Our gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice say a lot more about us than the words we speak out loud. In Germany, lots of physical distance and a moderate tone are appropriate in most situations.

Hugging another person, patting them on the back or kissing their cheek is reserved for meetings with close friends and family members; yelling, shouting, and screaming at someone is incredibly rude.

Direct eye contact, however, is very important. Even if it is impolite in your own culture, Germans like to meet another person’s gaze directly: Avoiding it seems insecure or unfriendly to them.

While they dislike shouting, Germans do talk with a blunt directness that may sound arrogant or brash to people from other countries.

Such frankness and assertiveness are perfectly normal in most cases. Your German colleagues or neighbors do not intend to offend you. Unless they are from Berlin or Bavaria, where people are (in)famous for their peevishness.

In turn, when they compliment you on something, you can usually be sure that they mean it. Polite exaggeration and flattery as social conventions are not very common in Germany. (Germany - Language, Culture, Customs and Business Etiquette, 2016)