History Main / GermanicDepressives

* Creator/MatthiasSchweighofer os known for specifically subverting/averting the trope in his acting choices, preferring to play upbeat and/or quirky characters.

* [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Peter Schuler]] plays with this trope in ''Series/BreakingBad''. He's definitely glum and morose, [[TheComicallySerious even when eating tater tots]], but other Germans find this behavior off-putting and odd. [[JustifiedTrope But you'd be depressed too if]] [[spoiler: you were contemplating suicide after your drug dealing operation got dismantled.]]

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* Most of the members of the German-themed Kuromorimine Womens' College of ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'' are quite serious, and have difficulty lightening up. Maho, commander of the tankery team, calls some of them over for a Christmas party, but they mistake it for a review of their recent mistakes in tankery, and dread it. In the party, Maho often finds herself not knowing what to do, and wondering what her younger sister Miho, a former student, would do in the situation.

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* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia''. Germany, of course. The thing is, this trope originates with Prussia's disciplined military culture that dominates perceptions of Germans, but Prussia himself represents this by being a fiercely HotBlooded warrior, so not depressive at all, even though he's the origin of the trope. However, it is said his true nature is even more methodical and serious than Germany's.

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* Averted by Dieter in the Irish sitcom Series/{{Killinaskully}}, who almost never loses his sunny disposition despite the often downright outlandish behaviour of the EccentricTownsfolk.

** Though if you attend you'll notice it's anything but depressive.

Not so much TruthInTelevision: TV Germans also seem to get angry quite easily, often yelling and having fits that make them sound like, well... [[ThoseWackyNazis you know.]] (Of course, [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench everything sounds angrier in German]].)

It should also be noted, that this trope is generally not too old, and hails back to the era of Frederick the Great (18th century) who received his name for his unexpected and decicive military victories over France and Austria, tripling the size of the Kingdom of Prussia in the process, but until Bismarck (late 19th century) this trope was usually limited to German military. See the 1632 entry below for a history-accurate point of view an Englishman or American could have possibly had about Germans.

* Recurring characters The Nihilists from Series/TheRonnieJohnsHalfHour fit this trope to a T, always dressed in black, with stoic faces and never smiling. The more Unfunny they were, the funnier the sketch. One sketch had them leading an aerobics class at a gym, and, when asked to start the warm-ups, one of them replied, "My body is always cold." Other sketches have included them hosting a children's television show and a Seinfield parody of sorts.

It should also be noted, that this trope is generally not too old, and hails back to the era of Frederick the Great (18th century) who received his name for his unexpected and decicive military victories over France and Austria, tripping the size of the Kingdom of Prussia in the process, but until Bismarck (late 19th century) this trope was usually limited to German military. See the 1632 entry below for a history-accurate point of view an Englishman or American could have possibly had about Germans.

* Would you believe there's a German comedian and slam poet with a depressive shtick? Nico Semsrott's "stand-up tragedy" program is called (translated) "Joy is just a lack of information".

Germans in fiction are often stereotyped in one of two ways: as [[AllGermansAreNazis Nazis]], or as being dour, serious and frustrated to the point of ridicule. ([[BeingEvilSucks Or both]].) This is a mild TruthInTelevision: while Germans do, indeed, have [[GermanHumour a sense of humour]], they also strictly divide work time and leisure time (see {{Oktoberfest}}), and since chances are you'll encounter German people in business situations, this means they will be perceived by others as deathly serious during the former. This has also contributed to the additional stereotype of Germans being portrayed as [[GermanicEfficiency ruthlessly efficient]]. May be known as German ''Gründlichkeit'' in other nations.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Remnant is a ConstructedWorld without a Germany, but Weiss Schnee has a German name. She's nicknamed "the Ice Queen" for a reason. Weiss is an aloof LonelyRichKid who learns to become [[DefrostingTheIceQueen more friendly]] through CharacterDevelopment.

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* German siblings Hans and Petra in ''Literature/{{Caliphate}}''. He is more dour and resentful while she is a FragileFlower, though considering they were taken as slaves from their family and the [[ChildSoldiers sort]] [[BreakTheCutie of]] [[DefiledForever things]] they go through, it's more than justified.

->''"The Teutonic reputation for brutality is well founded. Their operas last three or four days, and [[LanguageEqualsThought they have no word for 'fluffy'"]].''[[note]]For the sake of fairness and pedantry it should be noted that the Germans actually have at least five words for fluffy/fuzzy, though none that directly equates to the meaning of the word in English as we understand it [[/note]]

Germans in fiction are often stereotyped in one of two ways: as [[AllGermansAreNazis Nazis]], or as being dour, serious and frustrated to the point of ridicule. ([[BeingEvilSucks Or both]].) This is a mild TruthInTelevision: While Germans do, indeed, have [[GermanHumour a sense of humour]], they also strictly divide work time and leisure time (see {{Oktoberfest}}). And since chances are you'll encounter German people in business situations, this means they will be perceived by others as downright serious during the former. This has also contributed to the additional stereotype of Germans being portrayed as [[GermanicEfficiency ruthlessly efficient]]. May be known as German ''Gründlichkeit'' in other nations.

Also, Germans, like [[BritishStuffiness several other European countries]], tend to be just a tad more reserved than more laid-back, open Americans are accustomed to. Unfortunately, this reserved-ness is often mistaken for coldness.
This trope exists even inside Germany, as North Germans are often perceived that way by the rest of Germany.

->''"The Teutonic reputation for brutality is well founded. Their operas last three or four days, and they have no word for 'fluffy'".''[[note]]For the sake of fairness and pedantry it should be noted that the Germans actually have at least five words for fluffy/fuzzy, though none that directly equates to the meaning of the word in English as we understand it [[/note]]

* Creator/PattonOswalt does a bit about Germans being completely humourless and serious all the time in his special "Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time". His theory is that Germans purposely try to quash all attempts at humour as soon as possible because they think if ''anyone'' is allowed to joke about ''anything'', it's only a matter of time before some snarky tourist starts making AllGermansAreNazis jokes.

It should also be noted, that this trope is generally not too old, and hails back to the era of Frederick the Great (18th century) who received his name his unexpected and decicive military victories over France and Austria, tripping the size of the Kingdom of Prussia in the process, but until Bismarck (late 19th century) this trope was usually limited to German military. See the 1632 entry below for a history-accurate point of view an Englishman or American could have possibly had about Germans.

It should also be noted, that this trope is generally not too old, and hails back to the era of Frederick the Great (18th century) who received his name for turning the unstable melting pot of squabbling states into the efficient Prussian empire, but until Bismarck (late 19th century) this trope was usually limited to German military. See the 1632 entry below for a history-accurate point of view an Englishman or American could have possibly had about Germans.