Grant but Charming – How to Really Understand the Viennese

Anyone visiting Vienna for the first time will sooner or later stumble across it: the Wiener Grant. An eye-roll, a dry comment, an answer that seems blunt at first glance. And yet, there is often more warmth behind it than you'd expect.

The Wiener Grant is not unfriendliness. It is its own form of communication.

What Grant actually means

"Grantig" in Vienna does not automatically mean being in a bad mood. It means something more like: direct, unvarnished and without unnecessary beating around the bush. While elsewhere politeness is often equated with friendliness, in Vienna the two are quite happily kept separate. The tone may be rough, but the intention behind it usually isn't.

Between Schmäh and sincerity

The Viennese Schmäh thrives on contrast. Anyone who understands it quickly notices: the Grant is part of it. Typically, the Grant is a mix of mild cynicism, self-irony and a certain composure in the face of life. And not everything is meant seriously ;-)

Why you shouldn't take the Grant personally

Anyone who listens closely will quickly recognise the pattern: a grantig comment is often more of an invitation than a rebuff. A way of saying: you're one of us already. The Grant can therefore also be understood as a form of closeness. They say that if someone "grantelt" with you, they take you seriously.

This shows particularly clearly in the Wirtshaus. There are jokes, there is muttering and sometimes a little grumbling.

A few simple rules for understanding the Viennese:

• Don't take everything literally

• Listen between the lines

• Pay attention to the tone, not just the words

• And above all: stay relaxed

Grumpy and charming are not mutually exclusive. In Vienna, they go hand in hand.

Anyone who understands that understands a piece of Viennese everyday culture – and quickly realises that behind the rough tone there is often far more warmth than you might suspect at first glance.