The Truth About German Pride & Patriotism 

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Also wrote it on another channel but here is my opinion: We Germans show our patriotism by watching all the reaction videos about Germany and seeing how people react to how great we are - its like a quiet version of patriotism :D

I think the flag here just serves a different purpose: The German flag functions kind of like a name tag. Seeing it says "Hi, I am from Germany" which is why you'll see it every time Germans are together with people from other countries. At sporting events, with exchange students, during any international competition. Because you wanna represent the country! But INSIDE the country? People here don't see a necessity for it. Imagine if your brother wore a name tag at home. That's what it would be like if someone in Germany puts up a German flag. Like... what do you wanna say with that? We all know you're German. Why do you need to point it out? 😅🫠

As a German I have to say, you hit the point about the "regional pride" in Germany pretty spot on and also the comparison of American vs. German pride is pretty accurate. Germany is basically in many aspects still the conglomarate of dutchies and principalities of the holy Roman empire. Having lived in New Zealand too, I can really relate to how their national pride which is super nice and welcoming as a foreigner compares to the German more "cautious" subtle pride.

Growing up learning about German history I was ashamed to be German. Now that I'm older I on the one hand recognise that there is a lot of good in our culture, mentality and the people and on the other hand have realised how German I truly am while traveling abroad. I am German in the grumpy, closed off way, sometimes very stuck up and rule loving and I'm also German in the poetic, detail oriented, problem solving, rational thinking kind of way. And I feel lucky and happy being part of German culture. I want to contribute to the good of the culture and the people while helping to get rid of the problems and deficits. I would never consider myself patriotic and even though I'm from bavaria I have no regional pride either. I consider myself rather left wing and progressive but I see Germany as my community to which I want to contribute. I don't understand American patriotism where you can only ever say how great things are. It stops you from making things better and divorces you from reality. Real love comes from truly understanding something with all its flaws and weaknesses

As a foreigner born and raised in Germany I really am impressed with your 110% accurate perception of the culture and attitude. And the way you deliver this is very, very careful / respectful. Thank you.

When I lived in another country (Australia) I used to have a little German sticker on my car. Now I am back in Germany, I would never do this, because it might put me in a certain corner of the political spectrum, I don't want to be associated with. On the other hand, the village I grew up in, and live in again was merged with a neighbouring village in 1970. After 50 years it is still "us" and "them"!

So I spent a few months at a Canadian High School as an international student. And my teacher one day gave the assignment to write about why everyone was proud to be Canadian. She then looked at me and went: oh, you just go ahead and write about why you are proud to be German. I just blinked at her rather stupidly and recallibrated my brain to think about a concept entirely foreign to my upbringing and education 😅

The thing is that germany is basically 16 little countries wearing a trenchcoat to look like they are one. I think a big reason why we show so little pride in our country is because we aren't quite sure how we actually manage to pull it off like that. The regional differences are astounding. In terms of language alone. I'm from around Hannover witch puts me in the wierd situation that every german can understand me without problem, but i can't understand a word of like half of the regional dialekts that exist here. Was in rural Bavaria once and couldn't for the hell of it understand this older gentleman when i asked him for directions. Has been easier to communicate in god damn Tanzania for me than in southern germany. Puts things into perspective.

i think the regional pride is so much stronger bc it's the same culture so it's actually something you feel closely connected with, while germany as a whole can be hard to sum up, regions are a lot more concise and have more shared experiences and influences etc. when i moved from the north to the west there were a lot of times i noticed big differences in my friends' upbringing and experiences compared to mine, be it differences in school systems, different dialects, different festivals, different humour, generally different mindsets,... you could definitely tell a difference and after i moved to the north again i found it easier to relate to the people around me again and to bond with them and then being proud of germany is often associated with certain view points like not liking anything non german like foreigners or religions that aren't christianity etc. germany is so different in different regions that i don't even know what i'm supposed to be proud of or closely associate with. i have an emotional connection to things like the kieler woche, fischbrötchen, plattdeutsch, the hamburger hafen and all that northern stuff but i have no connection to carneval, cuckoo clocks, käsespätzle and i don't even understand bavarian. it just doesn't feel like it personally relates to me

Repeating a phrase each morning, makes the phrase completly meaningless, and the act is simply a brainwash. Cause nobody has the option to skip it, to question it, or to actually mean it. It's enforcement.

I am half American half german and I grew up in Germany (Berlin). When I went to the US to live there for a year and went to Highschool- I was so shocked with all of the patriotism there. Even though I’ve grown up with American movies and an American dad, I still did not expect it the way it happened. The flag was EVERYWHERE on every corner: every store, restaurant, mall, and even people’s own houses. And then of course at school in EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM. I thought that was low-key creepy. Oh and they did the pledge of allegiance every morning at school. And I’ve asked around and noticed that every single other person from Europe felt weird about it too. It sometimes reminded me of China or the DPRK (no offense it’s just what I thought and I mean- I am American too lol). I talked to my US history teacher about it and she told me that she understands that it would be weird for me and she told me that everyone there is just used to it so they wouldn’t even think about it. And she also told me that it is required for her to have a flag in her classroom (if she could choose she wouldn’t have one). I talked to my family about it too- and I talked with other Europeans and other Americans and I think it’s very interesting to see how all of the Europeans (that I have talked to or heard from) think about it like I do. We feel weird about it. And all the Americans are used to it and don’t really seem to question it. Especially those that have never left the US and do not watch international news. Lol. That’s also a thing: the standard news there are mostly just focused on the US. Whereas here in Germany the standard news cover ALL big things going on in the world (at least that’s how I feel about it). Many interesting things.

I'm not a German, but a Luxembourger, though I lived in Germany for several years. Here's what 19th century philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer had to say about patriotism. I think it encapsulates nicely the European, and specifially German, way of thinking about this: "The cheapest sort of pride is national pride; for if a man is proud of his own nation, it argues that he has no qualities of his own of which he can be proud; otherwise he would not have recourse to those which he shares with so many millions of his fellowmen. The man who is endowed with important personal qualities will be only too ready to see clearly in what respects his own nation falls short, since their failings will be constantly before his eyes. But every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud adopts, as a last resource, pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and glad to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority."

We have pledged enough allegiance for a thousand years. I feel committed to the Basic Law of Germany (Grundgesetz) and I am not proud to be German, but feel very lucky to be.

Whoa, I think you hit the nail on the head and I just never realized it. I was born in the Rhineland region as the child of immigrants and absorbed the culture subsequently. I only ever realized I had patriotic feelings for good old Germany when I went to Vienna for six years and saw how different that culture is. But the kicker truly is that upon going back... it was important to me to go back to my home region. I'm back in the Rhineland and whenever I told Austrians/Viennese people about why I miss home... I would qualify my statements by prefacing them with a "Well, mainly in the Rhineland with it's jolly culture it's x, y..." I loved vienna too. Still can do the accent and there will always be a little piece of me that misses the dorky Austrians. And my heritage gives me another facet of culture: my slavic roots and the pains inflicted by Russia are something I feel to this day, by proxy of my family and their stories. I was the first child born in freedom, after an escape plot, right before the system over there collapsed. It's strong bonds that go deep into history for sure. But... most outwardly and in my day to day life... I'm a frickin Rheinländer. I hate Karneval, but I'll miss it when it's not celebrated. I can speak a blend of Dutch and German most Germans just think is funny. I make jokes about Kölsch and Alt to see the two parties go at each other. Big city folks are so serious about this stuff... I'm a Rheinländer who loves his flat horizont and my Mantaplatte and the tongue in cheek humor of my people. Thank you for making me realize!

As a German I have to say, that you pretty much nailed it in this video. I would only add one thing: I´m 44 years old I think that from my generationand and younger more and mor people are getting sick of having to feel ashamed of the german past. When I was born, Nazi times were over for 35 years already. Even my grandfather was so young, he was not drafted for military by the Nazis. So we should look ahead and create our own History, without forgetting the past. I think many of my "agemates" somehow think in a way like this.

You hit the topic spot on here. I especially liked that you played the first chords of Germany's national anthem after the Pledge of Allegiance. I missed you making the connection between the two, though. The first verse of the German national anthem is freely translated "Unity and justice and liberty for the German mother country. Let us all brotherly strive for this with heart and hand". Yes, we don't pledge allegiance regularly, but whenever we sing our anthem, we should really mean it. And that's bigger than the difference between bavaria and prussia.

You did a good job analysing this topic👌 Here in Bavaria we make jokes about those guys living on the other side of the river. But when we meet them in another state we happily recognize that we are from the same region - different to the those in that other state. The more you think about it the more hilarious it gets😂

Being American, I grew into feeling discomfort with "Pride". I think the way we use the feeling of being proud should change. As you described "I'm proud of you", to me it feels more emotional by expressing happiness. "I'm happy for you!" I'm not and never have been a "proud American". The closest I will come is saying that I am proudly from Wisconsin, however therein hits closer to the definition because there is some decision and action behind it (I was born in Illinois and also moved around a lot) Regarding flags, I think more people should experience something like I did. Hannover was the first city I visited in Germany and It's the first place that I stood and then saw photos from the Nazis time. Hannover's Maschsee is a popular spot and seeing a photo of the nazi flag flying on flag poles that are still there....is chilling, you feel it then. There is a gazebo at the lake and I have seen a photo of Adolf himself standing there. I have never walked into it because of that, because its burned into my mind now. Pride can easily become a bad thing. Nationalism is more bad than good. Patriotism should be better than what it is, I think the German example you gave is the way is should be. (I think its funny how in the US the "Patriots" who you hear talk about needing to "take care of our people first" also won't agree to anything like socialized medicine. But that's another topic)

When I heard about the pledge to the Flag and its wording I only thought about what my Grandma told me about going to school in germany in the early 1940s and how things changed after the war ended. Children of 8 years old not understanding why doing 'the salute' was suddenly wrong and stuff like that. Any Indoctrination at that age is just f-ed up. Feeling lucky to live in a time and place where (most) teachers promoted and encouraged independend and critical thought

As a German I would say this sounds pretty accurate to me. It's also more likely for me to say I am glad, not proud, to be a German, but kinda feel proud of the city I grew up in and the things or people that came out of it. So I think your video sums it up pretty well for foreigners who wanna understand us.

"One can only love this country with a broken heart" Bundespräsident F.-W. Steinmeier. Best description of true german patriotism!

First Mettbrötchen, now this. Nalf isn't afraid to tackle controversial topics. 😬

Intresting that you mentioned younger people are more open to show the flag than older ones. There was one key event bevore that you have basically never seen a german flag anywhere. That was the football world cup in Germany 2006. After that event it was more common and also not as frowned on to show the German flag in public. It's still a rare sight for the reasons you described, but it made a noticable difference to before the word cup. I think you can find old german news articles talking of the "new found pride" during the world cup.

I am Paraguayan-German, born and raised in Germany. Even though I am proud of German achievements in the world and respect my Paraguayan ancestors and culture, I identify myself as a EU-citizen first and foremost.

"But it is a different flag!" - This shows the lack of understanding for the core problem. It's not about the swastika vs. black, red, gold. The "bad" flag vs. the "good" flag. I would argue Germans now, after living through this hell, have a much deeper understanding of what you should honor as a nation...and it is not a piece of cloth. It is what it stands for. I get the feeling that people in the US are much more outgoing with their patriotism, while they have a very weak grasp on what the flag represents. And I am not talking states and founding states, but on what values those were built. They seem to focus on their rights much more than on the responsibilities that need be ingrained to make those rights have any meaning. Just waving the flag, while screaming "Freedom!!"...while being in the process of storming the Capitol to stop the democratic transfer of power is such a good image to illustrate the lack of understanding. Another would be hailing the military and soldiers for their service...when that service is killing civilians and committing other war crimes in an illegal war, started on lies and waged for profit and power. But...yay, democracy!! And there lies the danger of such a shallow understanding of what rights have to be balances with what duties. Manipulation by playing on this pride, this lack of knowledge, this fear of "the others" is so much simpler when you can just put a flag in it and rally everybody around it, switching off their brains and ability to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. That is what happend in Germany. People were poor, unemployed, the economy was down the drain and then came a charismatic leader who promised he will make everything great again (sounds familiar, right?). And he did. For a price, plunging the country deep into debt with no plan to get out again...except starting a war. And his party adopted the swastika flag, to which Germans had to pledge allegiance whenever it was hoisted or flown. And if you did not greet the flag, you got your behind kicked or could also be thrown into jail. There was no longer any meaning behind it, it was just your duty to hail the flag, now void of all the values people put into it in the early years and loaded with hate. A hollow puppet. This is why Germans avoid any chance to get back into this habit. There is no need to run around with a flag, because you do not need it to be reminded of your rights and duties. Those are not written on the flag, but in the Grundgesetz.

Being from Ireland I was surprised by the lack of pride Germans show because of their history compared to the British. Both have a history of committing terrible acts of violence. I live close to Northern Ireland, and every time I Cross the border, there is Union Jacks everywhere. Britain would be similar to USA in that way. They teach their own history well in Germany but that is not the case in Britain. Many wouldn’t be aware of atrocities. It’s an interesting topic. Ireland too are a very proud nation but we don’t have our flag all over the country. It’s more in our culture I would say. Happy belated Thanksgiving btw ;)

Bravo !!! Very well explained! I am always impressed by your deeply rooted understanding of our German history and culture. - Thank you Nalf! ❤️

I have been thinking about this topic very often in the last weeks and you hit it! Thank you for this video.

Very well said, Nalf, I think you nailed it pretty much. I am a 55 year old German, and the first time in my life that I felt "proud" rather than "glad" about being German was when Angela Merkel back in September 2015 decided to accept the refugees in Germany. I had no part in that decision, it was not my achievement and yet I felt more than ever connected to my people in the commitment to help and do what was necessary.

I love your nuanced insight into Germany and German culture. As a German myself, I must say that (almost) every one of your observations are phenomenally accurate and hit home for me, as did this one. Thank you & keep up the great work

Sehr schön beobachtet. Man merkt, dass Du schon länger hier bist und mit offenen Augen durch die Gegend läufst. Sehr sympathischer Content im Ganzen.

Fantastic video and take on the German way of thinking of their country! My wife is originally from Czechia but lived in Cologne for many, many years. Her patriotism for that town and love of anything Koelsch is unfathomable. We have pictures, flags, quotes, icons .... you name it, we got it .... from Cologne all over the house! She watches Karnival live on TV with tears rolling down her cheeks. She follows the success (or not) of the 1.FC soccer club with passion. She only drinks beer out of 2cl glasses. but when it comes to Germany, or Czechia for that matter, ..... pffft ..... couldn't care less.

Couldn't agree more. As a born and raised German and having lived in the U.S. for a very long time, I've experienced both sides. The first time I got introduced to the national U.S. anthem, was at the movie theater on an American military base. Before the movie started, everyone got up and the anthem was played. So I correlated it, to being something the military did. After I moved to the U.S., it wasn't as prevalent as it is now. An occasional flag here or there, and nobody drove around in their pick-ups with giant flags and/or stickers, advertising "I am a true patriot". Being a self proclaimed patriot nowadays, almost gives me the heebie jeebies since I feel, the true meaning got hijacked by the wrong people. Just because you wrap yourself into a flag literally and figuratively, a kind of in your face boisterous attempt at showing others up, is reminiscent of I'm sad to say, history possibly repeating itself, just in another country and another flag. I hope, I am wrong.

Hi Nalf. I´ve seen you today first time in a "Feli from Germany " Video and checked out your channel. I was surprised in a VERY positive and objective way, how open you analized that very serious topic here in Germany! You spoke right out of my mind! Thanks for that!

Excellent analysis! I’m a 42-yr old German from Cologne, who attended high school and an MBA program in the US. I always found the pledge of allegiance creepy. I have often stated that I feel fortunate (but not proud) for being German. My patriotism is significantly more local than national.

for a country that only has two neighbouring nations and that has most of its population never traveling out of the country i always found it pretty hilarious that Americans seem to have to constantly remind each other just where they are and just how proud they are of their country. it's like a man who lives alone on an island and his only huge treasure is a mirror and he spends all day congratulating himself of being the most handsome man in the world XD

I'm Mexican and we are very nationalists too, and It was a shock when I moved to Germany, because I even thought they would have a big Festival on the German unity day, like we have on the Independence day, but absolutley nobody cared 😂.

I'm an English teacher in Germany who was born in Germany but has lived in Canada and England. Currently, we're looking into globalism versus nationalism in the USA in comparison to Germany. You said many things I'd definitely agree on:Regional pride is much more prominent than national pride. Having to pledge allegiance to a flag every morning seems creepy for sure. And we're not proud of our country's progress/inventions/famous people because we had nothing to do with it. However, I have to add:If we did associate ourselves with it, we'd also have to associate ourselves with Nazi Germany.You can't just pick your cherries.If Americans looked at it the same way, they would personally identify with slavery, blocking the Civil rights movement and the trail of tears.

Dude... you nailed the whole topic on the spot. Great Video. Greetings from Cologne.

There is a great bit in Terry Pratchetts book Night Watch where two officers discuss if raising the flag and singing the anthem are acts of treason or not. They settle on „suspicious“ but not treason. The bit ends with one of the officers saying something like „we don’t run around telling people that we are the greatest, we just are!“

I'm italian living in South of Germany. My german friends are all proud of to be german. But they don't need it to prove that.

Thank you for this very well researched and respectfully portrayed documentation of the lack of German pride and the existence of what we call local patriotism. It was always difficult for me to explain to foreigners, now I can just link back to this video.

When I applied for my German citizenship, I had to answer the question on the form, "Why do you want to become a German?" I looked at the official very seriously and said, "I don't feel German. I feel like an East-Westphalian. Every time when I drive back to this city on the federal highway and pass the "Porta Westfalica" I know, here is my home." A silence followed between us and he looked at me very seriously. I already thought: "Ok, thats it with your German citizenship....". The official then said in a very calm and serious voice: "I also grew up here. -- I know EXACTLY what you mean. That's good enough for me to answer." I moved from North Rhine-Westphalia to Lower Saxony because of my wife. Sometimes it feels like a different "country". Every federal state, indeed, every region in Germany has its peculiarities and cultural characteristics. I can react very annoyed when people abroad equate Bavaria with Germany (just like every Swabian, Saxonian, Berliner, Brandenburgian, Westphalian, etc....). Many Germans love their homeland (where they grew up), but they do not say it out loud. This love is expressed differently. Local food (bakeries!), or in the football stadium. The "rivalry" between neighboring football clubs (Schalke and Dortmund as an example) shows how fans feel connected to "their city". When I´m asked abroad where I come from, I say: "I live in Germany. I'm an East-Westphalian. And a European." Great chanel: I like to see your posts about US-American und Germans.👍👍👍

I was born and raised in Germany. Am I proud to be German? Why should I? I am proud to be the son of my parents and the grandson of my grandparents. I am proud of my children and grandchildren. I like the life in Germany very much, I like the social system and the solidarity among each other. I like the focus on effectiveness, the directness and the freedoms we have. I like nature and living with it. Why should I hang up the flag? It's just a piece of cloth, it's the spirit and the history behind it that counts. How did Germany become the way it is today? Who were the actors and what did they achieve? What happened at the Hambach Festival, and why was it celebrated? What happened at the Paulskirche in Frankfurt? This is something that should be dealt with and not just a flag hung up.

I love my country. I love the great strides we made. I love how we manage to come together despite the volatility of our groups. I love our passion, our love for sturdy bases, our unhindered understanding of each other. I love our lands, the hauntingly beautiful landscapes, the marvellous architecture, the public transportation nets that span the countryside. I love our cultures, from the fishermen and the Alte Land up north to the fishermen and Milchbauern down south(yes, there is a massive difference between the fishermen up north and down south). I love the german knack for the sciences, the engineers, the musicians, poets and artists. I love our Grundgesetz, and that our right to be human is guaranteed for eternity. I love my country. I don't need tacky shows of pride to know that.

Great analysis! Also, a lot of great posts in the comment section that make very valid points. As you mentioned, local and regional identity is much stronger than the national one. You already pointed out that there is local and regional merch. People are used to the surroundings and the people they grew up in and with, and will form some bond with them. I.e., the feeling of identity has concrete meaning to it. The national identity feeling is more "formal" or "official", I think. What connects the German citizen from a random village with the German nation is the infrastructure, the language, the laws and the government, the Bundestagswahl. That there exists an Autobahn network, a Deutsche Bahn, that any university in Germany will accept your Abitur. That's why the German flag, at least to me, always feels "official". Even though you showed a counterexample, the flag is commonly flown in front of administrative or government buildings, at universities and schools. So for me, it's more akin to a feeling of respect to the nation unifying us, than of pride. You don't associate the flag with the people of Germany, but with the administration and its sphere of influence. That is, regarding the "normal" German flag context. The soccer thing is an entirely different game; I think there it's actually pride, but not so much for the flag as for the team. Would be interesting to know whether fellow Germans feel similarly; interestingly, this is not a topic that is much discussed by Germans :) I wonder how the identity feeling towards the states is in the US. Do Americans feel a similar compassion to the flag of their state?

Thank you for this highly accurate Description of a subject which is indeed complicated.

You're a great observer 👍 and analyst 🤓 and I learnt one more time something about my country by watching your video ✌

i always love the comment section under your videos!! so reflective and educational

WOW man, really good Video. Loved it!

Great video! You hit the nail on the head!

The thing you said about 'closeness of assosciation' / who you feel you can be proud for resonated with me (German). You yourself talked about this thing with Germans where it's much harder to form a friendship or get into an inner social circle but once you're in your're IN while in the US a lot of people are very quick to be friendly and open to people, invite them, call them friends but it's usually a much bigger circle that is for the most part much less close and serious. Many people that US-American would have met they would say 'yeah that's a friend' and a German would say 'Nah das ist ein Bekannter (an aquaintance)'. Couldn't we also map the 'proud' thing to that? Germans feel immense (and often open) pride to people and places they have gotten to know for a long time. They took the time to form this connection and now taht the connection is there and deep you feel connected and feel pride. But the concept of 'Germany' is a whole is too far away, too lose, too different. That's why it works for soccer and the national team (you have a clos econnection to the sport and feel you know the players) VS smth like German foreign policy or smth vague like 'being German'. US-citizens on teh other hand, just like with their openness to a much bigger but loser social circle also see a much loser connection as enough to feel proud and so there is a lot of pride in anything titled as 'American' even if noone really know what it means or teh implications are kind of iffy. Just like with a lose american friendship you don't actually go thqt deep with the concept. Just some thoughts 🤔

Nick, I have to say it again. I just LOVE your videos. And your analysis on German pride and patriotism is absolutely correct. I admire your ability to understand this country so precisely. Well done. To talk with you must be a joy.

Chapeau my friend that is a well researched piece of entertainment. The battle of worringen bro respect. You did your homework

i,am a proud German like you said ! I,Am a Prouder Swabian !! but the Proudest i,am to my hometown you are 100 % Correct !!! keep up the good work i,am proud of you 👊

I’m german and from my point of view, the 2006 world championship changed our attitude towards the flag. True, like you said, football tournaments are an exception. But even after the finals in 2006, I saw lots of flags all over the place and it kinda felt nice tbh.

Hey Nalf, well done. I really think you have a good point about regional "patriotism" and I appreciate your honest considerations about American patriotism. Keep up the good work man.

Very nice research , thank you for that !!

I had to laugh about the last comment on our regional pride, because it is soo true. I live in Saarland, which is historically kind of a late comer to the Bundesrepublik and changed nationality between German and French several times (we even had our own football national team back in the 50's). So to us (especially the older part of our people), when we are traveling outside of our Bundesland, we 're still traveling to the "Reich". And basically, it doesn't matter if you're from Cologne, Munich or New York. if you're not from Saarland, you're a foreigner. TL:DR we are Saarlandians first, Germans second (or even third, depending on how europe-centric our view is).

Spot on topic and happy thanksgiving! As a US military family; our daughters are German/Americans and attended Italian schools as well when we stationed in Italy. When we moved back to California my girls thought I was joking that the pledge of allegiance was recited each day at school. They were shocked the first day of school. With regards to patriotism, I believe the two countries on on the opposite ends of a patriotic-spectrum. On one side, you have to wonder how much German history and the German burden (and all the WWI and WWII memorials, discussions, movies and constant reminders) impact German's sense of pride as a nation. On the other side of the spectrum, I wonder how much the US flag is seen as a symbol for independence and freedom for so many generations. It's also has expanded, not only being associated to Independence Day celebrations, but many so many other things: sporting venues, school events, merchandise, etc. Ironically, many military members I know are very conservative on overly displaying the flag and hyping up patriotism. I really liked the VLOG on NFL popularity in Germany from a historic perspective. While stationed at Rhein-Main in the early 80s, the military football league was huge (believe it was called the Continental Sport Conference). The base commanders were fully behind their base teams and greatly enjoyed all the bragging rights that went with it. Fun Fact: Like college athletes who are in reality full time football players, many of US Air Force football players were on paper working on the flight line or in other sections, but were in reality fact full-time football players. LOL. Keep the VLOG cultural differences coming and continued success. Greg

There was a time in Germany when you would have something very similar to your daily pledge of allegiance in schools. Before 1989 in East German schools you would begin the day with a similar indoctrination ritual - with eerily similar choice of words in fact. Other than that I think the phrase "glad not proud" sums it up perfectly. And looking at the world I'd say nothing good ever comes from blind adoration for any country or rather a concept of a country.

Good take! Couple of perspectives I haven’t given a thought yet, but they make total sense. Keep it up!

You sum it up perfectly!!!😊👍🏻

Proud to not be proud matches it perfectly. Glad in a collective society sense on the other side is the right term to describe the feeling you often hear and see in our country. Adding up to that, it's really more about regional or local identity like you mentioned by referring to the Cologne/Düsseldorf example. Sometimes it even goes down deeper to the neigborhood level, way before one talks about some touch of national identity. Big props for this video pointing it out that clearly!

The only thing I’ll say is, I personally really like the German flag itself haha. It has actually been around and used off and on for almost 200 years now, and I enjoy three-colored, horizontal flags and its very bold colors as well. It looks great.

Dude honestly...you nailed it again. Just starting watching your videos, but you are looking deep into people's minds here. I studied some kind of social science and I am talking and thinking alot about those things. I am far from an expert, but you are just putting my perception in words. One day, we'll have a beer together and dig deep in this shit. Cheers man!

This video was so well put, good job! I'm proud of you! :)

DEUTSCHLAND MEIN HERZ IN FLAMMEN

When asked if I'm feeling proud being German, I answer "No, I'm feeling happy to be a German"

What you're saying about "association" makes me think of the definition of "friends": In Switzerland (and I'm confident this applies to Germany just as well) a friend is a person who is there for us, no matter what. We probably grew up together or met a long time ago. Our parents know them. In the U.S. a friend can also be a work colleague, a neighbor, or an acquaintance. Muss "lesser standards". I can totally relate to the statement "why should I be proud, I didn't contribute to the achievements." I enjoy the benefits though.

Most countries don't do the flag thing so the real question is why do people in the US overdo it so much.

I really love how you really dig into these cultural topics and try to put them in words. I also thought about that topic a lot, here are my thoughts. - I think the US as a truely immigrant country perceives „the nation“ as a unifying element under that everyone, no matter where they come from, can unite under. In North America (in contrast to Europe) there is no deep rooted history of national rivalries, aversions and wars, so there is no need to use the idea of a nation to exclude others or to differentiate yourself from others. Europe is the pole opposite: I would guess most of my forefathers (for roughly a thousand years, up to my grandad) have at some point of their life marched into another country to conquer that or defended against conquerer. And that is not just a German thing, but pretty much a shared European experience. So when the „idea of nations“ came along, it was first and foremost used to mark off yourself against others. This movement then lead to all the tragedies of the last century. - A second point is, that in the day to day life in America your ethnicity plays no role when it comes to differentiate between Americans and non-Americans, because the US is not a country that is, or ever was primarily defined by ethnicity. So you often here people say things like: „I’m 25% English, 25% Swedish and 50% Italian.“ and although they say that they identify as 100% American. This is a sentence that you would never ever hear a European say, because your either from here or from there, but you can’t really be both. Because in Europe ethnicity plays a way bigger role. - One thing that I keep reminding myself when it comes to topics like this one is, that although the dictionary says that two words have the same meaning, they can have two vastly different cultural meanings. „To be proud“ is one of those examples. Although there is a literal translation, „stolz“ has a vastly different cultural meaning. To be honest, I have barely heard someone in Germany say that they are proud of anyone or anything, if they are proud of something it’s almost always their own accomplishments. So the same questions in two different languages can have vastly different cultural meanings. Hope that makes sense

I am proud of our great community in northern lower saxony , because when the corona pandemic broke out very severely and a lot people were sick.We helped each other because we were not allowed to leave the house.Then took over and put the shopping in front of the door. Here we help each other with problems. I´m happy about this team spirit and that`s why i don`t need a german flag, but anyone who has a flag is also ok. ☺💜

The regional pride thing is spot on. Visiting Mainz all my life, I'd only see the German flag at civic/government buildings and souvenir shops, but the Mainz flag/crest is different. I see the red with spoked wheels pretty much everywhere. And people living there that are from another region of Germany will show their region's flag in some way as well. The regional identity is probably waning as more people move around the country and have family spread out more, but I know my grandfather had a very strong regional identity. He always had something to say about Germans from literally every other part of the country and seemed to know all of their stereotypes. But one year I did see a lot of national flags flying on lamp posts all over downtown. Just not of Germany. It was the US flag. A few days before the 4th of July.

"Proud of not being proud" As a German I'm proud of that short accurate description of that phenomenon! For myself I see the lack of patriotism as some kind of shield against nationalism. Three or four generations after the Nazis, we really really REALLY still don't want that shit again!

This is so interesting to watch as a german. Thanks mate!

You got a real deep understanding of pride, and the little more thoughtful Germans. If you overdo with pride, it can become meaningless, or even arrogant. Cause it includes the position "I'm better than you". A Marathon winner has the right to do so. It's an achievement. But even him, please not every 5 Minutes. (Nice episode in "The big bang theory", with Wolowitz permanently pronouncing he is an astronaut. Pride breaking reaction: It shows every idiot can go to space).

As a German, i can copy that- "you hit the nail on the head" hahaha

Long story short, one of the best analyses i have seen.

At soccer games the fans often sing regional anthems like in Baden the "Badnerlied" or in Bochum, where I moved recently, they sing the song "Bochum" by Herbert Grönemeyer before every game which kind of is the anthem of Bochum.

Always a good day when the NALF pats a video😉 as to your content: I love the creative way you include your sponsor! Well done, really! as to national pride: being Austrian I think I know the feeling… growing up ( in the 80’ies and 90’ies) being proud of your country or being proud being Austrian wasn’t an option. I think we were still full in finally-coping-with -what-has-happened-mode. There were still many survivors of the war, many grand parents who witnessed the 3rd Reich or fought in the war. The first at least two decades everyone just wanted to forget. Out of shame, but also out of deep traumatisation. Then the 70er came along and all those questions were posed (where were you, why didn’t you do something, where did you fight, ….). So slowly the process of dealing with unspeakable trauma began, and I think it is still not finished. While I was in my teens I think Austria was still in the phase of admitting guilt, which is what I grew up noticing. After a long time of either not admitting one’s own responsibility or just not being able to deal with the monstrosities many had witnessed I think it was necessary to face and accept this side of our history. But this also led to at least one generation of Austrians who rather felt ashamed that proud regarding their origins. I only in recent years this is changing, I think. I am not saying, that there aren’t still too many idiots who cling on to those abominable ideologies of the 30’ies. But having lived outside of Austria and having compared out way of looking at ourselves historically to the way other nations/peoples do for example regarding their colonial past, I think that we have indeed accomplished something in our way of coping with the past. But I also think that we also hold a special responsibility in this regard to take extra care so that this never happens again. I think this does not mean feeling guilty, but accepting responsibility. Never forget.❤️

You kinda forgot to mention that we are not only Germans, but also Europeans. We have open borders and most of us travel between different countries, work in another country, have family in other countries and so on. All the poeple in Europe are our brothers and sisters and you wont find many flags in public in our neighbouring countries either. I think living together with so many different nationalities makes that one country less important.

I liebe deinen kanal so sehr!

I discovered your videos only recently and like them a lot. I worked in the UK 30 years ago as an au-pair. As soon people there found out where I came from they started talking about the war or Hitler. So one day I was even happy when Someone guessed that I am Dutch!!! Today I would day that I am proud to be Swabian.😁

This is out of one of Volker Pispers stand-ups "I am so occupied being human i rarely come around being german"

I find myself in a conflict, beyond your video about proud German… recently I discussed same with friends and it was astonishing that five out of seven answered to the question: where are you from? with „Europe“ and not with Germany. And this is, how I feel. I am emotionally touched once German athletes win, I am deeply touched by a wave of social unity and I am hooked by developers, inventors, poets and thinkers from Germany and I support and talk about German achievements which makes life easier for community. All this is amazing and even more intensive in that moment you meet Germans doing same and the most important is now, that we talk same language and avoid misunderstandings. The reflection of individual, the bird’s perspective to society and the mirroring of doing things and planning future - always under consideration of impact to society, family and at least to me is what I would put under the umbrella of being proud…. living in an area of world called Europe which is so intensive, alive and in movement….regardless of so many languages and nationalities….guess, GERMANY is just one of these places where this is going to happen and is possible and that makes me great….

spot on! greetings from the rhine valley!

well observed and summed up. thx! we are proud not to be proud. but some will say, they feel glad or blessed that they got the gift to grow up and live in such a nice and wealthy environment.

I left Dallas, Texas in September. I had to close my business down due to the parts shortage. After laying everyone off, I took my money and ran to Europe. After spending some time in Istanbul, Amsterdam and now Bucharest....I am not sure I am proud to be an American. My running joke is "What do you call someone who speaks two languages? - Bilingual, What do you call someone who speaks one language? - American." Boy do I get a lot of shit for this. Plus soooooo many things I have seen done better, it is almost embarrassing what could be better in the US if we could all just get along, At most, I say I am from Texas because of the stereotype, but when I fill people in on how much everything costs, their jaws drop.

To me, there is another layer to this and that is the attitude of Germans towards the government and many Germans view the national flag more as a symbol of the government than of the people. Of course, this also involves a lot of the things you mentioned, be it WW2 or the history of the regions in Germany. For example, if you have a neighbor who has a party and it's loud late into the night. You see it in plenty of movies and you see it in everyday life that people in America will call the cops, often without even going over to their neighbor first and talking to him. If you do that in Germany, you'd be criticized for it. Getting the government involved is a last resort. It's like snitching. It's dishonorable. Paying taxes to receive services is more like a business transaction; you pay something and get something in return. But that's for situations in which you can't do it yourself; not when it's more convenient to let somebody else do it. No matter whether the party was outlandishly loud and it was rude beyond measure, as soon as you call the cops before talking to your neighbor, everything pales in comparison to that very last action and all you'd hear people say is "Be it as it may, he should have talked to me himself first!" You might say that Americans - despite all the openly discussed anti-government sentiment - have a lot less hesitation to get the government involved whenever it's convenient. And because of that attitude towards the government and because the national flag is the symbol of that government, Germans don't wave it or pledge allegiance to it. But during times like the World Cup, that perception changes because now it's also the symbol for the national team, so Germans are waving it to support the team.

In my opinion the biggest difference between "American patriotism" and "German patriotism" (and of course this does not mean everyone thinking or behaving the same) is that Americans understand patriotism as understanding the US as perfect and not accepting any critique against it, even ignoring facts that do not work in the US or were really bad in US history or even try to argue why they are not bad or something. Germans understand their patriotism to be about making the country the best version it can be. Above all, that means criticizing and openly addressing negative aspects so that they can work to improve them. Also having that history it is an obligation to do everything to never repeat the mistakes and horrors, Germany was responsible for. This includes openly learn about and discuss German history without any embellishments and not just dismiss it as "the past". But of course this does not apply to any American or any German and there are diffierent opinions in either country. It is just my general impression as a pretty "liberal" (or tbh left wing) German .

I think this is your best video! Good job

"germans are proud to not be proud" ...ive never felt more german haha

Great video and great topic. For me, the pledge of allegiance is similar to the Catholic creed. (Don't get me wrong, I don't want to stop anyone from doing what they love to do). When I was young I went to church regularly (had to). As I got older I stopped just repeating the creed, I tried to understand the meaning. From that point on, I knew I couldn't endorse every word of it. In church no one forces me, so I stopped to pray every word. But if I'm not mistaken, refusing the pledge of allegiance in an US school could cause you problems. In my German thinking, this is more "compulsion" than "freedom".

You know more about us then we do! And i mean that Its really cool to see a outside perspective that is so crazy accurate Love your content 👍

what I would add about the part starting at around 5:50, about pride, is that there is a subtle, but important, distinction between "being proud *of germany*" vs "being proud *to be german*" the former, I feel, matches your example about catching up with the old friend, whereas the latter, to me, at least, does imply something like "I have achieved something myself", which, as you said, is precisely what most of us want to avoid expressing additionally, it's worth noting that there's always the inevitable element of "yeah, but it could be better", and since Germans tend to be *great* at complaining about comparatively tiny issues, that might further hinder the whole pride thing for reference, I'm German and 19 years old now

Imho American pride, the way I have gotten to know it from studying and living there, is characterized by this national success story. Assimilating so many immigrants and their cultural influences and thriving from it. Germany's national identity has had to take some serious blows as far as self-esteem is concerned. And righteously so. I believe that's why the regional pride is there and strong. Non-aggressively but still upfront. It's not guilt-ridden, as anything with nazi must be. The Swiss call their national football team nazi. Different story, not for Germany for good reasons. Actually, I'm proud to be German, being a mix of at least three regions, which I all have understood and carry in my heart.

As a german: I don't identify as a german but as a Schleswig-Holsteiner. Like when I go cross the danish border it is just like home whereas when I travel in other parts of Germany I feel like a foreign tourist. :D

I think you nailed it! I‘m a German and I love representing my big love, the football team VfB Stuttgart. But I don’t show big support for the national team, sometimes I even ignore it. And every American I notice right now is super hyped for the world cup. I think that’s kind of the same phenomenon.