Tatort (since 1970). Context: Germany’s most iconic and long-running police procedural. Illustration: Police officers and detectives routinely evaluate each other’s work, discuss cases, and give feedback in a direct, matter-of-fact manner. Criticism and praise are focused on investigative results and adherence to procedure, not personal attributes.
performance
Joe McCarthy
McCarthy Hearings (1954). Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-communist investigations targeted the personal loyalties and reputations of government officials, military officers, and private citizens. Accusations of professional disloyalty were treated as attacks on personal character, often resulting in ruined careers and social ostracism—highlighting how, in American public life, professional and personal assessments are inseparable.
not in all friendship
In aller Freundschaft (In All Friendship). Context: A long-running hospital drama. Illustration: Doctors and nurses provide feedback to each other about medical decisions, teamwork, and patient care. Assessments are clinical and objective, reflecting the real-world culture of German healthcare where performance is evaluated separately from personal relationships.
Talent Shows
Talent shows have been popular in Germany for many years. Amateur entertainers take the stage, perform their act, are then judged by a panel of three.
The most famous judge in Germany is Dieter Bohlen, a former pop singer in Germany in the 1980s. Bohlen is known for the crass, aggressive and insulting way in which he criticizes the amateur entertainers. After ten years Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Germany seeks a Superstar) with – or perhaps due to – Dieter Bohlen remains the most popular talent show.
The clearest contrast to Bohlen is Stefan Raab, currently Germany‘s most popular talk show host. Raab, a member of the jury for the Eurovision Song Contest, provides his feedback just as openly and directly as Bohlen or any other German, but in a diplomatic way, often using self-irony, so that the contestants can laugh at themselves.
Raab praised the Eurovision winner, Lena, by addressing her unique way of breathing: „You sing totally differently than is taught in professional voice schools. Your breathing technique is utterly unique, it‘s nowhere near what is considered standard practice.“ Lena smiled back at Raab and said: „I don‘t have a breathing technique.“
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.
composure and impartiality
Modernist and Post-War Literature: German literary modernism and post-war literature frequently highlight the tension between emotional involvement and the need for objective, rational behavior-especially in the aftermath of social and historical upheaval. These works often depict characters struggling to maintain professional composure and impartiality, reinforcing the value placed on detached, performance-focused feedback.
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.
reasoned discourse
Thomas Mann’s essays, especially his Deutsche Ansprache. Ein Appell an die Vernunft (German Address. An Appeal to Reason), explicitly champion the idea of rational, objective debate as a cornerstone of German culture. Mann’s literary and public works often reflect his belief that German identity is rooted in a tradition of reasoned discourse, even in times of personal or national crisis. His approach exemplifies the separation of the personal (identity, emotion) from the professional or civic duty to engage in rational debate for the common good.
Doctor Faustus
In this reimagining of the Faust legend, the protagonist Adrian Leverkühn’s life as a composer is marked by a strict separation between his artistic (professional) pursuits and his personal relationships. The narrative delves into the costs of such compartmentalization, reflecting broader themes of German culture and intellectual life.
These novels use family, business, and societal settings to highlight the German tendency to address professional or ideological matters directly, while striving to keep personal relationships unaffected by such disputes.
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.