Editor's Introduction: Germany

The mention of Germany stirs up strong feelings. This is not only true for the people of the United States but for those from Europe and other parts of the world as well. The powerful affects mobilized while contemplating Germany are wide-ranging. On the one hand, there is an uneasy shiver of fear, dislike, and moral rejection. On the other hand, there is a barely suppressed sense of admiration and awe. Our negative feelings originate in connection with the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the unspeakable atrocities perpetrated by Hitler's loyal lieutenants. The continued claim of racial superiority by the xenophobic skinheads, the resurgence of anti-Semitic Neo-Nazi groups, and the country's deplorable treatment of Turkish, largely Muslim, immigrant labor force further contribute to our ethical repudiation of Germany. (That this attitude too might rest, to a certain extent, upon stereotyping and prejudice—the very crime the nation stands accused of—is indeed probable. It is, after all, erroneous to equate all Germans with Nazis). Our positive feelings arise from acknowledging the precision of German engineering, the impressive contributions of the nation to the world literature, and the sensual pleasures offered by its various consumer products. German superiority in the automative market, for instance, is recognized worldwide. Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, and Audi are nearly universal status symbols; even the poor Volkswagen is showered with affection. We all enjoy German beers and pay premium prices for violins and pianos made in the country. On a more substantial note, some of the world's greatest thinkers, authors, poets, and composers have come from Germany. The names of Goethe, Handel, Hesse, Kant, Mann, Marx, Nietzsche, and Rilke immediately come to mind in this connection, though certainly the list is far too long to inscribe. To wit, the fountainhead of psychoanalytic knowledge—the original corpus of Freud's writing—is in a language no other than German!