Noah | German Environments

The removal of a Confederate statue in Virginia

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.

Caspar David Friedrich was one of the most prominent German painters during the Romantic Era. He was born on September 5, 1774, in Greifswald, Pomerania, which is now apart of Germany. He died May 7 1840 in Dresden, where he was a professor and artist for many years. He is known for his vast landscape paintings, invoking the mysterious and regal elements of nature. These would come to be understood as key elements of German Romanticism, and Friedrich was a defining artist of this time. He helped to define the sublime as a key part of the Romantic era, combining religious elements with nature. Human helplessness against nature was a central theme of his work, seen in the piece above.

Das Eismeer, further known by its English name The Sea of Ice, is estimated to have been painted by Friedrich in 1824. It depicts a frozen seascape, with a large pile of thick sheets of ice dominating the foreground. In the background, it is clear that the ice has damaged and sunk multiple ships. Wood hulls stick out from the ice spires amid a bright polar sky. It is believed that Friedrich was making a reference to Sir William Parry’s expedition to the Arctic in 1819. Fueled by a reverence and fear of the powerful forces of nature, Friedrich may have been making a commentary on his worries for venturing into the arctic. The expedition was largely successful, but The Sea of Ice depicts an alternate reality.

This painting captures not only the seascape of the arctic circle but provides a window into German Romantic feeling for nature. Certain land- and seascapes were held in high regard as spiritual, powerful places. The idea of the sublime in nature can be seen in many Caspar David Friedrich paintings, and may have helped to found the modern German feelings toward nature. Today, the idea of waldeinsamkeit is a uniquely German concept referring to the peace and serenity one feels in the forest. This term speaks to the feeling of clarity being in a sublime natural environment can imbue in people. Perhaps these types of associations with nature as both a peaceful place of reflection and an expanse of great power can be tied back to the Romantic painting of Caspar David Friedrich.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210314-waldeinsamkeit-germanys-cherished-forest-tradition

http://vanishingice.org/caspar-david-friedrich

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caspar-David-Friedrich

German Environments

Sustainability and the Energy Transition in Germany

Author Archives: Noah

Responding to a Problematic Past: The US vs Germany

Caspar David Friedrich – The Sea of Ice