Kultur 6 Ben Lemisch

Kultur 6
Hearing that door are always closed in Germany did not surprise me but it did strike me as to the contrast between American and German culture. I live in the dorms here at U of M, the only people who keep their doors closed here are the anti-social, and stoners. With this in mind the idea that the Germans always keep their doors closed makes them seem rather unfriendly. This is not exactly the case however. The Germans keep their doors closed as part of their culture, a part which no doubt grew out of the turmoil of the Cold War which gripped the nation for decades. In a country where spies could be everywhere it was a necessity for privacy to be maintained whenever possible. This has never really been the case in the united states which is why there exists such and open door policy inside our nation.
One of the most common German stereotypes is that they are very neat and orderly people. There is good reason that this stereotype exists. Germans take their trash to a new level, they have different bins for the different colors of glass, and for packaging, organic waste, paper and packaging. Similar systems exist the U.S. and I'm sure in other countries as well but none are as complex and sophisticated and the German’s. I find it humorous that the Germans take the same level of complexity and efficiency that most people associate with their cars to their trash as well.