The ‘German stare’ – when eye contact causes cultural misunderstandings
In an interview with Anna Weidlich, owner of InterKult Training
Everyday situations can quickly lead to irritation in an intercultural context – often without those involved being aware of it. A glance, a gesture, or seemingly neutral behavior is sometimes enough to trigger uncertainty or discomfort.
In our section “Intercultural Dialogue”, we address such phenomena and classify them from an intercultural perspective. The focus is not on evaluation, but on understanding different cultural patterns of interpretation. The following interview deals with the so-called “German stare” – an internationally discussed everyday phenomenon that shows how differently eye contact is interpreted culturally.
Anna Weidlich, intercultural trainer and owner of InterKult Training, explains in an interview with the Stuttgarter Zeitung why this is less a matter of rudeness and more a classic intercultural misunderstanding.
Overview of findings
✔ The so-called “German stare” is not deliberate staring, but rather eye contact that is interpreted differently in different cultures.
✔ Eye contact is one of the strongest nonverbal signals worldwide, but its meaning varies greatly.
✔ Irritation does not arise from malicious intent, but from different cultural interpretation patterns.
✔ Understanding and emotional habituation are two different intercultural learning processes.
Reading time: 4 minutes
The “German stare” from an intercultural perspective: When eye contact is interpreted differently
In the subway, in the waiting room, or at the supermarket checkout: many people who are new to Germany report a feeling that they cannot initially explain—they feel like they are being watched. What is usually completely normal for Germans often causes irritation for people from other cultures. Internationally, this phenomenon is now referred to as the “German stare.”
But what is really behind this? Is it rudeness—or an intercultural misunderstanding? In an interview with the Stuttgarter Zeitung, Anna Weidlich, intercultural trainer and owner of InterKult-Training.de, explains the phenomenon from a professional perspective.
Internationally, there is talk of the “German stare.” What does this mean from an intercultural perspective?
Anna Weidlich: From an intercultural perspective, this is a very interesting everyday phenomenon in which it is not so much actual behavior that plays a role as different cultural interpretations of eye contact. This is not about conscious staring, but rather the question of what a glance means in different cultures.
In Germany, direct eye contact is often perceived as neutral, attentive, or natural. In other cultural contexts, however, the same gaze can be interpreted as unpleasant, judgmental, or intrusive.
In which countries is eye contact generally considered rude?
Anna Weidlich: Prolonged eye contact is perceived as unpleasant, especially in cultures where communication is more focused on restraint, indirect communication, and harmonious relationships.
From this perspective, a gaze that is considered neutral in Germany can be understood as crossing a boundary in other contexts—not because it is objectively rude, but because it violates other communicative expectations.
This includes parts of East Asia, such as Japan, Korea, and China, but also various African cultures and parts of the Arab world. Direct eye contact can be considered disrespectful or confrontational, especially when interacting with older people, superiors, or authority figures.
In which countries is prolonged eye contact, as is customary in Germany, considered impolite?
Anna Weidlich: In cultures that are strongly oriented toward social harmony and indirect communication, prolonged eye contact is often perceived as unpleasant.
This includes many collectivist societies, especially in East Asia.
The comparatively direct and less ritualized eye contact in Germany can be interpreted there as too intense, judgmental, or even intrusive—even if there is no negative intention behind it.
How cultures express attention and respect differently
How do people show respect in these cultures instead?
Anna Weidlich: Respect is often shown through restraint : through shorter eye contact, looking away slightly, lowering the head, or more indirect body language overall.
In many cultures, respect means not looking directly at someone, but rather not invading their personal space.
Are there any behaviors equivalent to the “German stare” there?
Anna Weidlich: Every culture has developed its own ways of signaling attention, interest, or respect. However, these signals are not universally understandable; they can only be interpreted meaningfully within a specific cultural system of expectations.
What is considered polite and attentive in one culture may be irritating or misleading in another—this is precisely where intercultural learning comes in.
When looks have an emotional impact: perception, habituation, and cultural interpretation
Why do many immigrants find the German gaze so conspicuous?
Anna Weidlich: Because eye contact has a very immediate effect and can hardly be “cushioned.” People interpret looks emotionally – often faster than words.
If someone comes from a culture where prolonged eye contact is unusual, the German gaze can easily be perceived as judgmental, controlling, or dismissive, even though in most cases it is meant to be completely neutral.Anna Weidlich: Because eye contact has a very immediate effect and can hardly be “cushioned.” People interpret looks emotionally – often faster than words.
If someone comes from a culture where prolonged eye contact is unusual, the German gaze can easily be perceived as judgmental, controlling, or dismissive, even though in most cases it is meant to be completely neutral.
How do people from these cultures deal with this?
Anna Weidlich: Many people initially try to explain the behavior individually—for example, as personal rejection or criticism. Only with increasing intercultural experience does it become clear that these are different communicative conventions.
This change of perspective is a central component of intercultural learning processes.
How do people from these cultures deal with this?
Anna Weidlich: It varies from person to person. However, we know from intercultural training that it usually takes several months for emotional acclimatization to set in. Intercultural research shows that understanding and emotional adaptation are two different processes: while rational understanding can develop relatively quickly, emotional acclimatization takes much longer.
Are Germans the only ones who are so “rigid”?
Anna Weidlich: What is perceived as “staring” is not objective behavior, but rather an attribution from the perspective of the other person.
The same gaze behavior can be interpreted completely differently depending on the cultural context.
Conclusion from an intercultural perspective
The “German Stare” is a good example of how quickly everyday behavior can be misinterpreted culturally. It is not the behavior itself that is the problem, but the different meanings attributed to it.
Intercultural awareness helps to classify such misunderstandings – in everyday life, in studies, and in professional life.
Read the entire article in the Stuttgarter Zeitung. 👉 Click here to read the article
Intercultural awareness with InterKult Training
Misunderstandings often arise not from words, but from looks, gestures, and unspoken expectations. In our intercultural awareness training courses, we highlight precisely these differences: how nonverbal communication is culturally influenced, how everyday behavior is interpreted differently, and how this can lead to irritation.
With practical examples, reflection, and background knowledge, we support teams, managers, and organizations in recognizing, classifying, and constructively dealing with intercultural misunderstandings—both in everyday work and in social interactions.
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Anna Weidlich
Expert for intercultural communication and cooperation (M.A.)
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Anna Weidlich
Expert for intercultural communication and cooperation (M.A.)
Anna Weidlich, founder of Interkult Training, is an experienced expert in intercultural communication and cooperation with international roots in Russia, Korea and Germany. With multilingual expertise and extensive experience abroad, she supports companies in international cooperation. She acquired her in-depth expertise through a three-year Master’s programme at Munich University of Applied Sciences.