HOW THE GERMANS TELL THEIR STORIES

What We Can Learn From Them About Storytelling

Like most Jews, my feelings about Germany and the German people are, naturally, tainted by the Holocaust. Being in Berlin recently affected me in a way I didn't expect. I gained an entirely new perspective, appreciation, and respect for the German people as result of visiting a concentration camp and the various monuments and memorials dedicated to the Holocaust, and speaking directly to many Germans about their country and its past. The experience also drove home the profound importance of storytelling.

I'd been to Germany several times before, but mainly for work. Years ago, I wrote a romantic comedy and while it was optioned repeatedly by various Hollywood producers, it took a German company to buy and ultimately produce the movie. I spent several nights in Munich and Frankfurt. All I remember is waking up screaming every night. SCREAMING! I rarely have nightmares, but I had them each night, all night, during those trips. My recurring dream entailed being pursued by a multi-headed monster. I'd scream myself awake, then lie in bed and laugh because the nightmares were so transparent a third grader could interpret them.

Most people, whether Jewish or not, would probably agree the Holocaust is one of the most horrific events in human history. But on the infrequent occasions when the subject comes up, it's likely because someone has seen a film or read a novel about it. Otherwise, the “final solution” rarely comes up in daily life. But ironically, in Germany the Holocaust isn’t something from the past, it’s ever present.

Germany is committed to keeping it in the present. Many of its politically conservative politicians argue the country should shed all remnants of its past. They've even proposed a statute of limitations on discussions and teachings about the Holocaust. They say that Germany must move on and stop dwelling on the past. Why should people today bear the scars and shame for actions taken before they were born? Shouldn't Germans look to the future and not the past?

The Empty Library, looking down onto the empty shelves, a memorial to the May 10, 1933 burning of books on this site.

The proposal failed.

Germany remains committed to confronting its past. All high school students spend three years studying the Holocaust. In addition, every student is required to visit a concentration camp as part of their education.  

Let's contrast Germany's actions with those of the United States. When I went to school, there was no more than passing reference about our genocide of the Native American population. It was barely alluded to in the history books I read. What about Vietnam? Ask any high school or college student what they know about U.S. imperialism’s war in Southeast Asia. Likely, most couldn't find Vietnam on a map, let alone tell you how we decimated an entire nation via carpet bombing and using chemical warfare despite knowing it was poisoning their environment for decades into the future.