Polish Independence Day will once again be celebrated in Poland on November 11, 2019. Since 1937, this national holiday has been a very special day in the calendar for our direct Eastern European neighbors. The reason is the country's regaining of independence, which until 1918 was influenced by the division by Prussia, Austria-Hungary and Russia. But why is German Unity Day celebrated so cautiously in Germany compared to Poland? OCS questions.
God bless our fatherland: When the 100th anniversary of Poland's independence was celebrated in Warsaw last year, the state ceremony was subject to a heated atmosphere. Around 200,000 people participated in a huge demonstration and march through the city , organized by right-wing extremists. Young Polish people, in particular, support the slogan "Against a cosmopolitan Poland – no immigration!" However, caution is important here. There's nothing wrong with standing up for your country and keeping your personal patriotism to yourself. Nevertheless, one gets the feeling that the boundaries between a sense of homeland and nationalism are fluid and difficult to discern. The difference between Polish nationalism and German patriotism, however, is all the easier to distinguish. In Germany, one is still "allowed" not to express one's pride too loudly. Even the Chancellor and other political parties are very stingy with compliments to the country of their subjects. The Polish government, on the other hand, even supported the right-wing protests in 2018 and lifted the ban on demonstrations previously imposed by the opposition mayor of Warsaw.
Germany celebrates itself far too little
As soon as you talk about being proud of your country in Germany, you quickly run the risk of being sorted into the obligatory right-wing corner. But let's think back about 13 years: The 2006 World Cup took place in Germany. In the sold-out stadium in Munich, the host team traditionally opens the tournament in front of almost 60,000 football fans. The German team is extremely motivated and shoots their opponents Costa Rica into nirvana with a final score of 4:2. The images on the television screens that cross the republic and fill the newspapers the next day are legendary. People celebrate together, lying happily in each other's arms. For the first time in what feels like an eternity, you no longer feel the need to be ashamed when you say: I am proud to be German and to live here. Whipped up by the endless euphoria that allows people from all different backgrounds to peacefully celebrate and rejoice together. Lahm, Klose and Frings unite an entire nation with their goals and give national coach Klinsmann tears of happiness in front of the running reporter's camera.
The time of guilty conscience is over
But why does something like this die down again? Yes, Germany doesn't have it easy when it comes to national pride. A generation, of which only a few thousand are still alive in 2019 and are also already extremely old, has unfortunately left a lasting reputation. Yet there are enough reasons to be happy about standing behind our country. Firstly, basic needs should make us happy: In Germany, we don't have to fear famine or war, we have a solid social and health insurance system, and we aren't hit by a tsunami every summer whose consequences threaten entire livelihoods. Furthermore, German industry in all sectors produces excellent, high-quality products that are appreciated all over the world. German logistics moves enormous flows of goods every year: in 2018, over 3.4 million newly produced cars were exported abroad , around 1.6 million tons of chocolate products were delivered all over the world, and almost 1.5 billion liters of beer were exported. These examples demonstrate the outstanding performance of the logistics industry every day.
Where does patriotism end and national pride begin?
A healthy middle ground seems like a sensible solution, but it's anything but easy to implement. Excessive national pride, with its repercussions of general xenophobia, can never be a serious option given our history. But it's also time to stop hiding; we should be clear about that. If you look at it objectively, common values, ideas, and a strong sense of identification with one's origins are perfectly normal in every country in the world, which we share with many other people. Every Italian, every Spaniard, every Swede, Finn, and Russian identifies with the values and views of their homeland. If this is lacking for too long, identity crises and a lack of cohesion threaten. beginning of the Hungarian uprising on October 23rd why all of Kazakhstan can rejoice in the declaration of sovereignty over the Soviet Union on October 25th, and why the Czechs are happy every October 28th about the proclamation of Czechoslovakia's independence from Austria-Hungary.
And there are national holidays in the north too: Latvia has designated November 18th as a day of honor to celebrate its independence from the Russian Empire, Finland follows on December 6th with the celebrations of its independence (also from Russia). And Germany also has the right to celebrate this country with its social advantages, the beautiful landscapes and areas as well as the internal German unity. October 3rd is perfect for this.
