Spain's imprint in Germany

Since the time of Charles I of Spain and V of Germany there has been a lot of water flowing down the Rhine, as the Germans say.? When I go to Spain, I am often asked: "What do Germans think of Spaniards? The truth is that the most spontaneous answer is that Spain is a first-choice tourist destination for most Germans, especially Mallorca.

It is worth knowing that, in terms of news, what happens in Spain hardly occupies any space in the news compared to other countries and, on the contrary, the admiration held in Spain for Germany and some public figures is not shared in Germany. What I am presenting here is neither exhaustive nor comprehensive, but it is perhaps different or unknown to some.

I think it is important to reflect on the "Spain brand" in Germany. As can be seen, it goes far beyond the beach or football's "La Liga". I think the currently existing rationale that I intend to describe is very solid and worth developing. Let's see:

Which Spaniards have been and are currently the benchmarks in Germany? Most Germans first mention "Super Lopez".? They refer to José Ignacio López de Arriortúa, who had a great career in the automotive sector. In 1993 he managed to reduce production costs at Volkswagen in Wolfgburg through tough negotiations with suppliers.

Today, the most important Spaniard in Germany is Belén Garijo, as she is the CEO (and the only female CEO in the DAX index) of the pharmaceutical company Merk from 2021, as successor to Stefan Oschmann. She is particularly active on LinkedIn. The video of her meeting with the young children of the employees before the start of the Christmas holidays is particularly touching.

Cristina Alonso Alija, Head of Sustainability, Health, Safety and Environment at Bayer, was recently listed among the 100 most influential women in Germany by the business magazine Manager Magazin.

Telefónica operates the O2 mobile network and is highly visible especially in Munich and Banco Santander has a strong presence in Germany. Hotel chains such as NH, Meliá and Barceló also have a strong presence in Germany. Zara and Desigual shops are well visible on the streets of the country.

The CEO of the company Tyssenkrupp (of the MDAX index) is Miguel ángel López Borrego, born in Frankfurt and son of Spaniards. They produce high-tech components for the automotive industry and mechanical engineering, industrial plants, trade in materials and raw materials, and manufacture carbon steel flat products. It is a supplier of slewing bearings for wind and solar power plants, as well as warships and submarines. Iberdrola is the largest operator of offshore wind farms in the German Baltic Sea.

In the cultural sector, the headquarters of the Cervantes Institute in Germany and in the philanthropic sector, the José Carreras Foundation in its fight against Leukaemia.

In the educational sector, IESE Business School has its own campus in Munich, where it offers Master's programmes and management development programmes. The school has the ambition to be a "German" school in Germany. In addition, Spanish professors, such as the internationally renowned architects Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano, who teach at prestigious German universities, should be added to the list of Spanish professors.

To be aware of our cultural and human contribution in a country like Germany seems to me to be worthy of being known and considered.