German Guilt, Postwar Burden

In this article written by German- Canadian journalist Ingeborg Boyens, she confessed the ambivalence growing up as a German immigrant in Canada. In her memory, children of German heritage were often being bullied and recruited as the evil losers in war games that were played out on the street. The German identity of these second generation children was often being purposely disguised. “I was so desperate to blend in, on the walk to the bus stop most mornings I undid the braids my mother had earlier lovingly plaited. On the walk home, I redid the braids to complete my transformation from German to Canadian to German again. Did my parents not notice my flyaway, disheveled look? If so, they never said.” This sense of German guilt has prevailed since the Second World War. Though it might have subsided over the years, the residue of the war has still been nibbling many Germans and people of German heritage. “My German guilt will be with me until the day I die. ” Boyens admitted. She also mentions that in Winnipeg, the German-populated town where the author grew up has only one German restaurant, with the fear of any hint of German nationalism. However, this is the reflection of an at least 40 year-old, decades have passed, and the situations are different to those of the next generation German- Canadians and Americans. In Seattle, just by walking around U-District and a little further down to Roosevelt, at least 3 German restaurants/ bars can be seen, and the restaurants also do not avoid playing German TV shows and music. Time has passed, it seems that, although many Germans are still afraid of showing patriotism and nationalism, but the circumstance has changed, and the identification with German heritage and culture are slowly making their way back.

~Eunice