I saw Prince Harry in this shop, about 12 years ago i think

I personally dont see this case as a blunder at all - the outrage was clearly on purpose and stirred by certain politicians and media outlets. Simply put: There were some Neonazi cases in the army including a case where they found SS memorabilia in an army barrack. The minister gave the order to search all barracks and remove any sort of Nazi symbols or memorabilia. This is the picture in question and I would have removed it as well. The fact that this young Nazi-Luftwaffe officer later on became a democratic politician really does not matter in the context... because the photo was hanging there without any description and the average 18-20yr old recruit will hardly even know who Schmidt was, they only see a Nazi soldier. The result was btw to hang it up again with an explanation. Which is important for this topic: I am totally against banning symbols or anything "in general". Information should be free and be put into context. You can ban it in specific contexts as in "you are allowed to display nazi flags in a museum but you are not allowed to waive them at your skinhead concert"...


Simply put: there have been too many cases of soldiers getting into trouble for neonazi "stuff" - the military has a bit of an issue. I guess the army attracts young men who generally like the idea of clear leadership, so its not too surprising that a lot of them are rather right leaning. Thats in principle ok. But when the alleged best of the best commando units decide to decorate their vehicles with palm trees - the symbol of the Nazi German Afrika Corps - well, I think they need some additional history lessons in their education.

I have a slightly different humble opinion. Unlike other armies the Bundeswehr lacks a meaningful sense of tradition and ever since 1945 the German military is seen as a necessary evil to be only tolerated but not hero worshipped like the thank-you-for-your-service lip service fawning of a disinterested public.
So where do you turn for a bit of tradition? The Wehrmacht and the army of the Kaiserreich and indeed the Prussian army had heroes and leaders unlike the Bundeswehr whose "hero`s" were recycled Wehrmacht soldiers at least in the early days.

Did they told you about this https://www.cia.gov/library/center-f...9-00/art6.html Or stalins other war crime ?

This is indeed a problem that the Bundeswehr is aware of and some barracks etc have been renamed after more recent heroes. But most of them don't really cut the ice and you'd probably have to check Wikipedia to find who they even are. And even after reading about them you are left with a "Duh!" feeling.

Did you find this hero on Wikipedia ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_...her_(Navy_SEAL)


the world has there share of hypocrites

My hometown is over 2000 years old and we had wars going on all the time. You dont really need to turn to the one decade with the Nazis.

As some of our past enemies are our allies today might it be a bit tricky to have the next Nato training at the Erwin Rommel barracks... no matter how smart he was. Where do we draw the line? I think a von Richthofen airfield might still piss off the French and English, so probably before WW1... with the exception of the names the Nazis made unusable or do you think the navy should name ships after Prussians like Bismarck or Scharnhorst?

My Grandad spent the best years of his youth firing shells in Rommel's direction.

He had nothing but good to say about him.

There was a certain respect for an honourable soldier, no matter how ridiculous his boss's moustache.

They had. Lütjens, Rommel and Mölders, and a lot of the smaller ships had names from the ships of the SMS period which were named after towns and citys.
I think a good litmus test would be the reinstatement of the iron cross which has been around since 1812.

By the way 2000 years.. We have Trier, Regensburg, god´s own belly button Augsburg, Köln, Kempten...? If so we could have a Germanic warrior, Arminius is up for grabs I hear.

Did he know my father in law ?

Most other countries don't have a problem honouring generals who kicked arse back in the day, even if the arses that got kicked have since become good friends. Nobody will think badly of Germany if they do the same. And the further back in history you go, the less reason there is to feel offended.

Many present day British naval vessels for example re-use names of ships that were at the battle of Trafalgar or that were used in the 100 year war. In fact re-using names of ships is an old naval tradition. Are the French offended? Well, maybe. But they do the same.

No idea. Unfortunately, we're about forty years too late to ask him.

The German army is using the iron cross as their logo... as well as their insignia on planes and vehicles. Its literally everywhere they can put a logo on.



So you only accept it if it comes as a 19th century tie ornament? You are seriously retro...

I had family members on the opposite side in North Africa. They were in British captivity and said the same... bizarrely seems Africa the most "honorable" part of the war...




I suggest you have a look into how the rest of Asia thinks about Japan commemorating their military leaders from back then. And I dont think too many Eastern Europeans really love the Russian military parades commemorating how they "liberated" countries who never asked to be liberated by them...

Yes, "liberation" gets different definition. Oh wait, they were "protecting" us. Just like the EU pose.

And the Final Solution to the Jew Question was also presented as progress.

Nit picking here a tad but that is actually an adaptation of the Balkenkreuz first used at the end of WW1 right into the Weimarer Repubik, it´s called a patte Kreuz and is a symbol dating back to the crusades and used by the teutonic knights.

At least the British have plenty of choice......

Maybe the statues are gone, but still plenty of street names etc with Soviet connections in E Germany for example.

Isn't East Germany a cesspool of the extreme right? Or interpreted as such..

Maybe it gives populist politicians something to cultivate grievances over. But the thing is, they get on nevertheless and when a NATO or SEATO or whatever conference takes places, nobody asks for that portrait to be taken off the wall.

And anyway, WW2 and Cold War is a bit, uh, special. But as for the rest of history, I don't think most people care.