Good old-fashioned Austrian/German Values

In reading a book on Pope Benedict the XVI, I was reading about his background and about the influence his homeland and country played upon his character and person.

In my reading, I came across a number of "old-fashioned" values which I believe still affect the German speaking countries to some degree or another:

1. Fleiss = a diligent devotion to good work, not hard, excessive, or frenetic, but good in quality and quantity.
2. Ordnung = orderliness
3. Sauberkeit = cleanliness
4. Pünktlichkeit = punctuality, a matter of personal discipline and basic consideration for the needs of others
5. Zurückhaltend = to be self-restrained with no shouting, wild gesticulations, or blaring laughter. Public displays of affection or emotion are in bad taste and the voice is to be kept soft.
6. Bescheidrnheit = modesty in bearing, or basic humility in thought, word, and deed
7. Geborgenheit = the warm feeling of safety and security, the kind bestowed by two parents who would never tear the family in two.
8. Gemütlichkeit = refers to a cozy feeling of domestic comfort, the simple pleasure of being at home, where one belongs.

To understand and reflect upon these values gives us key into understanding their culture and people, a vital element for Americans coming to live and travel abroad.