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If you walk through the streets and you think passer-bys are staring at you, they probably are not. There is a cultural difference to be aware of, the german stare.
Here it is completely normal to look at people while passing them, or even look out from a coffee shop or bus at passing people. It might signal Neugierde - interest, or might just be general Aufmerksamkeit - attention of their surroundings. Think of it like a cat acknowleging that you have entered the room by giving you a quick glance.
Please don't feel like you are being singled out - you will see that everyone gets looked at :)
Oh my god, somewhere I belong.
I've only seen the "stare" further north, especially in Eastern Germany.
I've only ever seen it brought up about Switzerland (as "Swiss stare"), interesting to hear people do it in Germany too.
Still not entirely sure what exactly people mean with it though. Is it really just about looking at people? Do they not do that in other countries? I've always associated a "stare" with something more intense than just that.
I think it's less about that we are looking at people, but more about the length/intensity of eyecontact in general.
Other countries might consider it impolite to inspect a passing stranger's choice of clothing or keeping eyelock during a conversation.
Continuous eyecontact combined with a neutral expression might appear condescending or judgemental to foreigners, but that is just my interpretation.
Germans are like cats, got it. Now where did I put my dreamies...