Etiquette in Germany

Germany, home to over 80 million people, is the most populous nation in the European Union.

German is the official language, spoken by over 99% of the population. There are several dialects in the different regions of the country.

Germany is a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic. The president is the head of state and invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers, elected by federal convention. The second-highest official is the President of the Bundestag, who is elected by theBundestag and responsible for overseeing the daily sessions of the body. The third-highest official and the head of government is the Chancellor, who the head of government and exercises executive power, similar to the role of a Prime Minister in other parliamentary democracies.

Approximately 63% of the population adheres to Christianity. The second largest religion is Islam with an estimated 5%. There are a number of other religions also represented. About 30% of the population, mostly in the former East Germany, claim to be non-religious.

The currency is the Euro.

Gift Giving Etiquette

Expensive gifts are not given or expected in the business environment. Appropriate gifts are of good quality but not high cost, such as a nice pen or imported liquor.

The only article of clothing appropriate to give as a gift is a scarf. Anything else is considered too personal.

If you are invited to dinner in a home, be sure to bring a bouquet of unwrapped flowers for the hostess. Make sure not to make the bouquet too large or flashy. The bouquet should have an uneven number of flowers, but not thirteen. Avoid red roses, calla lilies, and heather in bouquets. Red rose are typically a symbol of romance, while calla lilies and heather are associated with funerals and grave sites.

When gifting alcohol, be considerate of the pride that Germans take in their local wine and beer. If gifting a bottle of wine, be sure to give something imported or from your home country, otherwise the host may interpret your gift as a sign that his own wine cellar is inadequate. As home to some of the finest beers in the world, finding a foreign beer of interest to them could be extremely difficult.

Our large, non-profit educational group for marketing executives looked for someone knowledgeable on the topic of business etiquette and one name kept rising to the top, Cynthia Lett. Her talk was amazing. Since we were limited by time, she focused on the critical aspects of business interactions. Cynthia is a tremendous resource for any company or organization looking for a protocol course.

Andrew Rose

Director of Marketing and Business Development Naden/Lean, LLC

I hired Cynthia to become an etiquette consultant. She was knowledgeable on every subject and I learned quite a but about the business from her. Many years later she continues to be a resource to me.

Lisa M. Grotts

The AML Group, San Francisco, CA

I can truly say without a doubt, Cynthia Lett consistently delivers quality and professionalism as an international expert in etiquette and protocol. I highly recommend The Lett Group to anyone wanting to get the right information from the very best!

Irene Zucker

President VerbaCom® Executive Development

Cynthia Lett was the top-rated speaker at several international Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) events. She possesses vast knowledge and practical experience in international protocol and etiquette. As a speaker, Cynthia is wonderful at engaging an audience with real examples and practical tools for helping them deal with intercultural protocol and etiquette situations. I would highly recommend her for educational events for any group.

Edward Potter

Association Director Association Management Group, McLean, VA

Cynthia is one of the top business etiquette professionals in the DC area. I recommend Cynthia Lett for your business etiquette needs.

Marva Goldsmith

President & Chief Image Officer

Cynthia is the consummate etiquette and protocol professional. She founded ISPEP to develop and enhance the standards of our profession because she cares so deeply about what we do and the quality of service clients receive.

Hilka Klinkenberg

Founder/President