When we are young, people in Germany are told about what happened in WW II. It’s such a central point in our education that it recurrs in multiple school subjects over years. We know what happened and how it could happen. Why people voted for Hitler, how people stood by in pretended ignorance and used Jews, POC, disabled people and LGTB as scapegoats for everything that went wrong and ignored what happened to them because it wasn’t their problem.
Now, we see something similar in America. We see a man use such violent racism and hatred rise and become the most powerful man in the world. The parallels are there no matter how hard some people try to deny it. If you ask yourself: How could Hitler rise? You have your answer now.
It’s a true reminder that people do not learn from history, but the thing is history will not forget.
Whatever will come out of this? We don’t know.
People in germany have watched the election unfold with so much worry because we know what could happen, but we felt secure because ‘there is no way he would win. It’s so obvious people can’t be that stupid.’ but well…
Take this advice from a german history student: Stay together and support your minorities. If you are white and cishet then it’s not the time to ignore what might happen only because you are going to be unaffected by it. Be a decent human being, if you see discrimination fight against it for the good of the people, speak out against it, make them feel secure because this is their country as well. If more people had felt that way 70 years ago, maybe it might’ve changed something. Do not make the same mistake my grandparents generation did and be a passive supporter of a regime based on discrimination and hatred.
The first sentence of our constitution is ‘Human dignity shall be inviolable’, and it’s not a sentence that should only apply to Germany, but a sentence that should apply to all people.
When we are young, people in Germany are told about what happened in WW II. It’s such a central point in our education that it recurrs in multiple school subjects over years. We know what happened and how it could happen. Why people voted for Hitler, how people stood by in pretended ignorance and used Jews, POC, disabled people and LGTB as scapegoats for everything that went wrong and ignored what happened to them because it wasn’t their problem.
Now, we see something similar in America. We see a man use such violent racism and hatred rise and become the most powerful man in the world. The parallels are there no matter how hard some people try to deny it. If you ask yourself: How could Hitler rise? You have your answer now.
It’s a true reminder that people do not learn from history, but the thing is history will not forget.
Whatever will come out of this? We don’t know.
People in germany have watched the election unfold with so much worry because we know what could happen, but we felt secure because ‘there is no way he would win. It’s so obvious people can’t be that stupid.’ but well…
Take this advice from a german history student: Stay together and support your minorities. If you are white and cishet then it’s not the time to ignore what might happen only because you are going to be unaffected by it. Be a decent human being, if you see discrimination fight against it for the good of the people, speak out against it, make them feel secure because this is their country as well. If more people had felt that way 70 years ago, maybe it might’ve changed something. Do not make the same mistake my grandparents generation did and be a passive supporter of a regime based on discrimination and hatred.
The first sentence of our constitution is ‘Human dignity shall be inviolable’, and it’s not a sentence that should only apply to Germany, but a sentence that should apply to all people.