Sadly some people still bear grudges though, an old work colleague who just recently retired (he is old) doesn't like Germany much because we fought you in two World Wars (his dad was too young for the army in WW2 but served in the Home Guard), but then he is highly opinionated and very right wing, I think he even likes Trump. But this is rare, heck, even my dad, who as I say, served in the war, was very interested when I came over to Germany and while he had been 'untrusting' of Germans when I was a child (even though one of my closest friend's mothers who lived just two doors down the street was German) he came to abandon all that and reach some kind of peace (I do think me being sent over to Germany helped with that a lot), he came to put aside his negative feelings and it makes me very happy to think of this
The wounds caused by war can run very deep.
Even affecting those that had not even been born during its course. And even those who spend a tremendous time and effort to reflect on it.
I am not free of it.
My family has suffered from unrestricted bombing of civilian residential areas. I consider this a war crime regardless of whether the Germans, Russians, Americans or British or anyone else did it. Regardless of whether it happened in WW2, before or anytime after.
I am struggling to find words to describe my rage and disgust when I came across a bronze monument for "Bomber Harris" during a visit to London in the early 90's, whom I consider a war criminal.
I spat on his bronze form. I am not proud of it. But I am not ashamed of it either, whatsoever.
Some might destest me for it when reading this now.
These wounds torn by war rank among the most marginal, and yet they persist after 80 years.
So it would be difficult to accuse someone of some old grudges, especially if they have some foundation. Yet, we should struggle to overcome them if we can. And not reopen old wounds if we can avoid it. Abstraction and distance.
von Marwitz
Be interesting to see the similarities to this debate for sure
