When it comes to Germany in Austria or even Germans in their own country, it is easy to get a passionate tone into the debate.

That can work out in both directions.

In the forum of the newspaper “Der Standard”, for example, there is practically no topic on which the larger neighboring country did not at some point play a role in the comment column.

Even if the article is only about the St. Martin's goose, the excitement boils reliably as soon as a user uses a culinary Piefke expression.

Stephan Löwenstein

Political correspondent based in Vienna.

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The fact that the trigger “Tunke” was sprinkled in an ironic and provocative way doesn't make it any better.

Or when the Innsbruck virologist Dorothee von Laer zu Corona takes the floor, clearly identifiable as a German through language as well as the spelling of the name, one person comments that it could only be a fourth-class scientist, but another: "Now I'm directly happy that we also have a few Germans in the country.

Austrians are usually far too cowardly to speak plain text. "

Is "directly" positive?

As a German we are sometimes perceived positively, sometimes negatively, but rarely indifferently.

The German ambassador in Vienna, Ralf Beste, now wanted to know more precisely and scientifically support the anecdotal findings.

At the opinion research institute Integral, he commissioned a survey about the image of Germany in Austria.

There are also a few surprising findings.

Most Austrians consider typical characteristics of Germans to be thorough (72 percent), reliable (67), direct (60), opinionated (59), loud (52).

The evaluation is not as simple as it seems at first.

Is "loud" negative?

Probably.

Is "directly" positive?

Probably for many Germans, but does that also apply to most Austrians?

Overall, 46 percent say they find the Germans all in all likeable, 17 percent find them extremely unsympathetic, a good third commute in the middle. At least one fifth openly thinks that there are too many Germans living in Austria. According to the embassy, ​​235,000 Germans have their primary residence there, which is by far the largest group of foreigners; 90,000 also have a second home.

A fine differentiation, which was also queried, is interesting. Accordingly, when asked whether the Germans “think differently than the Austrians”, 32 percent say “certainly” and 46 percent “rather yes”. With regard to Bayern, however, 16 percent say “not at all” and 44 percent say “not really”. This is reminiscent of a dictum attributed to Bruno Kreisky: He prefers to go on holiday in Bavaria, because he is no longer in Austria, but also not quite in Germany.

With regard to all neighboring countries, however, it can be seen that the largest proportion (45 percent) think that Austria shares most of the interests with Germany;

Switzerland (14) and Italy follow at a distance.

When it comes to the question of personal proximity, Germany is also ahead (35), but less far than when it comes to interests;

this shows the inclination towards Italy (18).

With regard to the EU, 77 percent think that Germany should show more consideration for the small states;

at least 17 percent think Germany should leave.

With regard to Austria, even 29 percent say it should leave the EU.

That should ring some alarm bells.