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The Pattywagon's avatar

We had a young German girl live with us for a few months. She asked us how so many Americans knew about Germany. I said. “Uh, well, WWII and Hitler.” She told us that they don’t talk about Hitler or that war, almost like it’s forbidden to talk about.

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RunningLogic's avatar

My grandfather, who was conscripted in the German army because he didn’t want to fight for a regime he despised so resisted until he was forced to go, didn’t talk about it for years. Then decades after the war was over, he suddenly started talking about his experiences and the floodgates opened. I’m so glad because I learned a lot from him about how totalitarian governments operate and the human costs of war 😞

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liz's avatar

I had German roommates in my 20s, 50 years ago. they said they were MANDATED to talk about it in High School. in depth. ??

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Johnny-O's avatar

That seems odd because it is all over in Berlin - memorials and whatnot...

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The Pattywagon's avatar

Memorials to what? The feeling I got from her is that the topic of Hitler, specifically, was to be avoided, for two reasons: one, they were ashamed, and two, giving him any “air” time was to somehow legitimize his atrocities. She knew very little about Hitler.

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