Reaction To Volker Pispers - German Sense of Identity

[@FrankJurkewitz]

Volker Pispers ist letztmalig am 8.12.2015 aufgetreten und dennoch sind seine Beiträge aktueller denn je und so als wäre sein Auftritt vom letzten Wochenende. Ich übertreibe nicht, wenn ich hier schreibe, daß ich Herrn Pispers sehr, sehr vermisse. Ich würde mir zu gerne seine Sicht der heutigen Zustände anhören. Leider hat er für sich entschieden, nicht mehr auf der Bühne zu stehen.

[@LordChAoS667]

Ich kann mich nie entscheiden, ob ich mich glücklich sein soll, dass er als Legende gegangen ist oder mir noch stärker wünsche, dass er nochmal zurückkommt. Heute bräuchten wir ihn mehr denn je.

[@Anthyrion]

Weil sich am Wahlverhalten praktisch nix ändert. Die Rentner wählen weiterhin CDU ("weil wir das immer schon gemacht haben"), die FDP wird weiterhin von den Reichen gewählt, die SPD ist weit weg von dem, was sie einst dargestellt hat (die Partei der Arbeiter und Angestellten), die Grünen versuchen immerhin Klimaschutz mit realer Politik zu kombinieren, die Linke ist untereinander zerstritten und wird bei der nächsten Wahl aus dem Bundestag verschwinden und über die AfD will ich garnicht erst anfangen

[@youluky7]

Ich vermute eher, dass ihm "nahe gelegt wurde" nicht mehr aufzutreten. Man hört einfach überhaupt gar nichts mehr von ihm und das ist wirklich sehr ungewöhnlich für einen Künstler.

[@knuthansen8524]

Naja zumindest bei dieser Thematik, hat er ja kein Fettnäpfchen ausgelassen und ich bezweifle doch stark, dass er rückblickend diesen Auftritt noch mal genau so gestalten würde.

[@grischakugelmann2660]

@@knuthansen8524 Was denn für Fettnäpfchen? Und warum sollte er hier etwas nachträglich ändern wollen?

[@sebastiannerling6042]

My Grandfather was born in the Weimar Republic, faught in the 2.World War and later first supported the east german state just to be later severly disappointed by it. He had a comparison that i realy liked: The German identiy is like a bush of roses. It is really beautiful and for some romantic when you see it from the outside, but when you are inside it you can not enjoy the beauty because you have to be careful not to get caught in its thorns.

[@grischakugelmann2660]

Dear 'Who is Mert', great video, as always. I am primarily from North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhrpott and, to be precise, from the Niederrhein. Then I am also European and, last but not least, German. At least that's what I feel. I was very shocked when the UK left and also when Russia attacked Europe (Ukraine). I understand everything Mr. Pispers said here and agree. I speak standard German (Hochdeutsch) and understand neither Swabian, Bavarian, Hessian, Low German or some words of Saxon. I also don't understand the Cologne dialect, Sardisch and many regional terms or have to guess based on their context. But I would be able to communicate. I think the video is just as relevant today as it was back then, only this time it's not about Germans with Turkish roots but about people with a different migration background. But the story is the same. It's a shame, but that's how it is. Unfortunately, there are a few people in Germany who are obviously dissatisfied with their situation and therefore need someone to blame, even if that is of course not the case. Then there is the media that exaggerates it. Politicians who want to take advantage of this and perhaps still have a chance at re-election. And again media that has to spread it. cheers

[@stef987]

Being from Lower Saxony and speaking 'only' Standard German myself, I can't even always properly understand family members who live 'way up North' in Schleswig-Holstein.😅

[@BlueHenning]

Ruhrpott und Hochdeustch, "Wer hat dir datt denn jesacht"

[@grischakugelmann2660]

@@BlueHenning Deutschlehrerin als Mutter macht es möglich ;)

[@LLCoolT1994]

I felt the same coming from Rügen. I’m a Rüganer first, a European second and then German. Since the AfD is around I was more often identified by others as East German although I never really felt that way.

[@chakra7100]

Volker is the best man to take very serious topics and make them very funny. This is education and believe it or not- German satire is a Ben10.

[@Kiyuja]

It is very subjective but German identity to me is more focused around the culture itself, meaning appreciation for old local architecture like castles, trying to be inventive or restore what others would consider a relic of the past. Being open minded, yet skeptical and direct. A desire for "doing things properly". Treating things with respect that served you well in the past and a sense for being both happy about an accomplishment, yet humble. Embracing freedom of art and also nudity. To me a true German knows when asparagus season comes, not where to buy a flag to hang up.

[@biggsdarklighter0473]

Let me Guess, rhineland palatinate?

[@dragongirl6492]

Germany is culturally christian but over all not very religious.

[@nicl585]

German culture where?

[@lilliechternacht79]

Do you mean the Catholics?

[@johannageisel5390]

@@nicl585 Everywhere, though in the North and East they are Protestant and in the South and West they are Catholic, which influences customs, holidays and probably worldview too.

[@barkolito1259]

The majority are atheists meanwhile.

[@cervantesbaptist614]

Mostly in the West,east Germany Isnt Christian or religious at all because of communism

[@corinnaschmidt9735]

Roland Koch was Prime Minister of Hesse and belonged to the CDU (then the governing party). The video is from 2015. At that time, over 1 million refugees came to Germany due to the wave of refugees. This was too much for many politicians and the German population. Hence the outcry about integration problems. However, the ruling Angela Merkel (also CDU) took in the refugees. This earned her a lot of admiration (including from me), but also criticism.

[@MaZeW1]

Are you certain with 2015? This might well be a lot older that 2015. I think there was a show from 1998 that was very similar.

[@Dave1507]

@@MaZeW1 He was in office from 1999-2010, says wiki ;)

[@teetotalitarist8369]

Roland Koch was a right-wing politician of the CDU. He did his election campaign in a very racist way to attract former voters of the extreme right (NPD and REP). Today he would be part of the nationalist party AfD, I think... For the context: The state where he was active - Hesse - had big Nazi problems. Violent Nazi groups, many voters for right-wing parties... he didn't fight them, he encouraged their hateful statements and pushed their agenda.

[@vortimerofkent128]

@@Dave1507 Yeah, but Koch also kept being noisy after leaving office, just like every single other CDU dip ever. So it might have been a little difficult to remember.

[@JacktheRah]

Hey let's please not use nazi speak. Let's not speak of people as "waves". I know this is popular but this used to be a nazi term. The NPD claimed it for itself and later it got adopted. The reason the term "refugee wave" is problematic is that it dehumanises people and in the minds of people associates them with big and strong waves which wash away everything they touch. And that's the exact intention. I'm assuming that it wasn't your intention to do that which is why I'm letting you know.

[@stef987]

I sooooo agree with everything he said! I never actually understood the whole integration thing. I was born in 1985 and grew up in a city that had been quite multi-cultural for a few decades at that point. The families of many, many children I went to school with had come from different countries, some had even come quite recently (I think this was the case in particular for many children from Eastern Europe/Russia, I've known children who didn't speak (proper) German yet, or spoke with a relatively heavy accent). Diversity was always such a normal thing for me, also amongst Germans. Germans can live in quite different ways, as well, as not everyone does, owns, thinks, beliefs, or likes the same things. I personally don't even like many things that are considered "typically" German. Our basic law is supposed to grant us not only freedom of (or 'from') religion, but also freedom to develop our own personalities the way we like. That's what it means to be German to me: live and let live. Just don't do anything unlawful and ideally (I know this is not always the case, even though it should be) respect the needs and boundaries of others. But when it comes to foreigners (from certain countries), suddenly we're all so homogenous and sooo of the same tribe.😅 7:50 yes, he is serious, but also funny. To me he's kind of like a very funny teacher. 10:48 I'm really not sure. Turkish people have already been a part of my home city when I was a child. I think they usually are nice and most have 'integrated' well into society, many families living here for generations. In more recent times I noticed that I seem to see many more people from other cultures in our pedestrian zone than before. I really am not sure if there really are more foreigners, or if it's always been (more or less) like that and I just pay attention more nowadays, especially with all the right wing populism going on, shifting our view even more towards foreign cultures. It would be pretty prejudiced to assume they're all refugees, though and even more so to assume they're all muslims unwilling to respect our society. These things aren't written on people's foreheads.

[@michamcv.1846]

ask thoose people if they are turkish or kurdish.... if they are turkish there is a 50% chance they are goverment paid spys so better take your distance

[@Vaati1992]

I, as a German, am deeply fascinated by local identity and its relationship to German administrative divisions. Because often that local identity is more important than the national identity, and state identity is very rare as the primary mark of identification. Just to give myself as an example. I live in North Rhine-Westphalia and, if people were to ask me what my primary identity is, it'd be my home town. Then, on roughly equal footing, being Westphalian, being German, and being European. Whatever gets second place depends on how I'm feeling that day. With NRW I associate nothing, really. To me it's a legal construct that affects certain laws I'm subject to and that I can infuence with my votes, and until this year it also was the place I could use public transit in for "free" due to attending university. Now with the Deutschlandticket that last bit of assocation with NRW for me is gone. It's like Pispers says: dialects and traditional cuisine shifts drastically even in short distances. Certain neighboring cities hate each others guts and complain about their slightly different traditions. If you know the "Our Blessed Homeland / Their Barbarous Wastes" political cartoon, that can be used for so many pairs of cities in Germany. So yes, "integration" into Germany to me is a laughable thing. Yes, knowing German HELPS, but it's not required. As long as SOME languages are shared, coexistence is possible. Like I'd call a hypothetical resident of foreign birth who has bothered to learn Sorbian but not German very well integrated. There is a part of me that has however grown more protective of the labels "Germany", "German", and the symbol of the German flag. I don't want these things to be associated with the right-wing. Red, black, and gold are the colors of democracy, the colors used in Germany when we were at the forefront of queer theory and rights in the 1920s and very early 1930s (s. Magnus Hirschfeld), the colors that stand for a Germany that hasn't been at war with its neighbors. And, as others have pointed out, they are the colors of the Grundgesetz, the idea that states, at its very beginning: "Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority. The German people therefore acknowledge inviolable and inalienable human rights as the basis of every community, of peace and of justice in the world." And that to me is the ideal modern German identity.

[@earlgreypodone9589]

Roland Koch (born March 24, 1958 in Frankfurt am Main ) is a German manager , lawyer and former politician ( CDU ). He was Prime Minister of the State of Hesse from April 1999 to August 2010. From 1998 to 2010 he was also state chairman of the CDU Hesse . From March 1, 2011 he was a member of the board and from July 1, 2011 to August 8, 2014 he was CEO of the German construction group Bilfinger . [1] [2] Since November 2017 he has been Professor of Management Practice in Regulated Environments at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management . [3]

[@andreaschrist4093]

Well copied from wikipedia.

[@earlgreypodone9589]

@@andreaschrist4093 Sure! Why not ?

[@Herbstgedanken]

You were asking about Turkish identity in Germany today. My opinion: It's a difficult situation - there are several people who feel like they aren't part of anything anymore. In Germany they are still not fully integrated (even if they are 3rd generation Turks, descendants of descendants of Turks coming to Germany), however in Turkey they are called "Germans" for their accent, the fact that some of them don't speak proper Turkish at all and some mannerisms they adopted while living in Germany. These people feel uprooted and maybe rightfully so.

[@pok81]

The result of avoiding integration into german society because you feel like being better as a Turk... and at the same time not living in Turkey but in Germany. No surprise you end up in a situation like this. Maybe they should have asked immigrants from other countries how they were able to manage it.

[@Mandred85]

Well said

[@klaushipp1207]

Its kinda Ironic. Living in Germany and actively disrespecting tgerman culture and people.. then be surprised when turks do that to them as well :D

[@RichelieuUnlimited]

@@klaushipp1207Disregard for rules isn’t a culture thing, it’s linked to age. Teenagers test boundaries. If we correct statistics for age structure, people with an immigration background are no different from those without.

[@klaushipp1207]

@@RichelieuUnlimited I am not only talking about teenagers, they are easily influenced. It is the old people, the ones living here for decades and refusing to learn the language , teach their children and nephews and nieces to go to mosque. We have a massive problem with radicalization and political propaganda in german mosques. These teenagers are not testing boundries, they are being influenced to reject german people and culture. Also, you are wrong on your claim for statistics, its also crystal clear to see the trends. Its being discussed openly, even the german minister for inner security was forced to adress that because of the massive overrepesentation of migrants/non german heritage people in Germany.

[@abruemmer77]

You may have a look on Torsten Sträters works, i guess you'll like it!

[@Concorde4711]

I think that there is no overall german identity. Just as Pispers said: It's a regional thing. Germany is very diverse and culture changes in every region. I'm from the Ruhr-Area. Many foreigners are living here, mostly Turks, Poles and Italians, and they are part of our identity, part of our culture here. Yes, we live side by side here sometimes, but that's a part of our regional culture here too.

[@hypatian9093]

I think part of the German culture is that we have a lot of different things that are "German" - like potato salad. But that's where the problems begings: mayonnaise or oil, cold or warm? We are united in our insistence on our differences.

[@highti5133]

In the end we are all earthlings.. with all the pros and cons

[@mengo1400]

Yes...but i dont think you dont understand what he is saying.....but take care....takes time...and he is not talking pro german...more realistic....good luck earthling!

[@Djegosandra]

The thing with German identity is that it’s an ethnic one, offering no identity to immigrants, according to Bassam Tibi-the German-Syrian scientist who defined the European Leitkultur (‘guiding cutlure’) in 1996, which was later on (2000) narrowed by conservative politicians (Friedrich Merz, CDU, you may have heard of him in satire) to a *German* Leitkultur (a perversion of the term in a literal sense). Tibi claimed that the European Leitkultur is the European consensus stemming from the “cultural modernity” (Jürgen Habermas) including the tenets of • Precedence of reason before religious revelation • Democracy • Pluralism • Tolerance Mind how no common language or food is part of the concept. European culture is not our language or food, but the achievements of civilisation anchored in our constitutions like Liberty and Equality-things any migrant would easily want to integrate in their own way of life. Meanwhile it’s consensus that migrants are not to be integrated into the society, but to be included, just like disabled people have to be included, not integrated; which is the biggest change of the past inho. If you hear any politician talk about Leitkultur it’s very likely they don’t know what it means. I didn’t either until yesterday, when I read up on it. Most politicians will name foodstuff, language and certainm “German” customs like punctuality and respect towards women; if asked what Leitkultur stands for. Well, then you know they don’t have any clue what they’re talking about. Food and languages may vary across Germany (heck, just yesterday I learned a new word for the Berliner, the pancake, and I’ve lived in Germany for 40 years), but Democracy, Pluralism and Tolerance are the same everywhere, although that is about to change, which is why I start to feel very unsafe in my own country.

[@asch2336]

Ooh, quite fast and a lot of play on words. Can you follow him just like that? I can't. Wow! One very funny point in his speech is his own regional dialect which makes him a stranger in other parts of his homecountry in the first place. 😅

[@patrickdematosribeiro1845]

Roland Koch was the prime minister of Hesse from 1999 to 2010. In 1999 the newly elected German government wanted to pass a law making dual citizenship easier for foreigners living in Germany. Part of Kochs electoral campaign was fighting against that law. Both he and his party were accussed of racism, but he won the election. Also in the electoral campaign in 2007 one of his main topics was making deportation of criminal foreigners easier, which caused outrage at the time and had hardly been adressed so bluntly by a democratic party before, it has been afterwards though. In this election neither the conservative parties nor the moderate left had a mayority. The leader of the moderate left had promised during the campaign not to collaborate with the far left wanted to break her promise and make a coalition with them, but couldn't because some members of her party refused to support her. There was a new election a year later which Koch easily won. Due to these campaigns Koch was a very controversial politicians. Some considered him a smart conservative politician who recognized the problems and was not afraid of telling unpleasant truths and some considered him a racist pretending to be a democrat.

[@zubunapy]

I love your reactions on Volker Pispers. It´s interresting to see how an alien reacts on his humor^^

[@DenkPuzzler]

In my opinion, the German identity should already be named in the Basic Law: "Human dignity is inviolable". From this I conclude the following: "So wie es in den Wald hinruft, so ruft es hinaus!", "Leistung sollte sich lohnen", "Those who can't afford anything should be supported socially" and: "Those who can't behave are out." I don't care about anything else. I don't want to have anything forced on me, I want to lead a safe, peaceful life and enjoy the diversity of the world.

[@JacktheRah]

"Those who can't behave are out." that begs the question: What's considered "can't behave" and what is meant by "are out"? Those who don't follow the social norms are being removed from the public? Those who don't follow the arbitrary rules set up by the state are forced to leave the country? Because let me tell you that banishing someone for not behaving in the way some random person wants to isn't dignifying. And let's be honest with that statement usually only those with roots elsewhere are meant. Not the nazi politician who claims to have true Aryan descend and then goes around making plans on how to kill or move people he doesn't like to Madagascar.

[@hurtigheinz3790]

You forgot: "Draußen nur Kännchen!"

[@olivermeineke9707]

What you want doesn't mean, that it is sustainable and civilised.

[@nervsouly]

It's funny how the most profound law of human dignity is also the most violated by the German state.

[@d.l.3807]

@@JacktheRah I think it's not the opinion of a random person who sets the rule for "what is acceptable behavior" but the law. As long as a person follows the law, it's fine. To "Those who can't behave are out." I would add "... or imprisoned" depending on the persons residency/citizenship.

[@Lightkie]

Btw, regarding his style, I've just read on Wikipedia that he was in England in 1979-1980 and fell in love with black comedy there.

[@RustyDust101]

I'm astonished, Mert. You as a Scot should be able to pronounce the German "ch" diphthong with a natural ease. It is identical to the famous Loch Ness, or all the other Lochs in Scotland. At least for Roland Koch. The nasty thing is we Germans were stupid enough to have TWO pronunciation versions depending on the word. The first is the one above. The second one is like a very soft cat's hiss. Nope, I can't give you a pronunciation rule when to use which.😂😂

[@stef987]

Basically, at least in Standard German, I think it's ch like in Loch Ness if it follows after an a, o, or u. And the cat hiss if it follows an e, i, or an Umlaut. Not sure about ch after y, that's probably foreign words for the most part, anyway.🤔

[@alicemilne1444]

Yes, I was a bit suprised at Mert's Americanized "Kock" pronunciation. However, as a Scot myself who is native-level fluent in German, the "ch" is not a diphthong. The term diphthong refers to compound vowel sounds only (like ai, eu, oi and so on). "Ch" is a consonant. In German it has a guttural (open-throated) quality after the vowels A, O, U. It has a palatized sound after E, I or any fronted Ö or ÄU sound. In Scots you will find the same distinction between the throaty "ch" as in "loch" and the palatized front "ch" as in "dreich" (dreary, miserable).

[@raistormrs]

he forgot the waterworks... the japanese community has their own, it's not connected to the rest of the cities water system. also, it's the money, düsseldorf makes a lot of money with them and in return, the japanese are being left alone, which was the deal from the start. back then in the 60s, the japanese came looking for a good spot to set up their trade, many cities went above and beyond, except for that one city that couldn't have cared less, just went do whatever, we don't care and they liked it, or so the story goes. after all, being left alone was exactly what they were looking for to set up a community. today about 400 japanese companies have their european headquarters within city limits and about another 100 closeby... the japanese get special treatment in düsseldorf? you bet they do...

[@gunnarandersson4381]

I agree with him that federalism is an important aspect when discussing German identity. Depending on where you are in Germany, Germans are very different. However, I would generally say that diversity is the most important criterion of German identity. Germany has always been a country of migration and has emerged during many migrations in Europe. The country has many different neighbors and is internationally very connected. Everywhere in the culture and history you can see that the German image is composed of many different cultural influences. However, I found the comparison with the Japanese and Turks strange. Since the 1960s, Turks and Kurds in Germany have been a strongly represented group, which in my opinion has integrated perfectly. There are even German dialects in cities with a strong Turkish influence, and nowadays people call those people „Deutsch-Türken“. Here in our region they are speaking the German dialect from here with some Turkish influences. And young German people are using this dialect. So it’s something mutual. In many regions, German and Turkish cultures are so closely intertwined that this influence has now become firmly part of the German identity. The narrative of the non-integrated Turks and alleged ghettos and those stuff is actually a story told by the right-wing. So I found it strange to hear that from him.

[@godwrote01]

2:52 I am an East german born in Brandenburg 1981. I had the luck, to talk to many foreigners from so many different countries and even made some friends. At the same time, i do not know Bavaria - i was never there. Nor have i visted the Saarland or Bremen - i have no fucking idea what German Identity is. I am a German, My grandmother was a Sorbian my ancestors come from a small part that are living in Brandenburg and Saxony born into Germany in the Lausitz. My fantasy German Identity is that we are honest truthful people, we love freedom, peace and prosper - we often drink a beer to much and we like ORDER. What can i say

[@olafluee2860]

That’s the 1Mio €- Question: what is Identity? Sure, the language, but anything past that is open to an Interpretation and this Interpretation is very individuell. Deep stuff.

[@DanielJames-dg2zs]

Yes, you could really say that only now do we appreciate how well integrated the Turkish community in Germany is when we look at the Arabic community which came over the last decade.

[@malibustacys80085]

Was die deutsche Sprache angeht ist das schon so eine Sache. Als schwäbelnder Lehrer war ich mal in einer ca.30 km entfernten Schule im Allgäu. Dort haben mich die Schüler direkt am ersten Tag gefragt welchen fremden Dialekt ich denn spreche und der Hausmeister fragte mich ob ich ihn überhaupt verstehe (was ich auch nur noch zum Teil konnte).

[@arnodobler1096]

He is right.

[@HellBrYnger]

also wer mit Kölsch abgefüllt werden kann gehört zumindest ins heimische Trainingscamp.

[@buddyfromgermany6792]

Kölsch hat wie 98% der deutschen Biere 4,8 % alc ; das hunderttausendfache Heer der Fraktion "Kölsch ist ja kein richtiges Bier" die an Karneval rotzevoll durch Köln schwanken wurden eines besseren belehrt. jedes Jahr 😁

[@MellonVegan]

The matter of German identity very much depends on who you ask and when you ask. Initially, language (and thus shared culture) was indeed why German nationalism (the good kind, if you will) became a thing. Later, genetics (or warped ideas of genetics, rather) were used to define who or what a German is, as we sadly all know. As for today, I can only really speak for myself but to me, if your ID says German, you're German. That's the most official thing, so that's the one that generally counts. You can be culturally German or have German ancestry or whatever else and that's entirely valid but I wouldn't ever use those without specifying.

[@TR-Youtube-Channel]

He was so good..❤❤

[@andreasfischer9158]

I don’t need to worry about my identity. I’ve got an identity card.

[@scifisurfer8879]

I'm an American. You could kick out at least half of us with that sort of language test.

[@flauschiger_keks]

I lived in Germany for my whole life, but I still don‘t know what a German Identity is supposed to be.

[@MellonVegan]

9:55 Cologne, I guess. The local beer is sometimes compared to water in taste. The joke before that is actually mistranslated, shoulda been Westphalians and Rhinelanders living in the same state (NRW, the one with all the people).

[@pyratehyena1312]

f*ing brilliant

[@torstenschwartz5974]

Düsseldorf has the biggest Japanese Community outside of Japan.

[@ChrisCrash043]

That's not true at all. It only has the biggest Japanese community in Germany. And it's tiny compared to the biggest Japanese community outside of Japan, which is found in São Paulo, Brazil.

[@meri2604]

I also really like Volker Pisper and Dieter Nuhr. I like “Nuhr Daheim” most. (,,Nuhr at home,,)

[@PauleLR]

German Identity? It‘s Spargel Season and i just got my first this year. Besides a huge Schnitzel! That‘s german! Doesn‘t matter if south or north. Left or right. Spargel unites germany…😊

[@pluke2111]

It is a discussion worth. First define the words in the question, f.e. "Identity" and "Culture". Just the word "culture" is already complex and a lot of talk worth.

[@wildesherz19222]

Volker Pispers is brilliant. The good thing is that, like the Austrian Lisa Eckart, he judges every country and every culture so harshly. 😅 Culture or identity develops primarily from the climate, the religion, the landscape and its resources. That's why Germany, with few resources, is a country of efficiency. Thr German is considered mentally stable, very creative, good-natured but also courageous when it comes to justice. Incidentally, according to Winston Churchill, that was the reason why they wanted to keep the Germans down and suppress them and almost succeeded 😏 

[@chrisraw5367]

Pispers words are going deep

[@spring_in_paris]

German identity? That is one of THE key questions in our country. I think this question is an ongoing process that we ask ourselves again and again. It may be that this is always present in our subconscious due to our unique history. As you know, for a very long time in our history we had a rather loose confederation of states, ruled by kings, bishops, etc. Of course there was an emperor, but he was elected. There was only the right of inheritance for the kings, counts, etc.

[@Rezzatoni]

Hello Mert, I don't know if you know the (semi-)official (semi, because unlike the federal flag (black red gold), it was not regulated by law) national anthem of Germany. The melody is by Josef Haydn (from the song "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser" (which means "God save emperor Franz" (of Austria))), the lyrics are by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, from his poem "Lied der Deutschen" (which means "song of the Germans") (which he had already written at the time to Haydn's melody). The poem "Lied der Deutschen" has three verses, of which only the third ("Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit", which means "Unity and Justice and Freedom") has functioned as a national anthem since the end of the Second World War; the first verse ("Deutschand, Deutschland über alles", which means "Germany, Germany above all") may no longer be sung at all in Germany. The second verse, which is not very well known in Germany, kind of describes what may have been viewed as "the German identity" at the time Hoffmann von Fallersleben wrote this poem; it goes as follows: "German women, German loyalty, German wine and German song Shall keep in the world Their old beautiful sound, Inspire us to noble deeds All our lives long - German women, German loyalty, German wine and German song!" I don't need to emphasize that not many Germans today would find themselves in this description; but it is particularly interesting that the now world-famous German beer is not used at all, but wine is proclaimed as (the German national) drink. This shows how infantile this search for "the German identity" is ...

[@robinheite7579]

Volker Pispers best Man 😊😊😊 !!!

[@SweetSchnubbl]

Yes, we do have many different accents... But may i suggest to compare us to anyother region ig ireland or englsnd or scotland: hiw many accents do you have? Does a dubliner always get a kerryman? Does every person from Edinburgh get a highlander?

[@Yahula1edits]

As a 3rd generation german turk myself i can just say that its very complicated. Integration defenitely isnt the solution for everyone to accept you. Some dont care how much you are integrated, because of how you look. You will always be foreign, however i feel that thats something universal. The amount of hate and racism we always got, dependent on if new types of refugees or foreigners mass entered germany. Right before syrian refugees came, was probably the best situation for turks in germany from my perspective, after the syrian refugees came looking similar to us and also many being muslim the fear and racism in people sparked up a lot and we also got looked at differently again. Its hard to have a identity as a german turk, as nobody really accepts you besides your fellow german turks. Its like a sub culture.

[@ann-sophie.appelt]

2:54 Roland Koch is the former Prime Minister of Hessen 🙂

[@thomaskurschner2949]

Good man, unfortunately he retired voluntarily because the political right hijacked his arguments. What a pity! 😊

[@raydafuq3570]

Germans are not very religious. The thing with our muslims is that it is just unfortunate that their religion forbids the things we traditionally do in our country. Drinking beer and eating pork has nothing to do with religion it's our cuisine and culture. We don't have a problem that they can't do it but the thing is it often hurts "integration" because it's not easy for a faithful muslim to sit around people being drunk and smelling pork everywhere I imagine. So I think they need to talk about it all the time because they get asked why they can't so much to make friends. So it's literally just unfortunate that the rules of Islam don't go with our cuisine among other things. The easiest integration in my opinion is to find friends native to the country. You'll learn the language and get your questions answered.

[@stef987]

I personally quite rarely eat pork (chicken/poultry seems really popular these days, anyway, as well as non-alcoholic beer) and I also don't drink beer too often. You don't necessarily need to drink beer or eat pork to get in touch with Germans, you don't even need to 'endure' the smell. I think that kind of was the joke, he made fun of clichees.

[@raydafuq3570]

@@stef987 I know but it certainly helps to get in touch.

[@Gartenlust]

The "guest workers" (Gastarbeiter) were originally supposed to return home at some point, so little emphasis was placed on integration.

[@vollstaendingennamen]

pattiotism has a really bad connotations to many germans, the idea of "the german people" is inexorably linked to ns ideology. hes lampooning the narrative of the other that doesnt want to integrate, its widely considered racist here, and he argues that point in this bit. he points to the difference of attitudes towards turkish people, who were/are (it shifted slightly, id say syrians and afghans are the #1 targets nowadays) usually portrayed as not wanting to integrate and all that stuff, while asian migrants who are often less integrated than turkish people, will not be targeted for w/e "not wanting to integrate is". hes essentially arguing that the debate about integration is often times just used as a justification for racism, his description at the end is a straight up insult, asserting that people who complain about other cultures being primitive are just projecting their own issues.

[@EmpoerterGeisterfahrer]

Hi Mert, why dont you do a clip about living in Malaysia. I think your community would be interested.

[@KaiHenningsen]

I don't know specifically about Turkish people, but people from all the regions conservative Christians typically get agitated about now own fast food joints and restaurants and taxi companies and so on. Though, my first contact was ... let's see ... must have been in 1967, when my parents adopted my first sibling when I was 7. All in all, I had three adopted siblings (my parents always wanted around 4 children, and after getting me, my mother had some problems and couldn't get any more). So they adopted children that resulted when foreign students came to Germany (free unis, remember), had sex with Germans, and then there was a pregnancy and no idea what to do about it except let it be adopted. My sister (the oldest above) was half-Turkish, and one brother half-Sudanese, and one half-South-Korean. I believe the half-Sudanese was the only one whose mother was German (thus, he started out with German citizenship), the other two had additional bureaucracy to get there. You can (correctly) conclude from that that I have no problem with coexistence. My opposition was just against my new sister's name, because a girl with that name had bullied me in school. My grandparents, however, were not quite so easy to convince. Just as everywhere, there's a generational bias to these kinds of ideas.

[@florianmanz8040]

Another great Volker Pispers video, brought to me be Who is Mert?. Thank you. The view of turks in the general population did not really change much in the last ten years, sadly. And I guess it is actually because they, in general, do not eat pork nor drink alcohol. Those two standards set them apart from the average German. So they do not fit in. And if populists want to gain votes, they have it easiest when they spew their polemics against those that do not fit in. Also, I am teaching German to migrants, and the sheer amount of grammar you HAVE to learn to really speak the language correctly is horrendous. And many Germans (myself included, as I discovered today, again) do not use it correctly. On the internet? sure, NOBODY uses language correct on the internet. But also in day-to-day speech or newspapers, letters or books. If you search carefully, you will find grammatical errors in anything you read. Who uses the three different past tenses of the German language correctly? Most only use past perfect. And then there is the conjunctive. many fail to know how it is built, let alone when it should be used. But immigrants have to learn that bs. that they will never ever need again. I mean, I am happy, for otherwise I would be without a job, but it is ridiculous. Thanks again for your great videos, I always enjoy watching them!

[@bayramkaratay8383]

You need to watch „cem Yilmaz „. :)

[@AZ-ge4uu]

In Düsseldorf is a very big japanese Community. Actually te biggest outside if Japan.

[@evaheinl2502]

nice!😁😆

[@Lasse-d2u]

Roland Koch is a politician. Yust google his picture! Thats all you need to know

[@simonsays2774]

I think there is no german identity. Can't exist with 82 million inhabitants. Everyone is different. As a Swabian, for example, I have never met another Swabian who would fulfill the typical Swabian cliché.

[@binkaitself1736]

I'm from Saxonia (in former times GDR)... german identity? Very difficult. I think there is still a wall between east and west. We as Germans have enough problems with ourselfs. Remember Rammstein: Deutschland, meine Liebe kann ich dir nicht geben.

[@zimbo65a]

I´ve posted my comment yesterday, now it´s deleted. That´s "German identity",

[@Torfmoos]

Of cause they were more integrated. At every corner you will find a Döner Bude or a Kiosk open allmost 24/7. Even some young Türks drinking beer....

[@fullerenpirat5134]

There is no "German identity". Germany as a Nation is only about 150 years old and was made of over 300 different regions each with its own identity, culture and dialect.

[@torstenschwartz5974]

Corect 👍 Be a German its Bullshit, i am a Westfalian and a little bit a Prussian, but never Tell me a German 😡

[@Enwaiyre]

Just like All ober countries in the world. You can't possibly be pure turkish, american, polish, dutch, ... whatever All people in the world mixed genes through history except maybe the native people of Amazonas who never saw a helicopter before. The thing of beeing German is we're tought to be ashamed of that. And this is bullshit. Other countries did horrible things in the past aswell. Everybody should got the right to be proud of where he/she comes from.

[@Enwaiyre]

​@@torstenschwartz5974beeing German also means nothing these days. All other nationalities you only reach by be born there. You are german by crossing the border

[@klaushipp1207]

Germany as a nation did not just pop up out of nowhere.. it is actually one of the oldest countries with the heaviest culture and history. What is your intention with that misleading statment?

[@fullerenpirat5134]

@@klaushipp1207 Germany as a nation started to exist 1871, that is not very old. Of cause it did not come from nowhere it was formed from more 300 regions. Try to tell people from Nürnberg they are from Bayern .....

[@boblife3647]

Since Germany was born from a multi-ethnic state and lost several world wars in its recent history and was divided for 40 years after that, to point out the German identity is not that easy. The same applies to the history of the Turks in Germany. #guest workers Where I come from there are more Russians, Polish, Vietnamese and other comrades from the communist brother lands. Ich bin ein Ost-Berliner.

[@itzsoweezee9980]

Volker Pispers does political cabaret, which is a special form of entertainment and humor.

[@mickypescatore9656]

Hi, Mert! I just love watching this man talk!!! He seems both intelligent and profoundly funny. He is/was not a stupid comedian, but a bit like a history and politics teacher. Great! We have a female counterpart to him: the Bavarian cabaret artist Lisa Fitz. (Also very good, espacially the shows these days, when she is older)!

[@RayvenGuard]

If you look at it from a historical point of view, the German identity is a bit special, because the German nation itself is relatively young. It's only been a bit over 150 years now that the first lasting German nation was founded. Before that, Germany was all these different regions which Volker mentions. They were their own nations, and even today they play a major role in most German's identities. Defining a German identity is therefore impossible. It is a very general idea of common values. And to be German, there just has to be enough common ground between those values and your own, so that everyone can live peacefully together. Today, there is even a growing number of people who see themselves not only as Germans or Bavarians, but as Europeans, seeing how our neighbours are mostly following those same values and having the same struggles while realising that no European nation could make it alone in this world that is more and more dominated by global superpowers.

[@Solihull88]

Volker Pispwrs is from the Rhineland, I am a genuine Prussian. And there are a lot of other etnics within in Germany: Saxonians, Bavarians, lower Saxons and so on. Germany is a multiethnic state per se. We do not need more ethnics fron far away countries.....

[@kakbratzenkind1053]

Initially there was no general "german identity", there were multiple german identities. Volker Pispers actually picked up on that. Once the German Empire was a unity of 25 different states with their own cultures, leaders and intitutions and even those were originally made out of different peoples as well. That's the reason why there is no question about "the" german identity in the first place. This fallacy occured because of a strange man from austria with a failed career as an artist and a weird beard and hairstyle. He claimed that there is only "one germany" and "one people" and the post-war situation didn't make things better. Now with this big immigrationbomb it is obviously very difficult to solve this inner cultural crisis of germany. "Die Anstalt" made a great episode of german cultur as well and I thing you should watch this as well.

[@pok81]

Das ist so nicht richtig. Die "deutschen" Völker hatten schon mehr gemein, als z.B. irgendein deutsches Herzogtum und Spanien.. oder Italien oder sonst wer.

[@mario19o85]

As a german I have to say I have no idea what the german identity is. (And no, luckily its not so christian anymore) As Volker pointed out well germany in itsself is so diverse and stereotypes mostly only match very few people. I see myself as a human being that was lucky being born, raised and living in the wealthiest part of europe. And this part of Volkers program should be heard by so many more people, especially by the growing amount of conservative and right winged people who always mock on immigrants. Peaceful coexistance is possible and people dont have to be "converted"

[@klaushipp1207]

Travel to rural India and live there for a couple months - you will be able to accurately pinpoint what german Identity and culture is and why you want that back.

[@B4KoN3]

3:05 german 'walter white' sit there^^

[@Catch22-k8d]

Ich vermisse Volker Pispers, seinen geistvollen Witz, Intellekt und Integritaet.

[@jochenrammer1527]

This is humor.

[@aramkiam]

I recently watched an old german music video from Joachim Witt & Peter Heppner called "Die Flut" (The Flood). While watching I had to think about your videos on Volker Pisberg. I thought you may also like the depth of the lyrics and the song. This link goes to a good translation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXracop8hZtjq7M This link goes to the official music video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHqyhKiZhM9llc0

[@tillposer]

2:58 The most fundamental basis and carrier of German identity was and is the German language. Germany essentially was created through the language, the many little states of (most) HRE were connected by the language, though, as Pispers points out later, due to its polycentricity Germans from one end do not understand the Germans from the other. However, idioms, concepts, vocabulary, proverbs et al create a cultural commonality that trancends regional ideosynchrasies. I contend that the most important factor in integration is the acquisition of the language, a lot of the important cultural concepts just ride its coat tails. It is not necessary, generally, to teach cultural precepts, the absolutely stupid debate about guiding culture, "Leitkultur", that Pispers alludes to is a point in fact, since linguistic concepts and cultural memes subversively creep in. I remember a conversation with an ex-Cuban, where he contended, that going back to Cuba for four to six weeks were "ganz nett", meaning nice, ok, but then "geht mir der Schlendrian schwer auf die Nerven", meaning the slackness and sloppyness would get on his nerves. The phrases he used were so utterly German albeit slightly accented. One of us... As a politician of Persian birth so nicely put it when asked what changed when he got German citizenship, he said thad he had suddenly developed a desire for long walks in the country side and He because gluten-intolerant. An example: the German word for debt, Schulden, is almost the same as the word for guiltiness, guilt, i.e. Schuld. Think upon the emotional resonances... Another, more close to the bone, the word for treaty, contract or deal is Vertrag, the word for getting along or comport with somebody is vertragen. During the Brexit negotiations the Germans always talked about Vertrag, while the Brits always talked a deal. Talk about a fundamental misunderstanding...

[@gerdforster883]

This is a very old clip. From the early 2000s. Roland Koch became Ministerpräsident (kind a like the PM) of the state of Hesse in large part by running a pretty racist campaign against dual citizenship. The federal government at the time (made up of Social Democrats and Greens) wanted to reform the naturalisation process. The old german nationality law made it almost impossible for most immigrants to become german citizens. One part of the new law was to be the introduction of dual citizenship.

[@klaushipp1207]

maybe Pispers has a different view on that topic after 2015. It would not be surprising.

[@tomahawkboy]

Everyone‘s laughing… cause they know he‘s right.

[@peterlux5787]

Südlich von Hamburg fängt der Balkan an.

[@Smurez]

I didn't like this performance. His portrayal of the issue is very naive and one-sided. Nothing brave or controversial. It's basically masochistic indulgence without any real essence. Why Turkish people shouldn't have dual citizenship he asked? Why should people living in another country take political influence on a country they don't live in. A majority of german turks voted for erdogan, a politician who shut down his opposition by suppression and imprisonment, while simultaneously radicalising and crashing the economy. The german Turks don't have to suffer the consequences. Congratulations. He also said that a passport doesn't reflect identity, so why should they be able to have both passports? His take on Japanese and Turkish integration is laughable. There are 8.000 japanese in Düsseldorf compared to 12.000 turks. 40.000 Japanese and 3.000.000 turks are living in Germany. This alone makes the comparison senseless. But okay. Why can Japanese live in their own culture while turks can't without it creating a debate? Because there are no problems caused by japanese culture. Most turks speak Turkish at home, there are plenty individuals who can't form a proper sentence after living here for over 20 years. This affects the language skills of young turks (and immigrants in general) substencial, causing huge problems in school. There are many studies showcasing this. The often non-academic backgrounds amplify this. In households of german turks, violence as a measure of upbringing is extremely widespread. There are plenty proven social and psychological mechanisms that will lead to those individuals using violence as a measure for problem solving in their future. Additionaly, rather "archaic" values are thought which don't comply with our society. There is a reason for the crimial statistics that we have. Over 40% of all submitted subjects of any crime in Germany didn't have a german passport. The statistics don't reflect Germans with immigration background. If you've worked in any criminalistic institute, you know that the number of foreigners and germans with immigration background are overall 80+% for all crimes committed. So what is the german identity? Well, partly it's a set of rules and cultural norms people live by to create a functioning society. These rules can differ, but can't create unavoidable problems when they meet. If this isn't given, people should integrate or emigrate.

[@TheIllio]

Tbh I think that the German identity is somewhat being held down by the events of WW2. As Japan is the land of the rising sun and America the land of the free, Germany is the land of poets and thinkers ("Das Land der Dichter und Denker") ...or at least it used to be. And here lies the problem. Germany had an era of amazing engineers and sientists. Unfortunately, that era partly falls right into the time of Nazis and WW2. So instead of being proud about what our country was able to develop we are kind of told how bad we were since we did all those horrible things under Hitler. That combined with some changes like the removal of the "Diplom" in order to replace it with the Bachelor / Master system pretty much robbed us our mental status. Not only are we often reduced to WW2, beer and sausage, unfortunately we often do it ourselves. But there is so much more to Germany like Economy, a very versatile language that allows us to express very complicated thoughts (and thus allow us to think those thoughts in the first place), incredible bread culture and many more things that even Germans themselves overlook nowadays. So imo German identity is something that we have to reacquire.

[@moki4541]

Luckily i'm moving soon to Japan. I'm missing Volker Pispers a lot, he has been critizing issues forever and nothing changed. This isn't a country anymore to raise kids in. Our whole political system is corrupt to the limit (oh sorry, in germany we call it "Lobbyism")

[@oppa.24]

Japan ist korrupter als Deutschland laut CPI. Deutschland ist zudem in den Top 10 der am wenigsten korrupten Länder der Welt. Dänemark steht auf Platz 1.

[@kenybruhn2574]

Wenn wir wirklich eine Kultur Förderung reden möchten müssen wir ein neuen Zeitgeist kreieren ich habe ein Konzept dafür mir fehlen halt noch die richtigen Menschen die Mitwirkenden und das als e.v gestalten

[@urgigrull4013]

To get a sense and maybe an idea about the diversity and *german identity* just google a map from 1500 of the german states. This is of course an extreme example but the *state of Germany* was actually founded just 1871,. So in my opinion, there can not be a single thing such as a german identity. It is a total mixture of mostly very regional identities. Given that you might define the german identity as not definable by a few simple pieces welded together, it has to be multiple ingredients from many sources. just my thoughts on that matter.

[@maja-kehn9130]

I would agree Germans don´t have a national identity but rather a regional identity and what makes this identity is the regional language, food, drinks and traditions. At least that is how I feel about it. Also, to answer Volker´s question where do people speak "proper" German? in Hannover. 😜

[@Gartenlust]

But Hanoverians have difficulty pronouncing Ä correctly. They say "Keese" and "Meedchen" and "Eegidientorplatz". 😂

[@Overlordsen]

I think Pispas does not try to talk about "german sense of identity". Its more like making fun of "germans not having a sense of identity". (A typical thing that each german is aware off and that is really hard to explain to others.) And the thing is: the german sociaty seem to be torn atm over the debate weather we shouldnt have a sense of identy (at least in a patriotic sense) or if we should go very hard for patriotism to overcome this lack of identity. And this debate seem to be very toxic and helps a very dangerous german right wing party, called AFD to grow to a serious thread for democracy.

[@RedClaw87]

The thing about german identity is, that we don't really have one. Germany as such is just 34 years old. Not enough to have an identity. Then you had east and west germany, which were culturally very different. And even they only had 45 years to build an identity, which isn't enough as well. Before that there was 1933-1945 and we shouldn't want any of that influencing our identity. (But the shame and responsibility to prevent something like that is the closest and only thing to a german identity we have.) And before that there was the Weimar Republic, which wasn't there for long. And before that germany was bigger and sometimes smaller. The holy roman empire was a collection of many different nations with their own identity. And the german tribes were as different as well. So our national identity has always been one of a mixing pot of culture. So integrating other cultures shouldn't be that big of a deal.

[@klaushipp1207]

that has to be the most stupid statement in the comment section. there are people a hundred years old living in the country that are germans. born and raised as such. That has to blow your mind I guess. The first date when Germany was recognized as a region wason February 2nd, 962 AD. from that day on german culture and identity evolved to the current day to what it is now.

[@fuselpeter5393]

To say that Germans have no culture is ridiculous. All people around the world have some form of culture, there is no humanity without culture and Germans are just people too. Integration doesn't mean to lose ones own identity, it means that people that come here should share the basic values of our country. Everyone should be able to live their own identity and traditions as long it is not interfering with our constitutional values.

[@glowiedetector]

no culture meaning no unified culture. yes the regions have cultures, but they can be vastly different. northern germany is much different than bavaria. the point is that someone who integrates in southern bavaria will still have many differences to someone from hamburg. even though in one part of the country he is integrated.

[@Nazdreg1]

Yeah, identity is a difficult and complex topic. I believe, when we speak about ethnicity, as of yet, there is no clear cut definition what it actually is and how it is defined (and who can define it...). With that in mind, I can only resort to my own opinion with regards to Germany. There is the official German identity, which is achieved when you have legal documents proving that you are a citizen of Germany. There are some weirdo ethno nationalists who question this (Volker Pispers' joke about Germans being "personnel" unfortunately is part of a conspiracy theory from those guys that Germany isn't actually a legal state, but just a company created by the allies with personnel instead of a country with citizens), but other than that, this comes with rights and with duties all Germans share. Inofficially, I believe, Germany is still not really a unified country. Before 1871, Germany as a nation didn't exist at all. It is a bit like the UK with its member states. So in the end, the "German"-layer is extremely thin and fragile. The main identity is regional. People are Bavarian or Hanseatic, Saxon, Frisian, Swabian or Frabconian. I think, this is the secret. If you want to assimilate, you need to identify with your region, not your nation.

[@esrohm6460]

he really is spitting with german not being german. thats the exact reason why german sounds harsh, as the people saying that only ever know of textbook german, so the thing no person has ever said out loud. german goes sicko mode when you are just 1 cm off the main road

[@slavman1945]

The German Identity is the language, culture, clothing, food habits, folklores, music, art, philosophy, diversity and architecture from diffrerent German ethnic groups. One may have a German passport, but being German is deep. It's subconscious.

[@slavman1945]

p.s. I'm not German. Greetings from India.

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

We do sqabble about food. If you look for it, you will find about a million videos on how potato salad is made. In the north with mayonnaise in the south without. And both ways are defended as the only one with zeal. So if food was part of our identity, the south would say the north isn't German and vice versa.^^

[@youluky7]

@@slavman1945 No German could have said it better! And that doesn't just apply to Germany, but to every country in the world! Greetings from Austria!

[@slavman1945]

​@@arnewengertsmann9111 yes. it doesn't always have to be same for everything. The ethnic/regional diversity is what enriches the cultures more. I wish the European governments worked towards identifying and exploring their culture/traditions even more. I think the forced Diversity actions could be disastrous. They made people feel that Europe doesn't have much Diversity, and that they need to import people to be more diverse. Which is complete bs. Diversity is supposed to be natural. Like, In my region, South Asia(India), we have many ethnic groups, languages, dialects. Those were formed naturally over hundreds or thousands of years. Similarly Germany has many dialects, traditions, and folklores.. and i count them as a pieces of diversity too... Preserve them.

[@slavman1945]

​@@youluky7 btw I'm learning German :)

[@rosetoren3881]

I think Germany breaks down to regionality first, then nationality. I hate this Leitkultur shit.

[@Seraph2015]

Well the turkish / islamic community in germany is well known for family based clan crime and shisha bars for their organized crime and they often do gangster rap. So they rather celebrate they criminal attitude in parallel societies than seeking neighborship with germans and thats why germany is so upset with their lack of integration. Volker Pispers completely dismiss this point because he wants to make fun of germans. I think he wont get far with his opion in other countries. I think germany had less national confidence in the past because of WW2 thats why people like Volker Pisper easly make fun of it or even think there ist no need of identity because he don't live in poore town areas. And to that japanese part. Yeah its true this is problematic the same way but it doean't push the turkish community in a better position. I think germans are more familiar to japanese because of their civilized lifestyle in contrast to criminal islamic community.

[@nervsouly]

Worst thing about this video is the politician Merz, that was mentioned in this video from forever ago, nowadays has best chances of becoming Germany's next chancelor. Despite hating (and thus not representing) women, immigrants and the poor. Despite his party being responsible for most of Germany's shortcomings after 16 years with Merkel, where Merz was always present as well. But the average voter forgets fast and because the current government is only arguing and doesn't fit together... welp fuck me another 4 years CDU with possibly the least sympatic person to date to lead the country.

[@user-Raven60]

Unfortunately nearly all the comments stem from Germans who (like me) enjoy seeing Volker Pispers again once a while and your "translation" to the english speaking audience. Seems that Volker's kind of humor is not accepted in e.g. US/UK, even his wisdom can & should easily be transferred to those countries as well. Anyhow, keep trying - Volker will stay relevant for a long time.

[@tillposer]

3:03 Religion is not anymore a major part of German identity, less than half of the population is currently a member of a church. Certain religious iconography and traditions are important, albeit in a rather secular form. It is interesting to note that the bible translation of Martin Luther serves as a major sources for German idioms and formed the language, but most people have little truck with religion in their daily lives. The phenomenon is known as U-Boot christians, just surfacing on the religious holidays. In fact, the general attitude is that they don't care what goes on between a person and a consenting god behind closed doors, as long it doesn't concern them and doesn't break the law.

[@kikikoko607]

Christianity got unfortunately lost in Germany. Except the known holidays and the church bells, that ring once every hour.

[@poldiderbus3330]

I happened to be born and raised in Germany, so my first language is German, but I identify myself as a human being and therefore I don't have much of a connection to the idea of a German identity.

[@pok81]

naja dann probier dein human being doch mal in Staaten wie Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan und überleg dir dann nochmal, ob das Menschsein allein ausreicht oder du nicht doch von einer deutschen Gesellschaft geprägt wurdest.

[@keltenbleich]

For Germans it´s difficult to have a feeling for their land as US Americans do for theirs. They were born in Germany and now they have to live with that. The lyrics have been removed from the German anthem to avoid supremacy feelings, as they were very provocativ. But they are very proud of their literature instead. You see, it´s unsettling to live in a place where everybody around the world is pointing at you. Germans learn very early in school what atrocities their grandfathers have done. Children are being exposed to this propaganda nearly everyday. They only hear that their country have been bad, and so they start feeling as they are bad themselves. The politicians say there musn´t start a war from German never again. Thus the media brainwash their citizens, and not only that: they lie to them as well.

[@BoothTheGrey]

You must be a sad or a hateful person - or both. For me and many germans I know exaxtly the "exposition to this PROPAGANDA" is an important part of being a proud german. I am proud that we are not such assholes like most people in most countries who dont give a shit about the crimes of their ancestors. We do memorize these crimes ALSO next to the many poisitive things. But... what has this to do with our "identity"? Not very much. Identity is in the end just a buzzword - and everybody fills it very differently. Just because most people are saluting to a flag... this doesnt mean they are saluting for the same reasons. Many dont have any reasons at all ... they just do what they were taught to do as kids and how they should feel while doing it. No reasoning... just feeling. Which is by the way the real definition of PROPAGANDA. Being told stuff without a reason. On the other hand we do have reasons why we tell each others and our kids about the crimes of our ancestors. Having good reasons IS NOT propaganda. You must be totally off that you think propaganda is TO LEEEEAAAAAAARRRRN from the mistakes of your ancestors. Probably cause you dont WANT to learn but want to have a clear enemy. Like the foreigners. Or whoever. People who want to learn from history want to know history. To want to learn and make things better is the opposite of propaganda. That people think they feel bad because they have the chance to learn... is absurd. THIS is something you could be proud of. Instead you want to be proud of claiming that learning is lying. You are indeed the one who DOES lie. Dass Menschen, wie Du, sich am Ende auch noch Patrioten nennen, ist übrigens das Allerschlimmste. Mit einer solchen EInstellung bist Du kein Patriot sondern ein Gesellschaftszersetzer. Du willst zerstören. Wie unsere Vorfahren. Und Dich geil dabei fühlen. Und fühlst Dich durch die Wahrheit gestört in Deinem Hass. Gut so!

[@luciffo9772]

3:07 he just tould you thaire is no Identety!

[@danielspeier5269]