{"id":11417,"date":"2020-01-27T20:18:11","date_gmt":"2020-01-27T20:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=11417"},"modified":"2020-01-27T20:18:11","modified_gmt":"2020-01-27T20:18:11","slug":"how-germans-turned-into-almans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/how-germans-turned-into-almans\/","title":{"rendered":"How Germans Turned Into Almans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ah, the Germans. Attached to stereotypes of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/zeit-fur-eine-geschichte-teil-4-der-pinkfarbene-regenschirm\/\"><em>P\u00fcnktlichkeit<\/em> (punctuality)<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/sayings-expressions-24-order-and-the-drawer\/\"><em>Ordnung\u00a0<\/em>(order)<\/a> and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/the-reinheitsgebot-whats-the-story\/\"><em>Gesetzestreue\u00a0<\/em>(law abidance)<\/a> above all else, they have a distinct culture and lifestyle. But how could you encapsulate this in a term? What says &#8220;German&#8221; like nothing else? Alman, apparently. Let&#8217;s have a look.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Making fun of Germans<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Die Frauen - Stromberg Themen #5\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZLkhMFGJc0U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t think we Germans are not aware of all these (embarrassing) stereotypes &#8211; we certainly are, and we love to make fun of them! Take,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/german-comedy-switch-reloaded-obersalzberg\/\"><em>Stromberg<\/em><\/a>, for example, the German take on the hit series\u00a0<em>The Office<\/em>. In the video above, you can see clips from different episodes of\u00a0<em>Stromberg und die Frauen\u00a0<\/em>(Stromberg and women). While he thinks he is the greatest\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/dont-let-it-confuse-you-chef\/\"><em>Chef\u00a0<\/em>(boss)<\/a> there ever was, who has a\u00a0<em>guter Draht\u00a0<\/em>(&#8220;good wire&#8221;, meaning &#8220;good relationship&#8221;) with women, he creates awkward and offensive situations around them. The setting of the\u00a0<em>Kantine\u00a0<\/em>(canteen) where the conversation revolves around what to have, trying to understand women by reading women&#8217;s magazines like <em>Brigitte<\/em>, speaking shoddy English are typically German things.<\/p>\n<p>While you may now think about <em><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/untranslatable-words-der-spieser\/\">Spie\u00dfer<\/a><\/em>\u00a0as a fitting term for such German behavior, I tend to agree with you. But there is a new kid on the bloc:<\/p>\n<p><em>Alman<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The word is Turkish for &#8220;German&#8221; and was made popular by Turkish people in Germany, who increasingly used it to refer to typical German behavior. There is a nice definition on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urbandictionary.com\/define.php?term=Alman\">Urban Dictionary<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11431\" style=\"width: 799px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter post-item__attachment\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/gammaman\/22018578816\/in\/photolist-zxGYnf-KFNnuv-28uTeWS-2gkJKBj-2gGiSu5-ryr3Xk-6TyWn-27Y9BzL-drYwXT-zuL4Zq-zKeBYb-yKAVKg-2hb6KoC-2hdie5c-gdf27-fccg33-RkHVSV-6xdrvF-5p9ip8-jVKJEq-mRKRs-iH2we-iH23L-ofUwSu-zKcbdY-yQCc3i-pQXWNX-4PzBge-zAU9i2-SRXAch-a4k95b-afVWwv-cREFY3-e3Vod-Ukb9AT-e3Vog-r2NALH-2h8MvDt-e3Voe-dYSsT-6iHdLN-e3Vof-e3Vob-e3Voh-d499B1-akDnmH-49f8C7-5Q2QxE-ozHVaD-zNpLjM\" aria-label=\"Socks Sandals Alman 1024x618\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11431\" class=\" wp-image-11431\"  alt=\"\" width=\"789\" height=\"476\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman-1024x618.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman-1024x618.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman-350x211.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman-768x464.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman-1536x927.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman.jpg 2042w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-11431\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Socken in Sandalen (socks in sandals) &#8211; perhaps not limited to Germans, but counted as a typical &#8220;Alman-Move&#8221;. Especially with the individual toes! (Image by Eli Christman at Flickr.com under license CC BY 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>There term isn&#8217;t free of controversy, though. In 2016, when it was at its peak, there was a discussion whether the word\u00a0<em>Alman <\/em>was <em>deutschfeindlich<\/em> (anti-German) or meant as sarcasm. That whole saga has mostly been forgotten, and what&#8217;s left now is the word\u00a0<em>Alman\u00a0<\/em>as a sarcastic and self-ironic noun to describe typical German behavior. The clear difference to\u00a0<em>Spie\u00dfer\u00a0<\/em>is that\u00a0<em>Alman\u00a0<\/em>is broader: it does not only include typical <em>Spie\u00dfer<\/em>-behavior, but any typical German behavior. In turn, this makes it a more inclusive word, that non-natives can also identify with, if they show German behavior. Apparently, it is not uncommon for Turkish parents to call their child\u00a0<em>Alman <\/em>for showing typical German traits, for example &#8211; and that&#8217;s not meant as a bad word at all!<\/p>\n<h2><strong><em>Alman Memes<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Alman Memes: Das sind die Gesichter hinter dem Account | TRU DOKU\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/67NU7-Quehw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In 2019, an Instagram page, called\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alman_memes2.0\/\">alman_memes2.0<\/a>, became very popular very quickly. Everyday (<em>p\u00fcnktlich um 11 Uhr!\u00a0<\/em>(exactly at 11 a.m.!)) they post a new meme. From love affairs for Tupperware and\u00a0<em>Schnitten\u00a0<\/em>(sandwiches) to\u00a0<em>Eifersucht\u00a0<\/em>(jealousy) of\u00a0<em>Nachbarn\u00a0<\/em>(neighbors) and\u00a0<em>Freunde\u00a0<\/em>(friends), the page has nothing it won&#8217;t make fun of. A few weeks ago, a short documentary was published about the creators of this Instagram page that you can see above. Sina and Marius are at the helm of the daily persiflage and they explain what it is all about for them.<\/p>\n<p>Sina makes it clear: &#8220;<em>Es geht auch darum den Alman so ein bisschen durch den Kakao zu ziehen.&#8221;\u00a0<\/em>(&#8220;It&#8217;s also about pulling the alman&#8217;s leg a little.&#8221;)<\/p>\n<p>They admit that they behave like total\u00a0<em>almans\u00a0<\/em>as well, and that it really is a kind of\u00a0<em>Selbstspott\u00a0<\/em>(self-mockery).<\/p>\n<p>They not only make the memes themselves, but also fill the captions with a rich backstory of Alman-Achim, his wife Anette and their son Andi and daughter Annika. Regular appearances are Anette&#8217;s friends Biggi and Steffi and Achim&#8217;s <em>Bruder <\/em>(brother) Ralf. From being smart in the supermarket with collecting points, saving a few cents or finding a way to minimize the waiting time in the line to taking all their travel essentials on trips, such as their sandwiches in the appropriate Tupperware and printed tickets.<\/p>\n<p>And the followers are eager to add to the stories and share their own experiences in the comments to the posts.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What do you think about the word\u00a0<em>Alman<\/em>? Have you behaved like an <em>A<\/em><em>lman<\/em> before? Let me know in the comments below!<\/strong><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<img width=\"350\" height=\"211\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman-350x211.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman-350x211.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman-1024x618.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman-768x464.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman-1536x927.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/01\/Socks-Sandals-Alman.jpg 2042w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p>Ah, the Germans. Attached to stereotypes of\u00a0P\u00fcnktlichkeit (punctuality),\u00a0Ordnung\u00a0(order) and\u00a0Gesetzestreue\u00a0(law abidance) above all else, they have a distinct culture and lifestyle. But how could you encapsulate this in a term? What says &#8220;German&#8221; like nothing else? Alman, apparently. Let&#8217;s have a look. Making fun of Germans Don&#8217;t think we Germans are not aware of all these&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/how-germans-turned-into-almans\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":11431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,8],"tags":[376022,238396,418051,81],"class_list":["post-11417","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-language","tag-culture","tag-german-jokes","tag-germans","tag-humor"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11417"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11417\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11432,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11417\/revisions\/11432"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}