I think the better question would be why there are so many northern European open-source developers. Germans just stick out because they are by far the biggest group in that larger category.
As for why northern Europe? Bad weather combined with high living standards and a more socialist leaning history?
In Latin America, this example is more than clear:
Nations with more socialist governments (political spectrum more left-left than left-center) tend to push free software.
The Venezuelan public administration works almost exclusively with free software, most of it developed in the country. Cuba’s health system is fully integrated with a free software infrastructure (the only one of its kind). Even the current Mexican government (our first leftist government) is gradually moving towards open source solutions.
I think the better question would be why there are so many northern European open-source developers. Germans just stick out because they are by far the biggest group in that larger category.
As for why northern Europe? Bad weather combined with high living standards and a more socialist leaning history?
In Latin America, this example is more than clear: Nations with more socialist governments (political spectrum more left-left than left-center) tend to push free software. The Venezuelan public administration works almost exclusively with free software, most of it developed in the country. Cuba’s health system is fully integrated with a free software infrastructure (the only one of its kind). Even the current Mexican government (our first leftist government) is gradually moving towards open source solutions.