I come from that generation of Germans for whom "patriotism" was a bad word in contrast to the immediately preceding generation whose patriotism excluded all non-Aryans and meant looking down at other nations. We did laugh when the anthem was played, we looked the other way when the German flag was unfurled. Though we looked sports and enjoyed German wins we never waited for the winners ceremony for it was too nationalistic for our tastes. We were in no way proud of the country of our birth.

President Heinemann said it best for my generation when he was asked whether he loved Germany and replied: "I don't love countries, I love my wife."

Horkheimer also said it for us: "Patriotism in Germany is so awful, because it is so baseless (unfounded)"

An older quote:

"The cheapest form of pride however is national pride. For it betrays in the one thus afflicted the lack of individual qualities of which he could be proud, while he would not otherwise reach for what he shares with so many millions. He who possesses significant personal merits will rather recognise the defects of his own nation, as he has them constantly before his eyes, most clearly. But that poor beggar who has nothing in the world of which he can be proud, latches onto the last means of being proud, the nation to which he belongs to. Thus he recovers and is now in gratitude ready to defend with hands and feet all errors and follies which are its own." (Schopenhauer)

I must say that I was completely surprised (18 years old then) when in Ireland in a pub to the last tune all people stood up. It took me a minute to guess it was the National Anthem.

Now, growing old, I somewhat hesitantly have a milder look at my own country (sixty years without a rebirth of the wrong nationalism did help here). I watch with a mixture of uneasiness, surprise and a little proudness a young generation who without embarrassment wave German flags during sport events and would say that they of course love their country and for whom patriotism isn't a bad word. But I haven't changed completely. I could say I love das Weserbergland, a region in Germany, or the lake of Constance (Bodensee) but I could never say seriously I love Germany.

Wolfgang