Oct. 27 100 years after WWI, far right seeks to 'glorify German Empire'
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/...-wwi-far-right-seeks-to-glorify-german-empire
In spring 2017, its editors introduced a new series: Compact History.
-
Is It Right to Blame World War I’s Treaty of Versailles for the Rise of Hitler?
https://newyorktonight.wordpress.co...-treaty-of-versailles-for-the-rise-of-hitler/
Germany is not to blame for World War i and ii. Instead Germans should celebrate
‘1,000 Years of German Empire—Our History, Our Achievements, Our Pride.’
It states that “the American financial capital enslaved Germany
—and promoted the dictator,” referring to Adolf Hitler.
Welcome to the new German history .
-
This movement to rewrite German history comes at the same time as a Continent
-wide shift. Europe Returning to Its Roots: the Holy Roman Empire.
Germans want to be proud of their history, and they want their nation to throw its weight
around on the world scene. The biggest obstacle to this is their history. Already a shocking
number are ignorant of it—hence this effort to rewrite it.
Late German historian Immanuel Geiss firmly believed in Germany’s guilt for World War i.
Because of Germany’s role in World War i and ii, he said that Germany must “make do with
the status of lesser powers in Europe” and forget about “all patriotic dreams of a German Reich.”
The truth: In 1972 Geiss pronounced the controversy over, declaring,
“The overwhelming role played by the German Reich in the outbreak of World War i
and the offensive character of Germany’s war objectives is no longer a point of con-
troversy, nor is it disputable.”
Fischer’s work has been forgotten and new interpretations of history are slipping in.
Over the last few decades, a whole school of German historians gave similar warnings
based on this history.
Heinrich August Winkler, chair of modern history at the Humboldt University in Berlin, wrote,
“In light of the role that Germany played in the genesis of the two world wars, Europe and the
Germans cannot and should not desire a new German Reich, a sovereign nation-state, anymore.
-
In September, Aachen Cathedral held a weeklong festival to celebrate Charlemagne
(or Karl der Grosse, as he is known in Germany). Austria is using its rotating presidency
of the European Union to put the Holy Roman Empire on display, advertising the Imperial
Treasure in Vienna and the crown of the Holy Roman Empire.
-
Austria displayed this heritage at the heart of the EU—in the European Council building
in Brussels—to try and get Europeans to reengage with this history.
This new European view of history is being pushed from the top. The EU designated 2018 as
the “European Year of Cultural Heritage.” It called for all member states to work together
for “the improvement of the knowledge and dissemination of the culture and history of
the European peoples.”
As part of this year of cultural heritage, a meeting was held this summer in Berlin.
The organizers wrote, “Cultural heritage must be given a much bigger importance
in education activities—both formal and informal—for all ages. … Special attention
must be given to history education and heritage interpretation.”
Why is this history receiving a resurgence all across Europe?
https://www.thetrumpet.com/17990-german-history-is-changing