please get it finally! the amount of hours are just saying that you're lazy as fuck cause you need so many hours to do your job.
Coworkers in germany aren't friends in the most/many cases. They just work together and go back home to friends & family. We do work 8h straight without wasting time because "no one really wants to work" - and if you're wasting time with sensless discussions or meetings, you have to stay longer at work. So, from 8-5 you'll do your job - you can talk in one of your both 15 minute break.
Also the companys don't want to pay you for sensless discussions, specially when they aren't work related and you're not really working all this time.
Don't misunderstand, we're talking during the work about our daily life, but it's short. Only big events will be discussed, like "ooh my toddler came into the kindergarten yesterday".
We have usually 35h or 40h work per week with 24-30 days off.
But in reality: Germans do 1.813.000.000 extra hoursarticle in german - and not every extra hour is listened or even paid (over 50% aren't paid).
Don't make the mistake and divide this hours with 80 Milion citizen - not every baby and elder people are working.