Hi,

as I'm living in Germany I'm just curious what people from all over the world think about Germany.

THX for comments

B737-700

I see Germany as a very progressive country. I would be very interested in visiting Germany! Hopefully sometime soon. I hope Expo 2000 will be a major success for Hanover! Guten tag!

I think Germany is a country of diversity. It has tall, modern buildings in the large cities like Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and Frankfurt, but also has the old street cafe`s and old, antique homes. I would love to visit your homeland.

OK, well apart from world cup 2006 (which we [south africa] should have won), I think you got a great country. You guys have really progressed since east and west joined up. It's amazing. And to think that 55 years ago, the world hated your country, and to think that now, your country is respected as one of the best in the world, is a remarkable achievement. And I think you deserve all the credit you can get! (except off course, for the world cup)

Tommy
And remember to  

After spending a week in Germany two years ago I was very pleased by Germany, and the German people. I travelled to many areas of Germany, ie Fulda (my dad was stationed there), Heidelberg, Frankfurst, Mainz, and Wiesbaden. I loved Germany and wouldn't hesitate to return, even though I want to see more of the world.

LH423

I just got back from Germany 2 weeks ago. I LOVED it! The people were nice and the food was good and the countryside and cities were beautiful! I would never hesitate to visit there again!

Hallo,

Deutschland ist Prima! I've been studying German for two years now, and although I haven't visited yet, I can't wait to go someday.  

Deine,
VirginLover

Unfortunately I mostly have a negative image of Germany, despite being a very modern and serious country. The reason behind this is what happened six decades ago with the nazis. I was never able to understand why such a hate developed in Germany towards the Jewish and other groups.

I come from a very educated family and was never brainwashed given bad comments on the country, its just my own conclusions after reading about its history and talking with different people. I had the chance to meet and talk with a survivor of a concentration camp (Auchwitz) and also read all about the holocaust. I just cannot believe why something like that could take place. What happened with the German people that they were able to do the atrocities that the nazis did in the war?. I understand that it was not only Hitler, he was just saying the things most Germans wanted to listen at that time as in a much minor scale happened recently with Haider in Austria.

I had visited Europe and many countries there but I feel very unconfortable on the idea of visiting Germany for the reason´s mentioned. Cases of racism including burns of houses with Turkish immigrants still take place and some places in East Berlin are considered "white areas". The Let´s Go Europe guide has a warning on the Germany chapter stating that if you are a "coloured" person or belonging to minorites be warned of neonazis or circulating on areas frequented by these groups.

Besides, I known that the country is geographically very nice.

Lima

I tell you the germans are less race minded than any american. A white man can marry a black women without any problems.

I understand your concerns, and fears of Germany, but I can assure you, they are much unfounded. Hitler succeeded in Germany because he came to power during a rough time in German history. They had lost WWI and their economy was in tatters. In fact it could cost someone DM1 million to buy a loaf of bread, that's how bad inflation was. However, the German people are some of the proud people, and their country's dignity was crushed. Hitler (Austrian by birth), can to power and became a ray of light for the German people. He re-organised the German govenment like no other government leader had done before, and up until (in my opinion) Gorbachov, no had done again.

While giving the hope to the "Aryan" race, he needed a scapegoat for which to lay Germany's troubles on. He chose the Jewish people. I am not rationalising Hitler's actions, but this is what he thought.

Hilter also controlled the press, and he controlled what got to the German people. He made sure that Germans didn't find out what was going on. He instead centred the attention on the aggressive "Autobahn" programmes, and restoring the glory of Germany. It wasn't until 1945 that the world truly learned about the Holocaust, and the ramifications that is caused.

The people didn't rally around the Holocaust programme, they rallied around Hitler. He was Germany's saviour, in the meantime, he was also destroying much of Germany's ethnic population, but he made sure that as little people knew what was happening. Obviously they knew that the Jews had to go to ghettos, and they knew about Kristallnacht, but many didn't know the severity of what was really happening. They didn't realise their neighbours and friends weren't returning, and if they did, they dare not speak against Hitler, as they would be on the train with them.

Today, Germany is one of Europes most ethnically diverse. They have the largest Turkish population in Western Europe. Germany's economy is presently one of the strongest in Europe, and the world. As for the warning in Let's Go, what country doesn't have neonazis, and such. The population of neonazis is so small, you are likely no never encounter one in Germany. I recommend the next time you have the opportunity to travel to Germany, take it, you won't be dissapointed.

Deutschland Über Alles!

LH423

First of all, thanks folks for the comments on Germany.
I gotta both agree with Lima and Reno_Air.
>> Of course there is racism in Germany but don't you think that this is in almost every country ?? Especially also in the US. Just think about white and colored people. Or gays and lesbians. I don't think the Germans are any worse than any other country nowadays. Not at all.
And I also don't think that others should say they don't like Germans or Germany because of what happened 6 decades ago. That would be discrimination against Germans from you !! And that's what you oppose you said.
Of course this was very cruel and should never ever happen again but I also don't think that this is ever gonna happen again.
Thank you. B737-700

I just got back from MUC on July 6th.. it was my 1st time in Germany! i had a blast!! Germany is such a cool country, mercedes, bmw's, porsche's everywhere! not to mention the reallly good beer  

~*Camille*~

Hello,

B737-700, I am not discriminating against Germany. I was just expressing my personal view on the country.

I understand it may be wrong or not but in my case its based on all what I read, been told and seen on endless documentaries. To me, and again I may be wrong, all what I heard on what happened in Germany were facts not fiction.

I simply cannot forget what this lady I met told me on her experience in the concentration camp. Her parents were murdered, her sister separated for her, and she sexually abused. They would starv people to near death and even make medical experiments with them. And all this in the name of a superior German race? These were facts, not fiction. 6 million people!

I have some very nice neighbors living in my building, a German couple that emigrated to Argentina more than six decades ago. They are jewish. Once I tried to ask them about Germany and she very angry replied "I AM NOT GERMAN".

Of course there is discrimination and racism around the world, everywhere. But in this thread we only talk about Germany.

Sorry if I offended anyone, I was just expressing my opinion which again may be or not wrong.

Thanks,

Lima

I grew up in Germany from the age of 2 until the age of 11.

When I was in the Canadian Army I served there on 3 different occasions during the late 70's and early 80's.

It's a fantastic country...........and one that I want to visit again soon.