Readers Debate the Values of Nazi Germany

The following comments reflect the views of DW-WORLD.DE readers. Not all reader comments have been published. DW-WORLD.DE reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

The world opinion about Germany and its people has carefully been revised after the defeat of Nazi Germany by demonstrating to the world that we are taking responsibility for our actions and are committed to democracy and freedom in the world. This commitment has to be renewed daily. Those Germans who are still hanging on to old clichés, such as [building the autobahn] or family planning are poorly educated or not old enough to have fully understood the disastrous consequences of the manipulation of the German population by the Nazi regime. Building the autobahn and family planning was only a small part of it. Yes, the world is watching! -- Klaus Mueller, Germany

More than a quarter of Germans agree with positive aspects of National Socialism, but they're reserved and respectful to what the media and politics try to impose on us. I think, what is good is always good! We actually have a lack of family values, so the question for us is where is the failure? What kind of society are we creating now? Why is it today a taboo to speak the truth? -- Everardo Ochoa, Mexico

Eva Herman was fired after she praised some family values of Nazi Germany

I certainly do not praise, admire nor approve of conditions in Germany from 1933 to 1945. But, as a youngster (1936), growing up during these times, I definitely starved from 1945 until 1949 in the GDR, from which we literally escaped crossing the border to the BRD. -- Peter B. Wolf, USA

A balanced opinion on the NSDAP period of government between 1933 and 1945 was that they did good and bad things. The British Empire and the colonies of Australia, USA, Canada, NZ and SA all did much the same sort of things but over a much longer period of time. -- Darren, Australia

I am not surprised at all with the results of the recent poll regarding the positive aspects of the Nazi era. The horrors of this era are barely imaginable! However, that does not mean that everything about Nazi or German values was bad. Who can argue that family values, prosperity, a clean environment and pride in preserving a race and culture are bad? Because of the horrors of this period I feel that some Germans are trying to do everything the opposite to erase the past, and by doing so may eliminate a lot of the things the Germans should be very proud of! -- Lynn Warford, USA