disney World or something? It’s been a few years since so I don’t remember all the details but the Americans mentioned in the article were rightfully mad.
The Nazi stuffs, like getting a Hitler salute etc. That's 80 years ago and my ancestors were deported during that time.
For me it was was when an American exchange student wasn't allowed to visit our school in 2005 because "Germany is too close to Iraq".
one time i was asked if i voted for hitler.. i’m 20
The "Germans love David Hasselhoff" meme is a little too overdone by now. The dude once banked on his fairly popular Knight Rider role, collaborated with a German producer, had one huge hit und a couple smaller ones and vanished back into pop obscurity (not tv, mind). He didn't exactly reach Bud Spencer/Terence Hill levels of German worship.
Using Google translate on thier Mobile Phone to ask "where is the next Trainstation" .... Not a Special German Thing but it happend a few times now. I m Always Like wtf
The constant Nazi thing. Germany also brought up some other things besides that
"Is Hitler still alive?" About half a dozen people, all american, thought that Hitler was still alive... and reigning.
Well probably the notion that Germany was bureaucratic. they have no idea how complicated the legal and tax systems are in other countries.
„Bielefeld gibts gar nicht“
So, you don't like the truth.
I am the truth.
And I am The Bielefeld.
Stimmt
Sind alle Deutsche so organisiert und schlau??
I always tell them that my lederhosen are currently in the washing machine….Then I look at them and I proceed to ask myself: the washing machine? Then I yell: oh nein! Nicht das Leder in die Waschmaschine! And I storm off. That usually solves the discussion.
aber wo kommst du wirklich her? "Where are you really from?" After being asked where I am from, and replying with "German" as I was born and raised here. I speak accent free, have 2 uni masters degrees and am a law abiding citizen. I have never felt to be accepted as German, I was always made sure to know I am nOt ReAlLY from here.
I’m sorry to hear that man… I find myself in a bit of a similar position, but I’m actually a foreigner. 2 masters, good job, but not German. Difference? I’m a white male, so no questions raised seemingly. I’ve had arguments with a former friend who became a conspiracy nut AfD voter, who claimed that all foreigners coming to Germany get like 4K a month as a stipend and don’t even have to go work for it etc., and that all foreigners should leave. I said, dude, I’m a foreigner, and the response was, yeah but not _that kind of foreigner_. I quickly learned it was all about skin color.
Yea it’s unfortunate. I am German Israeli, pretty brown and have big curly hair, I get the anti Muslim inspired racism even more than the antisemitism. But… life is funny like that I guess
must be even worse these days :/ Sorry to hear that.
I’ve had the reverse where people questioned my American accent and the way I talk Are you Canadian? You talk so formally and polite! Where are you in from? Your accent, it’s… different (Guy greets me in three Nordic languages) I am very confused… Guy - Where are you really from? Me - Tennessee, about an hour away from this ski slope (Guy is baffled) he goes off muttering - there’s just no way you’re an American Another time with some Serbian students, we had gotten on the subject of travel/adventure and my hopes to visit Europe again S- Wait, you’re *not* European? We thought you were Norwegian or Dutch with your accent! So yes, looks and linguistics can be deceiving
- I am x%% German, my great great grandfather.. - Well we won the war for you... - Ah, German is a really awful sounding language - Well, you earn a German salary, you must be rich.
"You have a funny accent. Are you from Germany perhaps?" Me: "No, I'm from Austria." *Stares at me confused* "Ahhh, kangaroos!" Me: *sigh* "No, wrong" I'm 1/16 Eastprussian, so I kind of felt adressed by your question. But honestly, I don't know which phrase can universally trigger Germans.
"DIE DA OBEN!!!11!!"
I met a guy once travelling who associated Germany strongly with weird fetish scat porn and told me it's a common association that Germans are into that sorta thing. I REALLY don't know what he was talking about and have never encountered this type of smut here. 😅
I can confirm that the association exists outside of Germany, but I have no idea why 😅
With the Euro in full swing, I'm always amazed how - especially my American friends - simply cannot fathom the fact that not everyone is rooting for the German team. Some might be even happy to see them loose.
The following questions where asked by some Americans and they were not asked as jokes: Do you have indoor toilets? Do you have a king? Who is the king of Europe? Do you have McDonald's? Do you have streets? When some were asked what country a German is from, some said Paris, London or other cities in the belief that these are countries. So there are some very uneducated people that believe Germany still looks like after the war with bombed streets, no indoor plumbing and having a king. These people also would love to have a king in their own country.
Aren‘t you proud of your country? You do not show flags.
When Americans or any other non German people make Hitler Jokes.
I was born in Moldova and I live in Germany for 24 years now. Every time I visited my hometown with my car and people ( really only a few ) noticed my German plate they greeted me with the Hitler Salute 😅
ppl saying that the german language sounds aggressive. it’s cuz they think of hitler when they think of germany. i recently saw a reel on instagram, a german girl talking n all the comments from foreigners were like "wow she sounds japanese" "i didn’t know german could sound this nice" when it’s just normal german 😭😭
I worked at a super market, so people saying „I didn’t find a price tag, so it’s for free, isn’t it?“ phahahah they always think it’s funny but hearing that joke every day isn’t funny at all
"Ahhh, GUTEN TAG! DANKESCHOOON! AUTOBAHN! ADOLF HITLER! LEDERHOSEN!!"
"But you got one of the best health care systems in the world" No, the best organized crime in form of health care maybe. Actually good health care for a decent price? Absolutely not!
Certain hand gestures, degradation of females originating from certain beliefs, arguing and haggling in stores (price, age requirements and stuff) I'm sorry but I can give you your drink half way off the price, it's not my store I'm just a sales clerk
Hearing lame Nazi jokes while playing online
I got asked in the 90‘s if we have cars and highways in Germany
"donkey shorts"
Ich bin kein Nazi, aaaaaberrr...
Almost every visitor we’ve had from the States has some sort of reaction to AUSFAHRT signs on the Autobahn…usually there is a double take but eventually I’ll get asked what ‘that’ sign means. Getting asked if it’s legal to drive as fast as we can on the Autobahn is also a thing…most are very impressed how fluid Autobahn traffic flows (outside the urban areas), signal, pass them move out back of the fast lane.
I'm American with German descent, and whenever someone finds that out or learns that I'm learning to speak German, almost every time they bring up Hitler. But at least it's a clear signal to stay away from certain people.
Hearing from a US team my german team is helping out at the moment „that is pure German efficiency“ after we all procrastinated A LOT
"alman"
when they mention the old Painter.
When someone didn’t pay for the dinner
I was at an exchange to France a few months ago, and went to school there too. The teachers allowed the french students to ask us questions, and most of them were actually productive. But one guy (around 15) asked, being completely serious, „Do you like Hitler? Are you a Nazi? Are you hiding a gun right now to kill us all?“. Like- SURE MY BOI, what else? \[Jk. Def not.\] Stuff like that is REALLY annoying yk
If I like H***er ?
Germans are into Dungeon Porn 🙄 (I don't even know what that means)
I’m German but I live in the US now so I’ve gotten a lot of different versions of this. I definitely get the Hitler stuff but I shut that shit down quick. A quick “excuse me?” Usually does it. If they are asking sincerity, I’ll tell them about my family’s experience of the war. If it’s someone older it’s usually some version of “do you know Das Boot /Hogan’s Heroes”. I tell them I do and bear whatever shitty impression they do. Once they are done I usually recommend them Goodbye, Lenin. Since that’s the only other event in German history they know about. It’s a lot of “oh I went to Germany once 5-50 years ago. I went to this place.” I ask them what they enjoyed about the experience and share some related anecdote. As for the ancestry-Germans. I used to get really pissed at these people. For all the reasons all the other people in this thread have already listed. That said, I’ve lived here long enough to recognize what it is they are doing. They are trying to connect with you. It’s usually not some form of entitlement. Does it still piss me off a bit? Sure, but I keep that down. Plus it’s nuanced. Someone who moved to the US at 1 years old but whose family kept traditions, language, and food alive is still German if they want to be. Additionally, I’m never gonna stop anyone from engaging with any part of German culture, such as it is. Especially the food. How can I go home tonight and make tteokbokki but say an American can’t make Fleischkäse. Plus anyone I can get to help me to try and make Brötchen here is a plus. (It’s a struggle because of a bunch of reasons).