[Ron Smith]

I'm not an expert on Germanic customs either. I am merely recalling what the ad said. However it stands to reason. That if you hold a diplomatic position. And show up at a high function "packing iron" someone may assume that you have ulterior motives.
I have had the pleasure of knowing a German gentleman named Heinz Kothe, who lost his leg on the Eastern front.And survived a Russian prison camp. He told me much, of the mind set of the German people during the war. These were extremely paranoid times.
Not all Germans were Nazis. Alot of the old Prussian Arostocracy,"High Germans", thought Hitler and the boys were "Low German" scum.I believe, they derived his nickname, "The Little Paperhanger".
A fencing scar, was considered a badge of honor by some. A pistol, is a weapon. And a potential threat.