Mein Land dein Land. Hebrew title קו הפרדה Dir: Alexander Dierbach Seen at the Jerusalem cinemateque 12th Dec 2015
As long as the war lasted many Germans avidly supported National Socialism, belonging to the party and participating in its orgies of persecution, while others were simply patriotic Germans.
After the war, however, with the Americans and the Russians controlling Germany, it became a matter of life and death to demonstrate that one had not supported National Socialism and even abhorred the Nazi philosophy.
The German who came under control of the Soviet Union, found that even this was not enough to satisfy the new regime, which built a wall separating Germany into East and West, ostensibly to keep out the corrupting influences of the decadent, capitalistic West.
East Germany was to be the new utopian society of the Soviets, cleansed of any taint of capitalism, National Socialism and aristocratic heritage.
The Germans of East Germany were now obliged to demonstrate support for Communistic ideals, which previously, under National Socialistic Germany of Hitler they had to reject and even detest. Changing loyalties, in order to survive, lead to crises in the community and the family.
The conclusion is that the the Germans and all the world learned that patriotism is not fixed in concrete. One can, nay, must, change ones patriotic feelings according to what is expedient for survival. Regimes care little or nothing for the well-being of the individual, and, in any case are constantly changing. This means that people must take care of themselves or else suffer the vagaries of constantly changing, irresponsible regimes.
After the war, however, with the Americans and the Russians controlling Germany, it became a matter of life and death to demonstrate that one had not supported National Socialism and even abhorred the Nazi philosophy.
The German who came under control of the Soviet Union, found that even this was not enough to satisfy the new regime, which built a wall separating Germany into East and West, ostensibly to keep out the corrupting influences of the decadent, capitalistic West.
East Germany was to be the new utopian society of the Soviets, cleansed of any taint of capitalism, National Socialism and aristocratic heritage.
The Germans of East Germany were now obliged to demonstrate support for Communistic ideals, which previously, under National Socialistic Germany of Hitler they had to reject and even detest. Changing loyalties, in order to survive, lead to crises in the community and the family.
The conclusion is that the the Germans and all the world learned that patriotism is not fixed in concrete. One can, nay, must, change ones patriotic feelings according to what is expedient for survival. Regimes care little or nothing for the well-being of the individual, and, in any case are constantly changing. This means that people must take care of themselves or else suffer the vagaries of constantly changing, irresponsible regimes.
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