Why Do Germans Love Merkel?

I know that many many non-Germans are baffled as to why Germans seem hell-bent on keeping Angela Merkel as their chancellor, at almost any cost.

After what she did to the country, it would seem only logical to show her the door and bolt the locks from the inside. Instead, Merkel's party stands at a very respectable 31 percent in almost all polls. And this isn't because of some very popular policies her party advocates, or because of a generally popular party structure. There is in fact nobody at all that anybody could name as a representative -- apart from Merkel herself. That 's why it's often called the "Merkel-party"rather than its proper name the CDU/CSU. (A name by the way, which sounds more and more hollow, there is definitely nothing Christian about that party, nothing social, and increasingly not even anything democratic anymore):

So why are Germans so keen on Merkel?

Firstly, Germans feel comfortable with her. One of the fundamentals of the German psyche is that people MUST NOT get above themselves. They have to blend in, be like everybody else, be exchangeable, be "normal".

Ergo: Merkel with her forgettable face, her mousy hair, her just out of bed complexion, her ever same-style clothes, her squelchy health shoes and general humdrum air has something that immediately appeals to Germans: She is unthreatening, unkempt, or - as they would say: unpretentious and modest. That makes her a star performer in her nation's peculiar psychological makeup.

But Merkel doesn't just score via her provincial unkempt normcore appearance. Germans are also extremely impressed by titles and degrees, however phony. The fact that Merkel is a chemical physic, is also married to one (who is even a Professor!) many Germans find extremely impressive and admirable. Never mind that her dissertation is only partly accessible to the public, that doubts have been raised as to who the exact author was of it all, about the quality of the disposition etc etc. - never mind. For Germans, their  chancellor ("Unsere Kanzlerin") is a Frau Doktor. OOOH! That is impressive! She must be right then! A scientist as well! Clever and analytical!

Merkel also - because of the two points we just discussed - comes over as extremely reliable, dependable and trustworthy. This is in stark contrast to her actual performance: Her decisions tend to be quixotic, unilateral, often based on irrational feelings and  personal gain.

But as Germans are so stubbornly convinced that their dishevelled, saggy-faced near-dictator is an honest broker of their interests in the world, they will carry on voting for her, keeping her in power whatever ills she will be inflicting on the nation.

In Merkel, Germans have found their true leader.

Don't Mention the Weather

Have you ever commented about the weather in Germany? It's tricky that - and full of potential pitfalls.

Let me explain: Say, on an ordinary October day, you remark: "Bit blustery, isn't it" or, in German, as of course you'd be politely speaking the local language: "Ganz schön windig heute".

The automatic reply you'd get would be: "Ja was denkst du??! Es ist Herbst!!" (Well, what do you think?! It's autumn after all!") Thump.You fall flat on your face and wonder what you did to engender such a strong reaction to an ordinary remark.

Whereas in Britain, you'd be getting any response from polite, distracted affirmation "Isn't it just" to spinning the conversation on "It really is . I even had to take my washing in this morning" or any other way of making  something of the opening gambit. In contrast, the German response is automatically challenging, personal, and in attack-mode - querying your sanity that you're clearly not aware that it is indeed autumn, and what else would any sane person expect, so why on earth comment? Conversational effort rebuffed, speaker called sub-intelligent and openly put in their place. End of conversation. Best to say nothing in Germany. Which of course is the German way: If it's not "meaningful", it's best to say nothing,  they argue. What could posssibly be meaningful, say arriving at the work place on a Monday morning? Angela Merkel's immigration policy?

Consequently, silence is a major part of...German conversation (1). But back to our example, as there's more to it  than the sheer rudeness of speakers.There's also a complete intercultural breakdown: People in Germany aren't aware that seasons aren't so clear-cut everywhere as they are in continental Europe: Spring: Mild - Summer: Hot - Autumn:Windy - Winter: Cold. The "4 seasons in a day" concept for example, so prevalent in Britain and Ireland is totally unknown to them. Therefore, a rather bovine attitude towards the seasons is preordained. It is as it is. No need to comment. Es ist halt Herbst! Ja. isso.




(1) I shall be wrting about silence -"Schweigen" in a separate post. It is of immense importance when understanding German society, history, and even current political events.

Why Is It So Easy to Manipulate Germans?

Yesterday on Social Media (that's how a lot of stories start nowadays!) a German chap, early 60s, a historian with a PhD was telling me off for saying German media were propagating government viewpoints. Assuming I was British and therefore (!) wouldn't know much, he prodeeded to give me a lecture about freedom of the press in Germany. How German media was founded Precisely!! in order to counteract government propaganda because of all the wonderful lessons learned from National Socialism. And so on and so on.

Why is this important and what does it tell us about Germany today?

Because it shows that Germans - highly educated and informed as they are - understand nothing of how communication works.

Few Germans know what an advertising agency is and what it does. Ask them about PR-agencies or media agencies and you will draw a total blank.

How can anybody expect a nation which can tell you everythig about the Enlightenment and what great lessons of "Mitmenschlichkeit" to draw from it (all said with a Bridget Jones style earnest nodding of the head) but knows nothing about press conferences, "Kamingespräche" between PR-agencies and journalist, the workings of ad placement by media agencies and so on and so on be expected to take a stand against what's going on in their country? They are like naive children repeating what their mummy has told them. Fully expecting to be praised because they are so learned - gut aufgepasst!

Germans are singularily badly equipped to stand up to the manipulation - by the media, by the government - that's going on under their very eyes. #sad

People's Opinions: Leave Germany or Not

Personally, I've become convinced that Germany isn't a safe country anymore. The constant danger of falling victim to a crime increases by the day, and living in a huge town as I do, doesn't help. More recently, however, a second danger has been manifesting itself:

Totalitarian methods of curbing free speech. Censorship, informing, reporting, denunciations, wrecking people's livelihood with the help of some misconstrued BDS- activity - all those things are alive and kicking. (Especially the latter).

And so I've been canvassing opinions of late. Asking anybody and everybody - friends,family, but also people I hardly know, people on social media what their thinking is: Do they think it's still safe to stay in Germany if you want to speak your mind.

As it is, it seems almost everybody has a "secret plan". Everybody I spoke (or had written communication with) replied that they thought things were still "dormant" at the moment. They were critically observing the deteriorating scenery - newspapers publishing only obvious government-approved content, people becoming aggressively active when confronted with dissent to the current government. (When did it actually start that ordinary people make it their business to defend a hare-brained politician, i,e. Merkel just because they feel that they share a socialist agenda with her and you ought to be punished if you don't?)

Back to people's secret plan. Most people (with the usual provisos of family and property which make leaving the country difficult, or in some cases impossible) had given it a lot of thought and had already pinpointed a preferred destination they'd be heading for if things were to get worse in Germany. There was also a (mostly non-bourgeois) minority of people who said they would definitely not leave and were prepared to join some form of struggle or confrontation if necessary.

I mustn't forget to mention that nobody was actually considering moving before the autumn election results were known. Many of course hoping for a defeat or in any case weakening of the current administration.

Here are the destinations most frequently mentioned:

• USA
• Australia/New Zealand (something comforting to being on the other side of the world)
• Switzerland
• Hungary (one of my own favourites)
• some fair weather destinations like Tenerife or Madeira

Whether or not people will actually pack their bags and leave is of course their decision. I for one have made up my mind.

Thanks to all who were kind enough to share their views with me.

Die deutsche Werbeagentur

Zur Abwechslung mal ein Post auf Deutsch... aus gegebenem Anlass, etwas über Werbeagenturen.


Ich hatte das (Un-)Glück einige Zeit in ener Werbeagentur als Texter zu arbeiten. Ja in ener sehr großen, internationalen, die für viele bekannte Marken arbeitet. Deren Spots man jeden Abend im TV sehen kann. Viel gelernt - wie entsteht ein Werbefilm zum Beispiel, von der Idee zum Storyboard zum Dreh, zur Post-Production. Viel über Marktforschung, Fokusgruppen, Strategie.

Aber vor allem viel über die Menschen, die in Werbeagenturen arbeiten. Und gerade darüber gibt es so viel Unwissen - vor allem in Deutschland, wo Menschen so wenig über die gesamte Kommunikationsbranche wissen. Was ist PR, was ist Werbung, was Marketing? Keine Ahnung, aber alles überdeckt von strinrunzelnder Mißbilligung. Die wollen uns doch nur reinlegen sagt, wie der Bauer 1920 auch noch 2016 der gebildeteFernsehzuschauer.

So herrscht natürlich auch ein völlig falsches Klischeebild von Leuten, die in der Werbung arbeiten: Glamourös und mit einer Aura- oh ja, aber auch eitel und oberflächlich. Und reich, sehr sehr reich. Mad Men hat Eindruck hinterlassen. Jeder Deutsche weiß jetzt Bescheid wie das läuft - und vergißt daß sich seit den 1950ern und vor allem seit den 80ern, sehr sehr viel verändert hat. Erst diese Woche hatte ich einen Twitter-Austausch mit jemandem, der mich belehrte, dass Werber alle auf Koks seien  und Ferrari fahren: "Alle die ich in der Werbung kenne, sind permanent zugekokste Hipster". Ja, man kennt sie - die Reichen und Schönen - aber ist zugleich selbstverständlich empört über das unmoralische Treiben.

Oh ihr naiven, klischeebegeisterten Deutschen! Wenn ihr wüßtet! Die allermeisten in der Werbung Arbeitenden sind nämlich nicht straight outta Mad Men in schicken Anzügen, sondern oft verkrachte Existenzen. Lange lange geisteswissenschafltiche Studien führten zu eben so langer Arbeitslosigkeit zum Beispiel, bis man durch Beziehungem den Job in der Agentur bekam. Falsche Anläufe - jemand sollte mal die Anzahl ehemaliger Sportlehrer in Agenturen publizieren! - Jobs als "fester Freier", "Freier" oder ähnliches sind an der Tagesordnung. Schlabbrige Jeans, selber gekochtes mitgebrachtes Mittagessen, abends der Fernseher, so sieht das Mitarbeiterleben aus. Und natürlich die Kollegen, inzestuöse Beziehungen von Menschen aus kleinen Städten, die wegen des Jobs in die große weite Welt gezogen sind und dort niemand kennen, klucken zusammen. Das führt zu Streit, Mobbing, aber auch zu Cliquen und Ehen. Die Atmosphäre ist gespannt und die Gänge (allerdings strahlend weiß und mit interessanten Design-Objekten ausgestattet) riechen nach Tütensuppe. Man macht viel gemeinsam. Wer das nicht mag, hat schlechte Karten.

Steht ein Pitch an, wird tatsächlich hart gearbeitet, oft durch die Nacht. Steht keiner an (meistens) herrscht gähnende Langeweile, die jeder durch Computerspiele etc. zu besänftigen sucht. Und dem Satz "Also bei uns ist voll Stress" - man will ja nicht wieder arbeitslos sein.

Alles in allem sind es meist armselige, unkreative Menschen die dort arbeiten. Und es ist ja nicht alles Kreation - weit wichtiger ist die Kundenbetreuung. Das sind hochorgansierte aber recht langweilige Menschen, die früher Chefsekretärin gewesen wären, aber jetzt (weil sie ihr BWL-Studium nur mittelmäßig abgeschloosen haben) nicht in der Industrie, sondern auf Agenturseite landen. Wesentlich schlechter bezahlt.

Also nix mit Koks, nix mit Ferrari - sondern was mit Kleinbürgern, provinziellem Stolz auf sich selber (nicht mehr arbeitslos, sondern kreativ!) und viel klischeehafter Mythenbildung. Viel mit Ressentiment, viel mit trübseligem, trotzigem Linksdenken: Man will ja nicht sein wie der ewig betrunkene NPD-Vater, der auf dem Sofa in der Küche die Bildzeitung las.

Aber natürlich hat man Dünkel und Anspruch - gespeist dadurch, daß das Publikum denkt man fährt Ferrari. So internalisert dann auch der verkrachte Kleinbürger das klischeehafte Image, von dem er selbst weiß wie falsch es ist.

All das nur ein bißchen als Hintergrund zum Fall Hensel und seiner Agentur.

Where Should I Emigrate To?

I will have to emigrate. Very very soon it will no longer be possible to lead anything resembling a normal life in Germany. Last week, an 80-year old woman was raped and robbed on a Sunday at 11am after a church visit. In the centre of Düsseldorf, a once pleasant and affluent town where I spent several years working in an advertising agency, riding my bike, going for walks, coming home late...normal things one does. None of those things would now be possible in Merkel's Germany. And that isn't acceptable. But as that evil woman vowed to stick to her guns (so to speak) and indeed will next week be visiting Africa to sniff out more possible Deals (as we've learned to call them) with African leaders, I have no choice but to leave this once pleasant, but now doomed country.

So where should I go? Where can I go?

• Britain. The obvious choice. My second home. Yet last time I lived there, I had to leave after 1 year: The combination of atrocious weather, Fridya night culture, ropey infrastructure and manky food proved too much. Enormous administrative, personal and financial efforts had to made to remedy a wrong move. Dare I give it another chance? Still, the prospect of a new promising Tory government is a positive sign, the North has to be avoided ( I lived in Edinburgh last time) and a general gritting of teeth might do the trick. Odds: 6/10

• Hungary. The country I spent the most time in this year. Very sympathetic due to personal ties and the politics of PM Orbán which I wholeheartedly approve of. Affordable. Beautiful, historically interesting. But: Language problems, the near impossibility of finding a job there, low wages. And atmospherically, I often notice a certain ennui in people there, a tendency to be negative and find fault with everything, and a general lack of joie de vivre. Odds:4/10

• Holland. Probably the country I feel closest to outside (the old, pre-Merkel) Germany . Although I have the vocabulary of a 10-year old, due to spending my youth there I can sound Dutch.  I always get the frisson of coming home when I'm there. The smells, the weird food, the "Hoi" - it all feels comforting. Yet: Is it that much better than Germany when it comes to chaotic migration? And is the prospect of living in a politically divided, almost sectarian country any better than living with Merkel's constant "Nazi" slurs?  Odds: 6/10

• Switzerland. A country I have no ties with and know hardly at all. What I've heard about it hasn't exactly filled me with enthusiasm. Vigilante neighbours, high prices, strange forms of protestantism. Generally I'd say - too isolated, inward-looking, resentful and stuck in a decade we know little about. And yet: It's affluent, realatively safe, has good infrastructure and the prospects of finding a job there are better than in most other countries. Not a place I like, but as I say - it's grit your teeth time. Odds: 6.5/10 

Beggars can't be choosers. And it will be necessary to make a decision soon. The next German government will likely involve a loony left party AND  the nauseating, destructive Merkel. I hope not to be in Germany when that doubly whammy hits.

So what do you think? If you're German, do you have similar thoughts? If you live outside Germany, can you recommend a country I maybe haven't thought of yet? Let me know!

Why Is Europe Deliberately Being Destroyed? My Take.

No other question has been bandied about as much during the last year as this: WHY? Why are European leaders (Mainly: Germany's Merkel) letting in a deluge of young unskilled Muslim males - unchecked, unregistered, uncontrolled?

The humanitarian argument didn't cut the mustard anymore when it became clear that most weren't actually from Syria (incidentally: Is shipping people out of the country the best way of dealing with a civil war?) but from Pakistan, India, North Africa and Central Africa - none a warzone. Then there was a spurious attempt to say those people were highly qualified workers and would boost the economy. (Laughable, no counter-argument necessary). Then we had the demographic ruse which is equally absurd: No more Germans? Hey let's take in 3 million Africans, I mean what's the difference! A "bums on seats" argument of the most primtive kind.

Okay, so the official explanations are clearly unsatisfactory. What does the other side have to say?

Having asked that question incessantly for a year, I'm probably familiar with every theory anybody ever had about this - from the banal ("Politicians are just incapable") to wacky ("It's a Zionist plot").
During this year I learned a lot about the New World Order, about the Bilderbergers, the Trilateral Commission and various other arcane subjects.

I also came across some familiar figures from the past, e.g. R. Coudenhove-Kalergi who is high on the list of being responsible for the catastrophe we're now experiencing. Personally, I always found him a fascinating historical figure, well worth a proper biography. I also find his quest for a pan-European movement quite sympathetic. (Also proposed by Hubertus Prinz zu Löwenstein - surely not a suspicious figure). Bearing in mind that Coudenhove-Kalergi was writing in the 1920s where such ideas were common currency, I find it hard to imagine that this highly-cultured man of letters would have advocated an invasion of illiterate brutalised Third Word Muslims into Europe. In fact, I am one hunded percent certain, he would not. He is absolutely the wrong guy to blame for the various idiocies of the Merkel-"plan".

So... this leaves us where?  I think when something is intensely puzzling  and you just stand there open-mouthed wanting to shout "You What???" 20 times, you have to pause, let it all sink in and look for the most likely explanation. Which is why I would exclude the NWO theory. Creating all this mess, in order to provoke a civil war to then beat that down and start again is just too SciFi for me.

The answer (and of course this is only my theory) is much more simple.

A politician with immense power, and a massive chip on their shoulder. Somebody whose first term in office was blighted by set-backs, frustration and constant humiliation. Somebody with a dodgy past they have to conceal all the time. Somebody with a name that isn't real. Somebody with a massive amount of anger. Somebody who is black, has strong Muslim sympathies, and exhibits many gay tendencies. (Nothing wrong with any of those, unless you yourself think they mark you out as a lesser being.)

So - you guessed it, yes, the 44th President of the United States - Barack Obama II. A person whose hatred of all that he is not, is so overwhelming, he needs to destroy what he cannot be or have. Barack decided that after his disastrous first term (and the momentously catastrophic decision of the American people to grant him a second) he would not repeat his mistakes. He started to engage in the Politics of Revenge.

By persuading gullible, slightly off the pace politicians like Angela Merkel who basked in the warm sunshine of his praise, to take in millions of young uneducated Muslims into their own countries, Barry achieved 2 things at once - improving the conditions for the Brothers after all, getting millions of no-hopers out into highly developed European countries where they will be alimented from arrival til death is no mean feat and probably guarantees him a place in the Muslim pantheon. Hail Barry.

Secondly, and more importantly, Barry made sure that he got his own back. Affluence? Destroyed. Peace? Destroyed by civil unrest. Safety? Destroyed by sky-rocketing criminality. Freedom of speech? Eradicated. Whites? Put in their place by fear  and institutionalised black racism. The civil society? Replaced by sectarian hatred.

The humiliation of Mr. Obama, President, engendered the biggest hate crime ever: The unleashing of the Muslim invasion of the West.

Barry, together with your obliging, slightly backward handmaiden Merkel you've achieved so much more than any New World Order fantasy ever could!

The Year of Living Dangerously

It is now almost a year that German Chancellor Angela Merkel unilaterally decided to waive the Dublin and Schengen agreements and thereby triggered off the biggest migration flow in the history of modern Europe.

Much has changed since those fateful days in early September 2015. I will concentrate on the changes in ordinary people's lives rather than the big events (Brexit!!) this decision has brought about.

During the long gloomy autumn months that followed that disastrous September, everybody was feeling absolutely stunned. I remember travelling quite a lot and constantly meeting people who looked perplexed and confused asking each other the ever same question "What is happening here?" There was no help coming from politicians - the official reason of "our humanitarian obligation" was quickly transformed into absurdity as migrants from Pakistan, North Africa and India were flooding Germany in ever increasing numbers.

Evenings were getting darker, and as reports of soaring crime became daily news, going out by yourself after dark seemed a distant memory. Pepper spray became a handbag accessory.  People were constantly looking over their shoulders rather than straight ahead. Whilst Merkel and her allies were calling peaceful demonstrators "scum" and actively encouraged people to sneer at "concerned citizens", Cologne NYE happened. You know the facts by now (against the explicit wish of the government who tried to hide, obfuscate and poo-pah those absolutely mind-blowing occurrences.).

The winter was spent raging against the forces that had made all this possible, trying to find answers, discussing it with friends til the early hours, going over possible scenarios,- and starting to think about leaving the country.

Suddenly it had become clear how vulnerable one really was. Things one had never heard ofbefore actually became frightening reality: Somebody can stand behind you on the escalator and burn your hair off with a lighter (happened in Berlin). Mothers carrying babies could be randomly stabbed (also in Berlin).Young women were admonished to dress decently so as not to "tempt migrants". Houses and flats that once seemed safe were broken into as if a window, a door, a fence were nothing - which  is true, they offer very little actual protection. But in the "old Germany" they used to indicate barriers - this is MY territory do not enter without permission. In the new Merkel-created society such barriers are no longer meaningful. If there's something to get hold of, hey....go for it! And don't expect help or even sympathy from German politicians. Victim-blaming is common currency now

Then the really terrible terror attacks happened, not just in Germany but all over Europe. Train journeys became fraught with danger. Innocence, carelessness, normality, sponaneity have all gone. Instead there is a panoply of crude and rather primitive propaganda slogans urging everybody to do more and get with the programme which is inanely called "Wir schaffen das" (We can do this!). Indeed in her most recent interview Merkel, asked about the increase in sexual attacks on women said "I think we as a country can cope with that".

Life in Germany has become dangerous since Merkel's foolhardy decision last September. And of course this year has seen similarly staggering numbers of immigrants, especially from Central Africa. Thank you Merkel!You have managed to change Germany completely and utterly. Life has become difficult, unpleasant and dangerous, all in one year. Well done!

Xenophobia - a Clarification

Today, I came across an article in the German Press which tells the story of a University Professor who horribile dictu is apparently publishing his thoughts on Twitter. His views, the article explains in a pained and worried tone, are not pro-refugees. They are therefore, the author points out "fremdenfeindlich" - hostile to foreigners, xenophobic. The article is here.

This got me thinking: The professor is against Germany taking in more and more and more (every day, c.3,000) refugees, migrants, asylum seekers whatever you choose to call them. 80 percent of those people are male and 85 percent are Muslim. Whether indeed this is a good idea, is blatantly more than debatable, After the horrendous incidents at NYE in Cologne, people are surely allowed to raise the topic in a more than questioning manner. Crime, especially sexual crime against women has risen dramatically. Other violent crime is also up, especially in formerly pleasant towns like Düsseldorf, or the said Cologne. People, but especially women are rightly afraid to go out on their own. The sale of pepper spray, maze, and demand for legally availablel self-defense weapons has exploded.

So far, so bad. Back to our tweeting professor. Why, in God's name should somebody who is not in favour (and says so publicly) of taking in millions of misogynist, violent males, who balk at the thought of shaking a woman's hand - refugees in asylum seeker's hostels even refuse to take food when it is served to them by a woman - but don't appear to have a problem with raping women, why then should he not be allowed to say so? Or even more illogically, be smeared as xenophobic? For that is exactly the one aspect the professor hasn't got a problem with - that those people are foreigners. He is not xenophobic - he is worried about the demise of tolerance in Germany.

Likewise, regular readers of this blog will know how much I detest xenophobia. They will also know how much I detest illiberalism and homophobic or misogynist attitudes.Which is precisely why I am against importing millions of Muslim males who are explicitly unwilling to integrate and who demand that their anti-Western views and behaviour patterns aren't just respected but made the norm in their newly adopted countries.

So quite why the German press wants to stigmatize people who are worried about society becoming ever more illiberal, intolerant and proto-fascist as "xenophobic" must remain a mystery. Or shall we say not so much a mystery: Plummeting circulation figures are making German media vulnerable: Government funding is only for those who are happy to be "gleichgeschaltet" and will spout Merkel's message.

Are You A Nazi?

Ironically, in my last post I said I was looking forward to moving to a "delightful" town like Munich or Düsseldorf, or Hamburg. It turns out that in the space of only a few weeks, those towns have become  a lot less delightful: Huge tent cities have appeared all over the place, container homes are being put up and municipal buildings are now the home of refugees from all over the world.

Only in August, the government was talking of 450,000 refugees Germany would be taking in. The figure quickly edged up to 800,000, then to a million, and now we hear that an additional 500,000 people want to complete the  hazardous journey via Turkey before the winter sets in.

I will leave aside the question whether the best way of  alleviating what is undoubtedly a global human catastrophe is bringing all those people here. I will also not discuss questions of demographical compatibility. Or the fact that the media continuously show pictures of refugee families and small children - whilst official Austrian Home Office figures established that 78.p.c. of refugees are young males.

I want to concentrate on the aspect I find truly amazing and not a little upsetting: The way this surely major societal occurrence is being discussed in Germany. Namely not at all. In canteens, round the coffee-machines, on commuter trains - the refugee crisis is always the elephant in the room.

That's because only one opinion is permissible: It's great. Germany is an example to the world. There aren't any problems (well maybe some tiny minor technical ones which with the right organisational approach will soon be ironed out). Everything is gut. Shut up. Any questions, doubts, fears, problems? You cannot be serious! Are you a Nazi? You must be very right-wing!!

So everybody shuts up. If you're an ordinary middle-class person with a family, a job, holidays, friends, the daily grind, the weekend to look forward to, I'd say it's most unlikely you will have a Second Life as a rabid Hitler-admiring "Deutschland über alles" singing Nazi. Yet the public mood is so fanaticized - one doubtful look, one wrong question, and you'll be labelled a dangerous right-winger and a "rabble-rouser". No ifs, no buts. It's a fact. Go away, Nazi.

The leader of the Liberal party (FDP) today said : "It's the refugees who will have to adapt, not the indigenous population". Wait for the backlash, wait for the slander. Nobody, however liberal their credentials, how fair their point, intellectual their background is immune  - it is open season in Germany. Any doubts about the wisdom of taking in 1 million refugees year on year? Shut up you Nazi!

Berlin - Not For Me.

I have now been living in Berlin for almost a year, and its ugliness still hits me. Give or take the odd building like the Dom, and a few charming streets in Charlottenburg (one of which I'm fortunate enough to live in) the town with its vast stretches of indiscriminate housing, its brutal 4-lane quasi-Autobahns dissecting the city, its 1960s architecture (have you ever been to an area ironically called "Bellevue"?) is a masterclass in urban uninspiredness. Even the post-reunification architecture is horrible. I don't think I've ever seen quite such a visual imposition as the Potsdamer Platz. And that's is not to mention the creepy horror that was once East Berlin.

You will notice that I'm not a fan of Berlin. I live here because I have to. I've lived in many German towns and have never felt so "unwohl" as in Berlin. To all the thousands of people loving, coming here for their pilgrimage of cool, I have to say: Sorry, not for me.

So what is it I dislike apart from the ugliness? I do think towns (especially in highly regional Germany) have their own character and their own specifics not found anywhere else. So comparing it to other (West) German towns, I can, jus tas an example, say that I've never encountered such an unfriendly population, Hardly a day goes by where I'm not being told off for something (Being in the way, crossing the road when the traffic lights are on red etc etc) by a complete stranger. Berlin - a tolerant town? It is only tolerant of gypsy bands on the S-Bahn and people sleeping rough on the pavement. If you're an ordinary straight "normal" person, Berliners will hate you and resent you and will tell you all about it.

I also loathe the way the town is stuck in a (PR and real) permanent 1990s time warp. The"street art" for which read: Houses with brutal, ugly violent looking graffiti. The clubbing (does anybody still do that? As I have very few 16-year olds as friends there is no way of knowing.) Anyway who can afford to? Don't most people have a job? Not in Berlin evidently. And who would want to be told by some East German misfit with body-cover tattoos that No, you can't come in to our wonderful Berghain anyway? It's so non-Zeitgeist as not to be true and Zeitgeist issomething that Berlin is meant to be good at. 30 years out of date methinks. Or just a city PR agency unable to think of something new? More likely. And rather sad.

More recently, Berlin tried to bang the drum with street food, food trucks and restaurants. In my 11 months here I have never had a decent meal in any restaurant here. (I was recently in Stuttgart and amazed about the contrast). Berlin restaurants and Kneipen tend to offer low-quality cheap food, mainly catering for never to be seen again tourists. And don't get me started on the god-awful Currywurst. "Mit oder ohne Darm?" really says it all, especially where that disgusting concoction ought to be shoved. But that of course is a matter of taste...

Berlin is a mish-mash of horrible, grumpy and misanthropic indigenous people, trash tourists from European backwaters, and not much else. Charmless, ugly and permanently smelling of rubbish.

I will leave as soon as possible and move to one of the delightful towns of West Germany, Hamburg maybe, or Stuttgart, or München, or Düsseldorf....


NB: This post is not written from the  perspective of a British expat, but from a genuinly German one. And yes, that makes all the difference in the world.

Hatred of Germany

This is a topic I find thoroughly distasteful. If you've been following my posts, you'll know that I loathe any form of xenophobia. When it's targeted at Germany where I live, and which (although I didn't grow up here) I consider my home, it's doubly irritating and painful. I also feel that I can't deal with it in an entirely fair manner anymore. Too much has happened; It has made me prickly and sickened, and I don't trust myself to deal fairly with a topic I find entirely disgusting.

Also, I haven't been living in the UK for a few years now. My last abode was Edinburgh, where I didn't encounter any anti-German feelings in particular, but was aware of a diffuse xenophobic atmosphere.

When talking to British expats here in Germany, I notice the same stereotypical cliches coming up: No queuing (nobody outside the UK queues), efficiency (not true anymore in Germany, alas) and over-emphasis on things like being on time, law and order, strictness in a family context. (All about 50 years out of date). They take the amenities Germany provides for granted but don't try to expand their knowledge of it. Empiricism doesn't stand a chance over stereotype in that quarter.

Thus we come to Social Media where the hatred of Germany and Germans is rampant. Only the other day somebody (an English female, allegedly a member of the Labour party) wrote on Twitter

"All Germans are racists. They can't help it. It's in their/your DNA." As far as racist comments go, this one would score highly. The same person maintained that "All Germans are Nazis".
All this was in relation/explanation of Germany's role in the Greek debt crisis.

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, today said on twitter: "Germany's [role in the Greek debt crisis] is a disaster. We have to stop this immulation." As it is clear that "We" can neither do anything, or that Boris Johnson has any intention of bailing out Greece in a different way from Germany, these comments have to be taken as an indication of an almost incandescent hatred of Germany.

I deliberately counterpointed  a quote from a (clearly very poorly educated and ignorant) woman on Twitter and the Oxford man Boris Johnson who - however objectionable -prides himself on his worldliness and multi-cultural heritage. Sadly, both of them seem to agree on one thing: The horror that is Germany.

Speaking to a friend about it, he maintained that things had got an awful lot better over the decades. "Think of those dreadful British war films for example." I must admit I've never seen one. A loathing of all things military, war and xenophobic wouldn't make me the ideal audience. But I can assure you, even that sort of spirit is still alive and kicking: Recently, a British family man - otherwise a nice, decent person - enthusiastically raved about a new game app: "Dambusters" - hey, you can play at drowning Germans, how great is that! (War crimes as games, just think!) Incidentally, tens of thousands of  Polish POW's would have died if that infernal plan had worked out.

It is all very sad. I suppose one has to see it as a corollary of Britain drawing into itself, becoming ever more anti-European, ever more parochial and cut off. Germany and Germans are just the lazy way of hitting out. Who could be bothered to open another can of worms by, say, hating Italians or Austrians? Still, it is a sad indictment on a nation, its people. its politicians, its intellectuals (are there any in Britain still?)

It's also a shame that the UK managed to (rightly) make racism and homophobia a hate crime. Xenophobia, however, remains acceptable, is indulged in by high and low (actually, the thoroughly awful Daniel Hannan (MEP!) is another example of somebody who recently compared Germany to an occupying force in Europe - but somehow he is too disgusting to even get into.

Xenophobia really is the last resort of the scroundrel.

5 Things That Irritate Me About Germany

As some time ago I wrote about  "10 Things I Like About Germany", (http://interculturalmusings.blogspot.de/2012/03/10-things-i-like-about-gemany.html)  I thought it would only be fair to talk about the reverse of the medal. A word of warning though - this post will probably only make sense if you know a bit about Germany and are familiar with its actual day-to-day customs and ways. If you're more of the "Ah, the Germans - beer, sowercrowt and layderhouzn" school of thought, I reckon you'll probably find other sources more palatable. For those of you who've spent some time in Germany and/or know it well, here's my take on what gets to me about this country, and I'd obviously be delighted to hear about your pet hates.

1. Staring
I've written about this (to me) highly annoying German habit before here but it still tops the list of my gripes. Being used to the English way of never ever gaping at people, I'm baffled how Germans can spend so much time unashamedly staring at each other. This is particularly annoying on trains where you tend to have a person sitting opposite you. From looking one up and down to bovine open-mouthed stares, there's every variety. Children are not told that staring is rude and therefore do it just as much. I've since learned that there's a North/South divide with Northern Germans leaning more towards the English manner, but as I currently live in Munich which seems to be Starers Central, this is not much comfort to me.

2.Complaining
I may sound like an Australian going on about Whingeing Pommies, but I have honestly never experienced anybody complain as much as the Germans. They complain as if their life depended on it. And as they have little comparison, they take the smallest ontowardness as a personal slight. The - really wonderful - train network (ever used an ICE linking major German cities? Well, I do this quite a bit, and it is just about the most agreeable form of travel imaginable. WiFi, quiet areas, sockets at every seat, snacks and coffee, often free newspapers, a nice dining car with seasonal food, air conditioning that actually works, and an amazing record of being on time - it's a travel dream come true.) But for Germans, it's a red rag. One minute late??? Unbelievable! Carriages in reverse order?? Typical! The Bahn is not the only thing they moan about. They complain about high prices, the internet, e-books, the health service,modern life, capitalism, hotels..., anything and everything. They seem positively unhappy when there's nothing to complain about.

3. Conversation
For which read: "lack of". Have you ever been to a German office party? Or any party? Then you'll know the feeling of having to deal with complete and undisturbed silence. Germans don't ever feel the need to "make conversation" - something they dispise and find "artificial" (gekünstelt). They have no banter and no phrases come easily. They're almost always awkward when in a group. Uncomfortable and desperatly shy they sit around a table, saying nothing. I don't know whether they find it awkward themselves but they tend to do it for a very long time. It takes a better person than me to suffer this cringe-making atmosphere. I've learnt to avoid gatherings of Germans. They're exhausting and  disturbing in an empty sort of way.

4. Sense of Entitlement
As Germany is still a fairly wealthy country, people enjoy generous perks and rich, early pensions. They get 13 (often 14 months) salaries and get paid extra for going on holiday. Of course employers pay an extra Christmas allowance (Weihnachtsgeld). Social benefits are generous, long leaves of absence for both sexes when a child is born, employer funded education (Weiterbildung), tax relief for almost everything including long commutes (which doesn't make a lot of environmental sense) and so on. Probably as a result of this, Germans tend to think their  Ansprüche need to be redeemed at all cost, and feel short-changed (!) when they don't get what they feel they're entitled to just by dint of being there. In the East, where people lived under Communist rule for decades, this tendency is even stronger - maybe people there feel they have to make up for lost time. I find this whole approach to life and society very unattractive, and am still shocked by it. I often wish people here had more of a feeling for how other nations live and that affluence isn't a universal human right.

5.  Sexism
Like the staring this is mostly an unconscious way of behaviour. If you asked Germans about sexism, they would tell you how much they abhor and condemn it. Yet in everyday life it is hard to find a more sexist society in a Northern European country .It isn't the lecherous wolf-whistle kind of sexism, but a deep-seated conviction (shared by both sexes) that men are simply the superior gender, and have to be listened to. A woman will by definition not be taken seriously in any position of authority. Vice versa, a man doing housework, say, will be a figure of ridicule (yes, this is 2014). Jokes about women drivers are perfectly acceptable, as is the conviction that men and women "think and feel differently". Shop assistants will be decidedly politer and more accommodating when dealing with a male customer. Handymen will be condescending towards women, and as a woman you'll be constantly asked what "nice things" you're planning to cook "for when your husband comes home". Women have totally internalised their inferior position in German society, and never complain. If they did, they'd be regarded as weird and called "Emanze", a strange out-dated expression from the 1970s.

I suppose there are things to dislike in every country, and in many ways Germany provides a more pleasant, easy and open society to  live in than many others countries I know. If you find this this post too "complaining", please turn to
http://interculturalmusings.blogspot.de/2012/03/10-things-i-like-about-gemany.html Alternatively, there's a post called "5 Things I Like about Britain" to compare and contrast. http://interculturalmusings.blogspot.de/2012/04/5-things-i-like-about-britain.html

Are British Companies Easy Prey?

They certainly seem to be when it comes to transitioning overseas. As more and more UK companies want to escape from a fairly flat home market into more attractive opportunities in the EU (notably Germany), they are in danger of becomíng victims of ruthless and low-quality service providers intent on making money.

Take translations: Very few British people outside the academic world can speak any other European languages. A British marketing manager intent on entering an EU market will be faced with the daunting task of having all the promotional literature - brochures, information material, newsletters, tags but most prominently websites - translated into a foreign language which he or she will have no clue about. It’s all gobbledygook.

And unfortunately, this is often what the translation reads like, too. If you are a German or French speaker, you can easily check yourself. Bring up any UK website and click the foreign language (flag) button. I was so shocked by one of them - Next Fashion - I actually wrote to the Marketing Manager and told them that their German website was so badly translated, it was almost incomprehensible. Fortunately, they reacted quickly and have now got a much better German website and newsletter.

A badly translated website isn't just an embarrassment. It can do serious damage to a company’s reputation - bearing in mind that it won't be as well-known as in the UK - so will be judged largely by its promotion and presentation.

Of course, the transition into another country is not just about translation. It's a step into a fairly different culture where other priorities, cultural signifiers and different tastes have to be carefully considered. Whilst not as intricate to handle as say, Japanese culture, European countries have their own sensibilities and ideas. For example, over-empasizing the money saving aspect - which is undoubtedly an important promotional tool in Britain - may come across as odd on a website designed for the continental consumer.

It's not uncommon for companies who did inadequate market observation, intelligence and research to fail. Domino's, the pizza company, just had to issue a profit warning because their German operation underperformed. A clear case of the company not having done its homework - and a costly reminder what can happen if you don't.

Here are 5 tips that companies looking to expand abroad should follow to avoid the most common pitfalls:

1. Spend time researching the market you’re looking to enter. Does it really make sense to come in as a new player who is largely unknown, when the market is already saturated?  (pizza delivery is a good case in point).

2. Talk to locals about your offering - website, products, communication collateral, before you actually do anything. Engage a transition specialist to help you negotiate this, they will be happy to improve even small details which count for a lot: Native-speaker consumers will notice anything odd

3. Invest in the highest-quality translations you can manage. This means not chosing any available translation agency but spending time finding a truly bi-lingual person - they're rare, but worth the effort.They will get the tonality, not just the wording right - so your positioning is attuned to local needs, and locals "get it" immediately. Great for business, especially when you're just starting out.

4. Start with small test markets before you go national, use them as learning grounds. Always listen and learn - engage in ongoing market research, qualitative and quantitative.

5. "Continually adjusting" is the recipe for overseas success. No one gets it right first time in foreign markets - there are too many things you might be unaware of. The trick for success is to keep listening, monitoring customer feed-back continually - and then to adjust as quickly as possible. Marks & Spencer got it horribly wrong first time in the 1990s - now they're back with better translated websites, and locally relevant ranges -all of which will translate into healthy topline growth.

Germany's Biggest problem? Sexism.

Why should this be the case, and why am I saying this? Probably because I've lived here now for some time, and in many ways, I'm the target audience. And you know what? I'm sick of it. I'm not talking about cat-calling builders, and I'm not talking about the 80-year old ticket clipper who calls you "love". In fact I'm not talking about "political correctness" at all.

I'm talking about the hard-wired, instutionalised sexism that blights the country because it is so internalised - most people take it for granted, accept it and even women take it as normal. In fact very few Germans know what "sexism" (in German: Sexismus) means. Or rather, they think it means something else altogether: Too much sex on your brain. That in itself tells you a lot.

Two scenes from recent days.

1. A new boss is being led round the company, and introduced to members of the department. He says hello, and shakes everybody's hand. Everybody's, that is, apart from the one one female team member. Why would that be? Because he naturally assumes that the males will be colleagues, but the female will be just someone who doesn't count because she probably is there to make the tea or clean the room.
Incredible?  This is exactly how things are in Germany.

2. Somebody ( a woman) speaks up in a discussion. From the name badge people can see that she has a Ph.D. (a "Doktortitel" in German, which is a big deal in Germany and will always be used when addressing a person who has got one as - typically - Herr Doktor X.
Despite the name tag, the woman gets continuously called "Frau X" rather than "Frau Doktor X" - a total faux-pas had she been male, in fact totally unthinakble.
As the discussion gets more heated, one male even challenges Frau Doktor X as to whether her doctorate which he now admits he saw on the name tag "is real".
Oh yes, this is how things work in Germany.


As a woman, people (=not just men but other women too) will automatically and unquestiongly assume that you work in some lowly position. If it is clear that you don't, they will try and put you down in an incredibly sexist way - for example Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, is unanimously referred to as "Mutti". Bringing her down to a family level, disregarding the fact that she is one of the most influential people in the world. Only as "Mutti" can she be grasped, accepted, or more likely tolerated. (Very unlikely that Germans would have referred to the previous chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, as "Vati").

In a previous post http://interculturalmusings.blogspot.de/2012/06/german-men.html I tried to explain the particular mind-set of German men. Made up of insecurity, chippiness, and an enormous compulsion to boast (mainly about technical or sporting matters). It is quite clearly an infantile disposition, that a Freudian could easily disentangle and - given the always present twist of insecurity into aggression - classify as neurosis.

Figures are not available, but a huge number of German men mary Asian or Easterrn European women. Rightly or wrongly assuming, that they will be more submissive and "know what a man needs". As I mentioned above, tragically, most German women have internalised the male attitude, and will always defer to any man, however absurd, ugly, or lowly he might be. Men possess natural authority and status in Germany, and women don't. That is one of the most internalised facts in Germany. You'll notice it in shops where sales staff automatically address the male, in (still widely bandied-about) jokes about women drivers, women and technology, in the unquestioned assumption that it is women who do the cooking at home. A male who enjoys cooking or - God forbid - baking! -  is regarded with incredulity. "What about your wife?" will be the standard response.

All of this is not limited to a certain age bracket. Try and talk shop with, say a member of the German Pirate Party as a woman who  knows about internet stuff - you will be humiliated, laughed at, and given the feeling that you're talking above your level.

I telly you one thing. I am sick to death of Germany's sexism.

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As I know from experience how vile and aggressive German males' comments are when criticised, the comments here are closed. I would, however urge you to comment via twitter: @Margit11. German men, please bear in mind though, that any comment you will make, will get RT'd. If it is a sensible comment, you will be pleased about this, if it is vile and abusive, it will deter you. Sadly, in this country, it is necessary to take such drastic measures.

The Self-Perception of Europeans. A Study by the Goethe-Institut

This is a study by the Goethe-Institute. I find the results fascinating and am surprised that it is not better known, hence my keenness to promote it via Intercultural Musings. (Copyright by Goethe-Institute)


I guess one should not be too surprised that the British press studiously ignores findings like these. Anti-Europeanism is, alas, more widely spread that UKIP voter figures suggest. So please, bear in mind that what you read in British newspapers is more often than not an edited fraction of what's going on in the world. 

Being able to read (and of course speak) foreign languages would get one out of the dilemma of having to rely on the indigenous press, but sadly fewer and fewer British people have a second language to rely on.

So here is an example of a wider truth which is being ignored in Britain.(The format is not ideal, so please also go to the original page http://www.goethe.de/ins/be/prj/eli/erg/ges/enindex.htm

The self-perception of Europeans in comparison with the perception of other countries

What are the total results from the 22,235 people who took part in answering the questions? Is the invention of the printing press overall a more important discovery than penicillin? Also, is Paris a more attractive city than Copenhagen?
3,379 Germans, 2,006 Serbs, 1,906 Italians, 1,474 Hungarians and 1,710 French took part. There were also 294 participants from Egypt.
Browse through the results and compare the views of the 16,493 participants from the EU (74.2%) with those 4,249 from non-EU countries (19.1%). 6.7% did not their nationalities.

Compare the sub-results Total results

#1What does Europe personally mean to you?

• free movement

• variety

• unity

• democracy

#1What does Europe personally mean to you?

• 1.culture
• 2.union
• 3.variety
• 4.free movement
• 5.freedom
• 6.history
• 7.Euro
• 8.peace
• 9.unity
• 10.home

#1What does Europe personally mean to you?

• 1.culture
• 2.union
• 3.history
• 4.freedom
• 5.free movement
• 6.progress
• 7.art
• 8.order
• 9.variety
• 10.beauty

#2How strongly do you feel European?

• not at all 3%
• a bit 18%
• quite a bit 37%
• full-blooded European 43%

#2How strongly do you feel European?

• not at all 8%
• a bit 15%
• quite a bit 37%
• full-blooded European 47%

#2How strongly do you feel European?

• not at all 7%
• a bit 28%
• quite a bit 36%
• full-blooded European 28%

#3How do you see Europe's future?

very good good OK bad

#3How do you see Europe's future?

very good good OK bad

#3How do you see Europe's future?

very good good OK bad

#4What is the most significant European building?

• 1.Eiffel Tower Paris, France
• 2.Collosseum Rome, Italy
• 3.Acropolis/Parthenon Athens, Greece
• 4.European Parliament Brussels, Belgium/Strassbourg, France
• 5.Brandenburg Gate Berlin, Germany
• 6.St. Peter's Rome The Vatican
• 7.Sagrada Familia Barcelona, Spain
• 8.Berlin Wall Berlin, Germany
• 9.Cologne Cathedral Cologne, Germany
• 10.Reichstag Berlin, Germany

#4What is the most significant European building?

• 1.Eiffel Tower Paris, France
• 2.Collosseum Rome, Italy
• 3.Acropolis/Parthenon Athens, Greece
• 4.European Parliament Brussels, Belgium/Starssbourg, France
• 5.Brandenburg Gate Berlin, Germany
• 6.St. Peter's, Rome The Vatican
• 7.Berlin Wall Berlin, Germany
• 8.Sagrada Familia Barcelona, Spain
• 9.Cologne Cathedral Cologne, Germany
• 10.Reichstag Berlin, Germany

#4What is the most significant European building?

• 1.Eiffel Tower Paris, France
• 2.Collosseum Rome, Italy
• 3.Acropolos/Parthenon Athens, Greece
• 4.Sagrada Familia Barcelona, Spain
• 5.Brandenburg Gate Berlin, Germany
• 6.Louvre Paris, France
• 7.Berlin Wall Berlin, Germany
• 8.Cologne Cathedral Cologne, Germany
• 9.European Parliament Brussels, Belgium/Strassbourg, France
• 10.Leaning Tower of Pisa Pisa, Italy

#5Which European country, other than your own, would you like to live in for a while?

• Germany 28%
• Italy 10%
• France 9%
• Spain 8%
• United Kingdom 7%
• Switzerland 5%
• Sweden 4%
• Austria 4%
• Netherlands 2%
• Portugal 2%

#5Which European country, other than your own, would you like to live in for a while?

• Germany 25%
• Italy 10%
• France 9%
• Spain 8%
• United Kingdom 7%
• Switzerland 5%
• Sweden 5%
• Austria 4%
• Portugal 3%
• Netherlands 2%

#5Which European country, other than your own, would you like to live in for a while?

• Germany 36%
• Spain 10%
• Italy 9%
• France 7%
• United Kingdom 6%
• Switzerland 5%
• Austria 4%
• Netherlands 3%
• Sweden 3%
• Portugal 2%

#6Who is the greatest literary figure in European literature?

• 1.Don Quijote
• 2.William Shakespeare
• 3.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• 4.Faust
• 5.Young Werther
• 6.Hamlet
• 7.Dante Alighieri
• 8.Anna Karenina
• 9.Sherlock Holmes
• 10.The Little Pricnce

#6Who is the greatest literary figure in European literature?

• 1.Don Quijote
• 2.Faust
• 3.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• 4.William Shakespeare
• 5.Young Werther
• 6.Hamlet
• 7.Dante Alighieri
• 8.The Little Prince
• 9.Odysseus
• 10.Sherlock Holmes

#6Who is the greatest literary figure in European literature?

• 1.William Shakespeare
• 2.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• 3.Don Quijote
• 4.Anna Karenina
• 5.Hamlet
• 6.Faust
• 7.Josef K.
• 8.Ivo Andrić
• 9.Lew Nikolajewitsch Tolstoi
• 10.Sherlock Holmes

#7Which country most embodies the future of Europe?

• Germany 49%
• Sweden 6%
• France 4%
• Switzerland 4%
• Belgium 3%
• Poland 3%
• United Kingdom 3%
• Norway 3%
• Netherlands 3%
• Greece 2%

#7Which country most embodies the future of Europe?

• Germany 47%
• Sweden 6%
• France 4%
• Belgium 4%
• Poland 4%
• Switzerland 3%
• United Kingdom 3%
• Netherlands 3%
• Norway 3%
• Denmark 3%

#7Which country most embodies the future of Europe?

• Germany 58%
• Switzerland 6%
• Sweden 5%
• France 4%
• United Kingdom 3%
• Norway 3%
• Turkey 3%
• Greece 2%
• Serbia 2%
• Netherlands 2%

#8What is the most significant European discovery?

• 1.printing press Germany
• 2.steam engine United Kingdom
• 3.car Germany
• 4.anti-biotics(Penicillin Scotland / Germany
• 5.telephone Germany
• 6.electricity variuous European countries
• 7.Euro Luxembourg / EU
• 8.Democracy Greece
• 9.America Italy / Spain
• 10.light bulb Scotland

#8What is the most significant European discovery?

• 1.printing press Germany
• 2.steam engine United Kingdom
• 3.car Germany
• 4.antibiotics/Penicillin Scotland / Germany
• 5.telephone Germany
• 6.Euro Luxembourg / EU
• 7.democracy Greece
• 8.electricity various European countries
• 9.European Union  
• 10.radio various European countries

#8What is the most significant European discovery?

• 1.printing press Germany
• 2.electricity various European countries
• 3.steam engine United Kingdom
• 4.telephone Germany
• 5.antibiotics/Pennicillin Scotland / Germany
• 6.car Germany
• 7.America Italy / Spain
• 8.democracy Greece
• 9.light bulb Scotland
• 10.trains United Kingdom

#9What is Europe's most significant contribution to world culture?

• 1.Democracy
• 2.music / classical music
• 3.printing press
• 4.literature
• 5.philosophy
• 6.art
• 7.Renaissance
• 8.enlightenment
• 9.architecture
• 10.heritage

#9What is Europe's most significant contribution to world culture?

• 1.democracy
• 2.printing press
• 3.music / classical music
• 4.literature
• 5.philosophy
• 6.art
• 7.enlightenment
• 8.Renaissance
• 9.declarationof human rights
• 10.architecture

#9What is Europe's most significant contribution to world culture?

• 1.literature
• 2.Renaissance
• 3.music / classical music
• 4.art
• 5.democracy
• 6.heritage
• 7.painting
• 8.philosophy
• 9.architecture
• 10.printing press

#10Who is the most significant European artist (from any discipline)?

• 1.Leonardo da Vinci Italy
• 2.Pablo Picasso Spain
• 3.Michelangelo Buonarroti Italy
• 4.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Austria
• 5.Vincent van Gogh Netherlands
• 6.Salvador Dalí Spain
• 7.Ludwig van Beethoven Germany
• 8.Johann Sebastian Bach Germany
• 9.William Shakespeare United Kingdom
• 10.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Germany

#10Who is the most significant European artist (from any discipline)?

• 1.Leonardo da Vinci Italy
• 2.Pablo Picasso Spain
• 3.Michelangelo Buonarroti Italy
• 4.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Austria
• 5.Vincent van Gogh Netherlands
• 6.Johann Sebastian Bach Germany
• 7.Salvador Dalí Spain
• 8.Ludwig van Beethoven Germany
• 9.William Shakespeare United Kingdom
• 10.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Germany

#10Who is the most significant European artist (from any discipline)?

• 1.Leonardo da Vinci Italy
• 2.Pablo Picasso Spain
• 3.Michelangelo Buonarroti Italy
• 4.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Austria
• 5.Vincent van Gogh Netherlands
• 6.Salvador Dalí Spain
• 7.Ludwig van Beethoven Germany
• 8.William Shakespeare United Kingdom
• 9.Rembrandt van Rijn Netherlands
• 10.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Germany

#11Who is the most important politician in Europe (living or from the past)?

• 1.Angela Merkel Germany
• 2.Winston Churchill United Kingdom
• 3.Willy Brandt Germany
• 4.Konrad Adenauer Germany
• 5.Charles de Gaulle France
• 6.Robert Schuman Luxembourg
• 7.Margaret Thatcher United Kingdom
• 8.Napoleon Bonaparte France
• 9.Adolf Hitler Germany
• 10.Helmut Kohl Germany

#11Who is the most important politician in Europe (living or from the past)?

• 1.Angela Merkel Germany
• 2.Winston Churchill United Kingdom
• 3.Willy Brandt Germany
• 4.Konrad Adenauer Germany
• 5.Robert Schuman France / Germany / Luxembourg
• 6.Charles de Gaulle France
• 7.Margaret Thatcher United Kingdom
• 8.Napoleon Bonaparte France
• 9.Helmut Kohl Germany
• 10.Michail Gorbatschow Russia

#11Who is the most important politician in Europe (living or from the past)?

• 1.Angela Merkel Germany
• 2.Winston Churchill United Kingdom
• 3.Josip Broz Tito Yugoslavia
• 4.Adolf Hitler Germany
• 5.Margaret Thatcher United Kingdom
• 6.Wladimir Putin Russia
• 7.Charles de Gaulle France
• 8.Napoleon Bonaparte France
• 9.Otto von Bismarck Germany
• 10.Zoran Đinđić Serbia

#12Who is the greatest European sportsperson?

• 1.Novak Đoković tennis player, Serbia
• 2.Michael Schumacher racing driver, Germany
• 3.Roger Federer tennis player, Switzerland
• 4.Rafael Nadal tennis player, Spain
• 5.Cristiano Ronaldo football player, Potugal
• 6.David Beckham football player, United Kingdom
• 7.Steffi Graf tennis player, Germany
• 8.Zinédine Zidane football player, France
• 9.Pietro Mennea athlete, Italy
• 10.Franz Beckenbauer football player, Germany

#12Who is the greatest European sportsperson?

• 1.Michael Schumacher race driver, Germany
• 2.Roger Federer tennis player, Switzerland
• 3.Rafael Nadal tennis player, Spain
• 4.Pietro Mennea athlete, Italy
• 5.Cristiano Ronaldo football player, Portugal
• 6.Steffi Graf tennis player, Germany
• 7.David Beckham football player, United Kingdom
• 8.Zinédine Zidane football player, France
• 9.Sebastian Vettel race driver, Germany
• 10.Franz Beckenbauer football player, Germany

#12Who is the greatest European sportsperson?

• 1.Novak Đoković tennis player, Serbia
• 2.Roger Federer tennis player, Switzerland
• 3.Michael Schumacher race driver, Germany
• 4.Cristiano Ronaldo football player, Portugal
• 5.Zinédine Zidane football player, France
• 6.David Beckham football player, United Kingdom
• 7.Rafael Nadal tennis player, Spain
• 8.Franz Beckenbauer football player, Germany
• 9.Lionel Messi football player, Argentina
• 10.Sergej Bubka pole vault, Ukraine

#13Which country has the best European cuisine?

• 1.Italy
• 2.France
• 3.Spain
• 4.Greece
• 5.Serbia
• 6.Hungary
• 7.Turkey
• 8.Germany
• 9.Poland
• 10.Belgium

#13Which country has the best European cuisine?

• 1.Italy
• 2.France
• 3.Spain
• 4.Greece
• 5.Hungary
• 6.Germany
• 7.Poland
• 8.Turkey
• 9.Belgium
• 10.Portugal

#13Which country has the best European cuisine?

• 1.Italy
• 2.Serbia
• 3.France
• 4.Turkey
• 5.Greece
• 6.Germany
• 7.Spain
• 8.Hungary
• 9.Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 10.Switzerland

#14In which European languages, apart from English, should a European be able to say more than "Please" and "Thank you"?

• 1.German
• 2.French
• 3.Spanish
• 4.Italian
• 5.Polish
• 6.Greek
• 7.Portugese
• 8.Rumanian
• 9.Swedish
• 10.Dutch

#14In which European languages, apart from English, should a European be able to say more than "Please" and "Thank you"?

• 1.German
• 2.French
• 3.Spanish
• 4.Italian
• 5.Polish
• 6.Greek
• 7.Portugese
• 8.Turkish
• 9.Swedish
• 10.Dutch

#14In which European languages, apart from English, should a European be able to say more than "Please" and "Thank you"?

• 1.German
• 2.French
• 3.Spanish
• 4.Italian
• 5.Serbian
• 6.Greek
• 7.Turkish
• 8.Portugese
• 9.Swedish
• 10.Dutch

#15What is the best European film?

• 1.Life is Beautiful Roberto Benigni
• 2.The Lives of Others Florian Henckel
• 3.Amelie Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• 4.Good Bye, Lenin! Wolfgang Becker
• 5.The Intouchables Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano
• 6.Amour Michael Haneke
• 7.L'auberge espagnole Cédric Klapisch
• 8.Wings of Desire Wim Wenders
• 9.The Pianist Roman Polański
• 10.Dolce Vita Federico Fellini

#15What is the best European film?

• 1.Life is Beautiful Roberto Benigni
• 2.The Lives of Others Florian Henckel
• 3.Amelie Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• 4.Good Bye, Lenin! Wolfgang Becker
• 5.The Intouchables Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano
• 6.L'auberge espagnole Cédric Klapisch
• 7.Wings of Desire Wim Wenders
• 8.Amour Michael Haneke
• 9.The Pianist Roman Polański
• 10.Dolce Vita Federico Fellini

#15What is the best European film?

• 1.Life is Beautiful Roberto Benigni
• 2.Amour Michael Haneke
• 3.Amelie Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• 4.The Lives of Others Florian Henckel
• 5.The Intouchables Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano
• 6.The Pianist Roman Polański
• 7.Wings of Desire Wim Wenders
• 8.Good Bye Lenin! Wolfgang Becker
• 9.Amarcord Federico Fellini
• 10.Underground Emir Kusturica

#16Which is the most attractive city in Europe?

#16Which is the most attractive city in Europe?

• 1.Berlin
• 2.Paris
• 3.Rome
• 4.London
• 5.Barcelona
• 6.Vienna
• 7.Prague
• 8.Venice
• 9.Munich
• 10.Amsterdam

#16Which is the most attractive city in Europe?

• 1.Paris
• 2.Berlin
• 3.Barcelona
• 4.Rome
• 5.London
• 6.Vienna
• 7.Prague
• 8.Munich
• 9.Amsterdam
• 10.Madrid

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