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UPDATE: Saturday, June 12, 2010      The Japan Times Weekly    2008年7月12日号 (バックナンバー)
 
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NOTES FROM GERMANY
Berlin's true nature came out during Euro 2008

By YASUKO KUBO

The red, black and gold German flag, is not often seen. When I see lots of big national flags in countries such as France or the United States, I wonder why the Germans — who are well known for their success in culture, sports and industry — do not like to display their flag. Some German friends have explained, given the historical background of their nation, particularly during World War II, that people hesitate to display pride in being German.

Two years ago, the soccer World Cup was held in Germany, which led to more pride in being German as the national team performed fairly well in the tournament. Since the World Cup, there is little criticism of soccer fans painting their bodies in German national colors or waving the national flag. At the previous World Cup in Japan and South Korea, the German national team even reached the final, but many people thought the team of 2006 was far better than the finalists of 2002. This was a significant milestone for the team and also for Germans, being vocal about having pride in their team and their nation for the first time since reunification in 1990.

This year, once again Germany has become a nation where flags abound and nationalism is the order of the day as Euro 2008 kicked off in Switzerland and Austria. The European tournament may not be seen as too important in Japan, but it is as popular as the World Cup in Europe.

I do not watch soccer and also here in Germany we can see lots of fickle fans just as we can in Japan, Niwaka-fans, but people do not care about the game. Everyone waited and seeing how the games were going. Within the last few years, the German team has been successful, and it was expected to win the championship. The result is absolutely important, but that is not all. The fans were focusing on the quality of play. And in Germany, the eyes of fans are severe, everybody seems to be an armchair pundit.

Living in Berlin, watching Germany's games was not the only fun to be had during the European tournament. When Russia, Italy and Turkey advanced to the final 16, it was almost like flowers had burst out in the city, there were so many different flags popping up in the streets. This made people realize that Berlin is a real multicultural city.

In particular, the nation's 2 million Turks, the biggest percentage of immigrants in Germany, suddenly displayed their identity proudly, not caring how long they have been away from their home country, even if they were second-generation or third-generation citizens.

Perhaps what impressed me most, as a foreigner living in Germany, was seeing the flags of Germany and Turkey displayed together on cars or in the windows of houses.

When Germany faced Turkey in the semifinal game, lots of fans from both countries filled the public viewing areas and open air-cafes in Berlin. Since my apartment is located in an area where many Turks live, fireworks could be heard throughout the town every time a goal was scored.

In that game, Germany defeated Turkey 3-2, but it was enough to show how good the Turkish team was. The fans who watched the game were satisfied at the public viewing in Kreuzberg — called little Istanbul, where the ethnic Turks live. This game must be memorable for all considering the relationship between Germans and Turks as there was little trouble in Berlin. In the final game, Germany lost to Spain. The enormous number of flags will probably once again be displayed during the South Africa World Cup in 2010. I am looking forward to seeing the national colors, red, black and gold, as well as the more colorful flags that represent Berlin's multiculturalism.

The Japan Times Weekly: July 12, 2008
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