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There is a saying that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children to the umpteenth generation. This is both unfair and sad but seems to be a reality of life. Germany is still dealing with the aftermath of the second world war which came from previous wars. Whether the payment is financial or in emotional and economic struggles it will take a long time for Germany to have internal ease.

What our forebears do always has an impact on us. Once something is said or done it cannot be taken away. Even with good will and the best of intentions there are still effects which continue to ripple on in Germany through the behavior of past leaders. The current generations of Germans are still paying a dreadful price for what has happened in the past. There are still women alive who were raped by the invading Russian army, there are descendants of the women who died as a result of the starvation the civilian population suffered and the restrictions imposed on those imprisoned in east Berlin by the wall. The disruption to daily, normal, life takes time to be reorganized as in after a theft, because what happened to many Germans was a theft.

The fall of the Berlin wall which separated the city for forty years until 1989 is being celebrated. For the last twenty years Germany has been engaged in reuniting it's people. Families who were separated on different side, sometimes still mourning those who died trying to get to the West, are able to meet again. The impact on the prosperous West has been huge as those indoctrinated by a different philosophy attempt to live in another world.

Talking to middle aged Germans, there is still a sense of guilt about what happened. The emotional trauma rumbles on. Many people forget that gypsies, those the Nazi's considered regenerate and homosexuals were also subject to the Holocaust as well as Jews. It was an excuse for removing anyone the authorities felt was not in agreement with them or who did not fit their narrow concept of perfection. Who can agree for long with extremism and while disillusionment must have hit many early, the ferocity of the regime made it dangerous to express that dissent. Even the children of the time were encouraged to inform on their parents. What legacy does that leave? Where does a child learn to trust and accept guidance if not in the home.

Reparations in the form of money is the least of the problems. The financial and emotional aftermath in confused political philosophies and suppressed emotional feelings will take time and some generations to work through. Human memory is long in Europe.

Learn more about this author, Rosemary Redfern.
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