I have been fortunate to visit the “old country” Germany, where my father’s side of the family immigrated to America from, as well as Switzerland on my mother’s side. As an American, having German heritage is not necessarily the best thing as the memories of the Great War’s of the 20th Century bring back very troubling images of Germany for most Americans.
My mother always insisted there was something good about our cultural heritage, something amazing in fact. I traveled to Germany/Switzerland when I was 21 or so and found that the people there were just like us in many respects. They had rich traditions, architecture, art, philosophy, and tradition. (Who doesn’t like Octoberfest, right?).
The geography of these countries is astounding. The history, rich and much more complex than anything we have in contemporary American society. To look at a building and know it is hundreds if not thousands of years old, is mind boggling. I am proud that Germany has become a vibrant democracy, a economic powerhouse, and a sought after tourist destination, despite all the chaos of the previous century.
In the end, it made me realize that any people, no matter how great or how small, can be lead astray and forced to serve the will of unscrupulous people. I deeply regret what some of my cultural heritage represents, particularly the Holocaust and the offensive that began World War II.
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What are your thoughts on this?