The first people to occupy the land were the Celts (the largest Indo-European people of the ancient Europe). They were displaced as Germanic tribes arrived in the region. Germanic people were the ancestors of Germans, who settled in Northern Europe about 10,000 years ago. They consisted of iron-age tribes who lived in the mountainous west and north of the Rhine and Danube rivers during mid to late antiquity. They are ancestrally related to many peoples of Europe today and have a strong influence on the genetic facial features of modern Germans.
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The Typical German Facial Features
Germany’s ancestors were the Germanic people who settled in Central Europe and Scandinavia, particularly the Franks, Frisians, Saxons, Thuringii, Alemanni, and Baiuvarii. Although other European people are ancestrally related to German people, they are distinct in some of their features like:
- Rectangular face
- Thinner lips
- Wide forehead
- Straight and larger nose
- Pointed chin
- Small cheeks
- Wide and full Jaw
- Down-turned eyes
- Blue-eyed
- Blonde
- Fair skin
What Genetic Trait Makes German Feature?
The Germans will, of course, inherit the genetic structure of their ancestors- The Germanic people. Although history books would tell the origin of the Germans, it is hard to track down specific genetic traits which make them German. In fact, even the biggest genetic testing companies like Ancestry DNA or Living DNA can’t genetically pin it down. The test results can only categorize them under broad Northwest Europeans. It can also be because Germany shares the same ancestors and history with other European countries, especially the French.
German ancestry is far more than what you think. We have to understand that they are not a homogenous country from a genetic standpoint. There are huge regional differences and have diverse genetic landscape due to the widespread migration and consistent level of genetic mixing. Their DNA has deep stories of colonization, migration, world wars, and many more. During World War II, Nazi Germans rose to power after tremendous defeats in the past. They have done slaughter on their citizens mainly, the Jews. The holocaust of the Jews created a vast influence on modern German genetics. Many of those who outlived the holocaust escaped to other countries, making the German DNA prevalent worldwide.
Physical Characteristics of a German Woman
Most German women usually have fair skin, light brown to platinum blonde hair, and blue eyes, which they got from their Germanic ancestors. Like male Germans, females have almost the same facial features. They also have angular jaws and chins, lightly defined, and straight noses. These features are prominent in some of the most famous German women like Heidi Klum, Hildegard von Bingen, Diane Kruger, Claudia Schiffer, Julie Wilhelmine Hagen-Schwarz’s, and Steffi Graf.
German Facial Distinction from Other Europeans
European countries have the same ancestor, the Germanic people who settled in Central Europe and Scandinavia. Generally, most of them have fair skin, blonde or bronze hair color, and have narrower noses. Apparently, most Germans have more prominent and higher cheekbones than other European countries. They have stronger and more defined bone structures both in the body and face. But, as you go East, you’ll notice a more squared- jaw people like with the Russians. Men in this country look more masculine than in any other country. The majority of Eastern Europeans (Slavic) have facial features such as high cheekbones, pointy chins, deep-set almond-shaped eyes, but have a darker complexion than North Westerners. North Easterners such as those in the Czech Republic, have broader shoulders and are more muscular than the other region.
The Difference of German and Polish Facial Features
When you just encounter a Polish or a German for the first time, it will be hard to distinguish who are the Germans or who are the Polish. The resemblance is uncanny as they belong to the same continent, and they are ancestrally related. So, their genetics can be a little bit similar, as well as their physical appearance. Both of them are caucasoids with fair skin color. However, most Germans belong to Northern and Central European phenotypes, while most Polish belong to Northern and Eastern European phenotypes. Here are some distinctions between the two:
- Germans are taller than Polish. Aside from genetics, Germany’s economic development is much better than Poland’s. Therefore, Germany had better nutrition than polish.
- Polish people have the general Slavic look while Germans have a Germanic look.
- Germans’ faces are more angular than Polish’s, who have rounder faces.
- German has slightly pronounced bone structures like the bones on their eyebrows than Polish.
- Germans’ noses are shorter and slightly broader than Polish.
- Germans’ have longer and slightly bent jaws than Polish
- Polish has darker blondish hair than Germans who have brighter blonde
- Polish has wider faces and deeper set of eyes than Germans
- Both have fair skins, but Germans are more tanned.