The Splendour and Misery of German Self-Presentation

National symbols as a reflection of a nation: monuments, buildings, hymns, colours and national holidays.

Germany has never really been notorious for its sensual language. But we also struggle with the language of representative imagery, especially in politics. In a symbolic way, it reflects the theme of this book: the splendour and misery of the self-presentation of a nation which has only recently developed a new relationship towards its political colours, celebrations and songs.
Germany’s fight for national state unity placed the Germans under a lot of pressure, and the rest of the world even more so. Within the space of around one hundred years, five different political systems have been tried and declared wanting. Revolutions, world wars, crimes of violence, occupation and division were the price we paid for allowing our country to move away from expansionist aggression and political regression. It was only after the Second World War that Germany became a civilized and closely integrated partner of the community of states. In the history of Germany’s symbolic self-presentation we see the reflection of a nation that has needed more than three generations to come of age in a political sense.

The Author
Peter Reichel, born in 1942, is an emeritus professor for historical foundations at the University of Hamburg.
His publications include:
Robert Blum 1807- 1848. Ein deutscher Revolutionär (A German Revolutionary), (2007); Der schöne Schein des Dritten Reiches. Gewalt und Faszination des deutschen Faschismus (The Glamorous Image of the Third Reich. Power and Fascination of German Fascism (reprint 2006);

Schwarz – Rot – Gold. Kleine Geschichte deutscher Nationalsymbole. (Black – Red –Gold. A Concise History of German National Symbols) (2005)