Regions of interest

When people talk about intercultural communication the focus is often on national cultures. I’ve tried to redress the balance in this blog by looking into the role of gender and age, as well as professional culture. Recent trips around Germany reminded me of another factor which can be just as, if not more important, than national differences: regional ones.

During a trip to Essen, I had to restrain myself from saying Grüß Gott on arrival at the hotel — after over 20 years of living in Munich it has become automatic. However, it would probably sound very strange to a local resident, especially combined with my undisguisable English accent.

I was soon reminded of Germany’s proud industrial history as I wandered around the hotel in one of Krupp’s model settlements on the surprisingly tranquil Margarethenhöhe. There were black and white photos of chimneys belching out smoke, reminders of a time when these were symbols of prosperity rather than pollution. At breakfast, I had to remind myself that I was eating Brötchen, rather than Semmel.

The next trip took me to the land of the Schrippen: Berlin. When I compare it to Munich I feel like I’m in a different country.It has a rough edge to it which is a stark contrast to Munich’s cosiness. Although Spandau is in West Berlin its U-Bahn station seems more like Moscow than Germany. A trip on the wonderful bus 100, which takes you from Alexanderplatz to Bahnhof Zoo, is like an odyssey through recent German history. It gives you snapshots of Prussia, the German Empire, the Nazis, Communism and turbo capitalism — all rolled into one in 30 minutes.

A wander from Marienplatz to Schwabing in Italy’s most northern town, Munich, is a softer and less dramatic experience.

This week, I was in Germany’s most eastern town, Görlitz. On the way, I was struck by signs in a language which, at first, I didn’t recognize: I was told it was Sorbian, the language of the Sorbs from the province of Lusatia (Lausitz). This was a whole new world for me. The impressive Jugendstil department store which is currently run by Hertie had signs in Polish and German, not surprising since part of the town is Polish Zgorzelec. I experienced a nice cultural moment when I confidently got into the lift and pushed the button for the 3rd floor. When nothing happened a fellow shopper smiled as she looked at me in my business suit and pressed another button labelled Tür zu, and said "if you don’t push that one you’ll wait for ever – this lift is rather old, you know".

These trips were a wonderful lesson in appreciating the importance of Germany’s history and regional diversity.