“Man is the only Patriot. He sets himself apart in his own country, under his own flag, and sneers at the other nations, and keeps multitudinous uniformed assassins on hand at heavy expense to grab slices of other people’s countries, and keep them from grabbing slices of his. And in the intervals between campaigns, he washes the blood off his hands and works for the universal brotherhood of man, with his mouth.”
Mark Twain, On the Damned Human Race
Mark Twain’s description was pretty much true for central Europe at the time he was writing (published in 1905). The Franco-Prussian war was just over 30 years ago, the first world war was about a decade away. The flag waving soldier overlooking the town square in Weinheim embodied that spirit.
The flag flying above the castle ruin (in the photo above) is the white and blue of the town. Ever since world war II Germans have had an ambivalent relationship with all things national, and that includes the flag. Not the enthusiastic display of the national colours one finds in the US, in France, in Italy … This has changed to some extent since unification. The football world championship in 2006 and the joyous atmosphere of that event changed a lot of these feelings. As a result, sometimes the white and blue on top of Castle Windeck is replaced by the black, red and gold. For the record: I prefer the white and blue.
And for good measure, my posting yesterday in response to the Ragtag Daily Prompt has a few more flags to show: Chauvinism.
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pictures imperfect blog 
I’m not big on flag waving. It might be OK on national monuments, but put a flag into someone’s hands, and if s/he waves it enthusiastically, I fear for the worst: petty-minded chauvinism at best. I’d never heard of birging, by the way. But it’s a bit of a flag-waver’s thing, I think
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Something I did not know about Germany is the uncommon use of the national flag. I also did not recognize the German flag – shows my lack of knowledge. Our country is huge on flags and many residents support hanging large national flags outside their door.
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We have official flags, obviously. On our parliament building, sometimes (not on normal days) on townhalls and the like. But for me and many of my generation the Football / Soccer World Championship was almost a shock. We had car decorations, flower chains, hats and little flags etc in black-red-gold. This enthusiasm was unheard off before. I remember buying a bikini in the mid-seventies, a quick buy because I’d forgotten to pack one for the holidays. And I was mortified when I looked at it properly in the public pool: it was mooted black-red-yellow stripes. I never wore it again 😊 PS: Didn’t Mark Spitz swim in US flag speedos?
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It’s very interesting the differences in attitudes about flags in Europe vs America. I knew it wasn’t the same but didn’t really think about it that much. I guess when I see gold medal athletes at the Olympics or something like that I assume that their emotion is very much for their flag being raised, but perhaps it’s more about the anthem or perhaps even more personal?
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I think one has to distinguish between Germans and other Europeans. We Germans have a broken relationship with our country and all its symbols (and deservedly so, I may add). It is changing with the younger generation. My generation (*1959) grappled with the guilt of our parents generation in general, with our doubts about our parents and what they did during the Nazi era; younger Germans lived with the result of that time very closely in a divided country. The youngsters having grown up since unification learn about these things but their first hand experience has been lost. But for some good chauvinism go to France. I actually sometimes wonder whether it has to do with the colours. Blue, white and red just looks so much more attractive than black, red and gold (Belgians might disagree).
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