Well written, Wolfgang.   My family, luckily, left Vienna in 1938 after the Anschluss.   I have to say the Germany has taken ---in later years, as you say---more responsiblity (for want of a better word) than Austria. Austria, I believe, still maintains that it was annexed by Germany (against the will)---hence, Anschluss--joining. Not quite the case.   More like---hey--buddy come on in.

You have opened up some memories for me---the Blitz in London ( I was there), a picture in the NY Times on the 50th anniversary of the Anschluss (parade with Adolf)---I did a double take since I was in a Nanny's arms and recalled it.

I appreciate the wonderful and insightful piece you posted. Interestingly, I have always felt that Germany has come to terms with its sordid past (took me a while as well) and yet things just as bad go on---be it Idi Amin (a while back), Darfur, Rwanda, Cambodia;etc;. Additionally, the U S has, I do not believe, truly come to terms with its own horror of slavery and lynchings.   

Sadly this little planet of ours harbors some horrible people and probably a minority--it seems--of people of peace and good will.

A few closing comments---your remarks about the changing attitudes and the blind eye turned by the Allies because of their animosity with USSR. Quite true---and then there was the race to grab the scientists who worked for the Nazis--think Von Braun (or as Don Adams says in a routing---Von Brauns Autobiography is titled---I Shoot For The Stars--Sometimes I Hit London).   Blatant hardball hypocrisy by both USSR and U S --and UK. I think the French stuck to Foi Grasse.

Finally, a few grammatical comments and/or corrections. In English the derogatory terms would be like this---say, Jewish Food--OK. JewFood-Not OK. Semantics are hard to translate but one does get the distinction and lately we have had a few politicians here who deny their bigotry and have made comments--not against Jews but African Americans and syaing that they did not know what a certain word meant.
It is a hard thing to always be PC---words change in their meaning.

There is a song by Kinky Friedman (now running for Governor of Texas) called "Ride Em Jewboy". At first glance one would think--oh oh thisis going to be bad news---not so---if one listens to the words it is a dead serious song about the Holocaust. The Holocaust, by the way, in my opinion, is horrible and yet not that far removed from the horrors of slavery here and elswhere.

Once again---I thank you for your insightful posting.

Bill Hahn