If You're a Grandchild, It's a Curse!

Weh dir, dass du ein Enkel bist! is a verse from Goethe‘s drama Faust. This saying came to my mind when I read, "The Thirty Years' War left more profound traces in Germany than just physical destruction and demographic collapse. Literary testimonies of the war … are about the longer-term effects of the disaster that has come over the country and whether there is a divine meaning behind the events or at least an inner-worldly law that has something comforting to uncover."

"This construction, which was reassuring given the material and spiritual devastation, had a very high price for the German self-image, which was noticeable into the 20th century as a form of self-righteousness. This culminated in the fact that one always identified the others as the cause of the problems and rarely saw oneself as responsible. The foreigners maltreated one's own; one was the victim, and the others were the perpetrators. One merely defends oneself when they get on one's back. However, one's honesty and virtue do not fall by the wayside; they will endure despite all challenges."*
*The text is drawn from the book Der Dreißigjährige Krieg. Europäische Katastrophe und deutsches Trauma 1618-1648 by Herfried Münkler Red Baron is reading.

As far as the maltreatment by "foreigners" is concerned, we Germans also think of the devastating invasion by the troops of Louis XIV, culminating in the destruction of Heidelberg Castle and Napoleon's rule over Europe, crushing the superpowers Austria and Prussia. The culmination of blaming others was the beginning of the First World War.

Ich kämpfte nicht, um anzugreifen, sondern um zu verteidigen

An inscription on a monument in Weimar reads, "I did not fight to attack but to defend." It is the ultimate claim that the surrounding countries struck Germany in 1914.

In the nation's capital
"Weh dir, dass du ein Enkel bist!"

The collective trauma of the German nation, the victim, enshrined in the Treaty of Versailles, eventually led to the atrocities and holocaust in the Second World War. German honesty and virtue emphasized in Münklers's text did not endure.

Adults develop traumas from unresolved events and experiences in their youth. Are there national collective traumas too?

Think of the Poles. Starting as a significant European power in the middle of the 16th century, Poland ceased to exist due to its third division* at the end of the 18th century. The country was cut up between the Soviet Union and Germany during the Second World War. Consequently, Poland's national anthem sounds "Poland is not lost yet." No wonder the Poles still fear the Russian bear.
*Eaten up by Russia, Austria, and Prussia.

France hasn't forgotten the grandeur it displayed until the beginning of the 20th century when French culture and language were influential on the European continent. Today's colorful ceremonies in Paris just remind the people of the former significance of la France, while the nuclear force de frappe is more than a symbol of military strength.

In their collective memory, the Brits still cherish "Britannia rule the waves," although their domination of large parts of the world is history. Was the Brexit preprogrammed? Do they still pray "Thy mercy on thy people, Lord," imagining they are the chosen people?

The Americans feel that they do not dominate the world order any more. Times have passed since the US exported democracy successfully to Europe. The traumas of Vietnam, 9/11, and Afghanistan reach deep. The slogan "Make America Great Again" is thriving as an antidote.

And Russia? Since the awakening of nationalism in the 19th century, Russia has suffered from an inferiority complex and now feels humiliated. Its European neighbors need Russia's raw materials, but President Putin frequently remarked, "They always regard us as a second-class nation. Economic sanctions imposed by the Western countries mean to prevent Russia's strengthening."

Wouldn't you think such an attitude is dangerous? Is Putin going to war?

*