When it comes to laughter, Germans head to the basement.
(In Deutschland geht man zum Lachen in den Keller).
A few years ago: We are in Jaipur in Rajasthan, in the northwestern part of India, on the way up to the Amber Fort. At the top, a magnificent palace complex awaits us and Vinaj, our guide, as well with a bottle of water. Ornament decorated architecture. Pastel colours for the hot hours. Cooler blue in the basement.
Vinaj is in a good mood. “Laughter is healthy,” he explains to us and makes us think with his statement from above. Are we Germans so serious and humorless?
In her book “Germany from A to Z”, Bienvenue Angui describes German humour as follows: “This may be surprising given their reserved nature, but yes, Germans have a sense of humour, although they sometimes have difficulties laughing at themselves.”
It seems, that German humor has its own pointed tradition, contrary to the cliché of the purely serious or reserved kind. It is based on culturally anchored references (such as well-known caricatures), a penchant for ironic phrases, the joy of absurd, erratic perspectives and the creative play with language.
This combination sometimes makes German humour a bit peculiar or sober, but also gives it deep roots in common culture and history.
So can this German image of the “basement of humour” still be maintained or are there already fractures? Especially in a globally networked world, where humor is interpreted differently.
➡️ What do you think: Does this idiom from above still reflect reality or have we now said goodbye to the German “basement” of humor?
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I am Bernd Scharbert and I support leaders with the guiding principles for intercultural leadership. It is also about cultural characteristics and how to deal with them in globally composed teams. If you are interested, feel free to contact me directly.
