Is this true about modern-day Germany?

Question

I once read that in modern-day Germany, it is a crime to speak of Nazism in public. I also read that in most instances, Germany tries to avoid much education on that time in their country's past. I know they do educate their people about Nazism and World War Two, but I read that they try to avoid detail and sometimes it's as if they're hiding it.

Don't get me wrong, I think modern-day Germany is cool and I enjoy learning about their culture. I'm just curious to know about this.

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

You cant be more wrong.

It is illegal to say "Heil Hitler" or raise your arm to the "Hitler Gruß", but its definitely wrong that germany is trying to avoid their history. The opposite is true.

The WW2 is one of the biggest topics in german history classes.

Today its kind of a collective guilt and shame about germany under Hitler. Even today, where most people were born after ww2, there is taught that young germans still have a kind of guilt for what happend 65 years ago.  

Answer 2

It's not true. In fact, the n**i time is very much discussed in Germany. However, it is not allowed to display n**i symbols (except in scientific context and the like) and we also have certain laws against incitement; these laws were made to keep some diehard n***s in check. There are very small groups of n**i sympathisers still around.

Of course, no present day German enjoys to talk about our n**i past. It still is a sort of national trauma. The topic is laden with shame.

Answer 3

Well I am proud to be German (living in the UK) and I would never want to any other nationality. But I do not have to bang on about it like the Americans do who keep on saying "we are the best in this, we are the best in that" and everybody just smiles and things YEAH right.

We all know that is not true at all.

Answer 4

What these Germans are telling you is the truth.  As an American, my 1st trip to Germany, my friends played Jim Hendrix American National Anthem to "Welcome Me". I asked them if I could hear the German national anthem and was received with a resounding "No".

A while later, my friends made fun of me for not know all the lyrics to the American Anthem.  I said : "Do you know ALL they lyrics to yours?" the said "Yes" I said, "Fine. Sing it for me".  So they started to.  We were in a mexican restaurant at the time.  The restaurant went DEAD SILENT. I asked what was going on.  My friends said "the police might show up".  I said: "Why?!?!  Because you sang your national anthem in public".

Then, they explained if you're with a "Patriotic German" can get you arrested.  It's not like here in America, where you have all these flag waving Americans screaming "We're number one!"  My friends informed me they are not to take that "Proud to be German" attitude AND

IT'S AGAINST THE LAW TO SAW THAT THE HOLOCAUST NEVER HAPPENED.  (I know there's a few idiots out there that belive that - but if they ever go to Germany and start trying to convince people that never happened.... well, their in trouble)

Answer 5

I'm an American living in Germany for 20 years with children in the German schools.  They do study the holocaust in the German schools that's not why I'm replying to your question.  It really surprises me everytime I hear this type of question.  Once while back in the states I was even ask "How's the war going in Germany?"  I thought they were kidding which it wasn't funny, but to find out they had no idea where Germany really is.  I get this a lot around my business when americans come over to visit it's really embarrassin, the statement goes "Wow Germany really has recovered quiet well from the war it doesn't even look like there was a war!"  Huh. The war is over and for the most part the folks that took part in the war are dying out along with history.  The same goes in the states for our WW2 Vets.  Modern day Germans are trying to make ends meet just like the rest of world and really don't harp on the war issues, it's over!!  It's the same as growing up around Atlanta people come there and still say "Well you guys lost the war,"  almost 300 years ago!  Modern day Germany is just that modern day, I still like living here even though the taxes are still too high, especially the sales tax of 19%.  Today Germany is like New York with it's ethnic mixes, Turkish, Americans, East Europeans and Africans oh yeah there also gives these Eis creme shops run mainly by the Italians.  I really don't think the modern day German would want it any other way they seem to like their diversity.  Of course you have idiots in every society that scream that their culture is better than others, you black against white issues.  That is in every society not just the German. I really don't feel the German's are hiding anything they are just getting on with life.

Answer 6

Not only that - besides looots of education about our German n**i-history we actually learn everything by heart by visiting historic sites.

When I was in 8th grade our class had a field trip to the biggest Jewish labor camp (Auschwitz) and we actually saw where all the killing and suffering happened. This has a huge impact on kids at our age - that guides us not to follow any example of Nazism.

The subject of WW2 is still very present in our schools and just some unsecure losers live the n**i-cult : to blame the foreigners for their own failure to make something out of their lives....

Answer 7

No, this is not true. In fact, it is utterly wrong.

It is illegal to deny that the holocaust happened -- to say that n**i Germany did NOT kill millions of Jews and other people at that time deemed undesirable. Nazism and World War II are discussed several times in school: in what would be grade school, middle school and again in high school.

Germany is not trying to hide the past. In fact, it is unusual for Germans to be very patriotic -- if a German were to fly a German flag in the front yard, people would suspect that he is a neo-n**i (perhaps that changed a bit after the 2006 soccer world cup).

Answer 8

I can´t thank flugelsbach enough for this answer ... I couldn´t have said it any better and I´m german :)

Yet I still wonder why the world hears germany and thinks "n***s" immediately

Don´t get me wrong; I know that not everybody thinks that every german is a n**i.

Obviously germany has changed in the past 60 years

But what does that say about other people when they are not able to see the difference between then and now?

By this I am referring especially to this british hooligans in the soccer stadiums "singing"  Ten German Bombers

Come on, grow up!

Germany is to blame for starting that terrible war and for murdering so many jewish people and that is truely an awful burden

But like I said, that was more than 60 years ago

It really makes me feel sad knowing that most of the world does not like germany or the germans :(

Just look at the european song festival .... Germany zero points

Allemagne zéro points  *gg

OMG did I really wrote that much ...?

It sounds far mor serious then I intendet this to be

Maybe we all should come and visit each other more often to find out whether our own prejudices are valid or not