Germanomania, czyli o pułapkach niemieckiego patriotyzmu
Germanomania or the Traps of German Patriotism

Summary/Abstract: In Germany the word “Vaterland” [fatherland] is being gradually replaced by the word “Heimat” [home]. This change is extremely important because it reflects a change in the mentality of the Germans for who their homeland is the place where they organise their lives, regardless of geographic location. History shows that initially the Germanic peoples moved all over the European continent and it was not until the threat of Napoleon’s empire that the independent duchies were forced to begin uniting. Thus it is not surprising that Germans travel the world and live in various parts of it. Their patriotism is equivalent to the love of their home, and “home” means cultivating national culture, because Germans are extremely attached to the notion of “being a part of this nation by natural succession”. This is why racial theories found popularity in Germany and led to the conviction of the German race’s superiority over other nations and ethnic groups. German nationalism is very deeply rooted and expresses itself in everyday life, for example by using the names of other nationalities as insults. According to German sociologist and cultural philosopher, Max Horkheimer, the lack of criticism towards patriotism increases the conviction about “the threats to German existence and national life which lurk everywhere”, such as the “invasion” of the “culture of vodka and coke” from the East and the West. It seems that for some German “hurrapatriotens” the only answer is to remain isolated.

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