German men can’t stand not sitting down when urinating! Nation leads the way when it comes to Sitzpinklers (sitting-widdlers)
- A survey has found 62 percent of German men sit down ‘every’ or ‘most times’
- Germany even has its own phrase for men who sit to urinate: Sitzpinklers
German men are the world’s most prolific Sitzpinklers (sitting-widdlers), according to an international poll looking into men’s urination habits around the world.
In the survey, 62 percent of German men responded by saying they sit down to urinate ‘every’ or ‘most times’, almost three-times higher than Britain’s 24 percent.
Of the thirteen countries surveyed by YouGov, Sweden came in second with 50 percent, Denmark in third with 44 percent, while 35 percent of men in France and 34 percent in both Spain and Italy said they prefer to take a pew.
The debate over the best method has long-raged in Germany, so much so that it has coined the term ‘Sitzpinklers’ – meaning someone who sits while urinating.
Despite studies in the country suggesting it is the more healthy option – and signs in many public bathrooms requesting that men sit for sanitary reasons – the German term has a derogatory undertone, implying that sitting is not masculine.
German men are the world’s most prolific Sitzpinklers (sitting-widdlers), according to an international poll looking into men’s urination habits around the world
Studies have found that sitting down to urinate is better for men’s health because of the structure of the male plumbing system, according to The Times.
A 2014 study by researchers at the Leiden University Medical Centre found that sitting helps to empty the bladder faster and more completely when compared to standing.
Standing, the study says, is particularly beneficial for those with lower urinary tract issues and an enlarged prostate, issues that can become worse with age.
‘The sitting voiding position is preferable to the standing,’ the researchers wrote.
According to the YouGov poll, the practice is particularly prevalent among German men over the age of 55, with 49 percent of the age group saying they sit down to urinate ‘every time’ and a further 25 percent saying they do so ‘most times’.
The pervasiveness of the German habit is nothing new.
Seven years ago, writers Niklas Frank and James Cave published a comical guide to Germany’s unusual social conventions.
The book was titled ‘German Men Sit Down to Pee’.
They note that the habit makes sense in the context of German lavatories, which are often built with an ‘inspection shelf’ to allow users to inspect their business.
At the other end of the spectrum, more Mexican men than any other said they would ‘never’ sit down, with 36 percent selecting that option in the poll. British and Polish men were runners up, with 33 percent from both countries saying the same.
In addition to the health benefits of sitting, The Guardian – whose article appeared to prompt YouGov into carrying out the poll – quoted American professor of mechanical engineering, Tadd Truscot as saying that the practice could also be better for a household in general.
Using a urination simulator and high-speed cameras, the publication reported, Truscot carried out an investigation into ‘splashback’.
Standing up can have a wider area of effect than many realise, he explained, with droplets of urine potentially splashing onto toothbrushes in the bathroom – even if they are several feet away from the lavatory.
This can be mitigated by sitting down, he said.
Standing also comes with other risks, such as poor-aimers damaging the floor around a lavatory – much to the dismay of landlords or others in the household.
Despite German men’s propensity to take a seat, a court in Dusseldorf ruled in favour of a man’s right to urinate while standing in 2015.
The dispute arose when his landlord sought financial compensation for damage caused by urine to his marble bathroom floor.
Attempting to retain part of the tenant’s €3,000 (£2,300) deposit, the landlord argued their bathroom floor was eaten away by uric acid.
In the survey, 62 percent of German men responded by saying they tend to sit down to urinate ‘every’ or ‘most times’, almost three-times higher than Britain’s 24 percent
Although the judge knocked back the landlord’s claim, he noted men who stand to urinate can expect the occasional row with their female housemates.
Some famous faces had admitted that sitting down is their preferred option.
In an episode of the US sit-com ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ comedian Larry David says ‘It’s more comfortable when you get up in the middle of the night; you don’t have to turn the light on and wake up, and you get to read,’ The Guardian recalls.
Argentinian footballing megastar and World Cup winner Lionel Messi also admitted to sitting down to urinate on Uruguayan TV.
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