On 9.November 1989 the Wall went down. This was great day not only for Germany but all World – now it was clear, that the evil empire would be finished in near future. I spent this year this day in Berlin. It did not look so, that too many people remembered this day. There were candles on the graves of victims of Wall, some events, but nothing extraordinary. Logical result of such ignorance is seen in German newspaper “Die Welt” 10.november, where is described study made among German students from both former Western and Eastern Germany 15-17 age. It was schocking to see how few young people knew on German history. Only 48,6% of students found, that Eastern-Germany was a dictature, 28,1 thought that not. The DDR was for young people funny but not dangerous system, STASi intelligence agency as any other and nearly 20% thought, the “The Wall” was build by West. There is not so much to comment. When the World continues not to condemn the communist crimes at the same way how nazi crimes are condemned, real picture from the past will never prevail.
The Wall did not fall. Yes, it was broken down, but this strong desire for freedom and democracy somehow faded away. You said it – German children don’t even pay any attention to their real history. Who can teach them? And why they don’t know anything about the recent past times?
The Wall still exists. For example here, in Bulgaria. Not only that peace of concrete, given by the Germans as a reminder of the Wall that stands on the square against the Culture Palace. We are still trapped behind the Wall… You should have seen how official authorities here celebrated the 50th anniversary of building the monument of the Soviet soldier – a huge monument, not like the notorious one in Estonia, that made Russia angry with you. There were real celebrations and the chairman of Bulgarian parliament said: “The monument of this Soviet soldier is a symbol of humanity triumph over obscurantism”. And they released a special post stamp with picture of the monument.
Compare this to Estonia. Some wall has fallen. So what? We still live in our “Brave new world”.
Yes, the crimes of communism should be condemned – this sentence figurates at the end of all your texts, as the statement Cato used to say ending all his speeches: “By the way, Cartago should be destroyed, in my opinion.”
Actually I agree with you at this point. The historical ignorance of Western people is – to put it mildly – depressing.
By the way, when Swedish youths were asked about their knowlegde of communism, 90% of them did not know (and had never heard anything) about Gulag, while at the same time 95% had detailed knowledge about Ausschwitz, Buchenwald and Bergen-Belsen…