Before Corona, shaking hands was the typical Central European greeting ritual.
Will that come back after the pandemic?
The Internet lexicon Wikipedia teaches us that it was already in use in the Roman Empire, but was later forgotten and was reintroduced by the Quakers in the 17th century. Even more science: In West Germany, 40 percent of people recently shook hands regularly, in East Germany even 70 percent. Due to the pandemic, the greeting is frowned upon, but do we have to shake wet, sweaty and fleshy hands again after Corona? Sorry, that was polemical now. We asked opponents and supporters of this tradition.
Hermann Kiesmüller
, cattle dealer from Aschau im Chiemgau: “Normally, a handshake is used to make a deal, as is the custom.
That is just part of it.
Actually.
Not any longer longer.
It's hard to say if it'll come back.
Only the horse dealers kept this up during the Corona period.
And in Austria, Tyrol or Salzburg, where I travel a lot, everyone does it too.
But they are all double vaccinated. "
I am not a trader
Martin Haberfellner
Martin Haberfellner
, Governor of the Bavarian Mountain Rifles, from Kochel: “I was never that great handshake.
He doesn't like giving up, people have said.
Mei, one of them has damp hands, the next one is a pleasure to clasp his hand.
Do you have to like that?
And I mean, that wasn't so common in old Bavaria, even before Corona.
I assume that it won't come back like this after Corona. "
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For many an indispensable ritual: the handshake.
© Franz Pfluegl & fotolia
Martina Berg
, board member of the Deutsche Knigge-Gesellschaft and 50plus image consultant, from Haar: “The handshakes will come back, I'm sure.
Because you can't refuse an offered hand - and if you do, you need a good excuse, for example: I'm getting a cold.
I find the current greeting rituals terrible.
According to etiquette, feet, fists and elbows are not at all possible.
The fist is a real threat.
I think the eye contact and the respectful nod of the head are better. "
Shaking hands is part of it
Georg Schmid
Georg Schmid
, former CSU parliamentary group leader in the state parliament, today a lawyer in the Donau-Ries district: “I don't like hearing the nickname Schüttel-Schorsch. Shaking hands is part of it, that was my way of doing politics. Approach people, be close to them, look in the eyes. In my opinion, a lot in the CSU is too distant today. Of course, I now also greet people with my fist during the Corona period. But other times will come again, I'm an optimist there. "
Prof. Dr. Franz Reichl
, virus expert at the Munich LMU: It clearly serves to protect against infection by not shaking hands - even now, in the current situation, it makes perfect sense.
If the pandemic is over, there is no longer any reason to do without it.
On the contrary: A certain contact with germs can strengthen the immune system, in any case it does not make sense to live in an absolutely sterile environment.
Studies also confirm the dirty child hypothesis.
To put it bluntly: Children who like to dig in the dirt have a higher resistance to allergies. "