2007-03-13 01:16:42 · 3 answers · asked by ? 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Primary & Secondary Education
It is a large part of the school curriculum in Germany. It is not about WWII itself, more about the third reich, the concentration camps, how it came to that political situation, what were the consequences out of that.
It is about the current Germany being responsible for what has happened, about why Germany is still responsible, what the consequences on the german institution, school systems and military system are.
It is discussed why Germany does not want to get involved in any military activities after world war II any more and why German politicians cannot open their mind and criticise decisions of the Israelean parliament or military without being called nazi (no matter what the comment was related to).
In fact when I went through school I got the impressions that we as Germans are expected to say "mea culpa" and to shut up when it comes to WWII and the WWII aftermath.
Maybe the enormous place that the third reich takes in the school books (an episode of 12 years out of a more than 1000 years well documented history) is one of the major reasons why Germans do not like to discuss about WWII with foreigners.
You are nearly conditoned to feel guilty (for something that happend 2 or 3 generations ago), not to complain about the WWII aftermath and to accept the fact that purely the Germans were the bad guys.
In fact it was the worst German episode, with millions of victims.
But I also can understand the reactions of a lot of (us) Germans, that after 2 years of history lessons, telling you why you are guilty and have to be sorry for what someone else did , you just decide that was enough talking on that issue for a live time.
2007-03-13 11:36:47 · answer #1 · answered by markus0032003 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You'll wanna take a Germans word over mine. But it is taught in a very refined part of their history books. It is only in class, and mostly university at that, that students can view material such as Leni Reichenstahl's films. Which are otherwise banned, like Mein Kampf.
American History Books are argueably more "sympathetic toward hitler" or at least legally can be.
2007-03-13 08:21:19 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes they are reviewing the mistakes made in WW2 so they can winn WW3
2007-03-13 08:27:48 · answer #3 · answered by Hey Moe 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋