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GERMANY’S PAST, A WARNING FOR THE WORLD

BERLIN, Jan 11 2011 (IPS) - Any examination of the current state of Germany must keep in mind the past of this country, which has forced itself to banish the ghosts of its tormented history.  A new exposition on the age of Hitler and German society of his day has become the centrepiece of any meditation on the national fabric of the country, the most important in Europe and the focus of the most wrenching events of the 20th century on the Old Continent.

“Hitler and the Germans: Nation and Crime” is the complex title of this special exhibition of the Historical Museum of Berlin, which has become the topic of the day for the media, politicians, and foreign visitors alike. It is especially anguishing for Germans, embittered that they were trapped into one of the most lamentable phases in the history of the world.
 
In many German museums there is a prominent spot dedicated to the memory of this dark chapter, which is also given direct treatment in the school curriculum. But what is new about this exhibition is that is was created in the context of a country which, though an impeccable democracy, has outlawed the use of the swastika, the Nazi salute, and the distribution of Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
 
It is also noteworthy that the show is located in the very heart of Berlin close to the major landmarks of the history of this city and the Third Reich. A mere stone’s throw from the museum lies Opera Square, the site of the infamous 1933 book burning, a shameful symbol of the totalitarianism that was soon to follow. It is not hard to visualise the frequent rallies held between the museum and the Protestant Cathedral, swarming with swastikas, as seen in footage from the period.
 
A short distance away, across the Unter den Linden Avenue, which has recovered the elegance it lost during the communist period, stands the Brandenburg Gate, now restored to its former classic splendour. The Bundestag, the parliament building that was almost destroyed during the war, has undergone a similar rejuvenation. Traces of the graffiti of Soviet soldiers are still visible on the otherwise immaculate walls of the chamber of deputies within, where European and German flags now fly. A few steps to the south lies Hitler’s final hiding place, now a Holocaust memorial.
 
The exhibition was carefully laid out in the cellars of the adjoining building, which was designed by I.M. Pei. Here the visitor will feel as small as the tiny objects there on display. The inclusion of photographs of Nazi figures feels almost pornographic. The busts of Hitler are barely discernable, while none of his clothes are on view. There was an effort to avoid at all costs any of the former massive glorification of the era or its leader.
 
What is emphasised (as indicated by the title of the show) is that today the tragic and criminal episode has clearly been separated from any sense of culpability on the part of individual Germans. However, there is no obscuring the collective blame. German society of the period was guilty of complicity and collaboration. It is an inconvenient fact that the best-educated and more comfortable sectors of society were the most enthusiastic about the programme of Nazism. As Hitler himself said in a speech, German society had the “good luck” to meet him. The diabolical communion that followed was evidence of a fully reciprocated love.
 
Various elements of German society have long sought -without success- to justify this complicity as the naive fascination with a leader of limited charisma and dubious qualities who appeared at a time of national crisis and doubt. Yet thirteen percent of Germans still believe that Germany needs a leader like Hitler. Ten percent believe that Hitler was a good statesman if you put aside the crime of the Holocaust. And a worrying 35 percent think that the far right is not marginal but a central component of the German political scene.
 
Each room of the exhibition reminds the viewer that even though outside there is a feeling of liberty, the tragedy could repeat itself, in Germany or any other area of the world. This is the message projected not only to Germans but foreign visitors a well.
 
The horrific tragedy could recur not only in Germany (though it is to a certain degree immunised against such an eventuality) but any part of the globe tormented by racism, civil insecurity, and panic at the economic deterioration. The siren song is sung in every language, and the singer impeccably disguised. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)
 
(*)Joaquin Roy is “Jean Monnet” Professor and director of the European Union Centre of the University of Miami. jroy@Miami.edu
 
This column is available for visitors to the IPS website only for reading. Reproduction in print or electronic media is prohibited. Media interested in republishing may contact romacol@ips.org.
 
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