Just a thought. I was reading a recent post from Emily on her blog, and it reminded me… what does Remembrance Day mean to the Germans?
To us British, and also Canadians and Americans and other nations of the Allied forces, Remembrance Day is one of the most important days on our calendars. Not only because it has all the elevens, but also because it’s the main (but not only) day of the year when we remember the fallen soldiers and also civilians during the wars over the past years.
Many people believe it’s just the Great War and the Second World War that are remembered. But what about the other wars fought across the world? The Korean? The Boer? The Falklands? Also the Vietnam and Gulf wars should be thought about. And not only wars of before, but also the wars, which are being fought today and the ones who are fighting in them should also be remembered and praised.
To me, Remembrance Day is an important day. From the beginning of November, I wear a poppy, and even in Germany, I wore a poppy. And it’s still on my jacket. Before leaving for Germany a couple of months ago, I brought poppies out with me, so I could wear one out here.
But out here, I don’t know if they realise what this poppy means. Even though they grew in the battlefields not far away, they seem oblivious to it. I have been wearing it everyday since the beginning of this month, and nobody asked me what it meant. Did they know already? Or didn’t they want to ask? Do the German people refuse to know about it and are trying to forget everything about the Wars?
However, to my class, I did ask them what was pinned to my jacket, and one reply I had was; “Is it a rose that your girlfriend gave you?” Seems a bit obvious that Remembrance Day (or at least our tradition of Remembrance Day) is alien to them. But also, even though these flowers grew in the battlefields on the French border, some French people don’t know what this poppy means.
Last week in Düsseldorf, I was with many other assistants, some of them French. And at the time, I was wearing a French rugby shirt with a poppy below the cockerel badge. And a French guy came up to me, and asked, “Are you wearing the French rugby shirt and the English Rose to show your support of rugby between us?”
First of all, I don’t wear English rugby shirts. And second, the poppy I was wearing resembled nothing like a red rose.
I don’t know how the French commemorate Remembrance Day, but I’m sure they do, anyway. Though it seems the European continent isn’t familiar with the way we do things. Though it may be interesting when and how they do…
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the ceremony this year back home. For the first time in seven years, I was absent from marching with my Air Training Corps squadron and also the veterans in the parade. For the past three years, I was the Standard Bearer for the local Royal British Legion branch at Pontardawe, but earlier this year, I had to finish the post due to my time going to Germany.
Even though Remembrance Day and other days of commemoration are important to me, I don’t come from a military background. From the top of my head, only five people in my (large) family have been in (or still members of) the military. My maternal grandfather was in the RAF during the Second World War; the brother of my paternal grandfather was a Warrant Officer in the RAF; and my uncle and auntie were also in the RAF and my cousin is currently based in Mönchengladbach with the Army Air Corps. Though the rest also reckon that Remembrance Day is important and also contribute in one way or another.
But will Remembrance Day be as important in Germany as it is in Britain? Maybe. I think so. The Germans have obviously been through more than the Average Joe regarding the Wars, the East and the West, the Wall, and also the years of humiliation and, to some degree, tormenting by some people who still hate them for what the former governments have done. And it is less than twenty years ago since it has all been normal in Germany. And only time will tell when the German equivalent of Remembrance Day may or may not be one of the most important days in the calendar.
Whatever may come of it, what has happened cannot go away from the memories and thoughts of people. And people should remember and praise the ones who fought, suffered, died and survived during wars over the years. The Germans are not proud of what happened, even though it wasn’t the fault of the people. It was not the people who did it, but the governments at the time.
Before coming to Germany, one of the locals at the pub said, “Why the Hell do you want to go to Germany to learn German and teach them English? They’re all Nazis! They killed us; your grandfather was fighting against them! Blah, blah…”
But I told him, it is true that Germans killed British, but they were ordered to. And they’re not Nazis, they’re Germans, Two different things, there. The government sent people to war. The government brainwashed the people into Nazism and fascism. But they are not proud of what happened, they want to forget that and make up for what they did. And today, Germany is a successful nation, with the largest European economy. And by going out there to teach them English, it shows that we’re not at each other’s throats anymore. And yes, they did kill us and we did the same to them. But what would you do in that situation? Kill, or be killed?
Today, many people are still ignorant to the relations between Germany and the countries who fought against them. Many people still think they’re Nazis and still go around locking people up in camps. Let them think that, but it’s them who are the racists in the end. And often, they don’t want to know the present situation, they don’t care that the Germans make the best cars, they don’t want to know that half of their electrical products are German, they don’t want to know that Germany is en par with Britain. They still want to believe that Germany is still run by an eccentric Austrian with a funny moustache.
But with this attitude still around, could it be possible for Germany and the Germans to fully come to terms with what happened more than half a century ago? Could it be possible for Germany and the Germans to commemorate the wars like us?
Things like these don’t happen overnight. It may still take a long time before everyone forgives Germany for what has happened. Until then, German people will quietly do it their own way and in their own time. And who knows, maybe the German population will be wearing the poppy.
But until then, Lest We Forget.
To us British, and also Canadians and Americans and other nations of the Allied forces, Remembrance Day is one of the most important days on our calendars. Not only because it has all the elevens, but also because it’s the main (but not only) day of the year when we remember the fallen soldiers and also civilians during the wars over the past years.
Many people believe it’s just the Great War and the Second World War that are remembered. But what about the other wars fought across the world? The Korean? The Boer? The Falklands? Also the Vietnam and Gulf wars should be thought about. And not only wars of before, but also the wars, which are being fought today and the ones who are fighting in them should also be remembered and praised.
To me, Remembrance Day is an important day. From the beginning of November, I wear a poppy, and even in Germany, I wore a poppy. And it’s still on my jacket. Before leaving for Germany a couple of months ago, I brought poppies out with me, so I could wear one out here.
But out here, I don’t know if they realise what this poppy means. Even though they grew in the battlefields not far away, they seem oblivious to it. I have been wearing it everyday since the beginning of this month, and nobody asked me what it meant. Did they know already? Or didn’t they want to ask? Do the German people refuse to know about it and are trying to forget everything about the Wars?
However, to my class, I did ask them what was pinned to my jacket, and one reply I had was; “Is it a rose that your girlfriend gave you?” Seems a bit obvious that Remembrance Day (or at least our tradition of Remembrance Day) is alien to them. But also, even though these flowers grew in the battlefields on the French border, some French people don’t know what this poppy means.
Last week in Düsseldorf, I was with many other assistants, some of them French. And at the time, I was wearing a French rugby shirt with a poppy below the cockerel badge. And a French guy came up to me, and asked, “Are you wearing the French rugby shirt and the English Rose to show your support of rugby between us?”
First of all, I don’t wear English rugby shirts. And second, the poppy I was wearing resembled nothing like a red rose.
I don’t know how the French commemorate Remembrance Day, but I’m sure they do, anyway. Though it seems the European continent isn’t familiar with the way we do things. Though it may be interesting when and how they do…
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the ceremony this year back home. For the first time in seven years, I was absent from marching with my Air Training Corps squadron and also the veterans in the parade. For the past three years, I was the Standard Bearer for the local Royal British Legion branch at Pontardawe, but earlier this year, I had to finish the post due to my time going to Germany.
Even though Remembrance Day and other days of commemoration are important to me, I don’t come from a military background. From the top of my head, only five people in my (large) family have been in (or still members of) the military. My maternal grandfather was in the RAF during the Second World War; the brother of my paternal grandfather was a Warrant Officer in the RAF; and my uncle and auntie were also in the RAF and my cousin is currently based in Mönchengladbach with the Army Air Corps. Though the rest also reckon that Remembrance Day is important and also contribute in one way or another.
But will Remembrance Day be as important in Germany as it is in Britain? Maybe. I think so. The Germans have obviously been through more than the Average Joe regarding the Wars, the East and the West, the Wall, and also the years of humiliation and, to some degree, tormenting by some people who still hate them for what the former governments have done. And it is less than twenty years ago since it has all been normal in Germany. And only time will tell when the German equivalent of Remembrance Day may or may not be one of the most important days in the calendar.
Whatever may come of it, what has happened cannot go away from the memories and thoughts of people. And people should remember and praise the ones who fought, suffered, died and survived during wars over the years. The Germans are not proud of what happened, even though it wasn’t the fault of the people. It was not the people who did it, but the governments at the time.
Before coming to Germany, one of the locals at the pub said, “Why the Hell do you want to go to Germany to learn German and teach them English? They’re all Nazis! They killed us; your grandfather was fighting against them! Blah, blah…”
But I told him, it is true that Germans killed British, but they were ordered to. And they’re not Nazis, they’re Germans, Two different things, there. The government sent people to war. The government brainwashed the people into Nazism and fascism. But they are not proud of what happened, they want to forget that and make up for what they did. And today, Germany is a successful nation, with the largest European economy. And by going out there to teach them English, it shows that we’re not at each other’s throats anymore. And yes, they did kill us and we did the same to them. But what would you do in that situation? Kill, or be killed?
Today, many people are still ignorant to the relations between Germany and the countries who fought against them. Many people still think they’re Nazis and still go around locking people up in camps. Let them think that, but it’s them who are the racists in the end. And often, they don’t want to know the present situation, they don’t care that the Germans make the best cars, they don’t want to know that half of their electrical products are German, they don’t want to know that Germany is en par with Britain. They still want to believe that Germany is still run by an eccentric Austrian with a funny moustache.
But with this attitude still around, could it be possible for Germany and the Germans to fully come to terms with what happened more than half a century ago? Could it be possible for Germany and the Germans to commemorate the wars like us?
Things like these don’t happen overnight. It may still take a long time before everyone forgives Germany for what has happened. Until then, German people will quietly do it their own way and in their own time. And who knows, maybe the German population will be wearing the poppy.
But until then, Lest We Forget.
Wow I needed a pee break to make it through... when you rant you rant!
ReplyDeleteI do state my opinion excessively! hehe
ReplyDeleteBut I do like to fully make my point!
Did I explain it well, though??
you did indeed, and I had the same thing in the school, I elected to tell them all about it, and then only about half way through informing them about it it occurred to me that it might have been a bit of a sensitive area. But I continued on...
ReplyDelete