"Wohlstand für alle" – Ludwig Erhard's post-war mantra – defined the German Economic Miracle. It traded the pursuit of extreme individual wealth for a collective promise: hard work should guarantee a stable, dignified life for everyone.

This "German Dream" rests on four pillars: the Social Market Economy, the Mittelstand, a world-class apprenticeship system, and a cultural preference for stability over risk.

Today, however, that foundation is shifting.

is it called social mobility. In an index created in 2020, Canada, Australia, and most European countries rank above the United States.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_S…

You could argue that 'Equality' as one of the values that the German national identity honors.

Meritocracy or the "Leistungsgesellschaft" is burden with neoliberal and protestant context. I would say Germany is as sceptical about the American dream as they reluctantly remember where uncritical sense of duty took us.

Success is difficult, although the freedom and equality to pursue it is in high regard.

This may not be precisely what you are looking for, but we talk about our Charter Rights & Freedoms (or Charter Rights) in Canada. I can't think of an equivalent to the phrase "The American Dream", maybe someone else can.

There is a link to a PDF version on this page of the Canadian Government's website if you are interested in more about it.

publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.…

No, the ethos was not present in Germany (except in the imported form from the U.S.).

There is a lot of pride in (good) work done that is not related to economic riches (Facharbeiter-Stolz).

There was a narrative after the war that went more like „together we rebuild the country with prosperity for all“ (Wirtschaftswunder).

Promises to upward social mobility were tied more to higher education (Bildung lohnt sich).

But in the last decades we can see the focus on economic riches increasing.

In New Zealand it's called the Kiwi Way - but it is only ever invoked negatively as in "This is not the kiwi way". e.g.

"Prime Minister Christopher Luxon condemned Destiny's behaviour, and said protestors had crossed a line.

"That's not the Kiwi way, when you're intimidating public officials and public facilities, that's not the way we expect things to be in this country.""

"Peace, order, and good government" is in our constitution vs America's "life, liberty, pursuit of happiness"

To me it's about acting with dignity and respect, be a decent person, and the country (and the world, from my experience) will treat you with dignity and respect right back.

From Canada 😀

Reading this, I can't straight out name any significant German term, and I would not even want to go that direction.

Having spent almost 40 yrs actively associated with the human rights work of Amnesty International, i would just think of 'Humanity', because that's the essence of what we're seeking in any country still based on values.

That's my dream.

In Ireland the proclamation of independence included language about cherishing children of the nation equally

gov.ie/en/department-of-the-ta…

At the time it was intended to refer to people of all traditions, including culturally British born on the island (this was before British imposed partition).

Subsequently it has been treated as an aspiration in the direction of equality of opportunity for all children, one we aren't living up to though progress has been made and continues to be made.