Gutes Deutsch nach Wolf Schneider

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Full Name

Gutes Deutsch nach Wolf Schneider (Good German according to Wolf Schneider)

Also known as

Wolf Schneider’s Writing Principles, Schneider’s Stilregeln

Core Concepts:

Short Sentences

Prefer short, direct sentences over long, complex ones — every sentence should express one idea

Active Voice

Use active constructions; avoid passive voice and impersonal constructions wherever possible

Verbs Over Nouns

Replace noun phrases (Nominalstil) with verbs — "wir entscheiden" instead of "eine Entscheidung wird getroffen"

Concrete Language

Use specific, tangible words instead of abstract generalizations; prefer the particular over the general

No Filler Words

Eliminate weak, redundant, or empty words (Füllwörter) that add no meaning — "eigentlich", "grundsätzlich", "im Grunde genommen"

Plain Words First

Choose a common, familiar word over a foreign or technical term when both carry the same meaning

Readable Rhythm

Vary sentence length consciously to create a natural reading rhythm; monotony fatigues readers

Reader Orientation

Every sentence should serve the reader; never write to impress, only to be understood

Key Proponents

Wolf Schneider ("Deutsch für Profis", 1982; "Deutsch! Das Handbuch für attraktives Schreiben", 2005)

When to Use:

  • Writing clear, effective German prose for professional or public audiences

  • Reviewing or editing technical documentation, reports, and emails

  • Coaching writers to reduce bureaucratic or academic language

  • Improving internal corporate communication

  • Teaching German writing style and rhetoric

Criticism:

  • Descriptive linguists reject the Sprachkritik tradition Schneider stands for — presenting personal style preferences as objective norms of German and reading language change as decline; Anatol Stefanowitsch (Sprachlog) called Schneider the "Sprachpapst" and "oberster Sprachnörgler der deutschsprachigen Journaille" (2012)

  • Schneider’s polemics beyond craft advice are contested: his campaign against anglicisms ("Speak German!", 2008) and his co-initiation of the 2019 appeal "Schluss mit dem Gender-Unfug!" drew broad criticism from academic linguists — on these points his norms diverge from current usage

  • The core craft rules (short sentences, verbs over nouns, concrete words) remain largely uncontested in journalism training; the criticism targets the claim of general validity, not the toolbox — the English-language parallel is the linguists' critique of Strunk & White