Gutes Deutsch nach Wolf Schneider is the set of German writing rules Wolf Schneider laid down in books such as Deutsch für Profis (1982): short sentences, active voice, verbs instead of nouns, concrete words, and no filler words. Every sentence serves the reader, never the writer's wish to impress. Linguists contest his claim of general validity and his polemics, while the craft rules remain largely uncontested in journalism training.

Gutes Deutsch nach Wolf Schneider

Details
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