Heterostereotype des Deutschen in der dänischen Werbung und in Namen dänischer Unternehmen

After having been rather negative for a long period of time, Danish stereotypes of Germany seem to be somewhat more positive recently. In Danish advertising, national hetero-stereotypes of Germany, German and the Germans are used in different genres every now and then. In one particular linguistic manifestation, however, the new positive picture of Germany in Denmark seems to stand out, namely in names of companies, enterprises, associations, etc. Therefore, this article sets out to investigate the extent and the quality of German language in Danish companies’ names. Two Danish databases of Danish companies were systematically searched for company names containing specific German elements. The results show that there are indeed a number of company names which contain a variety of elements referring to Germany, the German language and to stereotypes about Germans. The findings are interpreted on the background of the improved image of Germany in Denmark, while they also reveal something about Denmark and the Danes. More research is needed, though, in order to support the explanations suggested in this study.