I did laugh myself when I saw it was a German study.
That said, Germans have a fantastic sense of humor - it's just a bit different than the English-speaking Western humor. It's more dry and more casually draws attention to something that's a bit funny anyways - so you get your attention drawn to it... not sure why for a second... then people start laughing.
The timing/pacing is a bit different too - for me, it seems like the German pacing is frequently either - "ok, I'm telling a joke" (like a traditional standup comedian's pacing). Or it's dropping a joke into the middle of a seemingly serious conversdation without switching tone to convey storytelling - so it kind of sneaks up on you sometimes.
From my limited time in Germany, it seemed to me like there's less sarcasm and irony in German humor, and more highlighting nonsensical or tense situations. I didn't really "get" it at first, but once I did I had a right good time. Very nice and friendly people too, once you acclimate to the cultural differences.
That said, Germans have a fantastic sense of humor - it's just a bit different than the English-speaking Western humor. It's more dry and more casually draws attention to something that's a bit funny anyways - so you get your attention drawn to it... not sure why for a second... then people start laughing.
The timing/pacing is a bit different too - for me, it seems like the German pacing is frequently either - "ok, I'm telling a joke" (like a traditional standup comedian's pacing). Or it's dropping a joke into the middle of a seemingly serious conversdation without switching tone to convey storytelling - so it kind of sneaks up on you sometimes.
From my limited time in Germany, it seemed to me like there's less sarcasm and irony in German humor, and more highlighting nonsensical or tense situations. I didn't really "get" it at first, but once I did I had a right good time. Very nice and friendly people too, once you acclimate to the cultural differences.