Hi Charles, I was sent to Germany by Uncle Sam in the 60's. I ended up staying there for 7 years and was able to travel though out most of western Europe. My experience was that most of the Germans were more tolerant than many of the other countries. France almost did the same thing to the Jewish people in the early 1920's with the blessing of the Pope. Before hitler, Germany was one of the safest places in the world for the Jews. It took an Austrian (partially Jewish himself) to lead the slaughter. As has been mentioned several times in above posts, no country/government is blameless in this. I've been in Dachau and it was terrible, but the Russian government murdered even more people than was done by the Nazis When visiting east Germany in the 60's, I also saw first hand how the soviets treated people, yte I've met a lot of very nice Russians. Even in the 60's I found the Germans to be very hospitable and far more tolerant of Blacks than 95% of Americans. I should say not tolerant, but didn't treat them any different than they treated me or other wasps that I knew. They just didn't draw any distinction. They of course didn't like some of the gastarbiters(guest workers) as they felt that they were losing jobs to them, but look at several states in this country. I can also mention Japan and the atrocities that they performed against others. Other posters are also correct that we should never forget but these people are not the same. How many times have people in this country ‘gone along with’ terrible things because of peer pressure. Germany is a beautiful country and I recommend that you visit it and while you are there go at least to Dachau. <BR>I hope that you have a wonderful trip.<BR>Regards<BR>Art<BR><BR>

It may help to remember that the German people were victims of the Nazis themselves.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say that the German people were victims of the Nazis. I would ask you privately, but you didn't write your e-mail address. Thanks.

Charles, I believe it doesn't make sense to boycot a country because of something that happened in the past. ALL countries have histories full of blood and injustice, so you couldn't go anywhere if you would treat other countries the same way as you treat Germany. The Holocaust was bad, but the Cambodian genocide, the bombs on Vietnam, the war in Afghanistan, the killings by Stalin, the dirty wars in Chile and Argentina, the ethnic cleansing in Yougoslavia, to name a few, were just as bad. <BR>And even Israelis, who should know better, have created one of the few countries where it is acceptable to discriminate based on race and are presently violating the human rights of the Palestinians and have killed 300+ of them in a dirty war. <BR>Today's Germany is a democratic state of law, which has done an excellent job of teaching its children about the atrocities commited by Hitler c.s. Nowhere in the world have I met young people who are as commited to non-discrimination as in Germany.

My parents adopted two little vietnamese girls. She had to give up telling people they were vietnamese when those who asked would give looks of utter hatred. My sisters had NOTHING to do with the war...just like a lot of the Germans today had nothing to do with WWII. It breaks my heart to think that my little sisters will be discriminated against because people can't see past what country they're from. <BR><BR>I have been to Germany, and plan to go back this summer. I love Germany!!! It is a beautiful place (with wonderful people to go with it.) I have been to their concentration camps, and know they are not proud of what happened so many years ago. Many people only remember the bad in life, but don't forget the many great people (scientists,philosophers,musicians, etc.) that have come from Germany. English is after all a Germanic language. <BR><BR>Hopefully, you can put your resentment behind you and see Germany for what it is...a truely wonderful place to visit and live. Just remember, you are not the only one affected by your hatred. You are affecting those you may come into contact with and your offspring as well. I applaud your wife for not giving up on wanting to see Germany.

I find it humorous that some folks won't visit Germany due to what the Nazis did 60 years ago, yet they have no problem living in America which firebombed German cities killing millions of civilians (think Dresden).

I lived in France with my wife for a couple of years. We visited a lot of places, going even as far as Egypt, but we never set foot in Germany except to get to some other country. We both acknowledge that it was due to the war and Nazism despite having been born well after WWII. We do feel that Germany has a particular culture that, more than many others, lends itself to falling under the spell of a powerful figure who might do.... who knows what?<BR>We both also feel that culture is a major factor in national conduct. Culture can increase or decrease the likelihood for aberrant behavior, and no culture is totally beyond it. Thus, my posting and most others on this string make a few points over and over, namely:<BR>1. This isn't about logic and what we "should" feel/believe about other cultures or races or our own.<BR>2. Any country or people could or have, under the right set of circumstances, annihilate some other people.<BR>As for myself, I cannot talk myself out of my own illogical set of beliefs. Just about every German I have ever met I have liked. In fact, I've known a helluva lot of frenchmen that would've made much better Nazis on the face of things. Yet, as a group, the Germans give me the willys. I can't get over it. Every Nazi stereotype out of every movie from Hollywood echos in my brain, despite never ever having met a blonde-haired, icy-blue-eyed Aryan with a slightly crazed look about him.<BR>Well, in a few weeks I'm going to a party here in the deep South being put on by a colleague, a German who now holds US citizenship and is just a very nice, gentle guy who does his work very well. But as much as I like him, will I ever go to Germany? Not intentionally!

Germans are not the only people who are susceptible to falling under the spell of a Facsist. Look at the millions of Americans who voted for George W (Hitler was elected by the way). Fortunately dubbya is not powerful enough. With any luck, (although he's not off to a very good start) he won't screw our foreign relations too bad so we'll still be able to travel the world freely!!!

I'm an American living in Germany so I feel compelled to respond here. In general, I find Germans to be normal, decent people. It never crosses my mind to hold my coworkers responsible for the Holocaust, or their parents or grandparents. I definitely don't want to be blamed for anything the US government did over 50 years ago, or even what they do now! I think the Germans know better than anyone that what happened was a horrible tragedy. I've met many a 'blonde-haired, icy-blue-eyed Aryan with a slightly crazed look about him.' snicker, snicker! :)<BR>

My husband used to feel the way the orginal poster feels. Before I met him he had traveled to Europe on a 2 month trip but avoided Germany. He is Jewish and his parents lived throughout the war in what is now the Ukraine (in a German speaking area of what was then Romania). My husband went to Austria but wouldn't go to Germany until he went with me in 1991. He *loved* Germany once we got there and didn't want to leave. We went to other countries but he kept wanting to return to Germany. In 14 years I have only seen my husband cry twice; once when our son was very ill and had surgery and the other was when we left Berlin after spending a month there. Every time we return to Germany he is happy and loves the scenery, food, language and the people who have always been very nice and friendly to us (although we look "sterotypically Jewish" I've been told by many friends in the USA).

My dears,<BR><BR>An emotional subject yes, but it looks like it was good that you brough it up.<BR><BR>I had the good fortune to live in Germany for two three-year periods. Three of our dearest German friends fled the Nazis in their childhoods or had their childhoods severly disrupted by that terrible period. Tiny villages have markers in the village cemetary with an awful lot of names for a tiny village, probably mostly boys who never wanted to go to war. Of course there were terrible people too. You are not likely to meet any of them in your travels. You may as well know that there are Dutch people and other Europeans who still hold strong feelings against Germany. The horrors are not something that should be forgotton, not at all. I don't want that piece of the past to steal from your present the wonderful things that today's Germany can offer you. Have a look at the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites. Germany has a good share of the wonders on that list. Do yourself a favor and enjoy some of them.<BR><BR>Nissa

This struck a cord with me. I was visiting with a woman who moved to the United States 30 some years ago from Germany. We were talking about the Holocaust. Her caustic comments can be summed up, "The Jewish people could have left, they were given time. They brought it on themselves."<BR>I was appalled and very offended. I have encountered this attitude before in our rather "German settled" area.<BR>Friends of mine who have traveled Germany have similiar experiences to share.<BR>Sorry, I don't know that Germany is a place I would visit.

To avoid Germany is to miss the beauitful scenery of Bavaria, the Black Forest, the Cologne Cathedral, the repairing of beautiful Berlin, the list goes on and on. <BR><BR>Personally I can't understand living in unforgiveness for over 50 years. If we blame the Germans, we must also blame Italy and Japan, for they made choices too. One must look at German history from all sides: What about the Germans who weren't rich enough to flee the country? What about the young German girls who had babies for Hitler's army just so they could have a decent lifestyle? What about the families that were split apart for almost 30 years by the Berlin Wall?<BR>My advice is go to Germany, keep an open mind, study all aspects of the chaos that went on and make it your resolve to never let it happen again.<BR><BR>And for those who still hold ill will toward the Germans: turn over some of your kitchen utensils and see where they were made. Germany??? Look at the labels on some of your clothes?? Made in a third world country using slave labor? Does your moral conscience only go as far as your comfort level? You should also stop speaking English for it is a Germanic language.<BR>

Dear Charles - <BR>I am wondering how you cope wandering out American Soil? <BR> <BR>Our country has a great history of genocide, racial intolerance, and ethnic cleansing. Possibly the calculated destruction of the Native American culture and the seizure of the land isn't quite as recent in history as the Holocaust but no less in it's destruction of human life and culture. Aren't you being rather ethno centric and selective with your feelings?

I assume you do not live in the United States. How could you? After what the Americans did for many years to the blacks as slaves and later as "freed" citizens is inexcusable. <BR>I don't mean to minimize the horrors of what was done to the Jews in Germany and Poland, but is this really much different? The past is past. We learn from history. Why avoid a country because of what was done in the past?

I too had those feelings prior going to Germany last summer. I did not think much of them and decided to look past them and try to make amends with my German neighbors (I'm Polish). However, everytime I saw an elder German, I felt a sudden urge to squeeze his neck and ask if he was in the luftwaffe, ss, wehrmacht or what?

I can understand how this is a hard subject for people who have never been to Germany before. But, I think it would help those of you who have never been to Germany and hold these feelings and beliefs about the germans to go to Germany and see it for yourself. You won't see the Nazi SS patroling the neighboorhood or people with the star of David affixed to their clothes. Germany is a beauitful country and is worth seeing. Even though WW2 was not all that long ago, I think that Germany has changed in its beliefs- they try very hard to educate their children and people around the world about the horrors of the Holocaust to make sure that it is never repeated. I felt very comfortable and welcomed by the people when I was there. Please don't decide not to go to Germany because of pre-concieved ideas toward the counrty and its people. Go to a concentration camp and see the memorials that have been set up for those lost during the Holocaust and you can see that the people of the country are really trying to redeem themselves for what happened in their history.

I am not Jewish but I thought the Germans to be far more friendlier than the French. I do not think it is fair to hold this against the German people for the rest of their lives. Do you think that the slavery issue is fair to hold against Americans the rest of our lives? I say go to Germany and have fun.