My own feeling is that Germans guard quite strongly their societal and cultural goods; advanced degrees are a status indicator and it's not a surprise that incorrectly-gained degrees cause outrage to me. Perceived pollution in the shared consciousness inevitably causes punishment and expulsion.
Other ways in which Germans guard their societal structure:
-- highly regulated Sunday opening hours, even in big cities, ostensibly to protect low status workers.
-- strong rules regarding jay walking; it's the only country where other pedestrians got upset with me for crossing the street incorrectly.
-- strict adherence to rules and procedures in aspects of life that most cultures don't care about (clear your sidewalk of snow and ride your bicycle only on the correct side of the sidewalk, for example).
-- strict adherence to a close family model that promotes appropriate education, shared meals and shared community endeavours.
All these things make up a strong societal structure (if a little inflexible). I believe that there is a national desire for a straightforward, trustworthy communal structure. The 'obsession with titles' is simply a facet of the desire for a strong shared community which can act as a basis for a productive society. If people assume titles that they do not deserve then they reduce the quality of societal markers, make communal life more difficult and thus reduce productivity and progress. Add that to the somewhat natural tendency to tear apart any person of previously high societal status, and you have the current climate of Germans checking all advanced degrees (and to an extent, the British checking all the expenses claims of their own politicians).
-- strict adherence to rules and procedures in aspects of life that most cultures don't care about (clear your sidewalk of snow and ride your bicycle only on the correct side of the sidewalk, for example).
Not very good examples:
--When someone falls in front of your house it is your responsibility (not an 'act of god' as it says in english law) - you can get sued for that.
--As an adult you can't ride on the sidewalks - if you want to, that particular piece of sidewalk has to be marked as a bicycle path (which makes sense considering the high difference in speed between pedestrians and cyclists). In reality nobody cares about bicycle paths so you get an obstacle course of trash cans, cars (and their doors) and pedestrians...
Your first point basically matches mine - in a lot of other countries, it is an act of God. Only in central European countries is it considered to be the responsibility of the home owner. After all, if you don't have power over that sidewalk, why should you have responsibility over it? Unless, of course, it works out as best for the society...
Germany has something like the absolute best set of bicycle lanes of any country in the world, with the possible exception of the low countries. That you are still unhappy about the way that people treat them is a very strong indication of my point ;-) Come look at the bike lanes in Spain, France, the US or the UK, instead.
In USA it is also your responsibility. No, it is not an act of GOD for the simple fact that the fall a lot of times is caused by a damaged sidewalk. Fixing up the sidewalk is always the owner's responsibility. At least that is the case in New York City.
Chicago too. And the landowner can also be be ticketed by the police for not clearing his snow.
It seems like the OP is from Scotland, where snow rarely falls and when it does, it doesn't stick around. I wonder if snow removal laws are more a matter of climate than culture.
Yeah as a Canadian, pretty much all cities can fine you if you don't clear your snow with in 24 hours. Ironically I just got back to Canada from Dresden yesterday and I didn't think much of the German efforts to clear their sidewalks.
So what happens if you're out of town for a few months and it snows hard in front of your property? How are you supposed to deal with that, or even know how badly it's snowed, while you're away?
Weird. I've lived in Hamburg all my life and I've yet to see anybody be scorned for jaywalking. The same basically goes for family models, I've been to more homes where everyone just sort of does their own thing than I've been to homes where the family gathers round at a table and eats together, although that one definitely is also not a rarity. Is it elsewhere?
I got honked at several times in Hamburg for riding my bike in the street instead of the horrible sidewalk bike lane next to it. But I get that occasionally here in the US where the street is the lawful place for the bicyclist to be, so maybe it's more a matter of road rage than a Teutonic sense of order.
I once got shouted at by a man on Osdorfer Weg for crossing against the red man. I've also had that near U-Bahn Schlump and in Berlin, despite there having been no traffic in sight. Never anywhere else though.
I've found more strong family and friendship units in Germany than in the UK, Australia or the US. I've also found that people are less mobile within Germany than other places, perhaps in part due to the cost of changing accommodation - although that may be a European thing, as opposed to just a German thing.
Of course, these are all simple anecdotes and worth what you paid for them. My feelings about Germany are that it's a great country, and one I like very much. But it does have a very distinct character (similar to southern England in some senses!) and from that, the outrage about politicians faking academic titles is not a surprise.
Other ways in which Germans guard their societal structure:
-- highly regulated Sunday opening hours, even in big cities, ostensibly to protect low status workers.
-- strong rules regarding jay walking; it's the only country where other pedestrians got upset with me for crossing the street incorrectly.
-- strict adherence to rules and procedures in aspects of life that most cultures don't care about (clear your sidewalk of snow and ride your bicycle only on the correct side of the sidewalk, for example).
-- strict adherence to a close family model that promotes appropriate education, shared meals and shared community endeavours.
All these things make up a strong societal structure (if a little inflexible). I believe that there is a national desire for a straightforward, trustworthy communal structure. The 'obsession with titles' is simply a facet of the desire for a strong shared community which can act as a basis for a productive society. If people assume titles that they do not deserve then they reduce the quality of societal markers, make communal life more difficult and thus reduce productivity and progress. Add that to the somewhat natural tendency to tear apart any person of previously high societal status, and you have the current climate of Germans checking all advanced degrees (and to an extent, the British checking all the expenses claims of their own politicians).