Comments | schlosseberbach: Xenophobe's Guide to the Germans -- Ch.1, Nationalism and Identity

inner_v0ice in schlosseberbach

Xenophobe's Guide to the Germans -- Ch.1, Nationalism and Identity

Oct 12, 2005 21:40

I just borrowed a highly entertaining book from the library called "Xenophobe's Guide to the Germans" and, out of the goodness of my heart, have decided to type up a chapter a night to share with everybody on here. It's extremely fun to see how perfectly Klaus fits some of the things said in it, and how completely different he is on other counts ( Read more... )

other books, germany

Comments 15

sindeniirelle October 12 2005, 14:16:25 UTC

LOL! That is so COOL! ^_^ Thanks for posting it.

mprice October 12 2005, 15:21:20 UTC

"The Germans regard the English as being very nice and mostly harmless. Almost German."

Perhaps this is because, since 1660 the English Monarchy has descended from German stock. George I was from Hanover, Germany. Prince Albert (married to Queen Victoria) was from Prussia. The name of Windsor was adopted in WWI because Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was a tad too German sounding.

Personally, I found the remark made during WWII by someone in Hitler's staff amusing. "Their (the Americans) Germans are better than our (Germany) Germans!" They were referring to General Eisenhower and Admiral Nimitz.

The only reason I know any of this is my sister is an amature historian whose pet subject is WWII.

inner_v0ice October 12 2005, 15:41:23 UTC

Ah, so that's what it means by "This quaint illusion probably has its roots in the fact that so many Germans have occupied the British throne or been powers behind it." Thanks for the info! ^_^

"Their (the Americans) Germans are better than our (Germany) Germans!"
That's so cool! ^_^ You're right, it's very funny!

mprice October 12 2005, 15:46:18 UTC

I liked the line -- "They are thought of as efficient, self-obsessed, arrogant and domineering..."

Thanks for sharing this, by the way.

inner_v0ice October 12 2005, 16:09:38 UTC

Yep, definitely a good line. ^_^

No problem, I'm happy to share the fun! ...although my typing fingers may begin to disagree quite soon...^_~

the_reverand October 12 2005, 17:10:34 UTC

Contrary to popular belief, the Germans do not know everything, they just know everything better.

Hahaha! ^__^ That's fabulous. Great read. Thanks so much for sharing it!

mprice October 12 2005, 17:14:30 UTC

Sounds like the BASF commercial, doesn't it?

"We don't make the [insert product here], we make it better."

You did know it was a German company, right?

aberglaube October 12 2005, 17:44:23 UTC

Aw, don´t you just want to hug us know? (We could need one.)

To the Austrians, a good German is one who is far away-preferably across the Atlantic, or even further.
*dies a violent death through laughing or some austrian ninjas who couldn´t stand a halfbreed like me anymore, whatever comes first*

A good German wears his Weltschmerz (world-pain) on his sleeve
So true it´s sad, complaining is some kind of Volkssport for us.

inner_v0ice October 12 2005, 18:17:59 UTC

Awww...*hugs* ^_^

I'm curious; why do the Austrians not like the Germans? It it because they're bitter over the events of World War II?

aberglaube October 14 2005, 01:47:17 UTC

To be truth I don´t know either, but I too think that it must have something to do with a war and it´s outcoming.

caithion October 12 2005, 18:19:08 UTC

Wow, what an amazing amount of effort to type all that out! Thanks!

inner_v0ice October 12 2005, 18:25:13 UTC

Ah, it's no problem. ^_^ The book is thin, only 63 pages (17 chapters), so it's not that daunting to type it up.