Germania

A girl from Germany has been hanging around my gang lately. She's from Cologne (Koln). There will be more to come later, when she sends me some pics from back home. I've been pretty relentless in questioning her about German psychology in the wake of the holocaust. Apparently and appropriately, the feeling is giant communal grief and regret which has manifested itself in a kind of anti-nationalism. Saying "I am German" is completely verboten. Flag flying doesn't happen. She says it's way too early in the healing process. Actually saying that your German doesn't happen, so large is the the communal grief over the actions made sixty-five years ago. She also told me of copper cobblestones laid at the entrance to houses formerly owned by Jews. They list the names of the disappeared. No German steps on these cobblestones.