Why do most English dislike Germans?

Question

I mean war is over and the young generation has nothing to do with this. I really don´t understand. Please give some answers. I am German and I have to say I was a little afraid to ask. So please only answer if you are serious.

Answer 1

i dont have problems with germans .there is good and bad in every nationalty. i take people as i find them . takke care.

Answer 2

I have no idea where you get that idea from.

I'm English and don't hate the Germans and neither does anybody I know. I learnt the language (however badly) in school and have been there a couple of times.

As far as the war goes, most people respect that the Germans faced up to their role in the war and have apologised for it. The Japanese by contrast, still refuse to apologise for many of their actions in the far east against prisoners of war. I have always wondered why they get a better deal with America and the West despite this continuing denial of their past. If anyone deserves being disliked, it is them.

As far as continental Europe is concerned, if the English dislike anybody, it is almost always the French. I believe there has always been a great deal of respect between the English and Germans though, which lets face it, are very similiar - after all, the entire English royal family is mostly of German descent!!

Answer 3

I an English and I can safely say I have no problem with any race. The real problem that some people have with other races is complex and is due to a variety of things, such as ignorance. Many people don't appreciate that only a few of the German population were truly Nazis, even though they voted them in. It is the same in England with regards to the BNP. on the few occasions that they have made it on to a local council, the majority of the people who voted for them would have failed to fully understand what they truly stand for.
Some people live in the past, even though they were not there, and the past as they see it didn't happen. They therefore forget that English people bombed German cities killing civilians. People have no excuse for racism, they should wake up and use their brains, if they don't it will always be the political parties with the best liars that will win their vote. Saying 'it is because of the war' is stupid, the war ended more than 50 years ago, its good old fashioned ignorance and bigotry that's to blame.

Answer 4

I certainly don't have a problem, met some German kids on holiday in Tunisia years ago when I was about 9. Spent the whole holiday making friends with them and learnt more German in that week than I ever did in school. Visited Austria one year over Christmas, and heard Silent Night sung in the original tongue, and they where lovely too. Stereotypes are difficult to shake, you often here the chant here, two world war's and one world cup. But any dislike probably now stems from how many times you've managed to knock England out of the World Cup. Hope you get some nice answers.

Answer 5

History, its the same reason why I dislike the English, I'm a Scot!
But you are correct it is just history now and it was Nazis, not ordinary German people that caused the real hatred at the time of the war.
Dont be 'afraid' to ask anything on this forum this is what its all about,! You are also correct in saying the war was nothing to do with todays younger generation but they have been told somany tales by their parents that it will still take a lot of time before it can all be laid to rest.

Answer 6

I am german. I was living in Liverpool for a year or so and every time I was passing their bombed church with friends I had to apologize for my grandfather bombing it ... it was just some kind of running gag (no, my grandfather wasn t a bomber) and it was worth some good laughs. I think people were in general quite friendly to me.

Anyway: I ve been living in UK, Brazil and now in Japan and think I can understand what you mean, but in general people in UK or elsewhere don t have any problems with germans in general. It s sometimes even more humiliating you meet someone who "likes" germany ("Ah, Adolf Hitler! Sieg Heil! I am Nazi!"...as experienced more often than once in Thailand).

The only problem I marginally experienced was, that I was maybe going into other countries with not 100% of the mind-setting that I will have to deal with other countries' customs and cultures and to respect their customs. Germans tend to be seen as "rude" and "too straightforward" in the "ausland", and they probably are.

In comparison to this, here in Japan - where I am right now - people are not arrogant to me, but in a way I feel like a turkish guy must feel in germany. It's so much more modern and polite and germans are more seen as "barbarians", "not civilised".

Anyway: I don't think that anyone hates us right now. Just keep in mind that when you're travelling that

a) you're in a different country and you can not expect that everyone will embrace you at once like an old friend

b) you have to adapt the other people's social rules and not the other way around (because you're a guest in their country)

c) don't whine that "nobody loves us" but try following experiment: go into a supermarket where they don t know you and pretend not to speak german at all (try some turkish-sounding gibberish) and then pretend not to know how to behave and you will probably experience why germany itself is not necessarily a very friendly country for people from other cultures either.

Most countries I've visited were definetly more friendly to me than what I experienced in germany, how germans sometimes treat their guests from other cultures...(I don t want to generalize...but there s always some idiots).

Anyway: hope I could help.

Answer 7

I don't hate the Germans. I don't think most English people do. I think they are just like us in many respects. None of us can change the past and we have to let bygones be bygones. England has had a very murky history too but Germany's Murk is a little more recent.
My Grandfather was injured twice in the First World War but he lived to tell the tale and even he didn't hate the Germans.
The penalties issue is still a bit raw though....let's brush that under the carpet.

Peace.

Answer 8

Germans have trouble communicating with other nationality's because there is some problems with the language system Germans use. as in English if we want somebody to do something for us we say would you do or if you would not mind would you, we ask in a pleasant manner but German language does not have some words to do all this and asking somebody to do something comes out more of an order than asking like just saying you will do, or simply you do this and i do that. although it makes the German language more efficient the flaw is how it comes across to a listener other than German. don't worry its not your fault as you and the rest of the world are correct its English that is backwards we just don't notice it any more. as we used to say why art thou.as well.

Answer 9

I don't like dislike Germans!! But yes this stereotype that English people dislike Germans, French, etc, is just that, stereotypical. I see what you are getting at though, and this stereotypical view that English people dislike Germans is just down to prejudice: people who dislike Germans are just racist and their views are just a result of a lack of knowledge. You can't go blaming all Germans for the consequences of one man, i.e. Adolf Hitler. In my opinion those who say they dislike German people are only basing their views as a result of Hitlers actions! Hope that helps!

Answer 10

i don't particular hate Germans , but out of your own country we find the majority of Germans we've come across as ignorant, and arrogant! when we've been abroad the above mentioned comes into play ten fold,especially when queueing up for a taxi or something? the British tend to be a bit more reserved , and will wait in line ,while the Germans will be just as happy to come from the back and push to the front with no respect at all for anyone? when abroad in Ibiza a couple of years ago, at the north of the island a place called sant miquel, the hotel bear-ed flags for all different nationality's, it was a big group of Germans men not boys ,that took it on themselves to set fire to the British flag, need a say what followed after that? on the other hand my mother and father have been to Germany and said that they were lovely people and couldn't do enough for them? so is this behaviour just out of your own country? iam by no means painting a perfect picture of British people,because you always get the ones that spoil it, but i can safely say the majority do remember to pack there manners as well as their clothes?

Answer 11

look decrease back to the 2d international warfare, Nazi Germany changed into attempting to conquer England in 1940 - besides the actual incontrovertible fact that Hitler tried to end any conflict with England, Winston Churchill rejected his request. So Hitler made plans to invade England. It changed into customary because the Blitz. The Germans had an pretty wise plan, many british infantrymen were trapped at Dunkirk. Miraculously the British made a comeback and right here we are now.