Bring on the Night

I really had doubts if this article is blog worthy, but here we go anyway.

Some time ago Justin had an interesting entry about his secret “hatred” (now public) against Germany/Germans, I felt inspired to write him an email about my own opinion in this regard, since I could easily understand his feelings.

I have re-written and expanded my mail to Justin, and adjusted it to a blog entry instead, since it is something I have though a lot about lately.

Now that I know my Chinese girlfriend even better, I learned that she has an almost parallel feeling about the Japanese. Much the same situation, really, except the fact that Denmark in comparison to China and the Japanese invasion was only “graced” by Germany’s war machine. I began thinking this weird feeling over again. It really is strange, and I lack a proper reason for this feeling.

Even though I never myself experienced the German invasion of many European countries (since I was born in 1972), I have inherited an unexplainable dislike against Germany and Germans. “From where”, you might ask, but I really can’t say for sure. I cannot say that Germany has done anything to piss me off since their glorious “lebensraum” days in the early stage of WWII, but still I have this strange feeling. In my mail to Justin, I tried to sum it up anyways and in my re-write I have mixed it up with the China/Japan situation that is still going strong in the media.

Why is it that we secretly dislike people that in most cases weren’t even born when the atrocities were committed? Both Japan, and Germany has now only few living people left that took part of these invasions, and only a fraction of these people were really evil and deserve our hate. Today’s Japanese and German have grown up without the mass propaganda that was present in WWII, and for Germanys sake, most of these are very ashamed about their past. I really have no idea about what this generation of Japanese feel about the past invasion of China, so I can not say (feel free to comment on this, because I am curious to learn). Somehow I have a feeling that Japanese and Chinese don’t like each other both ways, which I can’t say is the same in the Germany and Denmark situation. I believe this is a one-way-street only. As a matter of fact I believe that the massive silent dislike against Germany extends to more than just Denmark. It can be found in most countries in Europe (and America) in different degrees.

When I say that “the Danish” don’t like Germany/Germans, it is an exaggeration of course. But I do believe that many have this feeling, and I believe that even more Danish can not tell you exactly why. This goes for me too.

Since Denmark is located just north of Germany, and was in the “fortunate” situation to be invaded during WWII. I think this is the main reason for the secret hate, but when you think about it, it is not logical; that it should keep going for 60 years and 2 generations, is it?

How did my generation inherit this?

I know for a fact that I don’t have this from my parents. They never said anything bad about the German occupants, even though they of course talk about the years as being a bad chapter in the history. I know that they do not hate the Germans for this period. But I also know that they, like all reasonable people, feel a strong dislike against Hitler, the Nazis and the blind followers. Still nothing that made me believe that they hate all German people. In my teenage years my parents even took me camping in Germany many times, and I never heard any evil remarks about Germans. Well, at least nothing that could be linked to the war.

So my initial thought is that my dislike must come from somewhere else.

Narrowing it down, I can only come to the conclusion that it must be a mix of media and school boy joking that unintentionally have settled in the back of our heads. Seeing a huge amount of war movies must have set its mark.

Thinking back, how many American/English WWII movies in the period 1960-1980 (the movies I saw in my teens is from this period) had Germans portrayed as “good guys” that in a fair battle? Well, I for one can’t remember such a movie. Back in these days, I had an idea that a German and a evil Nazi generally was the same. I was young, I know, but still I somehow got the impression that all German soldiers was evil, and that their families back home was backing the evil cause and even felt proud whenever a family member died “in the name of evil Nazism”. Really ignorant thinking for my part, but reflecting about this, I begin to understand why. And I guess that it is only natural that the moviemakers made the movies this way in the years closer to the war, and what good would a movie be if the hero didn’t fight evil? Where would Star Wars be if Darth Vader was a good guy trying to convert the also good hearted Jedis with a Kofi Annan point of view? Hell, we like evil, as long as it is in the movies, and the “good guys” wins in the end.

So, I blame the movies in a certain degree. This fuelled with the general schoolboy joking, have gradually made many Danes totally “one-way” in our thoughts about the Germans.

Knowing this, I can’t help thinking the same still. All logic is turned off. I think there is a last reason that also influences this thinking, which is: Experience. In Denmark we have a saying that “Burned child, fears the fire”, and I believe this is true to some extend. In this case we have learned that Germany once have committed a crime against humanity, and in the back of our heads we hear a little voice saying “Maybe they will do it again?”, “Once a villain, always a villain” and so on.

Maybe this is the sum of things that makes us still joke much about Germany’s many “inventions” like the SS, KZ-camps and so on. Really we shouldn’t be categorizing them, but I must admit that we do every day.

I really can not put a finger on a German I have met personally that I have hated. And I have met quite a few. Many Germans are very polite, and often feel personal regret about WWII and do not wish to talk about it, though they really had no part of the whole deal being only infants or not born yet. Still somehow no one can say the word “Germany” to me without words like: “war machine”, “ordnung must sein”, “heil”, “Hitler Jugend” and so on pops up in the back of my mind.

It’s a paradox, really. On one hand most Danes don’t like Germany because of the war, but on the other hand many swear to German cars, since they believe it has high quality.

There are many good things about Germany if you take off your shaded WWII glasses though. The nature can be excellent and the people are friendly.

As some may have experienced themselves, the Germans also have a great beer tradition. I have attended the real “October fest” 3 times, and even though I hate the language (and secretly dislike Germany without any good reason what so ever), I must admit that the October fest is brilliant!

My friends would normally describe me a being a bitter, ironic, sarcastic and a real party pooper kinda type, but hard as I try, I can not help but partying like crazy at the October fest (standing on the tables trying to mime my best German “singing” weird German folk songs and you name it). The same goes for my vacation buddy, who really is same type of person. 2 beers (1 litre each) and the special mood get to you. 10.000 people in one tent and this insane German music really cannot be repressed. To this day, I still cannot explain why. I hate the music, many people together one place bothers me (though I am not claustrophobic), I dislike the language and when people you do not know get too personal, but still, I am captured. The beer is excellent, and come in these irrisistable huge mugs.

Denmark has tried to copy the October fest too, but I never went. I think it is impossible to copy. If you EVER go to Germany (Munchen) in end September or early October, I insist that you MUST attend at least one evening at the October fest. There is nothing like it. Trust me. This year I stayed at home because of my girlfriend coming, but else I would have gone for sure. I am hooked by this unlikely feeling that I cannot explain, nor understand. This is love/hate at its best :-)

If I use my mind logically, I feel pretty stupid for having a little anti-German opinion, and I wish I could learn to repress these thoughts.

I think “hate” is too big a word to use for this feeling, and as mentioned, I really don’t hate the Germans I have met during my life. Still I can not let the funny feeling go when I hear the word “Germany” or “German”. Try as I might, it is hard to explain.

I have no intention of degrading Germany or the German people in this entry. I just try to figure out why many Danes feel this way. Guess the feeling is universal, no matter if you are a Dane, or a Chinese. You really can’t explain it, but its there.