Merkel diamond

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Angela Merkel with Merkel diamond

A Merkel diamond (also Merkel roof or diamond of power , more rarely Merkelizer ) is a position of the arms and hands in which the hands are held with the inner surfaces in front of the stomach so that the thumb and forefinger touch at the tips and roughly describe the shape of a diamond . The gesture is named after the German Chancellor Angela Merkel , for whom this form of holding the hand has become a characteristic part of her appearance in public. Various media described it as "one of the most famous hand gestures in the world".

reception

31C3 demo poster "Mutti is watching you"
Gordon Brown , then British Prime Minister (left), copied the Merkel diamond at the G8 summit in July 2008 with a smile
Merkel diamond, shown by Manuela Schwesig (SPD), Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (2018)

The Merkel diamond started a discussion about non-verbal communication and sparked public speculation about the meaning of this gesture. In addition, the gesture became a campaign issue, particularly about the admissibility and limits of canvassing.

The CDU strategists used the Merkel diamond as part of a personalization strategy for the 2013 federal election and depicted it on a giant poster measuring 70 x 20 meters in Berlin . This in turn moved network activists to satirize the poster. Marketing professionals rated the discourse as an internet phenomenon .

The British business magazine The Economist interpreted the Merkel diamond, alluding to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, as a magical and dangerous ring: “One ring to rule them all”. “There is power in the diamond”, was the headline of Die Welt on the front page, pointing out that the diamond stands for a message for itself, for the calm and strength of a Federal Chancellor. No further text is required.

At Madame Tussauds , the wax figure of Angela Merkel was renewed in 2013 with the characteristic Merkel diamond.

From a mathematical point of view, this square is actually not a diamond , but a dragon square , because your thumb and forefinger are not the same length.

Interpretations

"The Merkel diamond should express prudence and the ability to bring things together," wrote Thorsten Jungholt in an article in Die Welt . Merkel herself is said to have only said about her hand position: “It has a certain symmetry .” As early as 2012, she said that the diamond helps her to keep her back straight.

According to her own statement, the Wuppertal photographer Claudia Kempf Merkel recommended holding hands during a photo shoot for Stern magazine before the 2002 federal election . Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre asked Merkel about the gesture during a ride on the Rheingold Express in summer 2009. In response, Merkel stated that this position of the hands guarantees that you stand upright, not hunched over: “This position is the position in which I automatically keep my upper body upright. [...] That means nothing else. "

Silke Burmester interpreted the Merkel diamond as a sign that Merkel - who was a natural scientist and not an expressive dancer - let the energy flow inward through her body by closing a cycle.

Body language researchers spoke of the “Merkel roof”. This is a symbol for bridges and neighborhood.

The Hamburger Abendblatt quotes the pantomime Samy Molcho , who interprets the posture as follows: “This lowered pyramid looks like a wedge, like the bow of an icebreaker: The tip pointing forward rejects and all oncoming attacks or throws are diverted from the body. Chancellor Merkel is not open to criticism or other opinions, but is on her way forward. "

Body language expert Stefan Verra primarily recognizes the effect and execution of the diamond as a gesture that conveys activity to the viewer. In contrast to previous postures with dangling arms, Merkel appears more active because the gesture requires more effort. In addition, she appears to be very confident with her fingertips that are lightly touching each other, as she would not change her hand position even in demanding situations. As a disadvantage, however, it also appears one-dimensional and inflexible. The diamond also lacks the impression of being able to tackle the problem.

distribution

Pages with representations of the Merkel diamond and picture montages were created on the Internet, the Tagesspiegel took up this development as a topic and asked its readers to also submit picture montages. As an emoticon , the Merkel diamond is formed by a less-than and a greater-than sign (<>). According to the CDU, this emoticon was invented for the 2013 federal election campaign.

Web links

Commons : Merkel diamond  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Phenomenon: Germany makes the “Merkelizer” - the secret signs of the Chancellor. In: Hamburger Abendblatt online , October 31, 2009.
  2. ↑ What to do with the poor? Merkel reveals the diamond's secret. In: n-tv.de , May 3, 2013, accessed on September 2, 2013.
  3. ↑ Eckhard Fuhr: What is the secret of the Merkel diamond? The Contemporary History Forum Leipzig explains the language of signs. In: Welt Online , December 17, 2012, accessed September 2, 2013.
  4. ↑ 'Merkel diamond' takes center stage in German election campaign. In: The Guardian . September 3, 2013, accessed September 17, 2013 .
  5. ↑ The many faces of Frau Merkel. In: Al Jazeera online , September 18, 2013.
  6. ↑ Election advertising - Mega Merkel poster provokes trouble in Berlin-Mitte. In: Tagesspiegel.de , September 4, 2013.
  7. ↑ a b Diamond of Power: Mother's Cave for all sisters. In: Spiegel Online , September 15, 2013.
  8. ^ Philipp Wittrock: Giant poster of the CDU: Maxima Merkel. In: Spiegel Online , September 2, 2013, accessed on September 2, 2013.
  9. ↑ Bundestag election - election campaign with the "Merkel diamond". In: Deutsche Welle , September 5, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Juhu, a new meme": Netz laughs at #Merkelraute. In: wuv.de , September 5, 2013.
  11. ↑ British magazine recommends Merkel's re-election. In: Welt.de , September 12, 2013.
  12. ↑ There is power in the diamond. In: Welt.de , September 3, 2013.
  13. ↑ Merkel diamond cast in wax: Madame Tussauds renews Chancellor. In: n-tv .de , September 16, 2013.
  14. ↑ Christoph Drösser: Is the Merkel diamond really a kite? ( Memento of the original from March 20, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Die Zeit online , April 15, 2017. Accessed May 31, 2017. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bundestag.de
  15. ↑ Where the Merkel diamond brings death. In: Die Welt , September 15, 2013.
  16. ↑ Staging of the Chancellor candidates: diamond vs. Stinkefinger , article in Der Spiegel from September 13, 2013.
  17. ↑ The Chancellor explains the "Merkel diamond". In: Deutsche Welle , May 2, 2013.
  18. ↑ a b The year of the diamond. In: Die Welt , December 30, 2012.
  19. ↑ Alev Dogan: Angela Merkel's cult gesture: The (Wuppertal) birth of the Merkel diamond. In: Rheinische Post . July 17, 2019, accessed July 17, 2019 .
  20. ↑ Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre: "How was the sausage?" - When Merkel is fighting. In: The world . September 19, 2009, accessed July 30, 2019 .
  21. ^ "The Chancellor's Secret Signs" , Hamburger Abendblatt dated October 31, 2009, accessed on August 28, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Angela Merkel - Reduction as a recipe for success" , manager magazin of September 21, 2017, accessed on April 27, 2019.
  23. ↑ Stefan Verra: Bellhammers are only human too: The body language of the mighty Munich 2019, ISBN 978-3-424-20202-1 , pp. 52–56
  24. ↑ E.g. Merkel diamond. In: merkelraute.tumblr.com and The new Giga advertising from Angela Merkel. In: 9gag.com
  25. ↑ Merkel cannot get rid of Mr. Burns. In: Tagesspiegel.de , September 5, 2013.
  26. ↑ Facebook page of the CDU during the federal election 2013 with a call to fans to write <> - comments