Hero myth meets nationalism: Why the Veteran Day disturbed me

The first national veteran day recently took place. An event that should be repeated annually from now on. There is quite a lot of criticism of this solemnity and I can hardly put into words how disturbing I find this development – especially as a Jew.

There are good reasons why there has been no such day for German soldiers in Germany. The Memorial Day clearly shows, for example, that the romanticization and iconization of “fallen” soldiers go hand in hand with history revisionism and nationalist people’s narratives.

The sacrificial reversal associated with the honor of German “fallen” soldiers is not only a slap in the face of all the actual victims, but also obscures the responsibility that Germany and Germans have and glorify militarization. I write “please” in quotation marks because it is words like this that contribute to a heroic myth through their heroic connotation.

Another step towards a “war -loving” society

A veteran day does nothing else. He is supposed to create incentive to be celebrated himself and as such. It is another step towards a “war -loving” society. And “manifold” needs nationalism, just as nationalism needs “war capacity”. Both are associated with the social idea of ​​”we” and “the others”.

What an innocent self -image for a German society – not. After all, a difference between “the (real) German” and “the others” has never led to destruction and misery and we know that Germany is incredibly responsible with its army, uh Wehrmacht, uh sorry, Bundeswehr (or not).

As a Jewish, I feel sick when I see the naturalness of the German popular narrative is caressed and papped. The veteran day is nothing more than the expression of the authoritarian longing of this country. Instead of marching music, the alarm bells should actually shrill.