They still had the social market economy back then too. And they had “Willy Brandt” playing up to the Soviets.
I was thinking along the lines of the Helmut Kohl period. Been to Germany many times during the 80s and early 90s. While they had their share of slackers, the general impression I always got was that they were serious, hardworking...and aggressive. Similar to the Swiss. They were the dominent force in Europe. Maybe Gerhard Schroder began their decline. BTW, I’m not a big fan on Merkel.