7 Myths about Germany – Debunked

Like stereotypes and preconceptions attached to every culture, there are many things about German culture and Germany that are widely popular among masses. However, if you have lived in Germany long enough you know how untrue they are. Here are few of many popular myths about Germany that by far are not true.

Punctuality – Everything runs on time!

While if you attach this preconception with people, it might still be true. However, the myth would be busted as soon as you experience your first delay and miss the connection while traveling with Deutsche Bahn. The 21% of long-distance trains of Deutsche Bahn were delayed by at least 6 minutes in past year.

Local public transport fare no better. There are often delays due to construction work happening around the city. However, you can always be informed about the delays by checking the timings on the respective app.

Autobahn has no speed limit

Yes, there are patches of German highway where there is no speed limit. However, most of the Autobahn has a speed limit. As soon as you get close to a city or town the speed limit is restricted to 100-120kmph. Since most of the German highway is two or three laned and cars cruise at high speeds any accidents can clog up the traffic and cause huge traffic jams.

An unfortunate accident while traveling from Kaiserslautern to Hamburg caused a huge traffic jam on both lanes.

German Efficiency

Anyone who has lived here and dealt with any kind of officialdom, bureaucracy, banks or telecommunications companies will tell you that this is laughable. Things which can be done online with a few mouse clicks in most developed economies require reams of paperwork here.

Having a foreign passport adds to the nightmare. Any type of credit agreement, banking product, visa application or even something as simple as joining the library requires a trip to the residents’ office of City Hall to get a Meldebescheinigung to prove to them that I actually live where I say I do. Which I understand, but why can’t I just download a scan of this online and submit it through cyberspace to the institution asking for it.

SEE ALSO: 7 Reasons why living in Germany is awesome

Germans have no sense of humor

Germans are known to be cold and no non-sense kind of people. It is very true in a professional setting. Turn on the German news after watching an hour of American news and you would know what I mean. However, as the workday dooms and Feierabend sets in the mood changes as well. The cold personality turns funny as alcohol from the beer is absorbed by the body. Alright, I am stretching it too much.

Germans do, however, have quite a dry, ironic sense of humor. It’s just that I don’t get a lot of their jokes. Even speaking the language fluently, a lot of what they laugh about at parties leaves me scratching my head and thinking, what was the joke? So while I may not be laughing with them all the time, I find the Germans to be a jovial bunch once you get to know them outside of the office.

Most of the jokes that sound funny in German, make no sense whatsoever in English. While some things not even remotely funny in German are hilarious in English

Germans drink only Beer and eat Sauerkraut

Yes, Germans drink a lot of beer. In fact, 57% of total alcohol consumption in the country is in the form of beer. However, many people do prefer wine over a beer too. So much so that almost 28% of consumption of alcohol is in form of wine.  The total wine production is usually around 9 million hectoliters annually, corresponding to 1.2 billion bottles, which places Germany as the eighth largest wine-producing country in the world.

Now let’s talk sweets. Sadly, delicious desserts and divine pastry are not people’s first association when they think of German food. But you have no idea what amazing sweet treats you are missing out on. Admittedly, for some of them we share custody with our Austrian neighbors, but of course, Germans do it better!

SEE ALSO: 7 things only who live in Germany understand

Everyone gets naked at the first sign of summer

or otherwise

So yes, it’s correct that there are often areas on lake beaches which are naturist (known in Germany as FKK, or Freikörperkultur). And yes, Germans are certainly less prudish about nudity than Brits, and definitely less so than Americans.

It is also true that many saunas and thermal baths have a no-bathing-suits policy. Germans believe that it is unhygienic to sweat in textiles in communal areas. Of course, this can lead to cultural faux-pas and embarrassing situations for those who are unaware. So in saunas, be on the safe side and assume you will have to go nude.

This is where the truth ends. Firmly in the territory of myths about Germany is if you are expecting to walk through your local park in summer for the first time, expecting to see lots of naked sunbathers. You won’t do.

SEE ALSO: 7 mistakes you will make when you first arrive in Germany

All Germans are Nazis

I am not sure where this preconception comes from. Having been living in Germany for over four years now, I have rarely come across anyone who sympathizes with Nazi Germany. Yes, there has been an uproar about recent refugee crisis and rising popularity of AfD in Germany. However, a majority of Germans either despise or do not care about them. Moreover, Germans are anything but patriotic. Except during world cup, you would barely see anyone carrying or hoisting the national flag.

More from Study in Germany

FAQs about Studying in Germany | Airports | Preparation and Arrival | Masters | Bachelors | PhD | Student in Germany | Life in Germany | Part-time Jobs | Working in Germany | Driving in Germany | Housing in Germany | Integration | Comparisons between Countries | Traveling in Europe

Do not forget to share this blog with your friends on social media. Also, subscribe to the blog if you wish to learn more interesting things about Germany:

Gautam Sawala

Gautam is a self-proclaimed blogger and web-developer. He lives in a small town in Germany which no one has ever heard of. He writes shitty answers on Quora. He calls himself a published author just because Quartz picked up on one of his articles. He also loves boasting about himself in third person.

Share
Published by
Gautam Sawala

Recent Posts

How AI Girlfriend Radar Technology Aims to Match Users_ An Explainer

The Evolution of AI Relationship Companions The world of digital relationships is rapidly transforming, thanks to the emergence of AI…

June 5, 2025

Ist das Plinko Casino Spiel fair? RTP & Wahrscheinlichkeiten erklärt

3. ** Lassen Sie den Ball fallen: ** Sobald die Einstellungen eingestellt sind, lassen die Spieler den Ball von der…

June 4, 2025

Est la foire du jeu Plinko Casino? RTP et probabilités expliquées

3. ** Laissez la balle tomber: ** Dès que les paramètres sont définis, les joueurs quittent le ballon du haut…

June 4, 2025

Slovenia Online Gambol

All of these are control, and you can use them to shuffle deposits and withdrawals from a casino online Slovenia…

June 4, 2025

Slovenia Online Gambling

They also have a large variety of payment methods, from major credit cards to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Until recently, online…

June 4, 2025

Philippines Online Gaming

Whether you are looking something more alien, such as picture salamander or a punt of acquisition, thither is leap to…

June 4, 2025

This website uses cookies.