What does a typical German look like? German men and romance: everything you need to know

Encountering numerous articles and essays on the net on the topic “Russian women - what are they?”, “A typical image of a French woman” or “Polynesian women and their views on motherhood”, I suddenly thought: why are there so few articles about men of one nationality or another?

Maybe there are actually a lot of them, they just didn’t come across to me? And where can you read about them? At Mens Health? So the idea arose to chat a little about German men, to introduce you to them and to look at them with a more biased look.

You should probably start with what a typical representative of Germany looks like. German men are usually tall, lean, long-legged, often fair-haired. Facial features are sharp. Bad character. Not married (s)
Joke…

Since it is just as difficult to find a typical German in Germany as in Moscow - a native inhabitant, at least in the second generation, then, of course, the range of external data of a German is actually very wide. There are short ones, there are redheads, and there are fat ones.
Let's move on to the peculiarities of the national character, there is something to profit from. Here are a few features of a typical Hellmuth or Günther.

Helmut - sentimental and romantic

I think much more than Russian men. Coming to the supermarket for shopping, he can easily grab a couple of bouquets of tulips, and not to give them to his wife on March 8, or, I'm not afraid of this word, Rosa Luxemburg, but just like that, to cheer up his own mood.

In Helmut's apartment, who lives alone, melted candles, vases of flowers, and cute pillows on the sofa are very common. They did not get to him by inheritance from the former, and were not even brought with them by one of the contenders for his heart and hand. He bought them himself (of course, at a sale, because saving is our everything), solely to create comfort in his own apartment.

Oh yes, saving is very important for a German man.

Hellmuth is very economical

And this is not stinginess - this is a principle: everything should be worth its money.

Let us cite a case as an illustration: there are no long queues in the supermarket next to our house, but here we had to stand: the cashier punched tomatoes at 2.99 euros per kg for one man, not seeing that there was a discount on them that day, and they cost 1.55 euros! The man, zealously checking the check after the purchase, caught the cashier. There was no scandal, but the rights had to be restored, so the check was interrupted, the cash desk was reloaded, the queue patiently and understandingly waited, because the German queue understands what justice is. It lasted about 10 minutes.

Of course, you are now eagerly awaiting news from us - did the German man receive his reclaimed 1.44 euros? We hasten to assure you: received! And, satisfied, he went home!
Because ordnung, i.e. order has been restored. And Hellmuth loves order most of all.

If, wanting to meet you in a restaurant or cafe, Helmut says: “I invite you” - you are lucky, he will pay for you! And you can safely order truffles in champagne (just don't get too carried away with champagne and behave yourself, he doesn't like surprises in public places).
If he did not announce that he was inviting you, then be prepared to split the bill. Perhaps, of course, he believes that paying for a woman is a matter of course, this also happens. But still, be prepared - just in case.

Helmut - esthete

Usually his shoes are always polished, his shirt is ironed, as well as a neat haircut and very well-groomed hands. Many uncles go for manicures and pedicures, and at the same time they prefer women. A German man loves red wine in a beautiful glass, impressionist paintings and expensive watches and cars. And also, after 45 years, many of them have an irresistible desire ... to play the piano. Someone else, but I know this better than anyone. About 30% of my students are men. And, no matter how much they want to flatter themselves, experience has shown that they really want to ... play the piano. And nothing more.

Hellmuth loves football

He was already born with a ball in his hands. Or with a mug of beer, with which he will rap in ecstasy on the bar table, where he will watch the next match of the national league. During the broadcast of the World Cup, not a single live bird is found on the streets of Germany, not to mention a living man. All male children are enrolled in the football section.
You don't like football and yet you are a man and live in Germany? So you are not German.

Helmut can speak competently and well, regardless of his social status and education

I noted this for myself a long time ago, when, due to life circumstances, I was forced to use the services of one taxi company for a long time, the owner of which was a German, who himself willingly sits at the steering wheel, and also maintains a staff of ten taxi drivers, whom he basically took from compatriots.

I have to admit, bowing my head, that such Hoch Deutsch, (high German, the officially accepted polite form of the German language spoken by television announcers), I did not even hear from Angela Merkel. From the speech turns of taxi drivers, I just went crazy, feeling like a loader of the Promzona store, who had recently come out of a three-week binge ... Taxi drivers bent such phrases that a Harvard professor would have covered with red spots from the realization of his illiteracy.

Helmut loves to cook

There is even such family entertainment: cooking together. I first heard about this from one of the cutest German couples, who, in response to my question: “How did you spend your weekend?” - proudly answered: "We - cooked!"

Poor, I thought... Well, it was necessary to kill like that on the weekend... Well, how many guests were they waiting for? Why was it impossible to put aside this fundamental savings once and go to a restaurant, since the income of this family clearly allowed them to have all the best? But no, then I just didn’t know yet that cooking together is the same pleasure for the Germans as going to the cinema or theater together.

They plan it for a long time: they go to the store together, buy everything they need, and then on their free day they start a miracle - they cook, say, asparagus consommé.

It looks something like this: while drinking wine, they put something into the pan, from which this consommé then comes out:
“Günther,” the lady says conspiratorially and even somewhat intimately, “wouldn’t you pass me some salt to salt the consommé?”
“Of course, dear,” Gunther says in Hoch Deutsch, and brings salt, as well as thyme leaves.
- Honey, why did Herr ... Gunther you brought me thyme? - starting to wind up, the quarrelsome Greta mutters, - when I asked you to bring only salt with normal German Hoch Deutsch?
And a fight breaks out. The saucepan with the consommé lands right on Gunther's head, the thyme is less fortunate - it has not yet been thrust into such distant places even in Belonika's recipes...

No, no, that doesn't really happen.
The German couple cooks well and quickly, it turns out very tasty, and then they eat it all together, smacking their lips and drinking some Moselle harvest of 2003.

Special mention deserves the popular German pop songs that are played daily on all radio stations. They can add zest to the portrait of a German man.
One day I heard a song on the radio. How amusing, I thought, listening to the text! What a fun idea to set the instructions for using a washing machine to music!
Then, listening, I realized that I got excited. There was a song from the top chat in Germany, a song about great love.
Attached is the translation:
"Could you fix me,
so that I can function better?
'Cause if you don't fix me
I can't function anymore!"

This song is about the love of a German man, it is also sung by a man, by the way.
You're not tired?

Then I'll sing you another very popular song here. It plays on the radio about three times a day.
"I can't find a woman
I'm still searching, I'm looking for a 100% hit.
But I'm always missing something
and I ask myself:
when will it be not 99%, but 100?
When everything exactly matches and no adjustment is needed?
When I say to myself: this is definitely absolutely 100% suitable for me?

This song is also sung by a man, and it is after the phrase about “100 percent” that he jumps up pathetically and takes a very high note. Worries, apparently, in earnest. How not to worry if his debit and credit do not converge, even if you crack!

I hope you have a rather positive picture, and you urgently want to meet some German man. But I must warn you: do not flatter yourself!
Among the local men there are also illiterate, unclear mind Golden clients of McDonald's, beer lovers in the morning, which somehow does not add positive lines to their resumes and even Hoch Deutsch does not save; there are men who are not men at all and want to get married themselves, there are especially many of them in Cologne, the city recognized as the "capital" of the "sexual minorities of the Land of Nord Rhine Westphalia", there are also carriers of many other shortcomings.

But why should we talk about insufficient men? We must look for the positive in everything, so they have no place in our story. We are for beauty and positive emotions in everything!
Therefore, here are some photos of real handsome German men in the end.

And (get your husbands away from the screens!) My wish to you: let them dream about you today. For variety.
May Brad Pitt sleep peacefully for at least one night!
Sweet Dreams!

19.Torben Liebrecht / Torben Liebrecht(born December 3, 1977, Germany) is a German actor. Films with his participation: "Wolf's Law", "The Mann Family - A Centennial Romance", "On Guard for Death", "Wild Angels", "Passion for Luther", "Trenk. Two Hearts - One Crown", "By the Sea", "Lulu and Jimi"

18. Manuel Neuer(born March 27, 1986, Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany) - a German footballer who plays for the Bayern Munich club as a goalkeeper. Germany goalkeeper since 2009. Bronze medalist at the 2010 World Championship. Finalist of the Champions League 2012.

17. Hanno Koffler / Hanno Koffler(born March 25, 1980, Berlin, Germany) is a German actor and musician. In 1994 he founded the group Kerosene along with his brother Max Koffler. Films with his participation: "Anatomy 2", "Summer Storm", "Comets of the City of Halle", "Red Baron", "Krabat. Sorcerer's Apprentice", "If not us, then who", "Free Fall".

16. Thomas Kretschmann / Thomas Kretschmann(born September 8, 1962, Dessau, East Germany) - German actor. The fame of the actor brings a role in the film "The Pianist". In 2006 he received the award Best Actor for the title role in the film "Rothenburg" International Film Festival in Catalonia. Is the face of a new fragrance from Hugo Boss. Currently lives in Los Angeles.

15. Marco Reus / Marco Reus(born May 31, 1989, Dortmund, Germany) - German football player, attacking midfielder of the Borussia Dortmund club and the German national football team.

14. Bill Kaulitz(born September 1, 1989, Leipzig, East Germany) - vocalist of the German band Tokio Hotel. Twin brother of the band's guitarist Tom Kaulitz.

13. Marlon Kittel / Marlon Kittel(born December 11, 1983, Essen, Germany) is a German actor. Films with his participation: "Division of Joy", "Mountain Doctor", "Her Order, Father Castel", "Night Rescuers", "Rescue Service in the Mountains", "The Last Bull", etc.

12. Moritz Bleibtreu / Moritz Bleibtreu(born August 13, 1971, Munich) is a German actor. The films "Knockin' on Heaven", "Run, Lola, Run", "Moon Dad" brought wide popularity. In 2006 he was awarded silver bear for Best Actor in 56th Berlin Film Festival.

11.Tilman Valentin "Til" Schweiger(born December 19, 1963, Freiburg) is a German actor, director, producer and screenwriter. The film "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" brought world fame to the actor, for which he was awarded an award. Moscow Film Festival 1998 for Best Actor. Films with his participation: "Most Desirable Man", "Trash", "Polar Bear 9th Gauge", "Replacement Killers", "Punk from Salt Lake City", "U-429: Submarine Prison", "Man on call 2", "One way", "Inglourious Basterds", "Musketeers", etc.

10. Max Riemelt / Max Riemelt(born January 7, 1984) is a German actor. In 1997, at the age of 13, he made his debut in the TV movie Kissing Family. Two years later, he makes his film debut: in the adventure film for children "The Bear Runs Away". In 2001, he starred in a youth comedy in the spirit of "American Pie" - "Girls from Above". After supporting roles in television series (Wolf's Law, Cobra Special Squad), in 2003 he again played a major role in the well-reviewed drama Death Academy. For this role, he won the nomination Best Actor at International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary. On February 14, 2006, the world premiere of the film "Red Cockatoo" took place on Berlin Film Festival, where the actor plays the role of Ziga, for which
receives an award "Bayerischer Filmpreis" in the category Best Young Actor. In 2008, he starred in the film "Experiment 2: Wave". In 2009, he plays a student in the comedy The Thirteenth Semester. In 2010, he starred in the vampire film Taste of the Night.

9. Roman Lob / Roman Lob(born July 2, 1990 in Düsseldorf) - German singer, German representative at the song contest Eurovision 2012, where took 8th place, scoring 110 points.

8. Christoph Metzelder / Christoph Metzelder(born November 5, 1980, Haltern am See, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) - German footballer, defender of Schalke 04.

7.Michael Fassbender / Michael Fassbender(born April 2, 1977, Heidelberg, Germany) is an Irish actor of German descent. Known for his roles in the films Inglourious Basterds, X-Men: First Class and Prometheus. Also played in the films "Jane Eyre", "300 Spartans", "Hunger" and in the TV series "The Witch" and "Band of Brothers". Winner of the US Screen Actors Guild Award (2009), winner of the Volpi Cup for Best Actor (2011), nominee for the Golden Globe Award (2012) and BAFTA (2012).

6. Mats Julian Hummels(born December 16, 1988, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany) - German footballer, defender of Borussia Dortmund and the German national team.

5. Thomas Anders / Thomas Anders(real name - Bernd Weidung; born March 1, 1963, Munstermeifeld, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) - German pop singer, actor and composer, former lead singer of the group "Modern Talking".

4. Gedeon Burkhard(born July 3, 1969, Munich) - German theater and film actor. Started acting at the age of 10. He tried to make a career as a ballet dancer, studied at the Munich Ballet Academy, but settled on cinema. In Russia, he is known for his role as Police Commissioner Alex Brandtner in the series "Commissioner Rex". Other films with his participation: "My Man Is My Hobby", "Summer Love", "Who Owns Tobias?", "Two Stories and One Wedding", "Special Squad Cobra 11", "Inglourious Basterds", etc.

3. Maximilian Befort / Maximilian Befort(born May 15, 1989 Germany) is a German actor. Films with his participation: the series "Wolf's Law", "Emil and the Detectives", the films "Bibi the Little Sorceress", "Henry of Navarre", "Romeo", etc.

2. Kostja Ullmann(born May 30, 1984 Hamburg, Germany) is a German actor. In 2004 he made his film debut - in the drama "Summer Storm". He starred in the TV movies "School Trip" and "Secret Love", where he plays a high school student who fell in love with an adult woman. In 2006, he starred in another film about the relationship between a young man and an adult woman - "The Pursued". At the Locarno Film Festival, the film won Golden Leopard nominations -Filmmakers of the present presented by the Italian fashion house. In 2008 for his role in the TV movie "Miracle in Berlin" was nominated for the Bayerischen Fernsehpreis in the nomination Best TV Movie Actor. In the 2009 film The Prodigal Son, he plays a young German convert to Islam who is suspected of terrorism. In 2010, he starred in the film Fans Don't Stay for Breakfast, in 2012 - The Guardian.

1. Thore Schoelermann(born September 26, 1984 Iserlohn, Germany) - German actor, TV presenter. After graduating from acting courses in Spain, he starred in short films until he received an invitation to star in the TV series Forbidden Love. In 2012, he was the host of the second season of the television show "Voice of Germany". Was a judge at a men's beauty pageant "Mr Gay World 2009".

According to the Germanic racial theory, the carriers of Aryan blood had a biological superiority over the rest of the nations. The reference Aryan differs from others in almost everything: height, skin color, hair and eyes, and even body proportions.

Racial ladder

Racial theory is the cornerstone of the foundation of the Third Reich, it actually distinguishes German National Socialism from Italian fascism. For the Nazis, it was fundamental to divide races into “higher”, capable of self-organization and progress, and “lower”, incapable of anything.

At the top of the hierarchical ladder, according to German racial doctrine, is the Nordic race (Germans and Scandinavians), followed by the East Baltic, Adriatic and Romanesque races. Interestingly, the Germans considered the French to be “degenerate, negroidized, spoiled”, and as a result, inferior.

Even lower on the racial ladder were mestizos (a mixture of white and colored peoples), in the basement itself there was a place for representatives of the "black" (Negroid) and "yellow" (Mongoloid) races. The latter, as well as the Slavs, Jews and Gypsies, were disparagingly called by the Nazis "untermensch" ("subhuman").

In July 1941, Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler, speaking to the SS, described the European conflict as "a war of ideologies and a struggle of races." “On one side stands National Socialism: an ideology based on the values ​​of our Germanic, Nordic blood. On the other side stands a people of 180 million, a mixture of races and peoples, whose names are unpronounceable and whose physical essence is such that the only thing that can be done with them is to shoot them without any pity or mercy, ”Himmler proclaimed.

"True Aryan"

The Germans often replaced the concepts of the Nordic and Aryan races, although they have differences. The term “Nordic race” was borrowed by the Third Reich from the book of the French writer Joseph Gobineau “An Essay on the Inequality of Human Races” (1855), where the author characterized the Nordic subtype of the white race as fair-haired and blue-eyed people. In the same place, Gobineau argued that it was the "Nordic race" that was the highest stage in the development of mankind.

The term "Aryan" was originally used to refer to the peoples speaking the languages ​​of the Indo-Iranian group, and comes from the self-name of the historical peoples of Ancient Iran and Ancient India. This word can be translated into Russian as “respected”, “worthy”, “noble”. The concept of "Aryan" was torn out of the traditional context by German ideologists and used solely for the purpose of promoting racial inequality.

The theory of the common Aryan origin of the Germans and Iranians is the product of the work of the ideologists of the Reich, primarily Alfred Rosenberg, who, on this basis, created a coherent picture of history from ancient times to the present: from Aryan India and Persia through Doric Hellas and Italian Rome to " German Europe". Since 1933, racial theory has become a compulsory subject in schools and universities in Germany.

By a special decree, the Iranians were even exempted from the effect of "racial" laws. In 1934, in order to emphasize the role of Persia as the ancestral home of the Aryan race, it was officially renamed Iran with the assistance of German diplomacy.

German architects also had a hand in popularizing the myth of the Aryan roots of the German race, designing the building of the National Bank in Tehran in the neo-Persian style. And the racial administration of the SS seriously considered the marriages of German girls with prominent representatives of the military-political and economic elite of Iran in order to "refresh" the blood of the Iranian leadership.

Racial Standard

The anthropological, biological aspect is the defining and most evident in the Nazi racial theory. To express it, the Germans relied on fertile methodological material. In particular, the works of the Austrian Catholic monk and publicist Adolf Lanz, who divided humanity into two tribes - Aryans and animal people. According to Lanz, the Aryans embodied the angels, and the ape-men symbolized the demons.

There was a place in the ideology of the Reich and the views of the American Egyptologists Gliddon and Nott, who in the book "Types of Humanity" proved that blacks are closer to monkeys than to other human races, as well as the judgments of the Italian doctor Cesare Lombroso, who argued that the skulls of degenerate individuals are different from the skulls of higher beings.

Fascinated by such ideas, Nazi propaganda draws its own racial standard. The media broadcast that the true representatives of the Aryan race should have a special skull: with an elongated, convex nape, an oblong face, a small forehead, a narrow nose and a slightly angular chin. In the region of the temples, the skull should be narrowed, and the cheekbones should be located almost vertically.

As an anthropological and biological sample of the “true Aryan”, a native blue-eyed resident of the northern regions of Germany was taken, who is distinguished by high growth (women at least 170, men at least 175 cm), fair, almost snow-white skin, thick hair, the color of which varies from absolutely white to golden. It was believed that in those parts of the body where veins appear, the skin has a slightly bluish tint, and solar radiation should not harm it.

Aryan men have narrow hips and broad shoulders, the female figure is dominated by “long” parameters, in addition, she should have a narrow neck, arms and refined facial features. For ideal men and women, the arm span should be 94-97% of body length.

In addition, for an Aryan, the weight should be proportional to height, and the lower back should be approximately at a height of 52-53% of the total body length. The back and legs should be devoid of hair, on other parts of the body, except for the head, their manifestations should be weakly expressed. And also - symmetrically set eyes, even and healthy teeth, no susceptibility to hereditary diseases, late puberty and late aging.

New generation

An integral part of Nazi racial theory was eugenics, popularized in Germany under the name of racial hygiene. According to this theory, strict rules of reproduction should lead to the improvement of the Germanic race and stop the growth of the lower representatives of the human race, which multiplied much faster.

So in the Third Reich there was a program "Lebensborn" ("source of life"), which was personally led by Heinrich Himmler. The main objective of this program was the preparation of racially pure mothers, as well as the birth and upbringing of healthy children - the future pride of the Aryan nation. The fathers were exclusively representatives of the elite German units.

The requirements for the parents of the updated race were strict: impeccable health, no criminal record and purity of blood. Women selected to participate in the gene pool improvement program were placed in shelters - "Himmler's children's factories", where they gave birth and raised children in comfortable conditions. If the hair of the born children was not light enough, they were irradiated with ultraviolet light until the desired shade was obtained.

Soon, Nazi ideologists decided not to limit themselves to mothers from Germany and turned their eyes to the Norwegians: blond and blue-eyed Scandinavians were the best suited for the "production" of purebred Aryans. There is evidence that Slavic women were also selected for the role of "Aryan mothers".

Over the entire period of the existence of the Lebensborn program, about 8 thousand children were born in Germany, and even more in Norway - about 12 thousand. In 1938, Himmler felt that the reproduction of superchildren was too slow. A new proposal was made, to select
pregnant women with suitable appearance. In exchange for a monetary reward, they were offered to give the babies to the state.

After the end of the war, the women who participated in the Lebensborn program had a hard time. In Germany and Norway, they became real outcasts: they were humiliated, beaten, forced to do the dirtiest work. Norway tried to get rid of the children born under the German program by sending them to Germany. But there she denied them. Several hundred "Norwegian" Aryans were adopted by Sweden, among them - the future soloist of the ABBA group Anni-Frid Lingstad, whose father was an SS sergeant.

Journalist

I have been married too long and "very" so I have no personal experience with German men. But my free friend met a German recently. She was walking with her children in the park, and there a handsome man approached them. At first everything was fine: he played football with her children, joked a lot, laughed. And he invited them to a joint walk in the park in a week. In the park, a man bought ice cream for his children, beer for his girlfriend and himself. Everyone had a great time, the adults exchanged phone numbers in the hope of continuing to get to know each other. But after a couple of days of correspondence with a new acquaintance, my friend realized that this was not the hero of her novel at all, and tried to gently say goodbye, thanking her for a pleasant walk. It wasn't there! First, this boyfriend shook her nerves well in the messenger, and then completely ... asked her to return the money spent on her and the children in the park! (Let me remind you: 2 ice creams and beer.) And it was not a joke. The story impressed me. And I decided to ask my friends who have been happily married to Germans for a long time.

I asked everyone the same questions. The answers, I confess, turned out to be quite unexpected.

Myth #1: All Germans are misers

Katya, married to a German for 2.5 years:“It’s not true, but they are economic and take money seriously. My husband will never throw money around and make some stupid impulsive purchases. Before meeting me, he could be called an extremely economical person: he wore shoes and clothes to holes, from cosmetics he had one shampoo, which was for both shaving foam and shower gel. He also ate very austerely. I began to actively fight this, and now he is more comfortable spending money on himself, although he still has good cosmetics and expensive ones. I usually give him accessories. But his past has provided us with huge advantages: we bought an apartment, we have no debts. We live a good, well-fed life. My husband invests a lot in the house (repairs, furniture), civic and politically conscious, and it is completely natural for us to buy products in a bio-supermarket (although this is 1.5-2 times more expensive than usual), pay a little more for green electricity, have a green bank account, etc. e. These are smart spending.

Sometimes, of course, I would like him to take money easier, because sometimes you want a spontaneous holiday. I think we balance each other in this regard."

Lena, married to a German for 4 years:“Firstly, such qualities as stinginess and hoarding do not depend on nationality. Secondly, do not confuse stinginess with practicality. And, in fact, what's wrong with the fact that the average German competently and in advance plans his expenses and does not buy too much? In addition, Germany is now overwhelmed by a wave of reasonable (environmentally friendly) consumption: buying products without plastic packaging, instead of a car - a bicycle, clothes - only those that will really be worn. I would say that the Germans live by the principle of reasonable economy: do not pay where you can not pay. A German man will not splurge and bribe with expensive gifts (and, by the way, having received an expensive gift, he will most likely feel awkward). Considering that people here enter into a serious relationship at a fairly adult age, the boyfriend will conquer his chosen one with others: experience, care, intelligence, and not money.

Myth number 2: Germans do not know how to care, do not give bouquets and sweets

Katia: “My husband can still give a bouquet of flowers for no reason, and at the beginning of the relationship, he generally paid for everything. But the main charm of his courtship was far from being in the financial side: he immediately showed himself to be a very attentive person. When we first started dating, I had a cold, lived in a hostel, and I did not have a warm blanket - he immediately brought me one. Once, on March 8, he arranged a real quest for me: he placed clues about the place of our date, where he met me with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and a visit to my favorite restaurant. For the engagement, I received a ring with a large diamond of the author's work.

Once I had a short period of a difficult psychological state, and then he himself recorded a funny song for me, prepared a bunch of pleasant surprises to make me feel better. He is very attentive to the choice of gifts for me, there has never been a situation where he bought something at the last moment - he begins to prepare gifts for me in a couple of months. We don’t have standard patriarchal-gender nonsense in our relationship, and my husband buys me gifts not because he is a “man, therefore he must,” but because he sincerely wants to please me.

Lena: “And here German practicality again turns on, coupled with gender equality: why do for a woman what she is able to do herself? I remember how confused my German father-in-law was at first, when at the common table I, like a decent Russian girl, was waiting for a man to pour wine into an empty glass for me. "I don't get it," he shrugged. - The bottle is standing next to you, just stretch out your hand! In addition, you yourself know better how much to pour. The same with the door. If this is not a massive cast-iron door of the author's forging of the late 18th century, 4 meters high and half a meter thick, then in the understanding of a German man, a woman is able to open it herself. Although just yesterday, when my husband and I were returning from the store with full bags (anticipating the comments, I’ll immediately clarify that his bags were heavier and larger than mine), one German man, seeing that our hands were busy, deliberately stopped to hold the supermarket door for us. In general, since I have recently become the happy owner of a Berlin cafe, I can state with all responsibility: German men open the doors to their women, and give a hand, and help put on a coat. But with flowers - yes, a snag. And I even know why. There are so many flower shops in Germany and the prices for bouquets are so affordable that going home from work and not buying tulips, roses or chrysanthemums is actually a crime! Flowers are the same essential attribute of German life, like, for example, a rug with the inscription “Herzlich Willkommen” (Welcome!) in the entrance, a Christmas wreath at the door, photo frames on the wall or checkered curtains in the kitchen. So we return to the point about practicality again: why buy a second bouquet if one is already standing? Although personally I am ready to forgive this to German men only because they almost always - regardless of age and years spent together - gently hold their women by the hand, and also do not hesitate to hug and kiss them in public and affectionately address their companions “Schatz "("treasure" - ed..)».

Myth No. 3: Germans do not require daily cooking and perfect cleanliness of the house from a woman.

Katia: “I came into this relationship with my own set of (rather backward) ideas about gender roles. That is, it was me, and not him, who thought that you need to be a “hostess”. But it quickly became clear that all this stereotypical nonsense does not work. My husband cooks well, cleans well (plus he performs all the standard set of traditionally “male” functions, such as assembling furniture and minor repairs), and he does not need a cook and a housekeeper. I cook by inspiration when I have time and desire. At the same time, it practically turns out that I do more household chores: my husband works full time, and I work from home, so I have more time physically and the opportunity to cook and keep order. Perfect cleanliness and borscht pies are not a significant value for my husband. If it seems to him that the apartment is dirty, he will clean himself. He likes to take care of the house and clean up when he has time.”

Lena: "This is true. For Germans, eating is an important ritual. Of course, not to the same extent as, for example, for the Italians or the French, but they cook here in houses only on special occasions. And then none of our “table was bursting with dishes”! Everything is on a clear menu and with a clear number of servings. In everyday life, most Germans prefer to either have a snack in a cafe, or order something at home, or buy fast food from the nearest supermarket. Therefore, when our girls, brought up on the old saying “The way to a man’s heart lies through the stomach,” spend several hours at the stove to surprise their beloved with jelly, borscht and herring under a fur coat, then he, of course, will be flattered and touched. But next time, most likely, he will say something like: “Darling, let's better spend this time walking in the park, and then we will go to an Indian restaurant around the corner.” Well, and, probably, I will completely surprise you if I say that at home I do not know the way to the kitchen. In our Russian-German family, only a German husband cooks.”

Myth number 4: love is love, but money is apart

Katia: “We pay for ourselves equally everywhere. Exceptions are festive occasions (we celebrate the date of our wedding every month), then the husband pays for me in a restaurant, and I, for example, leave it for a tip. I am absolutely comfortable having a separate budget. So I do not depend on my husband, do not lose my working skills, I have the motivation to work and develop in a foreign country. Plus, psychologically, this gives a feeling of equal voting rights in resolving controversial issues and, of course, freedom and independence. And I don’t think that a husband should pay for me simply because he is a man: although he has a higher salary, he will spend the difference not on himself, but on something that is significant for both of us, for example, an upgrade at home. I think if I had a patriarchal husband who would pay for everything, it would be very unpleasant, I would feel obliged to him and could not behave the way I like, but would be forced to adapt to him.

Tanya, married to a German for 8 years:“When we decided to live together, he offered to divide the budget so that one pays for the apartment, the other for food. It turned out that this was a test of how “correctly”, from his point of view, I manage money. A month later, when I once again needed to go to the store, he simply gave me his wallet. Since then, we have one account.

Lena: Often true. The most illustrative example of this is a scene from a report that was recently shown on German television. In it, a German bachelor for about 40 years was looking for a bride in Russia. After the third date with him in a restaurant, the lady of the heart nevertheless refused the overseas groom. And it wasn't even the rejection that angered him the most. “I could have said everything on the first evening, I wouldn’t have to spend money on two more dinners!” the annoyed boyfriend exclaimed right into the camera. Why is there a TV, among my friends there is a married couple who have been together for 15 years, but they have a separate budget: bills in restaurants, and rent, and vacation - all in half. They dearly love each other, they will soon have a child, but financial independence and equality for them is the key to a strong relationship. Although many of our common German friends look askance at this couple, the family budget in Germany is usually shared. But if things have not yet come to a joint life, everyone pays for himself. It's more reliable that way."

Yes, they are completely different. And they went to this for a long time. Let's try to consider a portrait of an average German woman. We will try to avoid stereotypes and not take into account the exceptions that always exist.

1. To begin with, German women are independent persons.

It does not matter who the girl is studying for and how rich her parents are. Sitting on their neck until the end of their studies or until marriage is a bad form. Girls earn extra money, make their way on their own, live separately in or hostels. Germans do not wait for a meeting with a handsome prince who will ensure their life, put their houses on a pedestal and solve all domestic problems. Even relationships where a partner earns much more are considered equivalent in Germany - after all, for a German woman there is nothing worse than dependence on a man. A partner in a relationship in this country is not a lifesaver for all troubles and problems, but a person with whom it is actually good.

Standing firmly on their own feet, German women boldly go through life, knowing that with the appearance or departure of a man, there will be no major shocks in their lives.

2. German women are free

A tiny percentage of German women suffer from shopaholics, dietomania, and very few people are puzzled by the desire for a perfect figure and a toned ass. Yes, they try to eat right, go in for sports more often than men, drink liters of water and reduce portions, but they do it for themselves.

German women are free from complexes about their appearance. They are not subject to thoughts like "ahh ahhh, I'm 28, I'm almost an old purse, and not yet married, what a nightmare, I should have had children a long time ago."

German women do not see the only meaning of their lives in marriage and motherhood, they put on what they like, do not try their best to emphasize their waist or chest and put on their coats themselves.

Once I attended a meeting of my husband's colleagues before their important meeting with clients. After the meeting, I asked my husband in surprise if he was okay with the fact that his subordinate female colleagues wear pajama pants or blouses and blazers of nuclear-atomic incompatible colors. He replied that although they do not have a dress code in the company, it would, of course, be nice if they dressed in soothing colors and business style, but just try to tell them - this will be regarded as an infringement of their rights and freedoms. Let them wear what they want, my husband said.

3. German women cannot imagine their life without work

Work is not only a way to make money, but also the place of a German woman in society, her meaning of life, self-development and realization. Sitting at home and cooking borscht for a German woman for her husband is worse than any nightmare. After the birth of a child, she will look for an opportunity to go to work as soon as possible so as not to degrade and turn into service personnel. Often, who will sit with the child is decided not only by gender (yes, a man can take parental leave in Germany).

At work, women demand equality with men, do not tolerate discrimination, shake hands when meeting, and strive to build an enviable resume.

Surprisingly, it was in Germany that women were for a long time held hostage by the three "Ks": "Kinder, Küche, Kirche" (children, kitchen, church). The role of a housewife, who could not study, work, participate in elections and even drive a car, which was once so hopeless for German women, launched a process of pronounced emancipation. Now a woman is a full-fledged, equal to a man member of society.

But not everything is so rosy - it is still difficult for women in Germany to combine work and children. If only because the public kindergartens are open only until 16:00, and if the mother does not want to give up full-time work, the family will have to pay a lot of money for a private kindergarten or Tagesmutter ("day mother").

4. German women are pragmatic and rational

Yes, that is why so many German men who meet girls from Eastern Europe on the way, from whom warmth, care and femininity emanates, dream about them. Not all Germans like cold and prudent German women by nature. Indeed, in the first place for a German woman is always her "I", then "WE", and then "HE". For a Slav, everything is exactly the opposite, and this is such a rarity in modern Germany!

Therefore, if you, my dears, have a German husband or fiancé who loves you and has gone through it or plans to go through it - know that this is love and he needs you. And maybe I take a lot on myself, but I’ll give you advice - stay women, be the way our environment brought us up, don’t look at German women, don’t try to be like them in behavior. Yes, it will be necessary to get used to something, to learn something from them, but our Russian female nature goes through all the difficulties with us, be proud of it. And German women, German women also have something to respect and love for. You just need to take a look.

5. German women value themselves and always make their own choices in life.

Discussion of men is far from the most frequent topic of girl gatherings. After all, they have their own problems and needs. And they are by no means less important than men's.

Most German women associate an expensive gift from a man with the superiority of a man and an attempt to impose obligations on her.

If a girl earns more than her boyfriend, then she can pay for her boyfriend in a restaurant - and that will be fine.

Yes .. German women ... They save up for themselves expensive bags, jewelry and clothes and are not at all shy about it. They take cars on credit, cancel a date because of a workout, dress randomly at a young age, and stylishly and tastefully at a mature age. The Germans are the same phenomenon of independence, acquiring their features over the years.

6. Children

Most women in Germany combine everything - work, pregnancy, hobbies, children, travel ... and do it amazingly naturally and without unnecessary nerves. Maybe because she doesn't have to drag the children only on her own hump? Husbands in Germany take a very active part in the upbringing of children.

But some German women who have achieved a lot in life consciously refuse children in the family. Why is this happening, you ask? Let's try to figure it out.

- German women rarely think about children before they are firmly on their feet. If a good career shines for her, and the maternal instinct, for various reasons, did not appear ... this is the outcome

“Children used to provide support to their parents in old age. Now this support comes from the state, and children in Germany do not help their parents financially (there are rare exceptions). After school, the offspring scatter somewhere: to universities and colleges, to work throughout Germany and even the world - few remain to live where they were born.

It turns out that after the children come of age, the family breaks up: the chicks flew out of the nest and occasionally visit again. And only at Christmas and Easter do they all get together. There is no feeling of a big family, where everyone lives next to each other and always helps each other. Grandmothers rarely sit with their grandchildren, and children offer help to their parents. After all, they receive a pension, and their children themselves earn money for kindergarten and nannies for their granddaughters.

For many women, this is not enough to sacrifice their well-being and career. In such a situation, you can either sympathize with them wholeheartedly, or envy their freedom of choice. You decide.

7. Clothes

Everything, of course, depends on age and wealth: students with a small income dress quite simply, one might even say gray. The same young girls who live with their parents or pull money from them, dream of luxury things, live in fashion and cosmetics, post their bows on Instagram and actively adopt trends from each other.

The ladies who work are also divided into two types - there are those who are nice to look at - beautiful, tasteful and very neat girls. But more than half of them also dress randomly, facelessly and, most importantly, comfortably.

Older ladies here often amaze with their expensive outfits and accessories. After all, wealth and a sense of beauty grows in Germany with age.

In general, the female mass in Germany looks rather faded, so well-dressed, slender and well-groomed girls are very conspicuous and turn the heads of men. However, if the Germans go to an evening event, to the theater or to a concert, then they will take the time to put themselves in order. Only then can German women be seen in all their splendor.

Bags - for many German women who are already earning money and looking after their appearance, what hangs on their shoulders is very important. Honestly, quite recently I experienced a real shock when I was waiting for my husband near the metro in the city center - I have never seen so many luxury bags! And it was not some prestigious area or an alley of boutiques, but every second or third - Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton or, at worst, Michael Kors or Hess. From teenagers to older ladies! And moreover, these bags do not look tasteless or stupid on them, to think that they are fakes! Now I notice them even more often. Such a purely German fetish.

For those who care about their appearance, accessories are generally very important - chains, pendants, bracelets. Not parrot, but modest, rather emphasizing individuality.

The general trend in Germany is to buy fewer things, but expensive and high-quality ones. The average German woman would rather buy herself a good bag and high-quality shoes every six months than go shopping every month and buy junk of dubious quality.

8. Makeup

Half an hour is the absolute maximum that German women spend on getting ready and putting themselves in order in the morning.

9. Sports

I also note that among German women (especially from the north of Germany) there are fewer large women with wide hips, a large bust and a pronounced female distribution of adipose tissue than in Eastern European and southern countries.

10. Attitude towards money

The Germans never fill the refrigerator with food from top to bottom. As with clothes, they prefer to buy little, but definitely the right and high quality.

Absolutely every German woman plans a budget. You can ask her how much did you spend on groceries or clothes this month? Most likely, she will be able to give you the exact amount without hesitation or look at the appropriate notebook or phone before that.

In a family, a woman in Germany never plays a passive financial role, almost all couples in Germany have a joint budget, where it is distributed in advance who pays for what. Women here earn money not only "for themselves", but also for the family.

11. Emotionality

The conversations of girlfriends among themselves are also more often more restrained, without loud laughter and wide-amplitude gestures. Of course, if the Italians do not interfere in the conversation :)

It is very rare to see a German mother yell at a child or emotionally and loudly scold him.

Usually a sharp answer in the style of "No!" or a calm and brief mature explanation of the situation is enough, and the rest of the action does not provoke any reaction in the mother.

12. Hairstyle

13. Self care

The cosmetologist is visited by women only with their own decent income and mature skin, from about 35 years old.

Solariums in Germany, fortunately, are becoming less and less, almost everyone knows about their dangers.

Waxing is very popular among women in Germany and is more of a hygienic than aesthetic procedure. All waxing parlors must be booked in advance, except for some of them, where a "live queue" is practiced.

German women choose cosmetics for reasons of low price and naturalness. Before choosing cosmetics, they prefer to study reviews on the Internet, the composition of the product, compare prices in online stores, pharmacies and drugstores. Those who can afford it, willingly switch to "luxury".

14. Health and sleep

And what is very important for everyone without exception in Germany is sleep. Without compromise, German women sleep at least 7 hours a day, no matter what. Between makeup in the morning, washed hair, manicure, heavy breakfast and good sleep, the latter is always chosen. For which they can only be praised.

15. I can't bear to get married

Often the thought of marriage comes to a woman's head first, and she proposes to a man herself. Yes, yes, this is true, although it sounds like a different reality.

Finally, I want to say that despite all the cultural, material, spiritual and physical differences between us, Germans and Russians, we are very similar.

Yes, it may be unlikely that a typical German and a typical Russian will become best friends, but with the advent of the first immigrants in this country, the image of a German woman began to change dramatically. It is already difficult to write about Germans now - after all, we are considering those who grew up in a German environment and were not subject to the influence of other cultures. And there are fewer and fewer of them in Germany.

Therefore, study the country and people, look at the world from a different perspective, find new interesting people, destroy stereotypes and be surprised!

Hope you enjoyed!