Patriotism in Germany
Thesis statement
The collective German guilt following World
War II and its repercussions, as described in
three works by Günter Grass, make open
displays of patriotism in postwar Germany
highly problematic. However, the open
displays of national pride accompanying
Germany’s hosting of the 2006 soccer World
Cup, make patriotic displays more culturally
palatable.
Why Günter Grass?
- Grass participated in WWII
-The reoccurring theme of his works
is the German guilt that resulted from
the war
- He paints a vivid picture of life as a
soldier, prisoner of war, and civilian
during and after the war
- Grass understands how important it
is to remember is very outspoken
about his experiences, even though
he remained silent about his former
involvement for a long time
Patriotism
Patriotism in Germany
• The war resulted in a lack of pride and trust of
Germans in their country
• Especially military pride is still a tough topic for
many (German military has issues recruiting
enough men and women for military service)
• Splitting of former “German Reich” into the
“Federal Republic of Germany” (West) and the
“German Democratic Republic” (East) was not
conductive for patriotism
Soccer
For Germans, soccer was always a special sport:
many participate in clubs, are fans of clubs,
celebrate this particular feeling of belonging to
something and togetherness
Important dates in soccer
• “Das Wunder von Bern” (the miracle of Bern):
Germany wins the soccer world cup in 1954
• Soccer world cup 2006 hosted in Germany
Deutschland: Ein Sommermärchen (2006)
Now it is okay and encouraged to display the
German flag
Incline of Patriotism
• Pride in national team leads to overall incline
of pride in country
• Public viewing increases sense of togetherness
as one nation
• Common goal for all
Flipside
- critics see an increase of “showing flag” as
dangerous (reminder of Nazi Germany)
- violence and intolerance against fans of
other teams
Landauer – The President
• Documentary film about the German Jew Kurt
Landauer
• President of FCB (Fußball Club Bayern
München) before he is brought to
concentration camp Dachau
• Returns to Munich after the war with plans to
emigrate to America
• Can’t leave “his club” and is compelled to help
revive the FCB
Landauer:
“Soccer is a reflection of society”