In this post I hope to outline the differences in how Germany and America have responded to their troubling past. While both countries naturally have numerous troubling aspects of their history, I will be focusing on slavery in the U.S. and the Nazi regime in Germany. I find this discussion intriguing and relevant, as today in the U.S. there continues to be debate over how education of slavery and the issue of race should be taught. And although Germany is not without far-right parties as well, it has stricter policies towards public references to the Nazis as well as eduction so I aim to compare the two approaches.

 

In America, the display of the confederate flag is not illegal and in fact in my experience is somewhat common in certain areas of the nation. The exception to this is that the U.S. military has recently banned the display of the flag by military institutions and on their groups. Confederate flags and generals are seen by some as inspiring southern pride, and many confederate generals have monuments in their honor. And a collection of American military bases, such as Fort Hood in Texas, are named after Confederate generals. In terms of education, although schools have early American history as a part of their curriculum, recent debates over such concepts as Critical Race Theory have resulted in restrictions in some states on what can be taught and how. There were roughly 47 bills introduced in 2021 in 23 state legislatures. One proposed law prohibits teachers from discussing any topic that could cause “discomfort, guilt or anguish” on the basis of political belief.

 

In Germany, there is a far reaching ban on the display of Nazi symbols. The Nazi salute, infamously the right arm straight and skyward, is illegal to perform, and can result in 3 years of jail time in certain scenarios. Denying the holocaust is also illegal, as is many types of hate speech. On the other hand, artists can apply to display Nazi symbols in their art, and their use for civic education and research is allowed. The German policy views Nazi symbols as “symbols of anti-constitutional organizations,” so displaying them in art and in education is allowed, so long as they are not endorsed. This is in direct reaction to the fascist regime of Nazi Germany, and the Germany government today views far-right extremism as a true threat to their democracy. 

 

Few countries have similar bans on displaying Nazi symbols, but to me it seems that Germany views them as especially for their democracy since it is German history. I think it is worth considering adopting similar bans on symbols and endorsement of anti-constitutional organizations, because although the Confederacy may represent Southern Pride for some, it also first and foremost represents a racist organization that was directly opposed to our nations current constitution.