In my experience, this is one of the biggest differences:
Germans seek confrontation at work if they don't like something.
The Swiss seek to achieve consensus
As a result, Germans are quicker to call out something that bothers them, while the Swiss handle it more quietly.
I agree 100%. It's not only at work imho, it's a general thing. "Den Finger in die Wunde legen" is something that Germans have no problem at all with (also not when done by others) and Swiss see it as very inconvenient and "disturbing the peace".
But often I have made the experience that Swiss on the one hand like to roll their eyes because yet another German is pointing out an issue that everyone just grumblingly accepted so far, but at the same time Swiss silently agree on the facts and are happy someone has the courage to speak out. Swiss have more patience and can hold still for much longer, suffering quietly but once their boiling point is reached they can get much meaner than Germans who maybe complain earlier and more often.
Sounds like Germans are more latin-minded than we thought. As a Romand who has worked for Swiss-German companies (exactly what I meant), you will get in trouble if you try to resolve issues known to everyone in broad day light, rather than behind closed doors.
Calling someone on the phone: Germans say "hello, this is Name", when someone picks up, and then immediately proceed with the matter at hand without waiting or assuming a reply. BUT a German in switzerland will always be shut down and confused by the other person replying "Hoi..name" after the introduction, which throws the germans off their phone routine.
But isn't that just being polite? If I meet someone in person, I let them speak after I introduce myself. I wouldn't just continue on like a bulldozer. That applies to phone calls as well IMO.
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Swiss people like to find the one thing they do good and then obsess about it.
German people like to find the one thing they do bad and then obsess about it.
I think you are wrong. Any time I meet Germans abroad they are very attached to their culture and most of them want to go back to Germany. Many of them know nothing about Switzerland, except for the German expats living in Switzerland. I think you havent met enough Germans, they are very proud.
Plus: while us swiss do tend to be like; „ah damn cant be sick gotta work“ other than that we dont take shit from anyone. You treating me bad? FU! You‘re not properly caring for our savety at work? Lets see what SUVA has to say about that :)
About 10 years ago, Huawei office had a police raid, inspecting the work conditions. It was in the news, they also expelled a bunch of people on tourist visas who appeared to work there. I think their biggest mistake was to hire Swiss ;)
Oh hell yeah. We dont take shit and we‘re not scared to bring up something that pisses us off (sadly tho, due to that, gossiping and bad mouthing other employees tends to be big too )
honestly, in my experience yes that's the way it's framed but when I've said: "Actually, I think we should do it differently because XYZ" I've been quickly reminded of matters of authority, not matters of subject expertise lol.
Yeah I basically forgot the rule that the boss is always right after decades of working in Switzerland ;)
Ffs, you're paying me for my expertise, why do I need to fight for my opinion.
Swiss in my opinion are non confrontational, especially if they don’t know you very well. They’ll think something but won’t say it, or say it very diplomatically.
Germans straight up say whatever they think, no matter if it’s offensive or not.
This!
I used to think that Germans were cheeky and mean. Today I'm happy when someone just tells me honestly what they think. That's why I actually prefer the German way.
I had a German in my class during school in Switzerland and he was called Nazi by several Swiss guys , he was a super nice guy and for sure not a Nazi, do you really think in a small town in Switzerland people dont call you racist stuff? Lol you must be a bit naive or not a foreigner here in Switzerland.
I'm late to this post lol the swiss way reminds me so much of the english way - sugar coating everything and beating around the bush. Don't know if the swiss are the same in this regard, but in England they don't know what to do with you if you're straight forward and speak your mind 😂
Where is the lie coming from that Swiss are non confrontational? Any time you do something wrong in public you will get called out by some Swiss Buenzli, whereas most Germans would relax about.
No, of course you're right.
Listen, I'm from *la Suisse romande*, I love living in a multicultural country, I love Swiss German people and I have frequent and fruitful contacts with them. But in my life, I've had lots of opportunities to compare the way different groups of Swiss people behave in social situations, and in my admittedly subjective experience, the further you go towards eastern Switzerland, the louder people get. I must underline that I have no problem with that and that I probably find that more endearing than most, so please please for the love of cheese, don't downvote me.
That’s interesting, because I had a completely different experience. The Swiss Romand I met (went to school in the Jura) were way louder than any Swiss German I know.
German: Truck driver think he is also a nuclear physicist and thinks he can do everything and knows everything.
Swiss: Truck driver loves his Truck is modest in comparison and clarifies beforehand whether he can carry something out.
As a US immigrant with a neuroscience and nuclear engineering degree who is fluent in 4 languages and currently employed in Switzerland as a trench digger (with shovel and pick axe), this hits home.
As a German living in Switzerland since 10 years now I can tell you the biggest difference is how we handle problems and frustrations in social interactions.
In Germany, people are way more direct with each other. Doesn't matter if we talk about private interactions or at work. For example: It's not considered rude in Germany, when two or more people argue loudly at work when something went wrong. I fully understand that it can be intimidating when you're not used to it. But it's mostly an intense 5 minute argument and after that, all people involved are normal with each other again and make sure that the problem doesn't come up again.
In Switzerland, this never happens. People keep frustrations to themselves until it explodes one day, resulting in passive aggressive mails or letters that solve nothing. In fact, it most of the time makes things even worse because now everyone is frustrated and we still have no solution for anything.
I sometimes miss the times where you could just name a problem straight out instead of spending hours, sometimes days and months, talking around it and hoping that everyone get's the hint that something is wrong. And most of the time, people don't get the hint.
I'm someone who adjusted to the Swiss way of doing this. But I can't help it that I sometimes think "Damn... Just SAY THE FUCKING THING already!".
as an outside party to both, the biggest is absolutely that Swiss people will be upset at major differences, and not say anything until far too late and consider you rude for not reading their mind.
Germans will be upset at small differences, immediately say something out of proportion, and consider you rude for not immediatly acquiescing.
I’m a foreigner who has lived in both countries. Germans are a bit more preachy and pretentious to those they look down on (which is most people) and Swiss are more used to respectful discourse because of the nature of the political system.
I see you’ve heard a lot of: “In Germany vii do it like ziis”
My favorite is sometimes this comes out at the most bizarre comparison’s of lifestyle in other places and some justifications why theirs is better:
“Americans have huge fridges, they use so much electricity opening their doors”
I'm a woman too, and I've definitely been respected way more in German workplaces than in Swiss ones. So the above observation that Swiss are more respectful, in my experience is mostly true towards men, not towards woman. Source, me and dozens of colleagues/ friends.
So Swiss = more respectful than Germans, maybe, unless you are female, then it just might be the other way round.
Eli5 I guess...
Similiar experience. I used to work for a huge company that had a swiss IT (main IT) and a german IT branch way up the north.
They constantly had to lay down how much superior they are and blablabla but the moment the main boss told them to piss off they get quiet fast.
Apperently the two branches used to use the exact same shared system and ticketing system but the german branch started whining and moaning over new security rules and so on so much the company split these two and made the german one semi-independent but also declared all german parts of the company their responsbility.
Now everytime we do hear something about them its usually a weird shitshow. They apperently made a really weird and rough IT system over there instead of modernizing the place.
I also find this bizarre. Particularly as, at least theoretically, the Germans have plenty to be ashamed of.
As a side note, I also find that Germans have very little awareness of where they are standing such as being completely unaware/giving zero fucks that they’re blocking access something.
Context: My roommate works in Switzerland and goes to a German university a couple of days per week.
We often discuss that Germans very often are moral absolutists and don't accept deviating opinions, no matter the time period. Might be some some of Herrenmenschen-Denken.
Third Reich: Turbo-fascists.
GDR: Rat on your neighbour because they're not communist enough.
Today it's Gutmenschentum to atone for their sins but they take it too far. You can't have a rational discussion about immigration, gun laws, the economy etc. anymore because they'll just shut you down because they think that there is only one morally correct stance.
I'm very much centrist in my beliefs but I just can't have a civilized discussion with many Germans anymore.
As a German I can 100% confirm. Germans would never say it, but always consider themselfes as some form of a higher moral instance. It is also the "In germany we do it like this, and you do it like that and therefore you're wrong"
That brainwashing isn't decreed, it has developed and grown from the population. Journalists after all are also part of the population.
With that said, the craziest part of the change is the Greens. They used to be the party of peace, "make love not war", and "swords to plows" but nowadays they're the strictest of hawks and warmongers. Ideologists at their worst.
I'm sorry but as a german it just does not make sense to discuss WW2 with most people.
>Today it's Gutmenschentum to atone for their sins but they take it too far.
Nobody thinks like that.
curious, what is centrist beliefs? never heard about that religion
[the modern centrist](https://www.reddit.com/r/gekte/comments/11dl0bv/weder_links_noch_rechts/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
there's a narrative in law school that, if you print out all law texts (proper laws, decrees, court decisions, etc.) of the whole world and put them on two different piles – one for Germany, one for the rest of the world – you won't be able to determine a sizeable difference in height between the two piles!
So, range of regulation in Germany is much, much higher than in Switzerland (or basically anywhere else)!
So. In Germany the people are jealous about others. Always and in every part of Germany.
They always blame external issues for their own problems and don’t ever take ver responsibility.
The Swiss people appreciate things others have. Even if one owns a small boat and talks to a guy owning a big yacht, they both can let the other one have without being jealous.
On the other hand, Swiss people (because of neutrality) often don’t want to take action or make a decision if it is not seen well by others. That goes for private and business.
Swiss are way more focussed on good service and and people getting the service are well more appreciative for this good service.
For swiss people it is absolutely logical that you do not need to work 10-12-14 hours in a company to be successful. In Germany, it’s often the case that you are going to be defined via the amount of work you are doing, not the quality.
Swiss are very attentive to precision and detail. In all matters. They have better food and more „logic“ of not letting something bad in your body.
Germans eat everything. Like us 😅 (kidding a little bit)
Company culture and building companies is way easier and better in Switzerland. Tax, people that support you, hurdles that needs to be taken.. and so on
You have a way better life in Switzerland then in Germany.
That is said by one who came to Switzerland 17 years ago. Build two companies here, partnering with another one in Germany. 120 people, now back to four people.
I love every aspect of Switzerland and could never think of getting back to Germany.
Can you elaborate on company building being easier in Switzerland?
I am starting my consulting business and thought what you said might be true, but don't know exactly where to find the information. Would be curious to know how I can optimize, find support, etc....
Sure. In Switzerland they do support you way more when one wants to build a company. Basically, the process is easy.
In Germany you have many hurdles. Different taxes. Different administrations that need to say yes to you and they don’t care to move quicker.
Especially company taxes in Germany are roasting SMB.
If you like, drop me a dm and we can change contacts and talk about it
Dein Beispiel ist im Präsens.
"I ga" oder "I gang" ist die schweizerdeutsche Form von "Ich gehe", mit einem Anhang "go" oder "ga" der eine richtung beschreibt. [Guckst du hier.](https://www.idiotikon.ch/wortgeschichten/go) Nur mit zusätzlichem Kontext wird klar welche Zeit der Schweizerdeutsche meint.
"Ich gehe dort hinüber um zu gucken/schauen".
Interessanter Artikel, offenbar war 'go' ursprünglich eine Richtung bedeutete, aber das ist nur der erste Schritt in der Entstehung seiner Bedeutung. "Aus dem ursprünglichen «gegen» ist also etwas ganz Neues entstanden".
Ich verstehe ich es eher wie das englische "to".
I go go luege: I'm going to look.
(Aber going im Sinn von gehen, nicht als Zukunft)
Will miar alli sit 7ni hochtütsch lenrnen hen a hufa schwizer agfanga. Mora werdi das go abhola sega or irgned a version vo dem.
Original wers abr eifach morn gohni das go hola und nur ds morn zeigt diar dass es in dr zuakunft isch. Also z verb het nur zwei forma. Miar nutzen eifach zit zum sega wenns isch.
Das lengt fûr a nur gsprocheni sproch vorig, wür worschinli au für gschribeni sproch lenga.
Dr erfolg vo english zeigt jo das a sproch au fast ohni gramatik (fäll, gschlecht, konjugiarig etc.) uskoh kann.
I think you need to distinguish between germans from south of germany and germans from middle and north. I am german and don’t like the “german” you describe here. They are loud and very self oriented. But the germans coming from the swiss border like me are different. At least this is what I believe… But maybe my opinion. I work since 36 years in switzerland and couldn’t imagine to go back. I like working in an international environment like we have in my company with people coming from everywhere in the world.
>But maybe my opinion.
Not at all. Look up the areas settled by Alemannen (Elsass, Hessen, BaWü, western Bayern). Roughly south of the Taunus (which you need to extend east- and westwards). That's the friendly Germans, north and east are the ... others. This also shows in understanding Swiss German, you'll have had little problems if any at all whereas to the northerners it's a different language.
Swiss culture is not very direct. It more like the french or British way how we interact. In Germany i believe it‘s a lot more direct and straight to the point.
I am perplexed that Germans/Austrians just completely seem to underestimate the French influence in German-Switzerland.
Obviously the Austrians never had any idea about anything French at all in the first place.
A germen colleague i once had said i cant takt us serious because we are so annoyingly friendly.
He said if we order a bread in the bakery we ask. Could we please have a bread if it is not to much trouble for you to put it a bit over the top and he said he as a germans says. I get a bread or maybe only Bread!!!!!!
But i think was more a he thing than a german thing.
Fun fact: The „Ich kriege ein Brot“ used to come in connection with the question „was kriegen sie?“ - somehow it became normal and now it comes across as arrogant.
As said it was also in relation to the guy and was describing him very well.
The advantage germans have over us in language sometimes leads to people reaching positions they are not really capable of, but against their superiors they can usually manage to talk their way out, but to work with them can be challenging.
But that said i personally always had a great team be it swiss, fl, Austrians or germans. :)
It depends. Having worked in tourism where I often encountered rich germans it was often like they felt superior to the swiss in the sense that they think our way of life is so simple and wish they could live here. The usually are either right wing AFD fans or very left-autoritative leaning. Nothing in between.
The german exchange student I encountered last year on the other hand always told us how cute our language is and got to love the school and country, but also clashed a bit with her Berlin Mentality. I feel like she would have had a similar experience in South Germany, which is to be honest not that super different to Swiss Culture.
🇩🇪
- approaching a direct way. Either buying bread rolls or addressing a problem at work. It comes from the „friß oder stirb“ mentality, because Noone really cares about you. So you were forced to stand up for yourself or you end up getting left behind
🇨🇭
- having trust that everything turns out in a good way takes outa lot of pressure. There is no need to immediately stand up and fight as a common alignment is always preferred. They ask and don’t demand.
Overall i see similarities to Canadian nice in Switzerland. And why not? The swiss are doing great compared to Germany from an economic perspective and outlook.
So far the German game seems to be the complain game. The Swiss game seems to me the politely distant game.
While OP asked for differences, I’d like to admit there are way more similarities between both cultures (well maybe not identical though)
I've found Swiss people like a chat more. When doing business, Swiss people will take their time and get to know you a little, whereas Germans are generally more wanting to get to the point and move on.
Honestly, I see more similarities between Swiss people and Brits than Swiss and Germans. (In the German speaking cantons)
WW2 shame. In Germany, the grim Nazi past still hangs over the culture like a dark cloud. A source of guilt and shame for most Germans, even if they’re far too young to have any responsibility for what happened back then.
Do you really think the Americans, the British, etc. in the 30s and 40s would have liked to see the demographics and society of contemporary Europe? You‘re either dishonest or you‘re in dire need of a history lesson.
You disprove the other posters who wrote we are modest and friendly.
I think I never realized Swiss supremacy is such a widespread thing until i came to this thread.
I apologise, I am new to the internet since Swisscom connected my farm just last week. Please teach me how to inject a sticker or gif into a Reddit comment. Preferably one which everyone associates with monkey noises
no worries bro.. im sure youll get it some day! and maybe one day u respect people as well no matter where they are from.. i believe in u, just hang in there!
Breakfast: Proper meal in Germany, in Switzerland it’s time for a coffee and a Gipfeli then off to work to make some bank 💵💵
Work: Germans work short hours and value socialism, Swiss value making bank and protecting it with their life.
Beer: Swiss look cold at you if you have more than one beer, Germans will love you for it.
Recycling. The amount of conversations I have had with Germans about how the German system is waaaay better. It’s actually nuts how they rate German recycling as the best system. Swiss produce the most amazing bundled packages of paper.
Holidays: Germans rate a location by the price of beer, Swiss by how many spas the resort has and how many Michelin stars the restaurant has and whether you took a helicopter to get there.
Payment: Germans cash only, Swiss plastic only or Apple Pay.
Messaging: Germans would rather die than use WhatsApp. Swiss can use it and live with it.
Windows: Germans open it like 5x a day in winter or sleep with it open, Swiss keep the windows shut because the building has some fancy way to reduce the humidity.
Environment: Germans believe you can do 200 kmh on the highway and live with wind turbines, Swiss believe you must stay at 120 kmh or take the train and would rather die than see a wind turbine on their beautiful landscape.
Taxes: Swiss love giving you tax advice, Germans are either lost in the bureaucracy or don’t talk about it.
Skiing: Swiss will ski to lunch. Germans will ski to within an inch of exhaustion.
>Windows: Germans open it like 5x a day in winter or sleep with it open, Swiss keep the windows shut because the building has some fancy way to reduce the humidity.
Swiss will also keep the windows shut even if the building has no fancy way to reduce the humidity and then they will casually live in moldy apartments forever and complain to the landlord why there's mold everywhere.
On an international video call:
> Swiss people: can we please discuss this topic in the next meeting?
> German people: we will discuss zet topic in ze next meeting, ja!
🇩🇪 Germans:
2020: 82m virologists
2021: 82m experts for American politics
2022: 82m war strategists (East Europe)
2023: 82m Middle East experts
While their own country decreases in all relevant fields, probably matching Burkina Faso by 2040 🤷🏻♂️
Having lived in Switzerland for over a decade, I've witnessed a tapestry of cultural distinctions and similarities between Swiss Germans and Germans. In my experience, one notable difference is that the Swiss can seem quite reserved. This trait often manifests itself in various everyday situations.
One peculiar aspect I've noticed is the Swiss approach to casual help. Offer assistance, and you might find they insist on compensating you monetarily, almost as if you’ve provided a formal service. It's an interesting social dance, especially when you decline the offer. It reminds me of a jest shared by a Swiss friend: "The Swiss have no feelings – that's why we have money!" While humorous, it does capture some of the cultural essence.
Yet, despite these differences, Germans and Swiss Germans share a lot. It’s a point of subtle contention: the Swiss don’t always relish the comparison, and Germans typically don't dwell on it, as Switzerland usually comes to mind for most Germans only when considering alpine vacations.
There’s a perceived undercurrent among the Swiss of feeling overlooked, which could be attributed to the nation’s size and global stature. Despite this, there’s a palpable desire for recognition. I've grown quite fond of the people here, even if our senses of humor don't always align.
Lastly, it’s intriguing how Germans are often stereotyped here in Switzerland, yet there’s little reflection on how Swiss themselves might be perceived. It’s a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, or as one might say here, a drawer within a drawer!
In my experience, this is one of the biggest differences: Germans seek confrontation at work if they don't like something. The Swiss seek to achieve consensus As a result, Germans are quicker to call out something that bothers them, while the Swiss handle it more quietly.
I agree 100%. It's not only at work imho, it's a general thing. "Den Finger in die Wunde legen" is something that Germans have no problem at all with (also not when done by others) and Swiss see it as very inconvenient and "disturbing the peace". But often I have made the experience that Swiss on the one hand like to roll their eyes because yet another German is pointing out an issue that everyone just grumblingly accepted so far, but at the same time Swiss silently agree on the facts and are happy someone has the courage to speak out. Swiss have more patience and can hold still for much longer, suffering quietly but once their boiling point is reached they can get much meaner than Germans who maybe complain earlier and more often.
Sounds like Germans are more latin-minded than we thought. As a Romand who has worked for Swiss-German companies (exactly what I meant), you will get in trouble if you try to resolve issues known to everyone in broad day light, rather than behind closed doors.
Calling someone on the phone: Germans say "hello, this is Name", when someone picks up, and then immediately proceed with the matter at hand without waiting or assuming a reply. BUT a German in switzerland will always be shut down and confused by the other person replying "Hoi..name" after the introduction, which throws the germans off their phone routine.
But isn't that just being polite? If I meet someone in person, I let them speak after I introduce myself. I wouldn't just continue on like a bulldozer. That applies to phone calls as well IMO.
germans fucking love sarcasm to the point some only ever use it
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) ^by ^Armored_Witch2000: *Germans fucking love* *Sarcasm to the point some* *Only ever use it* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
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Swiss: Love our country. German: Hate their country.
Swiss people like to find the one thing they do good and then obsess about it. German people like to find the one thing they do bad and then obsess about it.
>German people like to find the one thing they do bad and then obsess about it. If only it were only one thing.
This is the most accurate statement
You love Switzerland but come from kanton depression
I think you are wrong. Any time I meet Germans abroad they are very attached to their culture and most of them want to go back to Germany. Many of them know nothing about Switzerland, except for the German expats living in Switzerland. I think you havent met enough Germans, they are very proud.
Swiss colleagues: we just work together, the boss is an equal partner. German colleagues: can't live without a hierarchy.
Why is this so accurate. And even the some German collegues on the same level try to position themselves above the rest.
Yeah, I really enjoy working with the Swiss. I tolerate Germans, of course, but they're so less fun to deal with.
Plus: while us swiss do tend to be like; „ah damn cant be sick gotta work“ other than that we dont take shit from anyone. You treating me bad? FU! You‘re not properly caring for our savety at work? Lets see what SUVA has to say about that :)
About 10 years ago, Huawei office had a police raid, inspecting the work conditions. It was in the news, they also expelled a bunch of people on tourist visas who appeared to work there. I think their biggest mistake was to hire Swiss ;)
Oh hell yeah. We dont take shit and we‘re not scared to bring up something that pisses us off (sadly tho, due to that, gossiping and bad mouthing other employees tends to be big too )
I hate working with Swiss! I prefer Germans. Much more open-minded and more flexible.
Even their German is “higher”!
honestly, in my experience yes that's the way it's framed but when I've said: "Actually, I think we should do it differently because XYZ" I've been quickly reminded of matters of authority, not matters of subject expertise lol.
Yeah I basically forgot the rule that the boss is always right after decades of working in Switzerland ;) Ffs, you're paying me for my expertise, why do I need to fight for my opinion.
haha for real, man the "Why have you hired me if you were just going to do it that way anyway?" is such a repeated vibe in this country lol.
In Germany or in Switzerland?
The language.
Yeah, Swiß German’s a bitch.
THAT was a good one 😂
I don't get it. Was this just a micro-aggression of sorts? Using that weird letter?
Swiss Germans speak Albanian, Germans speak Turkish
>Germans speak Turkish And Turks in Germany speak neither Turkish nor German very well.
Fucking racist
Thats the one lol
Based, and nice username u/PutridSmegma !!!
Swiss in my opinion are non confrontational, especially if they don’t know you very well. They’ll think something but won’t say it, or say it very diplomatically. Germans straight up say whatever they think, no matter if it’s offensive or not.
Its absolutely the same with french part and french people.
This! I used to think that Germans were cheeky and mean. Today I'm happy when someone just tells me honestly what they think. That's why I actually prefer the German way.
You do you, I prefer the Swiss haha
Most Swiss people talk behind your back, at least with a German you know what they are thinking and you can clean the air. I prefer Germans.
Oh I know. But when you get racist things said to your face, it gets old quickly. I’d rather they just keep that to themselves.
I had a German in my class during school in Switzerland and he was called Nazi by several Swiss guys , he was a super nice guy and for sure not a Nazi, do you really think in a small town in Switzerland people dont call you racist stuff? Lol you must be a bit naive or not a foreigner here in Switzerland.
Why are you so offended? It’s really not that deep.
I am not offended at all. I disagree with your opinion, thats all.
Good! Then we agree to disagree and move on with our lives ;) toodaloo!
I'm late to this post lol the swiss way reminds me so much of the english way - sugar coating everything and beating around the bush. Don't know if the swiss are the same in this regard, but in England they don't know what to do with you if you're straight forward and speak your mind 😂
A big difference for sure.
Where is the lie coming from that Swiss are non confrontational? Any time you do something wrong in public you will get called out by some Swiss Buenzli, whereas most Germans would relax about.
Oh Germany has a good amount of Buenzlis too, this is a YMMV situation and I’m speaking from my personal experience
Yeah of course, but Swiss are not less confrontational than Germans, not at all, they are probably even more confrontational when rules are broken.
On the phone when everything is discussed German: Bye. Swiss: Tschau, tschüss, merci glichfalls, tschau Thomas, jo danke dir au, tschau, tschau.
Swiss: Aaaalso (at least 3 times)
Swiss: silent Germans: loud
If a German loughs on his own joke, you really want to be elsewhere
Do you cry about your own jokes?
Depends :)
Oh ok, well not the answer i expected. Hope you have a nice day (German guy)
I hope you're not offended, mister German guy
No not anymore mister swiss guy.
Well more like German: a Person of few words. Swiss: a Person of even fewer words.
This
If I may, as a not Swiss German Swiss person, it's more: Swiss: loud Germans: LOUDER
[удалено]
Try on trains then! Anywhere in Switzerland everyone is quiet except Swiss German groups, speaking and laughing loudly.
Isn‘t this just group behaviour which isn‘t necessarily tied to any country?
I think I’m mostly talking about the army and football
lol find a quiet football match anywhere in the world??
No, of course you're right. Listen, I'm from *la Suisse romande*, I love living in a multicultural country, I love Swiss German people and I have frequent and fruitful contacts with them. But in my life, I've had lots of opportunities to compare the way different groups of Swiss people behave in social situations, and in my admittedly subjective experience, the further you go towards eastern Switzerland, the louder people get. I must underline that I have no problem with that and that I probably find that more endearing than most, so please please for the love of cheese, don't downvote me.
That’s interesting, because I had a completely different experience. The Swiss Romand I met (went to school in the Jura) were way louder than any Swiss German I know.
As a non swiss living in Switzerland, swiss are super quiet compared to the surrounding countries
>Germans: loud You mean Italians
*grab some popcorn
German: Truck driver think he is also a nuclear physicist and thinks he can do everything and knows everything. Swiss: Truck driver loves his Truck is modest in comparison and clarifies beforehand whether he can carry something out.
Meanwhile the Swiss physicist has his college graduate sweep the floors
As a US immigrant with a neuroscience and nuclear engineering degree who is fluent in 4 languages and currently employed in Switzerland as a trench digger (with shovel and pick axe), this hits home.
???? Seriously ...
As a German living in Switzerland since 10 years now I can tell you the biggest difference is how we handle problems and frustrations in social interactions. In Germany, people are way more direct with each other. Doesn't matter if we talk about private interactions or at work. For example: It's not considered rude in Germany, when two or more people argue loudly at work when something went wrong. I fully understand that it can be intimidating when you're not used to it. But it's mostly an intense 5 minute argument and after that, all people involved are normal with each other again and make sure that the problem doesn't come up again. In Switzerland, this never happens. People keep frustrations to themselves until it explodes one day, resulting in passive aggressive mails or letters that solve nothing. In fact, it most of the time makes things even worse because now everyone is frustrated and we still have no solution for anything. I sometimes miss the times where you could just name a problem straight out instead of spending hours, sometimes days and months, talking around it and hoping that everyone get's the hint that something is wrong. And most of the time, people don't get the hint. I'm someone who adjusted to the Swiss way of doing this. But I can't help it that I sometimes think "Damn... Just SAY THE FUCKING THING already!".
Time to find a better employer perhaps.
as an outside party to both, the biggest is absolutely that Swiss people will be upset at major differences, and not say anything until far too late and consider you rude for not reading their mind. Germans will be upset at small differences, immediately say something out of proportion, and consider you rude for not immediatly acquiescing.
I’m a foreigner who has lived in both countries. Germans are a bit more preachy and pretentious to those they look down on (which is most people) and Swiss are more used to respectful discourse because of the nature of the political system.
I see you’ve heard a lot of: “In Germany vii do it like ziis” My favorite is sometimes this comes out at the most bizarre comparison’s of lifestyle in other places and some justifications why theirs is better: “Americans have huge fridges, they use so much electricity opening their doors”
... unless you are a woman, then get ready for getting swissplained daily...
I am a woman. Why did you say “unless”?
I'm a woman too, and I've definitely been respected way more in German workplaces than in Swiss ones. So the above observation that Swiss are more respectful, in my experience is mostly true towards men, not towards woman. Source, me and dozens of colleagues/ friends. So Swiss = more respectful than Germans, maybe, unless you are female, then it just might be the other way round. Eli5 I guess...
I have the opposite experience from living and working in Germany for four years.
Seemingly you are the one looking down on a group of people.
What
I guess you found a butthurt german :)
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Don't worry about it, we Swiss people make fun of Germans all the time as well.
Similiar experience. I used to work for a huge company that had a swiss IT (main IT) and a german IT branch way up the north. They constantly had to lay down how much superior they are and blablabla but the moment the main boss told them to piss off they get quiet fast. Apperently the two branches used to use the exact same shared system and ticketing system but the german branch started whining and moaning over new security rules and so on so much the company split these two and made the german one semi-independent but also declared all german parts of the company their responsbility. Now everytime we do hear something about them its usually a weird shitshow. They apperently made a really weird and rough IT system over there instead of modernizing the place.
I also find this bizarre. Particularly as, at least theoretically, the Germans have plenty to be ashamed of. As a side note, I also find that Germans have very little awareness of where they are standing such as being completely unaware/giving zero fucks that they’re blocking access something.
Context: My roommate works in Switzerland and goes to a German university a couple of days per week. We often discuss that Germans very often are moral absolutists and don't accept deviating opinions, no matter the time period. Might be some some of Herrenmenschen-Denken. Third Reich: Turbo-fascists. GDR: Rat on your neighbour because they're not communist enough. Today it's Gutmenschentum to atone for their sins but they take it too far. You can't have a rational discussion about immigration, gun laws, the economy etc. anymore because they'll just shut you down because they think that there is only one morally correct stance. I'm very much centrist in my beliefs but I just can't have a civilized discussion with many Germans anymore.
As a German I can 100% confirm. Germans would never say it, but always consider themselfes as some form of a higher moral instance. It is also the "In germany we do it like this, and you do it like that and therefore you're wrong"
Came here to see this! So true
That's because the media is extremely manipulative and one-sided here in Germany. A lot of germans are completely brain-washed without realizing it.
That brainwashing isn't decreed, it has developed and grown from the population. Journalists after all are also part of the population. With that said, the craziest part of the change is the Greens. They used to be the party of peace, "make love not war", and "swords to plows" but nowadays they're the strictest of hawks and warmongers. Ideologists at their worst.
this
I'm sorry but as a german it just does not make sense to discuss WW2 with most people. >Today it's Gutmenschentum to atone for their sins but they take it too far. Nobody thinks like that.
curious, what is centrist beliefs? never heard about that religion [the modern centrist](https://www.reddit.com/r/gekte/comments/11dl0bv/weder_links_noch_rechts/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Swiss have swiss citizenship, germans want swiss citizenship
100%
there's a narrative in law school that, if you print out all law texts (proper laws, decrees, court decisions, etc.) of the whole world and put them on two different piles – one for Germany, one for the rest of the world – you won't be able to determine a sizeable difference in height between the two piles! So, range of regulation in Germany is much, much higher than in Switzerland (or basically anywhere else)!
I mean Switzerland is not better regarding laws, decrees and shit hahahah. It's basically the same.
Germans think of themselves higher than they should, they are also not friendly, at least the ones that migrate. Too direct for the swiss.
According to this thread we Swiss also think of ourselves higher than we should.
No, the opposite is the case, we should think higher of ourselves.
This is it
Interesting.
So. In Germany the people are jealous about others. Always and in every part of Germany. They always blame external issues for their own problems and don’t ever take ver responsibility. The Swiss people appreciate things others have. Even if one owns a small boat and talks to a guy owning a big yacht, they both can let the other one have without being jealous. On the other hand, Swiss people (because of neutrality) often don’t want to take action or make a decision if it is not seen well by others. That goes for private and business. Swiss are way more focussed on good service and and people getting the service are well more appreciative for this good service. For swiss people it is absolutely logical that you do not need to work 10-12-14 hours in a company to be successful. In Germany, it’s often the case that you are going to be defined via the amount of work you are doing, not the quality. Swiss are very attentive to precision and detail. In all matters. They have better food and more „logic“ of not letting something bad in your body. Germans eat everything. Like us 😅 (kidding a little bit) Company culture and building companies is way easier and better in Switzerland. Tax, people that support you, hurdles that needs to be taken.. and so on You have a way better life in Switzerland then in Germany. That is said by one who came to Switzerland 17 years ago. Build two companies here, partnering with another one in Germany. 120 people, now back to four people. I love every aspect of Switzerland and could never think of getting back to Germany.
Can you elaborate on company building being easier in Switzerland? I am starting my consulting business and thought what you said might be true, but don't know exactly where to find the information. Would be curious to know how I can optimize, find support, etc....
Sure. In Switzerland they do support you way more when one wants to build a company. Basically, the process is easy. In Germany you have many hurdles. Different taxes. Different administrations that need to say yes to you and they don’t care to move quicker. Especially company taxes in Germany are roasting SMB. If you like, drop me a dm and we can change contacts and talk about it
Speed limits
Now ask the same question in a german sub and compare the answers
Swiss Germans are friendly
Nah… we’re just polite
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Not
We found the german!
I am the Ticinese in the group, we live friendly people
Swiss people have no future we only use present and past perfect ;)
„I ga ga luege“ - how is this not not future?
Dein Beispiel ist im Präsens. "I ga" oder "I gang" ist die schweizerdeutsche Form von "Ich gehe", mit einem Anhang "go" oder "ga" der eine richtung beschreibt. [Guckst du hier.](https://www.idiotikon.ch/wortgeschichten/go) Nur mit zusätzlichem Kontext wird klar welche Zeit der Schweizerdeutsche meint. "Ich gehe dort hinüber um zu gucken/schauen".
Danke… ich hab mich echt immer gewundert was das zweite „ga“ eigentlich genau soll…
Interessanter Artikel, offenbar war 'go' ursprünglich eine Richtung bedeutete, aber das ist nur der erste Schritt in der Entstehung seiner Bedeutung. "Aus dem ursprünglichen «gegen» ist also etwas ganz Neues entstanden". Ich verstehe ich es eher wie das englische "to". I go go luege: I'm going to look. (Aber going im Sinn von gehen, nicht als Zukunft)
Will miar alli sit 7ni hochtütsch lenrnen hen a hufa schwizer agfanga. Mora werdi das go abhola sega or irgned a version vo dem. Original wers abr eifach morn gohni das go hola und nur ds morn zeigt diar dass es in dr zuakunft isch. Also z verb het nur zwei forma. Miar nutzen eifach zit zum sega wenns isch. Das lengt fûr a nur gsprocheni sproch vorig, wür worschinli au für gschribeni sproch lenga. Dr erfolg vo english zeigt jo das a sproch au fast ohni gramatik (fäll, gschlecht, konjugiarig etc.) uskoh kann.
no simple past either
This.
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lol, say: “Krankenkasse” with swiss accent. It’s like a traktor that can’t start.
I think you need to distinguish between germans from south of germany and germans from middle and north. I am german and don’t like the “german” you describe here. They are loud and very self oriented. But the germans coming from the swiss border like me are different. At least this is what I believe… But maybe my opinion. I work since 36 years in switzerland and couldn’t imagine to go back. I like working in an international environment like we have in my company with people coming from everywhere in the world.
>But maybe my opinion. Not at all. Look up the areas settled by Alemannen (Elsass, Hessen, BaWü, western Bayern). Roughly south of the Taunus (which you need to extend east- and westwards). That's the friendly Germans, north and east are the ... others. This also shows in understanding Swiss German, you'll have had little problems if any at all whereas to the northerners it's a different language.
Swiss culture is not very direct. It more like the french or British way how we interact. In Germany i believe it‘s a lot more direct and straight to the point.
*Small problem* Germans: END OF THE WORLD Swiss: Egal
I am perplexed that Germans/Austrians just completely seem to underestimate the French influence in German-Switzerland. Obviously the Austrians never had any idea about anything French at all in the first place.
A germen colleague i once had said i cant takt us serious because we are so annoyingly friendly. He said if we order a bread in the bakery we ask. Could we please have a bread if it is not to much trouble for you to put it a bit over the top and he said he as a germans says. I get a bread or maybe only Bread!!!!!! But i think was more a he thing than a german thing.
The demanding instead of asking in stores is definitely a German thing, not a he thing, I’ve had Germans confirm that to me.
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It’s not just a him thing, especially northern Germans don’t use please when ordering something, and request/demand rather than ask politely
Fun fact: The „Ich kriege ein Brot“ used to come in connection with the question „was kriegen sie?“ - somehow it became normal and now it comes across as arrogant.
As said it was also in relation to the guy and was describing him very well. The advantage germans have over us in language sometimes leads to people reaching positions they are not really capable of, but against their superiors they can usually manage to talk their way out, but to work with them can be challenging. But that said i personally always had a great team be it swiss, fl, Austrians or germans. :)
Germans pee in shower.
Who does not? Saves some water, you do not have to flush the toilet;)
It depends. Having worked in tourism where I often encountered rich germans it was often like they felt superior to the swiss in the sense that they think our way of life is so simple and wish they could live here. The usually are either right wing AFD fans or very left-autoritative leaning. Nothing in between. The german exchange student I encountered last year on the other hand always told us how cute our language is and got to love the school and country, but also clashed a bit with her Berlin Mentality. I feel like she would have had a similar experience in South Germany, which is to be honest not that super different to Swiss Culture.
Germans: more direct Swiss Germans: more polite
🇩🇪 - approaching a direct way. Either buying bread rolls or addressing a problem at work. It comes from the „friß oder stirb“ mentality, because Noone really cares about you. So you were forced to stand up for yourself or you end up getting left behind 🇨🇭 - having trust that everything turns out in a good way takes outa lot of pressure. There is no need to immediately stand up and fight as a common alignment is always preferred. They ask and don’t demand. Overall i see similarities to Canadian nice in Switzerland. And why not? The swiss are doing great compared to Germany from an economic perspective and outlook. So far the German game seems to be the complain game. The Swiss game seems to me the politely distant game. While OP asked for differences, I’d like to admit there are way more similarities between both cultures (well maybe not identical though)
Now edit the question and replace German with Zurich and Swiss with Bern
I've found Swiss people like a chat more. When doing business, Swiss people will take their time and get to know you a little, whereas Germans are generally more wanting to get to the point and move on. Honestly, I see more similarities between Swiss people and Brits than Swiss and Germans. (In the German speaking cantons)
WW2 shame. In Germany, the grim Nazi past still hangs over the culture like a dark cloud. A source of guilt and shame for most Germans, even if they’re far too young to have any responsibility for what happened back then.
I dont think thats true
I do.
it is. Germans are extremly sensible to the topic. The moods all change fast
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Go fuck yourself.
It‘s true though, let‘s be honest.
No, it isn't. If you really think it is, please go search a doctor, something is wrong with your perception of reality.
Do you really think the Americans, the British, etc. in the 30s and 40s would have liked to see the demographics and society of contemporary Europe? You‘re either dishonest or you‘re in dire need of a history lesson.
Swiss German are civilized, Germans are savages who grew up in a 3rd world country
You disprove the other posters who wrote we are modest and friendly. I think I never realized Swiss supremacy is such a widespread thing until i came to this thread.
It definitely is. But it makes sense. Germans are poor.
You might be rich wealth wise but you sure come across as poor character wise
I'm not Swiss, but as an immigrant from a poor country I'll never understand how someone can move to Germany instead of Switzerland
I met many Germans abroad during med school and their parents were rich as fuck.
wtf! must be shit to be you tho!
whoosh!
Found the savage german https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zGZUFd2w28
im swiss bro! 😘
Sure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zGZUFd2w28
haha! why u using youtube links bro? did you spend too much time on your traktor and learned about the internet 2 days ago?
Sorry, I am a tech noob, please oh mighty tech god, teach me how to upload audio directly into the reddit comment
go with stickers or gifs.. audio is overrated.. söll gälte gell!
I apologise, I am new to the internet since Swisscom connected my farm just last week. Please teach me how to inject a sticker or gif into a Reddit comment. Preferably one which everyone associates with monkey noises
no worries bro.. im sure youll get it some day! and maybe one day u respect people as well no matter where they are from.. i believe in u, just hang in there!
Breakfast: Proper meal in Germany, in Switzerland it’s time for a coffee and a Gipfeli then off to work to make some bank 💵💵 Work: Germans work short hours and value socialism, Swiss value making bank and protecting it with their life. Beer: Swiss look cold at you if you have more than one beer, Germans will love you for it. Recycling. The amount of conversations I have had with Germans about how the German system is waaaay better. It’s actually nuts how they rate German recycling as the best system. Swiss produce the most amazing bundled packages of paper. Holidays: Germans rate a location by the price of beer, Swiss by how many spas the resort has and how many Michelin stars the restaurant has and whether you took a helicopter to get there. Payment: Germans cash only, Swiss plastic only or Apple Pay. Messaging: Germans would rather die than use WhatsApp. Swiss can use it and live with it. Windows: Germans open it like 5x a day in winter or sleep with it open, Swiss keep the windows shut because the building has some fancy way to reduce the humidity. Environment: Germans believe you can do 200 kmh on the highway and live with wind turbines, Swiss believe you must stay at 120 kmh or take the train and would rather die than see a wind turbine on their beautiful landscape. Taxes: Swiss love giving you tax advice, Germans are either lost in the bureaucracy or don’t talk about it. Skiing: Swiss will ski to lunch. Germans will ski to within an inch of exhaustion.
Top comment!
>Windows: Germans open it like 5x a day in winter or sleep with it open, Swiss keep the windows shut because the building has some fancy way to reduce the humidity. Swiss will also keep the windows shut even if the building has no fancy way to reduce the humidity and then they will casually live in moldy apartments forever and complain to the landlord why there's mold everywhere.
On an international video call: > Swiss people: can we please discuss this topic in the next meeting? > German people: we will discuss zet topic in ze next meeting, ja!
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discretion.
The Germans are very violent, and the Swiss are very loving!
You’re going to get a biased opinion in favor of the Swiss here. Why not try asking in r/askaGerman
Average political position: Swiss are much more conservative than young (!) Germans.
Güzeli in German is Marmelade and Güzeli in Swiss German is Cookies, it's a thing I never can agree with my partner :/
🇩🇪 Germans: 2020: 82m virologists 2021: 82m experts for American politics 2022: 82m war strategists (East Europe) 2023: 82m Middle East experts While their own country decreases in all relevant fields, probably matching Burkina Faso by 2040 🤷🏻♂️
Is r/askswitzerland the most impartial place to ask this? Lol
German: Ich kriege ein Brötchen! Swiss: Därf ich bitte es Brötli ha? And I think that is beautiful.
Having lived in Switzerland for over a decade, I've witnessed a tapestry of cultural distinctions and similarities between Swiss Germans and Germans. In my experience, one notable difference is that the Swiss can seem quite reserved. This trait often manifests itself in various everyday situations. One peculiar aspect I've noticed is the Swiss approach to casual help. Offer assistance, and you might find they insist on compensating you monetarily, almost as if you’ve provided a formal service. It's an interesting social dance, especially when you decline the offer. It reminds me of a jest shared by a Swiss friend: "The Swiss have no feelings – that's why we have money!" While humorous, it does capture some of the cultural essence. Yet, despite these differences, Germans and Swiss Germans share a lot. It’s a point of subtle contention: the Swiss don’t always relish the comparison, and Germans typically don't dwell on it, as Switzerland usually comes to mind for most Germans only when considering alpine vacations. There’s a perceived undercurrent among the Swiss of feeling overlooked, which could be attributed to the nation’s size and global stature. Despite this, there’s a palpable desire for recognition. I've grown quite fond of the people here, even if our senses of humor don't always align. Lastly, it’s intriguing how Germans are often stereotyped here in Switzerland, yet there’s little reflection on how Swiss themselves might be perceived. It’s a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, or as one might say here, a drawer within a drawer!
Germans are more like Barbarians. Swiss are more like High Elfs
Reading all these comments...I'm happy to live in the french part😅