Barry Tomalin - Germany - Culture Smart!

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

Adapted from Marcel Proust, Remembrance of Things Past.

ISBN 978 1 78702 884 5

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library

First published in Great Britain

by Kuperard, an imprint of Bravo Ltd

59 Hutton Grove, London N12 8DS

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8446 2440

www.culturesmart.co.uk

Inquiries:

Design Bobby Birchall

Printed in Turkey

The Culture Smart! series is continuing to expand. All Culture Smart! guides are available as e-books, and many as audio books. For further information and latest titles visit www.culturesmart.co.uk

BARRY TOMALIN is an English writer and teacher specializing in international communication and cultures who has worked with German companies in Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, and the UK. He has a B.A. (Hons) in Anthropology and Linguistics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and an M.A. in International Liaison and Communication from the University of Westminster.

The author of many books on culture and cultural training, Barry currently teaches at Birkbeck College, University of London, and at Glasgow Caledonian University London. He is also a founder and director of the Business Cultural Trainers Certificate (BCTC) at International House in London, joint managing editor of the international academic journal Training, Language and Culture, and a board member of the ICC-Europes Language Association.

COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 affected millions of people around the world, causing unprecedented social and economic disruption. As the impact of this global crisis continues to unfold, in many countries social norms are being challenged, and enduring changes will be reflected in future editions of Culture Smart! titles.

The Culture Smart! guides are written for people who want more than just the nuts and bolts of where to stay, what to see, and how to travel. They deal with the richly rewarding human dimension of foreign travel by telling you about the beliefs and attitudes of the people you will meet and about situations you may encounter. They help you to understand what makes people tick, the values they live by, and the kind of behavior they will reciprocate with goodwill and hospitality.

Germany is a powerful country that in many respects, despite superficial appearances, operates very differently from the USA and Britain. Understanding the nature of the differences will help you to achieve good relationships with the people you meet.

An informed and sympathetic approach is particularly valuable if you are visiting Germany for more than a few days as a casual tourist and need to understand how the Germans live and work. With chapters on core values and social attitudes, and a detailed and practical business briefing, Culture Smart! Germany offers a valuable introduction to the German way of life. It tells you what treatment to expect, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to build rapport and credibility with German people.

While German history is more than a thousand years old, the German nation-state is relatively new. Sir Christopher Meyer, Britains Ambassador to Germany in 1997, wrote in his valedictory comments to the British Foreign Office on his retirement in 2003, This is a complex and multilayered country. I have visited eleven Bundeslnder and only scratched the surface. Germany has astonishing variety and regional differences. It is like having sixteen Scotlands, plus the complexity of having proportional representation. The most stultifying conservatism sits alongside a strong radical and anarchist streak.

The beauty of Germany and the hospitality of its people make it a magnet for visitors from all over the world. This volume sets out to show you how to be a good and sensitive guest. The German people have a strong sense of social responsibility, and the guidelines given in these pages will prepare you to fit in with the social rules and regulations they live by in order to ensure a secure and harmonious lifestyle.

Culture Smart! Germany will help open doors for you and will, we hope, lead you toward a lasting relationship with this culturally rich, varied, and inventive people at the heart of Europe. Enjoy the journey!