European Etiquette:
-Jacob Wolfarth
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Driving:
Germany is internationally famous for their Autobahn, which in many places has no speed limit at all. People from around the world come to push their cars to the limit on this interstate. Besides being able to legally drive over 150 miles per hour, there are many other differences in regards to driving between Germany and the United States.
High gas prices are a common complaint among Americans, but our prices are nothing compared to the prices in Germany. Speeding along the Autobahn will cost you greatly, most gas stations in Deutschland charge twice the amount for gas than American gas stations! Due to the lowered drinking age, the legal driving age in Germany is 18; this prevents teenagers from drinking and driving. Once a child turns 18, they have to take driving lessons from a Fahrschule, or a driving school. This also comes at a hefty price. Driving school can cost up to $3,000 dollars! (Cultural Comparisons)
Dining:
Most restaurants in America serve you a glass of water when you are seated, and the water is almost always free. In Germany, drinking tap water is considered offensive and barbaric. The word for tap water is Leitungswasser, which literally means plumbing water. If you want water to drink with your meal, then you have to ask for bottled water or carbonated water, which is not free! Also, you have to seat yourself in Germany when you go into a restaurant; they don’t have hosts who seat you.
Dating and Marriage:
In the United States, marriage is much more common than in Europe. Europeans see marriage as an optional “folkloric tradition”. If people do get married, then they do it through the local city hall, not through a church. The European government doesn’t even recognize marriage ceremonies held in churches as official. Gay marriage is also much more accepted in Europe, but many people in the United States still see it as completely unacceptable. (Maciamo)
Meeting New People:
In English, there is only one word that we use to speak in second person singular and plural, and that’s the word, “you”. We also say the word “you” to anyone we speak to, which is not the case in German where there are three different ways to say it. If you are speaking to a good friend or someone much younger than you, you would use “du”. Wo bist du? (Where are you?) If you are speaking to more than one good friends or familiar people you would use “ihr” Wo seid ihr? (Where are you (all)?) If you are speaking to an elder, an authority figure or a stranger who is an adult, you would use “Sie”. Wo sind Sie? (Where are you (all)?) You would also use “Sie” in the plural form.
This may seem trivial to Americans, but this rule is followed very closely in Germany. Respect for strangers and elders is much higher than it is here. Calling someone by their last name (Mr. Smith, Mrs. Johnson) is mandatory in a formal setting. (Swick, 2009)
Want to Learn more about cultural differences between Europe and the US?
Etiquette References
Cultural Comparisons. The German Way & More.com. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/cultural-comparisons/
Maciamo. What differentiates Europeans from Americans: the cultural gap across the Atlantic. Eupedia.com. Retrieved April 1, 2014 from http://www.eupedia.com/europe/cultural_differences_europe_usa.shtml
Swick, E. (2009) The Everything Learning German Book. Avon, MA: Adams Media.
Slider Photos:
European People’s Party (Photographer). EPP Summit September 2010 [Web Photo]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/eppofficial/4993285461/in/photolist-8BeTND-GuqBJ-eRBuVu-mZJVCP-8uiuof-8NxcJN-ePK4Mx-8BErxW-8JWLs2-7HmbKX-9X1f7e-8SiD8i-8u7eNi-8u7fcP-9YtbZV-5uZF1z-3dxmSj-7JvXFa-6qYzwm-8mMmNP-f1VeJA-8ErdPr-5t3TGu-8iyBBE-9ShMxd-8nkkGq-6eS9vZ-7hWUAM-8nGN2M-5kq8sM-ePiz4j-eP7aXB-8nL6eN-8nKYaS-63wGH1-7HnrDC-g5QAk-c7ounA-6eP3r6-fahwsT-cgNLUf-6eTdcm-9b59v-5ddZL1-89cARG-dSoysd-6eTdk5-fTsDVc-9P5RSz-oNUga
jshyun. (Photographer). Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany: Ratstube Restaurant – Sergio [Web Photo]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/jshyun/1755382392/in/photolist-3F7N2E-3F6HhG-3F2ogp-3F2qF6-3uqPVv-9TY6m-fMFJJ6-3F6JS5-3F6KH7-R7Zre-5Q87HV-5QcuBN-5Qcojj-buC6FX-5Q84PF-8AhenF-8b8AdL-aRyzfa-aRyzzZ-aRyySF-aRyyCe-89Waku-89VYDf-dbXbkZ-9nDRzq-8GnrY1-9rMmU3-VuH-eYSsmZ-eZ4Pvw-eYSsJe-2JBmC-2d8Bh-c7nqqS-5z2TXG-9AMLTA-9DEnbj-9qw2qQ-drTMZL-5Pc6Xe-6eAjAL-6eAm7E-dHfNL2-a7vv9x-7V9iUw-7V9itA-7V64EH-7V9j9N-7V64XZ-7V9imL
Vorderstraße, D. (Photographer). Autobahn, Kamener Kreuz [Web Photo]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/dirkvorderstrasse/11783220654/in/photolist-DQb7m-iXf5YN-iXfiut-5XyyQ2-8roCaD-54UKte-7UrUck-uBf1F-hsSsi-66PGEw-4upt6-9yH15t-2UF92o-7F2vyZ-FCz4e-41eo3B-E5XJr-bpKRrn-8Phcw5-GBFHb-7W83K5-MEDaE-iTsXV7-aVLX62-4v7b3-7DvrPj-h6ztZ6-4LYXT2-5fMsBz-64oXt5-jHrr-8PemwX-cSBv5-6a95vF-6adf9J-5TepYk-5n4uyA-8dh9k-818KPH-2oAft-9Se17-9SdYT-9SdU5-9SdVW-9SdVc-9SdT7-9SdX1-9Nmgm-Y5cq9-9NmiD