Social and Cultural Environment

The concept of Culture can be defined in many aspects like history and literature, art galleries and museums, food or music and education. The way they eat, speak, spend free time, work, dress, learn and express emotions. Culture is the patterns of behavior and ways of thinking that people living in a particular social group learn and create.

Sprache (Language):

German is used as the official language of Germany and of Austria. Historically, German falls into three main periods: Old German (c. 750-c. 1050); Middle German (c.1050- c.1500); and Modern German (c.1500 to the present). The earliest existing records in German date back to about 750. In this first period, local dialects were used in writing, and there was no standard language. In the middle period a relatively uniform written language developed in government after the various chancelleries of the Holy Roman Empire began, in the 14th cent., to use a combination of certain dialects of Middle High German in place of the Latin that until then had dominated official writings.

German is one of the most important cultural languages. It was spoken and written by Goethe, Mozart, Beethoven, Freud, Klimt and Einstein, and numerous other great artists and scientists. Many of the European culture have been written in the German language.

• Literature (Goethe, Schiller, Thomas Mann, Kafka)
• Classical music (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart)
• Art (Kollwitz, Durer, Klee, Kaninsky)
• Psychology (Freud, Jung)
• Philosophy (Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Benjamin, Adorno)
• Science (Einstein, Kepler, Runtgen, Planck, Virchow)

Religion:

The German government has limited responsibilities for culture, which is devolved to the states of Germany, called Lunder. Approximately 80% of the German population belong to a Christian denomination, of whom roughly half are Roman Catholic and half are Protestant that they have other Religious

Food:

German food varies from region to region, but concentrates on meat (especially sausage) and varieties of sweet dessert and and Stollen (a fruit cake).



Germans also are famous for rye bread. Germany also produces a large quantity of beer, and (mostly white) wine, particularly Riesling, but also Muller-Thurgau and other varieties.

German Life:

Germans are not, contrary to stereotypes, stubborn. They are just argumentative. Things have to be logical to them or they will argue about it until they find the logic. Now that logic does not have to be based in physics or math, but it does have to fit with their view of what is the correct way to live. Germans are passionate about lifestyle and politics an expensive combination from a societal perspective.

Business Etiquette in Germany:

It is best to make appointments for meetings well in advance – at least a week or two’s notice is needed for meetings arranged by phone, and at least a month’s notice for meetings arranged by post. Make sure you arrive on time for meetings, and don’t forget to call your contact in the organization if you’re going to be late, giving a plausible excuse.

In large corporations and banks, Germans tend to dress formally in dark, conservative suits, and it’s best to follow their example when doing business with them.

When meeting for the first time, it is usual for the person highest in a company’s hierarchy to introduce their colleagues. However if you go to work in a German office, you will probably have to introduce yourself to your new colleagues.

During meetings it is best to avoid lapsing into informality or showing emotion, and cracking jokes is a bad idea – they have their place in informal get-togethers after work, but not in the office. Also keep small talk to a minimum, and make sure you are well prepared for meetings, and that you stick to the agenda. If you don’t speak German, it can be helpful to have an interpreter, even though your German counterparts will probably speak English. This will avoid misunderstandings. It is also good practice to have your company literature translated into German and to bring this to meetings.