How do Germans feel about WW1, WW2 and the holocaust?

Question

Are the ones who were part of it and still alive ashamed? Do the ones born since feel ashamed about the legacy of their parents and grandparents?

Answer 1

Many of them don`t feel abit of shame, opposite they`re upset that Germany lost the war.

Answer 2

To have been an active participant of WW1 you'd have to be about 108, so if there are any still alive, I doubt they're capable of having much of a coherent thought about it.  Besides, WW1 was hardly Germany's fault, it was a bigger version of every other European war - everyone wanted more money and power - including us.

WW2 and the hollocaust is a bit different.  It's still a sensitive point in Germany and there are much more stringent rules about Nazism etc. than in the UK.  The younger generations are more detatched from it - the war ended over 60 years ago now, so you've got to move on.  Otherwise we'd still be whining about 1066 etc.

Those descended from active n***s are few and far between because so many were imprisoned and/or executed at the end of WW2.  I imagine the rest of them keep it quiet and get on with their lives.

My Grandparents were kids in WW2.  I've no idea what their parents did during the war.  Frankly, I don't care.  I imagine most Germans feel the same.

Answer 3

It's not a taboo subect in Germany anymore, apparently they consider themselves fortunate to have been rescued from the n***s. That's what a German told me once anyway.

Answer 4

I'm a Brit living in Germany and find that you can't give a 100% answer on this.

Especially in the old East Germany and in the south of Germany you will find a lot of people who think the wars were a good thing and hear that the holocaust either didn't happen, was not as bad as reported, or was a good thing.

Luckily most Germans are just normal people who want to get on with life like everyone else. They condemn what happened and certainly don't think things like Prince Harry in a n**i uniform is funny - in fact anything like that is illegal in Germany.

Answer 5

As to the wars themselves, I believe most Germans see it simply as acts of war, as does any other country that has participated in one. I believe most Germans today are  ashamed of their ancestors participation in the Holocaust..

"Edit"

Great restrictions were placed on Germany at the time of surrender and subsequently,  this included displays of "nationalism", eg symbols of Nazism, we cannot say the German people have outlawed such displays, the victors forbade it. Moot point but relevent nevertheless.

Answer 6

no i doubt it

Answer 7

my dad is Jew but married a non Jew so I'm not Jew ,my grandad fought the Germans in the polish ghettos he got out came to Briton and was in the polish air force fighting alongside the Canadian air force ,survived the war but we lost a lot family in  Poland .we don't talk about it but we forgave the n***s and never blame the German people.

Answer 8

It is something which is never discussed.

Answer 9

i think they still feel about it, but my generation born 5-10years after the 2nd world war, think of it history, some of the german children born to these parents who did this dreadful acts, feel ashamed, the jews on the other will never forgive the rhiech nation, as they suffered, losses and pain, as for ww1, well khieser wlihelm was edward the 7th cousin, so for that you need to read history books, my grand dad suffered the gas, and was never a stable person either,

Answer 10

Read the book Al Quiet on The Western Front

The German people didn't want to be in World War1. A lot were drafted and pressured into joining.

In WW2 it was live in poverty and have a chance of being killed, or join the n**i Party, the German people had no choice.

The people aren't to blame the leaders are. I'm half German and don't feel ashamed or anything, what happened was horrible but it was the leaders fault for making the soldiers do it.