Unfortunately, German people are often considered as rude, cold and humorless. This is quite a stereotype and whether it’s true or not you will discover yourself when living in Germany. Nevertheless, there are some personality traits many Germans have in common.
German people are hardworking, efficient and disciplined. They think quite practically and try to find a solution for nearly every problem. Therefore, many inventions are made by Germans. What would we do without cars, many car parts or printing? They always want to find the best way to solve the smallest problems and do not give up without a solution.
Do Germans have a sense of humor? Yes, they do. They are not stiff and humorless as people imagine. It is just a different type of humor. They do not like the silly and clownish kind of humor. What Germans appreciate is a more ironic and cynical sort of humor. Especially when it comes to their own stereotypes they can be surprisingly self-ironic. When Germans smile or laugh, it is genuine and they really enjoy the joke or the situation.
Germans love to plan things. They plan and plan, and whatever happens they try to stick to their plans. This does not mean that they are not spontaneous. They just have an alternative plan for every possible scenario. This has to do with the fact that they are quite orderly as well. Germans try to keep everything clean and tidy. They like to structure their days well and schedule appointments exactly. This leads us to our fourth point.
Germans are known for their punctuality. This is not true for everyone of course, but most Germans are very punctual, unless there is a traffic jam, the train is late or something serious has happened. So, if you have a meeting with someone, you should be there at least five minutes earlier, since you do not want to be late. Most Germans get offended when the other person is late.
Traditions are important in Germany and people strongly hold to traditions. This could be an annual fair celebrated in your town or the monthly get-together with the neighbours, which takes place on a fixed date every month. They do not easily shift from their traditions, even on the personal level. If a German drives a Mercedes, he will do this for his entire life and will normally stick to this brand.