tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251825973853257441.post5655743819421765599..comments2023-08-04T13:11:38.295+02:00Comments on Servus München: Dark PastEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05733658876576833445noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251825973853257441.post-14529433721212288212010-12-16T14:33:55.163+01:002010-12-16T14:33:55.163+01:00Joachim...
Thank you for such a thoughtful and elo...Joachim...<br />Thank you for such a thoughtful and eloquent response. <br /><br />I only recently learned about the Stolperstein and believe Munich could benefit from this project. It seems easy for people to group each other into categories and not to consider the humanness we all share. <br /><br />There is also something to be said about Germany creating monuments to its victims. That is not something other countries have done.<br /><br />I really appreciate your comment.Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05733658876576833445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251825973853257441.post-74208204051165048962010-12-16T14:08:51.057+01:002010-12-16T14:08:51.057+01:00@bluefish:
Maybe just some words as a german (and ...@bluefish:<br />Maybe just some words as a german (and I can only speak for me as person) on that difficult subject. For sure my ability to express myself in english is way to small to cover such a subject always with the adequate words. So I beg your pardon in advance, if some of the phrases seem inappropriate. The intention ist to explain, not to offend.<br /><br />Am I ashamed of what 'we' did? Sure, there is a portion of shame included. But shame is clearly not the main emotion. <br />Let me take a short detour. I think it has a good deal to do how you define yourself. I'm human, I'm a man, I'm white, I'm catholic,.... (it's an endless list). And ... I'm german.<br />For every of those definitions there are things, I am ashamed. As a human, I'm ashamed how we <br />destroy our planet and all nonhuman life, as a man I am ashamed what terrible things are done by men to women. As being white I'm ashamed of the attitude of feeling superior to others based only on the color of the skin, as catholic, I'm ashamed of the crusades and the burning of witches. <br />But is shame my foremost emotion for all those things? No. My dominating emotion is: Be aware and do everything possible, to ensure those things will not be done by you, in your name, in your zone of influence.<br /><br />And as a german? Clearly I'm ashamed for what was done by germans and in the name of germany, certainly the dimension, cruelty and inhumanity shocks me deeply. But as I said before, shame is clearly not the main emotion. The best way I would describe it is: An obligation to be aware.<br /><br />Emily is completly right, that "we" are unsure of how to respond or what is our role. How could'nt we? Because I don't think there is one simple "right" way. Only one thing is for sure: We must not forget! And I don't think we are trying silence our past, bluefish.<br /><br />One simply turn the whole country into a giant "museum", marking almost every building, place and field. But what good would that be? Maybe it would impress that sort of tourists, that come here with the expectation to enter a "drittes Reich"-Muesuem. But for those who live here, I think it would have almost the opposit effect. If somethings is omnipresent all to soon it becomes marginal. And really the last thing I would want for keeping the remembrance alive would be "decorating" the country by especially marking all places where Hitler and his pack, were born, lived, etc. <br /><br />For me, remembrance is a question of really affecting people in a way that works, even if they live here. And for that, I prefer projects like "Stolperstein" (= a stone you stumble over). I personaly "stumbled" over some of those markings, while being busy with complete ordinary things. Suddenly you find yourself staring at a house, where a complete jewish family was imprisoned and murdered. And knowing that place, helps me more to remember than the knowledge of hitlers birthplace would.<br /><br />But that's a real complex subject. Everyone has his own expectations and feelings. I'm just asking you, not to confuse the absence of (enough) explicite signs of your liking with the intention to forget.Joachimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251825973853257441.post-88613341962714556612008-11-02T17:48:00.000+01:002008-11-02T17:48:00.000+01:00bluefish...There is definitely a sense of shame, h...bluefish...<BR/>There is definitely a sense of shame, however I think the Germans aren't entirely certain how to respond or what their next role in acknowledging things should be. I truly hope the remembrance isn't something that fades with time. <BR/><BR/>headbang8...<BR/>Thank you for your recommendation. I just read this week about the findings of artifacts from the Kristallnacht in Berlin. We can only hope these reminders continue to bring things to light - even if it's way overdue. There is so much history on the streets of Munich.Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05733658876576833445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251825973853257441.post-27005815484995128902008-11-02T09:40:00.000+01:002008-11-02T09:40:00.000+01:00By the way, a great resource for this discussion i...By the way, a great resource for this discussion is Past Finder Munich.<BR/><BR/>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Past-Finder-1933-1945-Guidebook-Pastfinder/dp/386153410X<BR/><BR/>There's a series which includes both Berlin and ObersalzburgThe Honourable Husbandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05234119524600114890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251825973853257441.post-15512449321707575112008-11-02T09:39:00.000+01:002008-11-02T09:39:00.000+01:00The gentleman form Israel was right. Berlin spri...The gentleman form Israel was right. Berlin springs to mind when reflecting on the horror of WWII, but the role Munich played seldom earns attention. <BR/><BR/>But it was here, amongst Bavarians, that Germans found they could stomach atrocities committed against fellow human beings, and even develop a taste for them. In Munich, evil first became banal, to use Hannah Arendt's famous phrase. <BR/><BR/>As a new Münchener, I find the story of our city between the wars both inherently fascinating and morally instructive.The Honourable Husbandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05234119524600114890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251825973853257441.post-49922139202928664332008-11-02T00:06:00.000+01:002008-11-02T00:06:00.000+01:00I think maybe Germans are ashamed of what they did...I think maybe Germans are ashamed of what they did, so they tried to silence the horrible historical event.Nhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05680645409433402694noreply@blogger.com