How To Avoid Surprises in Germany: A Greeks Guide to the German

(business) Culture
When the famous Roman senator and historian Tacitus described Germany in his wellknown monograph De Origine et situ Germanorum (or simply Germania), in 98AD,
he did not use the most flattering words to describe it:
Who indeed, in their right mind, would abandon Asia, Africa or Italy, for the land of
the Germans, which is filled with mundane landscapes, grey skies and embrace a sad
way of life, were it not their homeland?
With all due respect to the renowned Roman writer, I find that his description of
Germany does not do it justice, at least 2000 years later. While it is true that the
weather is not the best and the landscapes (especially in the North) tend to be a little
less than inspiring, Germany has managed to steal all the glory of the Roman Empire
and is now one of the most powerful economies in the world; an empire of sorts. To
answer his initial question, many are the people from all over the world who abandon
their homes everyday, to visit Germany for business or leisure.
Well, mostly business.
During the years, the Germans have developed a rather infamous reputation regarding
their distant nature and strict adherence to rules. The scary rumors surrounding the
German lifestyle are still surprisingly prevalent in the Mediterranean region, in places
like Greece, in which I had the luck of growing up in. The caricature of the strict
German was arguably founded in the 60s, when a large part of the Greek population
migrated to West Germany in order to work as gastarbeiters. There was a pretty
apparent dichotomy between the two cultures: Germans stereotypically perceived
Greeks as lazy, loud con artists, while Greeks perceived Germans as cold-hearted
snubs. The global financial crisis of 2008 was the final nail in the coffin for the
relationships between the two countries: the dependence of Greek banks from the
stable German economy, became more than evident, fuelling a wave of mutual
distrust, that of course was founded in the old misconceptions.
Although they are by no means as exaggerated as the media present them to be,
cultural differences in German business etiquette and lifestyle are definitely there and
might pose a shock to unsuspecting professionals trying to get acquainted with their
German counterparts. Below, I will try to suggest some ways in which business people
from the Mediterranean can get accustomed to the German mindset. As an
anthropologist, I can assure you: culture is everything: you would be surprised at how
many things that you take for granted, are deemed as unacceptable in foreign
countries!
Give Space
Being up close and personal is not such a big deal in Greece. People do it all the time
as a sign of good will and affection. When dealing with German people however, it
would be a good idea to leave a generous distance between one another. Respect for
personal space will be greatly appreciated and might save you from some awkward
spots!
Actions count more than words
Well, that should be a universal rule, but the Germans are especially cautious when
something sounds too good to be true. Dont promise on what you cant deliver, no

matter how pure your intentions are. Unlike doing business in Greece, in Germany,
honesty is your most powerful weapon.
Everything has a time and a place
Germans value punctuality and order, but they are not at all as stuck up as
Mediterranean people believe them to be. The key to understanding their point of view
is to realize that they have a well defined structure concerning their life aspects. Work
is work and personal life is personal life. They make a remarkable job of separating
between the two!
Its all about structure
The keyword for German business culture is delegation. There is a perfectly welldefined hierarchy, with everyone having very clear responsibilities and expectations. It
was that kind of organizational skills that brought the German economy to the top and
a winning team never changes. You should be especially aware of that, as it is a big
difference from the Greek way of doing business, which usually involves one person
with way too many responsibilities under their belt. Also, although self-confidence is
something to be expected, be careful: Germans value knowledgeable people more
than impressive go-getters.
Freund und Bekannter
There is a very broad definition of the word friend in Greece. It might be a person
whom you know for your whole life, or could just be a person with whom you really hit
it off for a couple of months. This is not the case in Germany. There is a very strict
difference between freund (=a highly regarded and trusted friend with whom a
relationship has been built over the years) and bekannter (=acquaintance). It is deeply
rooted in the Greek psyche to call many people as friends, but try not to be overly
affectionate with your German business counterparts. You might have the opposite
effects.
Read up a little
Germany is one of the most literate countries in the world (with virtually no difference
between genders). Chances are that your business partners will be well-educated
people with a wealth of interests that may extend to literature and the arts. Germany
boasts many luminous personalities in the fields of literature, arts and science. While
nobody expects you to read and understand Albert Einsteins general theory of
relativity (unless its your express field), there are some notable writers and art
theorists that I would strongly suggest that you read; if anything, to educate yourself!
In terms of literature, apart from the classics, Berthold Brecht is an absolute must. His
monumental works The Three Penny Opera, Mother Courage and Her Children, The
Good Person of Szechwan and many others, are a testament of the fear and poverty
that surrounded the pre-war German society. Other personal favorites of mine are the
works of Hermann Hesse (mainly Steppenwolf and Siddhartha) and Thomas Mann
(Magic Mountain and Death in Venice). Of course, the works of Franz Kafka should not
be forgotten. There are many great works of German literature, perhaps worthy of
their own article!
If you are not the reading type, dont worry! Germany boasts a number of prolific
directors that created some of the most interesting pieces of European
cinematography. Werner Herzog (Nosferatu, Aguirre, The Wrath of God) and Rainer
Werner Fassbinder (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Berlin

Alexanderplatz) are a great introduction to the German cinema of the sixties and
seventies. If you are looking for something more contemporary, then Wolfgang
Petersen (who directed the classic 4-hour epic Das Boot and has also been involved in
major Hollywood productions) or Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (Lives of Others)
might prove to be more your kind of style.
Doing business in Germany is by no means an impossible task. However, a little bit of
awareness and tact, can get you a long way in the business world of this wonderful
country!
*Georgios Mouratidis is a freelance writer, anthropologist and musician that loves art,
dogs and meeting new cultures more than everything else in life! Born in Houston, TX
and raised in Greece, he is currently living in Sweden, where he is on course to
complete his second Masters in Cultural Anthropology.