Who - or what is a German.....

'Different faces of a German'

This image may conjure up different pictures for different people. Some drawn from the incidents this past century, most I dare say admit comes from the media. What I experienced during my time there was quite different, contrary to my initial expectations.
As a colleague once succinctly put it - the typical German is like a coconut, cold and unfriendly on the outside but when you get to know him better you would always be welcome in his midst This is true in many instances. So although they may be a bit more formal that their southern neighbors but in no small way are they a boring people. German's love.... and I mean LOVE to have a good time. Think Ocktoberfest when you think about German attitude, and you wouldn't be too far from the truth. During my time there seemed to be festive events every other week - and at each event the whole place was packed; and it wasn't just the younger generation, but everyone from the young to the old seemed to want to come out and enjoy the festivities.
Given that fact - the average German is not a spendthrift but is quite cautious on where and on what he spends his money. When a house is built it is built out of solid brick and built to last a century. Although this results in prices which would break a wallet - the German considers everything in light of the time-period for which he will own his asset, and the joy it brings him. Therefore its is quite common for people to rent apartment's all their life until they have decided to live in a particular place - and then go in to buy a house. A direct result of this is a savings rate of close to 11% - quite a few percentage points higher than the US. This I suspect has some origins in the hardship the people have experienced over the last century which urges caution over reckless spending.
A personal attribute which I often came across was the relative modesty of the people. I think the best example of this attitude to understate things were the cars - take the BMW for example. In USA people take immense pride in the exact model of the car i.e. a 525 is different from an 535 etc, and make doubly sure that the model number is prominently present. However this seems to be a bit out of place in Germany and is rarely seen - it is uncommon to see a lot of 'bling' or personalization (think 20 inch rims etc.) on cars. This extends towards the very low-key 'patriotic spirit' that prevails in Germany. You would never find as much as a flag post with the national flag on doorsteps - that seems to be the exclusive realm of the government ministries. In fact I was given to understand, that the first time this sense of national pride was overtly expressed in over half a century was during the recently concluded football World Cup in 2006. I realize this is due to the events of World War II, an event where a sense of nationalistic pride resulted in sections of the population supporting a regime which sponsored a genocide. This sense of complicity has resulted in a general wariness for any such 'flag waving' - the passage of time has not completely erased the past.
Another facet of their persona is to be very upright and direct about most matters. Such a direct attitude can be however a bit unnerving at present, but over my time spent in Germany I have come to appreciate and respect this attitude. The fact that you would rather have a person tell you upfront if he/ she finds something amiss rather than being diplomatic is quite relieving - and avoids any sense of misunderstanding. This attitude is quite opposite to what you experience in USA, and could contribute to the image of the pedagogical German.
However if this would make you to think that Germans are only one type of people - think again. Remember - they are descendants of the Germanic tribes - not 'a' single tribe. The people from Bavaria are a culture apart from the folks of North-west Rhinephalia, the north, south, east and west - all have their distinct cultures and traditions. Add to this a large Turkish population (and accompanying culinary subculture) in and around Bonn and a sizable Japanese populace in Dusseldorf (offices of every second Japanese company I know) and then you have quite an interesting mix of people.
On a side note I did realize something about the German Turks. Looking in the past I come to realize that the huge influx of the Turks into Germany was part of the industrial rebuilding process after the war. Most of those who came were from the economically lower classes, migrating at an opportunity to have a better life. As with many ethnic minorities they preferred to live a bit isolated from the rest of the population, and live a similar existence just as they had done in their native Turkey. Over the past thirty-forty years both Turkey and German have become rapidly westernized, both in thought and mannerisms - and nowadays some of these people, many of whom came from conservative backgrounds (the intelligentsia were prosperous and content enough not to migrate) now feel a bit alienated in their country of residence. They are not able to associate and accept the present culture in Germany while at the same time feel out of place in a modern, urban suave Turkey - the country of their origin. I think this catch 22 situation of being in 'no-man's' land is present all over the world and will continue to increase as different countries coalesce into one big market place. Would people be able to retain and celebrate their diversity and traditions in such an environment - I guess that question any one's guess.
Speaking of the German's as a population, I also realized that one of the government's biggest headaches at present is their declining birth-rates which does not bode well for a system which is already straining a bit on its generous social benefits. This seems to be in line with an ever increasing age for marriage, although there is a growing trend for live-in relationships. Oddly enough, this did not translate directly into what people seemed to yearn for - many of whom I met were looking for some form of stability in their lives. I will admit, that this may stem from a different thought process that I am not able to easily relate to and takes some time to understand.
This seems quite a ramble about a people; but it all boils down to one thing - Germans are a very friendly people, they love to travel and many are quite wise about the happenings in the world. They may seem boring at first, but it certainly does not mean that they do not have things to talk about and share with you - as my good friend Stefan put it so well - 'the media has given this stern image, and well - we have to put on a facade and try our level best to live up to its expectations'!