is germany a people of perpetrators or WAS Germany a people of perpetrators?

Question

Since the mid-1980s German self perception switched slowly from their identity as a guilty nation to the identity of a nation that must always feel respnsible, but is not collectively guilty. Do you agree? Please compare (not equate of course) to the United States--are the USA guilty of slavery or should feel responsible now? I know it's a difficult question.

Answer 1

I think they harp on their collective guilt to absolve themselves of individual guilt. The war and and slaughter of the Gypsies, Roma, and Jews didn't just happen, people made it happen. Individuals worked very hard to make it happen.

A big part of the reason that Americans don't feel much guilt about slavery is that most peoples antecedants arrived after the Civil War.

Edit: Letiza, that is freakin hilarious. You should be a comedian.

Answer 2

I agree that Germany's identity as a country has changed, but I see no reason for the Germans to feel resposible for everything such as the US. Yes, every country has had their dark times, but let the past be past. The Germans living today had nothing to do with the concentration camps and WWII about 62 years ago. This is same with the US. Why must white people owe black people for what happen back in the 1800s. The black living today were never slaves of course and their fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers were not slaves either. So, the US should not feel guilty anymore for slavery. Besides, the US was founded on slavery, its part of our culture.

Answer 3

It would depend on who you're asking and what their point of view is. This is the same argument over the Original sin...."Are christians today collectively guilty for the sins of Adam and Eve and therefore need Christ's salvation to enter heaven?" From a christian's viewpoint, the answer is of course, yes. But try asking a muslim or a buddhist this question and obviously the answer is no. So with this in mind, if I were to rephrase your question properly, it would go something like this..."Should the present generation of Germans who weren't even born yet when their country was embroiled in past wars and atrocities stop feeling guilty for the sins of the previous generations and just feel responsible enough to make sure it doesn't happen again?" My answer to this is of course, yes. But there will be some who can never forget or forgive, and there lies the roots of predjudice and then the cycle will never stop unless one learns to let go and move on.

Answer 4

As a German, I'd say yes, there's such a thing as historical responsibility in Germany today.
I can't speak for the US, but it does not seem to be a historically responsible nation. Not regarding African slavery, nor other acts of aggression committed. For instance, in the 20th century, the US invaded or occupied some 40 countries. Today, there's little trace of even a collective historical memory of those events, let alone a historical reponsibility.

Answer 5

Germans who work for the human rights of Serbs, for example, have no reason to feel guilty about crimes perpetrated by other Germans against Serbs, during WW2 or more recently. On the other hand, for example, that German mercenary in the Bosnian Muslim army unit of the Green Berets (also called the Handjar Division, after the Waffen SS division burring the same name), who assulted Slavko Jovicic in the Silo of Tarcin on the 4.6.1992, should feel guilty also for what Germans of his likes did in WW2.