What's the German word for Nasty?

In the German town of Kaiserslautern, something really stinks. Residents of an apartment complex called police after the stench of what they assumed was a dead body wafted into their building’s communal hallway. They feared that their neighbor, whose blinds had been closed and mail had been left unclaimed for over a week, was dead in his apartment. When police arrived on the seen and broke into the man’s home, they found him alive and well. The smell coming from his apartment was that of his feet and a pile of laundry.

I’m really not sure how this supports my blind appreciation of German efficiency. On one hand, the good Samaritans who called the police were efficient in recognizing the malodorous-ness of their hallway and contacting authorities to help their neighbor. On the other hand, I would think that in Germany, people wouldn't avoid washing for so long that their neighbors think they are dead. That seems more like something that would happen in New Jersey. Maybe I'm wrong about Germany. I'll keep you posted as I begin my hunt for evidence.

*Thanks to Bucket for the tip.