Is Germany a “racist” country?

Racism and racial discrimination are sensitive issues, whether in Germany or elsewhere. Few people will openly admit that they are racially biased, but in fact most of us are – to a certain extent. Think for a moment: If you meet a stranger, what are the first things you notice and pay attention to? Of course, his or her skin colour (the “largest organ”), hair and eye colour, height, etc. Personality and character only come into the picture much later, when communication has set in (which is often hampered by language and cultural differences).

Distinctions based on race (or ethnicity) are - so to speak- built into human interaction. Few societies are free of it. Unfortunately, Germany has a notorious reputation for exaggerated racism. Even people, who don't know anything else about the country, have at least heard about the Nazis and their genocide of European Jews. That Hitler and his cronies have been dead for more than half a century and are rightly abhorred by most contemporary Germans is frequently overlooked. Travelling through Asia, I was often shocked to hear in what high regard as a “strong political leader” Hitler is still held by many people. When I replied that Hitler was not a “political leader” but a ruthless despot who destroyed the country in a senseless war and murdered millions of people, I earned puzzled looks.

Foreign commentators are inclined to compliment Germans on “having learned their lessons” after WW II. Well, at least those in the western part of the country have, I would add. East Germans, living under totalitarian communist rule for 40 years, had little chance to learn about tolerance and the acceptance of people who are in some way different. No wonder, then, that once the “iron curtain” fell, and people with different faces and habits started moving into former East Germany, the local population often reacted in a less than welcoming manner. Widely reported cases of physical attacks on foreigners brought up memories of an inglorious past.

It has been more than two decades now that Germany became reunited again. In many regards, the country has returned to the normality of its European neighbours, meaning that people with right-wing extremist and racist views make up only a tiny minority of the total population. Todays so-called “neo-Nazis” are neither more numerous nor more dangerous than similar “white power” groups in other Western countries. Nazism and its contemporary spin-offs have been outlawed and marginalised in the public sphere throughout Germany.

As an international student in Germany, no matter which country you come from, it is very unlikely that your life or studies will be in any way affected by the remnants of racism and Nazism. If you show respect for local customs and traditions, as should be a matter of course for every foreigner in any country, you can expect most Germans to treat you politely and welcome you in their midst.

Chris

germanstudycentre@gmail.com