Heinrich Mann – Der Untertan (The Loyal Subject, 1918). This satirical novel examines the German tendency toward authority and order. The protagonist’s rise through the ranks is marked by strict adherence to performance expectations and formal evaluations, with little room for personal sentiment in professional interactions.
entirely uninterested
Franz Kafka – Der Prozess (The Trial, 1925). Kafka’s portrayal of bureaucracy and impersonal authority highlights the cold, rational, and often emotionless nature of institutional feedback and evaluation. The protagonist is judged and processed by a system that is entirely uninterested in personal circumstances, focusing solely on procedural and performance-based criteria.
restraint and objectivity
Narrative Technique and Reported Speech: German literature often employs reported speech and a narrative style that maintains distance from the characters’ inner emotions. For example, Martin Walser’s Ein fliehendes Pferd (Runaway Horse) uses formal mastery and reported speech to keep the narrative focused on external actions and dialogues rather than emotional outbursts. This technique creates an atmosphere where even intense personal interactions are filtered through a lens of restraint and objectivity, mirroring the unemotional delivery of feedback in professional settings.
unwavering objectivity
Siegfried Lenz – Deutschstunde (The German Lesson, 1968). In this novel, the main character’s father is a policeman who enforces rules and regulations with unwavering objectivity, regardless of personal relationships. The story explores the consequences of prioritizing duty and performance over personal feelings, reflecting the German value of separating the personal from the professional.
detachment
Characterization and Emotional Distance: Works like Thomas Mann’s Doctor Faustus use characters such as Adrian Leverkühn to embody a distinctly German form of emotional restraint and detachment. Leverkühn is portrayed as a brilliant but emotionally distant figure, unable to connect personally with others. This detachment is interpreted as a facet of the German character, emphasizing performance, discipline, and the suppression of personal feelings in favor of professional or artistic achievement.
Der Vorleser
Der Vorleser (The Reader, 2008). In this adaptation of Bernhard Schlink’s novel, characters confront moral and legal dilemmas in postwar Germany. Courtroom scenes and personal discussions showcase direct, sometimes confrontational exchanges about justice and responsibility, but the characters strive to keep these discussions focused on the issues, not personal attacks.
friendship over time
Nikola. A popular sitcom set in a hospital, Nikola centers on the head nurse Nikola and Chief Physician Dr. Schmidt. The two regularly argue about work-related issues and hospital management, often with sharp wit and directness. However, their professional disputes do not prevent them from developing mutual trust and even a friendship over time.
The Family Lawyer
Die Familenanwältin (The Family Lawyer). This series follows lawyer Hanna Lorenz as she navigates both professional and personal upheaval. Within her law firm, Hanna and her colleagues often face conflicts and differing opinions on cases. The show highlights how the characters handle professional disagreements directly and objectively, while still supporting each other in personal matters.
Are Germans Too Direct?
Learn German with our street interviews: In this episode we deal with a common prejudice, namely: Germans are always very direct! We find out for you on the streets of Berlin whether this is actually always true and in which situations in particular.
YouTube comments:
“I’ll never forget when visiting a friend in Germany for the first time: He was with another friend and they saw a mutual acquaintance at a cafe. ‘We know that man, we went to school together.’ ‘Want to go over and say hello?’ ‘No. Later he became stupid, so we don’t talk to him anymore.’ I loved the blunt honesty.”
“I like how a lot of the people who said no said it very directly, and emphatically. Lol, I have German heritage, and it feels right.”
“Honestly, the directness in Germany as a precise way to tell things that need to be fastly adressed, instead of running in circles (or plainly just not speaking) to avoid offending someone like we in other coubtries do, makes my life easier as in my hometown in Latin America, in that way I find social rules way simpler, gets problems solved faster. On the other side, sometimes people (the least of them) confuse directness with plain aggression, there are things that simply are not needed to be told.”