Germany

In Germany, Soviet Memorials Raise Painful Memories, But are Protected

Germany stands alone among European nations in protecting many Soviet-era monuments in the former East Germany. Honoring victims of Nazis has long been a reason, but this has been complicated by German support for Ukraine after its invasion by Russia. 

Poland Claims Germany Refuses Participation in Talks for WWII Reparations

Six million Poles, including three million Polish Jews, were killed during the second world war. Poland's nationalist government seeks to void agreements made under Communism to release Germany from liability. 

Black Germans Hope to Change Name of Berlin's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Metro Station

Activists identify a German fascination with the American South as part of an effort to portray modern, increasingly multicultural Germany, as a white nation. 

Germany Faced its Horrible Past. Can the US Do the Same?

by Michele Norris

"A full accounting of slavery is one of terror and trauma, and for decades the natural inclination was to ask, why would anyone want to claim that history?... What happens if we don’t?" Michele Norris's essay features University of Texas historian Daina Ramey Berry.

Germany’s Far Right Reunified, Too, Making It Much Stronger

German reunification allowed the return of far-right political movements, in large part because communist education in East Germany did not emphasize the role of nazism in the nation's history.

Combatting History “Indoctrination” in 1945 and 2020

by Brian M. Puaca

As the new 1776 Commission begins to consider how to wield history as a weapon against indoctrination, America’s educational work in Germany can serve as a guidepost for a commitment to preparing vigilant young men and women to build and defend democracy.

How an American TV Mini-Series Helped the Germans Acknowledge the Holocaust

by Robert Brent Toplin

An American television minseries overcame initial skepticism by German authorities to rouse public conscience about the Holocaust and the complicity of ordinary Germans with persecution and genocide. Americans hesitant toward "political" popular culture should consider its contributions to truth and reconciliation.

In Removing Confederate Symbols, US Military Follows German Military’s Example

by Fred Zilian

With unification, a fundamental break with the values of the East German Communist Party was necessary. Former East German soldiers would now belong to an army of a democracy, rooted in the concept of the “citizen in uniform."

Trump's Removal of Troops from Germany Follows a Trend

by Michael Creswell

While Trump's decision to halve the contingent of US troops in Germany has drawn bipartisan condemnation, critics should recognize that whether the decision is wise or foolish for today's context, it is in line with decades of efforts to shift the burdens of collective security onto NATO allies. 

Museum’s Future Clouded by Chance Discovery: Swastika Hiding in Plain Sight

The discovery of a Nazi symbol in the mosaic floor of a German museum has prompted bitter debate about its creator’s past and the institution’s role.

America’s Military Should Confront Its Past, Not Bury It

by Elliot Ackerman

The German military’s infiltration by far-right extremists should be a warning for how we confront our own troubled history.

German Ambassador Pick Disparaged Immigrants and Refugees, Called for Martial Law at US-Mexico Border

Douglas Macgregor described the German cultural concept of "Vergangenheitsbewältigung," which seeks to "cope with the past" and confront the atrocities the country committed in World War II, as a "sick mentality" and he downplayed the country's Nazi history.

In Germany, Confronting Shameful Legacy Is Essential Part of Police Training

In the postwar era, Germany fundamentally redesigned law enforcement to prevent past atrocities from ever repeating. Its approach may hold lessons for police reform everywhere.

Its Defenses Undone by a Virus, France Seeks Lessons From a Lost War

Marc Bloch's book "Strange Defeat," written in 1940 about France’s defeat in World War II, has taken on a curious resonance as the country gazes across the border at Germany and asks why it has weathered the pandemic better.

Nazi or Hero? Historian Looks at the Stories a German Consultant Told of His Father

A study from historian Michael Wolffsohn finds some truth and some falsehoods in a prominent businessman’s portrayal of his father as a Nazi resister.

75 Years Ago, the U.S. Blew Up a Giant Swastika in Nazi Germany and it's Still so Satisfying to Watch

Local authorities in Nurnberg recently voted to conserve (not rebuild or renovate) the site of some of Hitler's most notorious speeches.

Germany Enlists Humanities Scholars to End Coronavirus Lockdown

Germany has done more than other nations to enlist the advice of philosophers, historians of science, theologians and jurists as it navigates the delicate ethical balancing act of reopening society while safeguarding the health of the public.

She Tracked Nazi-Looted Art. She Quit When No One Returned It.

A researcher stopped working for a German museum after she says she lost faith in its commitment to return works with tainted provenances.

When Jim Crow Reigned Amid the Rubble of Nazi Germany

by Alexis Clark

Thousands of African-American troops were sent to a defeated Germany to promote democracy, even as they were confined to the social order of Jim Crow.

How Dresden Looked After a World War II Firestorm 75 Years Ago

Mourning all of the war’s victims has been central to Germany’s remembrance efforts since reunification in 1990.