I live in Germany. In February 2013, I moved to Wiesbaden (about 30 minutes west of Frankfurt). In October 2014, I moved to the Kaiserslautern area (about an hour and a half southwest of Frankfurt). I live here, because Mrs. Deez was hired by a US DoD agency that provides education services to the children of US troops stationed abroad.
I would largely defer to what Germans would say. However, these are my impressions after living here for six years, which admittedly isn't a lot. First, German children are taught about Hitler and national socialism (Nazism). They are encouraged (and sometimes required) to visit concentration camps such as
Dachau and the Nazi documentation centers (which are basically museums), such as
this one in Nuremberg. By the way, if you're ever in Germany, I highly recommend visiting. They are incredible places to visit. The "tone" of these places is strangely objective and matter of fact, though the Nazis are clearly condemned. They aren't very emotional, and that'll give you an impression of what they think.
Second, I'd answer "Yes" to both parts of your other question. They do denounce that part of their history, AND they don't want to talk about it. Though they seem very matter of fact about their past, they do look back on it with a sense of shame, and they aren't very comfortable discussing it. They'd rather leave that part of their history behind.
However, the Nazi past is also a significant political factor (and weapon) as the American past of slavery and Jim Crow are in the United States - maybe even more so. It is used to stomp out anything that might be considered nationalistic or concern for the well-being of Germans, and it is used to reinforce the "citizen of the world" crap. If someone isn't a fan of uncontrolled Islamic immigration, he'll be called or at least analogized with Nazis. If someone condemns Nazism but thinks the German people shouldn't have to self-flagellate, it'll be labeled as "insensitive" and "sympathetic to Nazism." Likewise, the Nazi past is used as a justification to promote national weakness and subservience to the EU and other crooked global institutions as well as radical environmentalism.
Personally, I'm sorta moderate on the issue. I think Germans should be aware of their past and safeguard against repeating it. The Nazis were horrific.
However, I don't think the acts of your average German's great or great-great grandparents should mean that modern day Germans should have to promote policies that hurt the average citizen. I also don't see how guilt over
Nazism should translate into mollycoddling Jew-haters. That makes no sense at all.
I also don't like that communism is given a pass. You'll never see a street named after a Nazi or anything of honor for a Nazi, and you shouldn't. However, Berlin has Soviet war memorials, streets named after and memorials honoring people like Rosa Luxembourg, Ernst Thälmann, and others. Those were horrible people who should not be honored.
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