This contribution looks into some grammatical concepts in German and the influence of national traditions on them. To clarify the relationship between the grammatical terms (e.g. Feld, Satzklammer) and traditions, I present linguistic models based on interdisciplinary paradigms. Among these are associative psychology and gestalt psychology. The success of valence theory in Germany can be explained via the prexistence of traditions already providing some of this model’s features. In the long run, Humboldt’s ideas have had a strong influence on German linguistic thought.