Conclusion after 18 years of sailing around the world: Nobody likes the Germans...or do they?

Since August 2007, I have been traveling non-stop around the world.

18 years! Crazy!

Babies born when I left are now adults, allowed to drive, get married, and vote. Crazy!

Since then, I haven't been back to Germany, except for once in 2009. Apparently, I haven't missed anything; on the contrary, many things have changed for the worse.

No, don't worry, I don't want to philosophize about the kamikaze qualities of our politicians. Although I'm not there, I've been following with interest and horror from afar what's been going on in my home country for several years.

What should we call this sadomasochistic tendency toward self-hatred? National Borderline Syndrome?

But back to the topic.

One thing is certain: On this trip, it became clear to me that there is no other people in the world who are as full of self-doubt and self-loathing as the Germans... and I have also not found a country where the media and politics fuel this inferiority complex as much as they do in our country.

But how does the rest of the world actually see us?

Oh yes, I know there are certainly a few readers who know better, who have had different experiences in Mallorca or elsewhere at their all-inclusive resorts. Exceptions prove the rule.

Believe me, in every country, on every continent, I've been warmly welcomed, especially as a "German exotic." People always ask me where I'm from—because in the rest of the world, this question is still considered polite interest and not racism—and when I answer "Germany," I always get a friendly smile and positive feedback.

Whether in Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the Pacific Islands or Southeast Asia, whether in big cities or on remote, lonely islands, the reactions to Germany and the Germans are always positive.

Admittedly, even if people in remote destinations often don't know exactly where Germany is, the reputation of German reliability, quality, and, oddly enough, football is legendary. (Bayern Munich, by the way, is the top favorite, and it's quite odd when a teenager somewhere in front of a hut on a tropical island recites all the Bayern players, making you feel like a complete idiot, even if you're a qualified football-incurious person.)

Of course, these people know nothing about German politics, who the Chancellor is, or whether we have a king (I've even been asked if Hitler is still the President of Germany). What matters is that I've never heard a negative word about us Germans. Quite the opposite! The reputation of Germany and its people is positive throughout the world.

For example, Fischer in Tonga proudly showed me an old screwdriver with a wooden handle that bore the words "Made in W. Germany" and proudly said that his grandfather had also used it. It was simply reliable quality...and the Germans were brave, too. Oh well...

People all over the world, even on the most remote islands, have a consistently positive image of the hard work, engineering and craftsmanship, helpfulness and discipline made in Germany.

If you're now thinking, "Well, these are inexperienced islanders at the end of the world," rest assured, the same applies to the international sailing community, which is somewhat more experienced in global politics. Canadians, Americans, South Africans, French, Italians, sailors from Panama, Taiwan, Brazil, Japan, and everyone we met in the sailing community had no negative vibes, but rather a great deal of respect for Germany.

Okay, that's it for the topic, dear friends. This anniversary blog is meant to simply reflect my experiences over 18 years of traveling the world as an "evil and hated" German "on the occasion of this trip's coming of age"—that's all.

Conclusion: Almost everyone - except the Germans themselves - likes the Germans.

As the explorer and world traveler Alexander von Humboldt said:

'The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have never looked at the world.'