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Special Report |
LAST UPDATE October 29, 2009
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| October 21, 2009 |
Tuebingen International Students – Facing the Past…Facing the Truth |
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Political Science and Geography student Robert Strohbach reports on his interview session with Hibakusha. Mr Strohbach said he was surprised at efforts made by the Japanese government at the time to hide the true impact of the bombings. |
The Legacy of Nazi Germany recounts the mass murder of European Jews and other persecuted people in concentration camps, the deaths of millions more civilians as a result of combat, the displacement of countless families and the destruction of invaluable remnants of human history. It also includes the confusion and guilt that Germans continue to struggle with 64 years after the end of World War II.
“Is your grandfather a murderer?” The directness of the question drew a hush over the audience during a presentation by International Students (IS) from Tuebingen University in Germany. “Dealing with the Past” was the theme of their one week stay onboard Peace Boat from Izmir, Turkey to Civitavecchia, Italy. Workshops with Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) were a key part of their programme and the students were eager to hear their testimonies. When Peace Boat docked in Dubrovnik, the group also visited victims of the 1990s conflict in Croatia.
For the students, coming to terms with the past demands confronting the issues head on, asking tough questions and unearthing the facts. They were soon to discover that culture plays a critical role in how the past is addressed. PhD student Sophia Benz said the group was surprised that the Hibakusha they met do not lay blame for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She said that as young Germans tend not to be concerned about being irreverent or creating discomfort, they feel more comfortable with laying blame even when it might cause offense. While she appreciated the Hibakusha’s approach, she wondered about its implications on accountability and healing. |
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| Peace Boat’s International Student programme also provided an opportunity for the Tuebingen Students to learn about Japanese culture. Here (from right to left) Bettina Melzner, Jessica Chmura and Daniela Peukert are introduced to Japanese tea ceremony. |
Nationalism is taboo in Germany. According to the IS students, Germans are sensitive about even the slightest hint of German pride. Political Science student Harald Podlech recalled his amazement as he watched German victory celebrations for the 1990 World Cup of Soccer. The streets became a sea of national flags. It was the first time he and many of his fellow countrymen had seen such a display of patriotism. He enjoyed it, but it was strange. Mr Podlech said he was reluctant to fully embrace it.
Director of the Institute of Peace Education at Tuebigen, Uli Jaeger, said that confronting the past is essential to shaping the contemporary German identity. He said the end of the Cold War and the union of East and West Germany, along with travel and cultural exchange, had made it easier for the war generation to talk about the events of the Third Reich. Mr Jaeger said that while the German identity should not remain undefined, the key is to be proud to be German without applying concepts of superiority.
Sophia Benz said she was proud to be German because of her country’s focus on sustainable energy, its active engagement in the United Nations and diligent efforts to establish positive relationships with nations and states affected by the war. Scientific Assistant of the Institute of Peace Education, Nadine Heptner, spoke about the emphasis on school exchange programmes between Germany, France and Poland and the role they played in helping to bring about reconciliation and commitment to a shared European future.
The students were very frank about the discomfort of pressing family members for answers about the war. Reliving the details of the past is still difficult for people who witnessed and participated in the activities of the Nazi regime. It is equally painful for those who listen to the accounts. The Tuebingen students are nevertheless convinced that full knowledge of the truth is the best way of insuring that the events of World War II never happen again. |
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