Speaking on my observations at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, where I'm studying abroad right now...
Part of this lack of school spirit may have something to do with campus...US universities have centralized campuses (campi??? wth is the plural of campus...I'm dumb...), and everything university-related happens on this campus: group meetings, sporting events, etc. It gives students a concrete image of their school, which is necessary for school spirit.
In Heidelberg and many other German universities, however, campus is spread out over the entire city. Different departments are scattered in seperate buildings across the city. It can take 1/2 hour to get from one class to another. I identify much more with the city as a whole than with the University, since while walking between classes I see historical churches, the Heidelberg castle, buildings where famous people like Goethe lived, etc.
As a side note, it's considered dorky to wear a Heidelberg University shirt here, whereas in the US it's normal school spirit.
And AchtungBaby80...your description of the dorm rooms could easily fit my dorm room last year in Patterson Hall at UK, minus the private bathroom.
