Mar
Picking on the Germans
I recently came across a web page that included various insults for Germans. That got me to wondering. It is time to set the facts straight.
German-bashing is a widespread thing. It started in World War I, waned for a few years, and then flared up again in World War II. The abuse has hardly abated. While is not “politically correct” to goof on non-Whites, nobody seems to object when Germans are the target of insults.
World War II ended 63 years ago. Germany lived under an unfortunate regime for only 12 years. The bashing still goes on. Perhaps it is time to look at the other side of the coin.
Take Herman the Cheruscan, a hero who united Germans in ancient times so as to thwart a Roman incursion. He helped save Northern Europe from the decadence and wickedness of the Roman Empire.
When Germans took over parts of the Roman Empire, they immediately banned the brutal, bloodthirsty “Games” and stopped gladiatorial fights. Germans immediately removed Rome’s more savage institutions.
Germany gave us art, from music to paintings to sculpture to literature. Most folks have heard of Beethoven, Bach, and Brahms. The Bauhaus movement, a German art phenomenon, influenced aesthetics to this day.
The Prussians were one of the first European states to promote religious freedom.
Entire divisions which fought for our freedom in the Revolutionary War spoke only German. At one time, you could go from Hanover, NJ deep into Pennsylvania speaking only German.
The Pennsylvania Long Rifle, a.k.a Kentucky Long Rifle, was the standard American hunting weapon in the 18th Century. Designed by German gunsmiths, it is actually a copy of a German hunting piece.
In the 1850s, Indians attacked a group of German and Scandinavian immigrants in New Ulm, Minnesota. The Norsemen and Germans beat off the attack. Years later, they erected a smaller version of the German statue of Herman the Cheruscan.
In Heathenism, there is a movement to reclaim German tradition through the Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsche) heritage.
If it were not for Germans, we would not have our Elder Futhark. (And if it was not for Germans, I would never have learned the Runes the way I did.)
Now for the real kicker. About 25% of Americans can claim German ancestry. If it was not for Germans, about one quarter of you would not be here.
