Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
Your View
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
Your View
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
After 60 years, Germans learn to love themselves
Sun May 17, 2009 8:21pm EDT
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Madeline Chambers
BERLIN (Reuters) - After six decades atoning for the crimes of the Nazis, Germans are rediscovering a sense of patriotism and are no longer ashamed to wave their flag and sing the national anthem.
They are even daring to discuss bringing back a bravery medal -- unthinkable a decade ago in a country which rejected militarism and turned fiercely pacifist.
This non-aggressive self confidence, also evident in a more assertive foreign policy, is increasingly manifesting itself as Germany this year celebrates 60 years as a democracy and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
"The German soul, bruised and discredited by the Nazi era, has to a large degree been healed," said Eugen Buss, a sociology professor at the University of Hohenheim.
"We're seeing a normalization," he told Reuters. Buss was a consultant for a recent study on German identity, published before celebrations for the constitution's 60th birthday get going this month with street parties and public events.
The study, carried out by the Identity Foundation in Duesseldorf, showed twice as many Germans were "very proud" to be German as eight years ago, said Buss. Almost 73 percent think they should show more confidence about being German.
The experience of managing a successful democracy and economy have taught both eastern and western Germans they are entitled to feelings other than shame about the past, said Buss.
The nation startled itself during the 2006 soccer World Cup tournament, when millions of people painted flags on their faces, wearing red, gold and black hats and chanting the national anthem.
Younger generations seem to be particularly relaxed.
"I'm not ashamed of being German -- maybe my parents or grandparents were because they were closer to the National Socialist era," said Nina Krause, a 14-year-old student in a group visiting Berlin's German Historical Museum.
"To me, being German means I am comfortable and have the chance to have a good future," she said.
The museum, which attracts 50,000 visitors a month, opened its permanent exhibition on German history just three years ago.
It starts in 9 A.D. with the battle of Teutoburg Forest when German tribesmen defeated the Romans and stopped Germania beyond the river Rhine becoming part of the Roman empire.
Exhibits include a cavalry mask from that battle, a giant globe that sat in Hitler's office with a bullet hole through Germany -- probably inflicted by a Soviet soldier -- and a section of the Berlin Wall.
The most popular exhibit, however, is a large changing map of Europe which shows how borders have emerged and disappeared over 2,000 years, says the museum's Director Hans Ottomeyer. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
Yahoo!
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
Wall Street may brake for housing, Home Depot
Green Business
Reuters Green Business
Reuters introduces a new section dedicated to the emerging green technology sector, featuring five people to watch in the business of green and our global green portfolio. Full Coverage
More International News
Sri Lanka fights Tiger remnants
| Video
Myanmar's Suu Kyi faces trial, critics outraged
| Video
Israel's Netanyahu to press Obama on nuclear Iran
Afghan President's brother says survives ambush
New Japan opposition head revives election chances
More International News...
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Lars von Trier film "Antichrist" shocks Cannes
Earthquake shakes Los Angeles area
UPDATE 1-Earthquake shakes Los Angeles area
Obama urges "fair-minded" abortion debate
Clouds on horizon for "American Idol" juggernaut?
RPT-Sri Lanka recovers top rebel bodies, fights remnants
Man tried to hire prostitute for his son, 14
Volkswagen halts tie-up talks with Porsche
Sri Lanka's long war reaches climax, Tigers concede | Video
Sri Lanka fights Tiger remnants | Video
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Pope prays for Sri Lankans
Edges of universe in sight
Sri Lankan army claims victory
Mortar blast rocks Peshawar
Atlantis mission spacewalk
Suu Kyi faces jail
Tight security in Peshawar
Pakistan doctors Taliban protest
Michelle Obama inspires graduates
Norway wins Eurovision
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
The Great Debate
U.S. military giant, diplomatic dwarf?
Bernd Debusmann
The U.S. armed forces outnumber the country’s diplomatic service and its major aid agency by a ratio of more than 180:1. Is the huge imbalance destined to remain a permanent fixture in the political landscape? Commentary
Follow Bernd Debusmann on Twitter
We want to hear from you
Join the Reuters Consumer Insight Panel and help us get to know you better
Please take a moment to complete our survey
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Interactive TV |
Labs |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.