In the long-running crime series Tatort, scenes involving financial transactions or business deals often depict Germans adhering to strict price structures without negotiation. Detectives and businesspeople engage in straightforward exchanges, where the focus is on procedural integrity rather than negotiating a better deal. This portrayal reinforces the perception that price bargaining is unprofessional and potentially disreputable.
verbal vs. written
In Germany, a verbal agreement can indeed be legally binding. German contract law, as outlined in the BĂĽrgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB), recognizes both written and oral agreements as legally enforceable under certain conditions. According to Sections 145 to 157 of the BGB, a contract can be formed through a verbal agreement as long as it meets the essential elements of a contract. These elements include a clear offer and acceptance, an intention to create legal relations, and consideration in the form of a service, product, or payment.
However, not all agreements can be concluded verbally. Certain types of contracts must be in writing to be legally binding. For instance, contracts involving the sale or transfer of real property must be notarized in writing according to Section 311b of the BGB. Similarly, a guarantee agreement must be in written form to be valid, as stipulated in Section 766 of the BGB. Consumer loan agreements also require a written format under Section 492 of the BGB.
While verbal agreements are binding, they can present significant challenges when it comes to enforcement. The burden of proof rests on the party claiming that a contract was formed, and without written evidence, it may be difficult to establish the exact terms of the agreement. Disputes often arise over differing interpretations of what was said, complicating the enforcement of verbal agreements.
Culturally, Germans tend to prefer written documentation even when a verbal agreement is legally valid. This preference is rooted in a desire to maintain clarity and avoid misunderstandings, particularly in business contexts where detailed and precise agreements are the norm. While the law may uphold verbal agreements, in practice, written contracts remain the standard for most transactions, ensuring that all terms are clearly defined and easily enforceable.
Germany to smooth entry for foreign skilled workers
The German government is drafting new plans to smooth the entry process for foreign skilled workers. It’s a move that companies say is long overdue: The country’s aging workforce is a growing liability, while positions in IT and software development are notoriously hard to fill. More companies are now looking abroad for help.
YouTube comments:
“I am a Spanish Software engineer living in Germany, I love this country. The language barrier was difficult, but my german wife helped me a lot.”
“German companies should start paying more, to begin with. I have hard time believing they can attract top talent with present level of salaries. Even their doctors are leaving en masse to other countries.”
“To compare German passports with Titanic tickets might be too harsh of a comparison. But if German thinks its innovation can be fueled by mercenaries, that kind of human resource policy is doomed to fail. Companies give options and shares to encourage employees to give their best and be loyal. There’s a reason electric cars are re-imagined in the USA, by immigrants, not in Germany where all the automobile giants reside. But well, some people try to steer the Titanic, some probably are proud just sinking with the tickets in their hands. If there’s a book that fits German’s approach, it’s “Only the Paranoid Survive”, the thing is 🙂 Germany often is paranoid about the wrong thing.”
“There is a very specific and a systematic reason as to why in the 50 years of the software/Internet/IT industry, there has NOT been a single non-American company which has gone on to become a globally profitable, consumer product, and a publicly traded company. Germany still lives in the 19th century when it comes to their traditional companies. You have to accept the fact that English is a global language. No one speaks German in Asia, for example, which is the two thirds of the world population.”
“They are more skilled workers in Germany than they need, the problem is the companies require you to speak fluent German language which is impossible in one year. They need us but they don’t want us!”
Social Order
German cultural norms prioritize order, transparency, and fairness in business transactions, leaving little room for price bargaining. Historical influences, literary depictions, cinematic portrayals, and everyday expressions all reinforce the notion that negotiating prices is undignified, unnecessary, and even untrustworthy. The emphasis on fixed pricing reflects a deeper cultural preference for predictability and social order, making price negotiation an unwelcome practice in many German settings.
In Germany, a tendency to know-it-all is spreading. That could be politically dangerous
NZZ. December 2022. Germans don’t tend towards extremism – actually. But in the political and media sphere, know-it-alls and paternalism are increasingly noticeable. Contempt for the normal is a cause for concern.
For a long time, modern Germany was not a country to worry about from a democratic point of view. According to a study by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion from this year, 25 percent of Germans place themselves exactly in the middle of the democratic opinion spectrum; 36 percent slightly to the left, 29 percent slightly to the right of this center. That’s 90 percent between center-left and center-right. Actually calming.
The eternal know-it-all of Western Europe
Berthold Löffler lived in Poland for a long time. He explains how Eastern Europeans think of Germans
The Weingarten professor is an Eastern Europe expert. In an interview, he explains why countries like Poland and Hungary see the EU on the wrong track.
“Professor Löffler, when it comes to taking in refugees, Germany is usually alone in the lead. The countries of Eastern Europe refuse this humanitarian act. Do you understand that?”
“Absolutely, because politicians should first and foremost represent the interests of their own country. This is exactly what the governments in Warsaw or Budapest are doing. But the Eastern Europeans also have Europe in mind. From this point of view, too, they consider Angela Merkel’s policies to be naĂŻve and without prospects.”
Know-It-All: dealing with Dr. Clever
Every company has them, nobody particularly likes working with them and they can drive every colleague to the brink of despair: know-it-alls. They have to give their two cents on every topic, have a different opinion on everything and no matter who makes a suggestion, the know-it-all will certainly have a better idea ready in his eyes.
You can certainly imagine how quickly this behavior overstrains the nerves of colleagues. But what can you do to defend yourself against the constant know-it-all attitude? Which colleagues tend to be particularly know-it-alls and how you can deal with a Dr. Bypass smartness in your department?
After the presidential election in France: German know-it-alls don’t help
German nagging at the European policy proposals of the victorious French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron is counterproductive.
Had Marine Le Pen been elected President of France, it would probably have spelled the end of the EU. This warning could be heard all over Europe until last Sunday evening – not least in Germany. Now the social liberal Emmanuel Macron is the new head of state in the neighboring country, and what is happening in Germany?
After the first sigh of relief, a reflexive debate is held as to whether or not the frowned upon euro bonds will come with the change of power in Paris. On the one hand this is a phantom discussion, on the other hand it is a symptom of Franco-German alienation.
Moralizers and know-it-alls – German arrogance
If Europe were a school class, the roles would be assigned quickly. There would be the notoriously offended, the rioters, the bullies, the followers and model students. And there would be the know-it-all: This is Germany. Not only does he know everything very well, he also likes to teach his classmates. And he thinks he’s highly moral: sometimes he thinks he’s something better.
German know-it-all attitude after the floods helps no one
July 2021. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. But accusing politicians and disaster management officials of “system failure” underestimates the forces of nature, DW’s Fabian Schmidt writes.
It’s all too human to look for someone to blame after a huge natural disaster, but that doesn’t help anyone — certainly not the victims, the survivors or the people whose livelihoods were washed away by the masses of water within minutes.
This know-it-all attitude gets on my nerves: Just like Germany has 80 million football coaches after the national team loses a game, now everyone seems to be a disaster relief expert. And not just in Germany.