Do you still think of the War?

Mr.Lizard · 28-04-2009 12:26PM #1

World War II specifically and furthermore in relation to Germany and German people. I have to admit I cannot disassociate myself from thinking about the actions of Nazi Germany whenever I think of Germany or German people.

Now I've been to their country several times and it's a lovely place with some of the nicest, friendliest people you could care to meet, yet still whenever I'm dealing with a German there is like a rush of automatic wariness that passes over me that I have to quickly tell myself to ignore and just treat them like everyone else (which in fairness I do).

This reaction does puzzle me at times. Like 90% of Germans themselves I wasn't even alive during WWII so I've no specific reason to be anti-German. Actually correct that, not 'anti German' as I'm not anti-German. It's just a strange uncontrolable and unwarrented bad vibe I get off the bat.

My family even knew some Germans (living in ireland) when I was a kid so I can always remember the feeling being there in me. Sometimes I suspect as tho it has been programmed into me by society and the media in general and to this day I can't shake the warey feeling I get whenever I talk to a German.

So does anyone else feel this way or am I just mad?

(Ich liebe Deutchland usw!!)

Mr Benevolent · 28-04-2009 12:29PM

No. It ended 64 years ago. Germans are in general pleasant and funny people, they have the best country in Europe and I have no problem with them. We'd be in the sh!t without them.

liah · 28-04-2009 12:33PM

I love Germans, I think they're great people, and have a fair few mates who are German.

Never got a bad vibe off them. The majority of them are incredibly anti-Nazi anyway, and get incredibly offended if you even bring it up.

They're just normal people.

whodoo · 28-04-2009 12:34PM

maybe your mistaking your interest for 'bad vibes'. germany and its history is obviously on your mind. read up on german history and discuss it with some germans. maybe you're just interested in knowing about that period of history and its social effects.
i could be wrong though....;)

robinph · 28-04-2009 12:36PM

Confab wrote: »

Germans are in general ... funny people,

Really, that's not what the stereotypes would have us believe.

liah · 28-04-2009 12:37PM

robinph wrote: »

Really, that's not what the stereotypes would have us believe.

'Cuz, you know, all stereotypes are totally true.

Most of the German people I know have a great, playful sense of humour.

AnonoBoy · 28-04-2009 12:38PM

War? What war?

I remember The Emergency alright - a terrible shortage of jaysusing tea and butter - but I don't recall no war sonny boy.

johnny_knoxvile · 28-04-2009 12:39PM

Well i still think of the Japanese as Kamakazai bombers...

Why do you never see Japanese taxi drivers?

shenanigans1982 · 28-04-2009 12:39PM

I associate the unfunny stereotype with them more than the war....Hitler was Austrian after all.

Wonder if the Jews will still hold it against them in 740 years time.

CreepingDeath · 28-04-2009 12:39PM

liah wrote: »

'Cuz, you know, all stereotypes are totally true.

Most of the German people I know have a great, playful sense of humour.

That's what they want you to believe !

Lull you into a false sense of security, then blitzkrieg your ass !

Snowie · 28-04-2009 12:41PM

I've a long line or family members who where killed in ww2 familly members i could of quite possibly meet majority of them where in the dessert rats situated in Egypt, In respects the soilder's have a job to do weather there on the good side, or other good side, Does my family blame the german who shot them, no its war(black hawk down )...

but i dont blame the guy who killed them because hes under order's and the way i look at things is its eather him or the other person holding the gun, I dont blame all germans for nazi because not all of them where, some of them yes but other didnt realise that hitler planned on killing mas genside on jews poolish and many other relgions and nations so I dont really blame them all that much i do blame the people who where in power except for that dude who tried to blow up hitler....

germans are good people my perent b&b have 8 of them staying

...

omyatari · 28-04-2009 12:41PM

not really, its been over for a good while now, and they can stop playing 2 docu's a day about it aswell!!!
respect for all those involved and survived, but...
hitler was bad, ss was brutal, we get it.

Fratton Fred · 28-04-2009 12:42PM

liah wrote: »

'Cuz, you know, all stereotypes are totally true.

Most of the German people I know have a great, playful sense of humour.

I have never met a German I didn't like. I find their sense of humour to be brilliant and lets face it, they spend most of September and October drinking beer in big tents, served by women with big jugs:D what's to dislike

Captain-America · 28-04-2009 12:44PM

Among the nicest people I've met. I always hear people stereotyping them as Nazis or lacking in sense of humour, but they're actually great people. Far better than the Irish. And hugely important in Europe.

BaZmO* · 28-04-2009 12:45PM

The reason why you still associate modern day Germans with the Nazi's is because of the obsession English TV & Filmakers seem to have with the War. Look at the Discovery Channel any day and you'll see at least one Documentary about the War.

And for the record, Germany is a great country and the people are pretty cool. Not like the stereotype at all.

28-04-2009 12:45PM

How do you feel about Sweden or Norway? - Those Vikings were terrible bastards...

28-04-2009 12:45PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfnYMZ46sQ4

Also, check out this Cherman raver dude who goes by the name Technoviking. Probably the only person who'd be able to beat Chuck Norris....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-ig2l83Fag

Smart Bug · 28-04-2009 12:46PM

Whatever you do, don't mention the war!

Sephiroth_dude · 28-04-2009 12:46PM

I was in germany almost 2yrs ago now and I found them really friendly and nice.Was thinking of going there again this summer actually.

roryok · 28-04-2009 12:48PM

I remember on my first day on a student exchange in germany and the guy i was staying with says lets play a board game (they're mad for them in Grermany).
Okay, says i as he whips out Axis & allies, he then demands to be allowed to play as the axis!
Cue me looking for an escape route.
Turned out very well though, especially as i crushed his army anyway!

His grandad was in WWII however, but he seemed a nice enough chap and would have been very young at the time so unliklely to hav ebeen making any of the big decisions. Nothing to hold against him

Fratton Fred · 28-04-2009 12:54PM

BaZmO* wrote: »

The reason why you still associate modern day Germans with the Nazi's is because of the obsession English TV & Filmakers seem to have with the War. Look at the Discovery Channel any day and you'll see at least one Documentary about the War.

And for the record, Germany is a great country and the people are pretty cool. Not like the stereotype at all.

in fairness, WWII was pretty important and is one of the earliest historical events with decent TV footage.

Acacia · 28-04-2009 12:56PM

Yeah, most Germans I've met are lovely. They have told me that they get the whole guilt thing drilled into them in school, though. Apparently most of their history courses are about the Third Reich, the Holocaust, etc. I can see why they feel the need to educate the younger generation about it, but, still, being constantly made to feel sorry for your grandparents' mistakes must be horrible ...kind of like English people here I suppose, getting crap about the 800 years and such.

AnonoBoy · 28-04-2009 01:00PM

11811 wrote: »

How do you feel about Sweden or Norway? - Those Vikings were terrible bastards...

Jaysusing hot women though so we'll forgive all that a rapin' and a pillagin' they did back in the day.

ejmaztec · 28-04-2009 01:04PM

shenanigans1982 wrote: »

I associate the unfunny stereotype with them more than the war....Hitler was Austrian after all.

Wonder if the Jews will still hold it against them in 740 years time.

I think that they'll keep the "shoah" on the road for longer than that.

A lot of people will insist on seeing the modern Germans in the same light as the Nazis, in much the same way, for example, as some people here think that Britain hasn't changed in a 100 years.

javaboy · 28-04-2009 01:05PM

Please see Acacia's sig for why everyone should love Germany.

Earthhorse · 28-04-2009 01:06PM

I can't say I do OP but I get what you mean. Such is the amount of culture that references the war, the association of Germans with the war is pretty inescapably drilled into us.

BaZmO* wrote: »

The reason why you still associate modern day Germans with the Nazi's is because of the obsession English TV & Filmakers seem to have with the War. Look at the Discovery Channel any day and you'll see at least one Documentary about the War.

It's not just English television to be fair. America produce a huge amount of material dealing with WWII.

AnonoBoy · 28-04-2009 01:08PM

javaboy wrote: »

Please see Acacia's sig for why everyone should love Germany.

The Germans created the nocturnal forum?

Earthhorse · 28-04-2009 01:10PM

AnonoBoy wrote: »

The Germans created the nocturnal forum?

Those Germans aren't all smiles und sunshine you know.

AnonoBoy · 28-04-2009 01:12PM

Earthhorse wrote: »

Those Germans aren't all smiles und sunshine you know.

Not much smiley sunshine in the nocturnal forum alright.

Mind you that land of chocolate...... hmmmmmmmm!

Oh wait, I see what we're doing here.

stovelid · 28-04-2009 01:12PM

Lived there in the 90's for a spell, and was struck by the comparatively (to here) decent organization and even at times, the acts of individual civic responsibility that I often witnessed. I think the latter is probably the root of the automaton jibes.

Pinning past war (or any other) crimes on an entire nation - excluding the priceless joke material of course - is pretty dumb.

stovelid · 28-04-2009 01:14PM

AnonoBoy wrote: »

The Germans created the nocturnal forum?

They originally had the neighboring Diurnal Forum, then the mods started the Lebensraum talk, and next thing you know...

Do you still think of the War?

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