Script & sources at: www.thenandnow.co/2023/04/07/why-german-history-is-different/ ► Sign up for the newsletter to get concise digestible summaries: www.thenandnow.co/the-newsletter/ ► Why Support Then & Now? www.patreon.com/user/about?u=3517018

Finally someone who understands the german soul and doesn't talk about beer, the Autobahn or WWII. Thank you for this video.

I’ve always admired Germany and it’s people. This was a good watch. Shoutout to my German friends! 🇬🇧🇩🇪

As a German-American, it took me a while to realize how special Germany is. Many in the United States only know Germany for the last century and have no idea about Germany’s past. For its influence, folklore, literature, and art. Thank you. Hopefully, this sentiment will change in the States eventually.

I'm german and to see someone that speaks with such a great choice of words about Germany and his culture is heartwarming. Thank you for your awesome video and all your work you put into this :)

"The land belongs to the French and the Russians, the sea belongs to the British, but we (Germans) possess undisputed dominion in the airy kingdom of dreams" - Heinrich Heine paraphrased

this page of german history is so pleasant and without hate.It's rare that someone talks so positively about the german past and their people

This is a great video! Im not german but I am going to Germany for 10 months so I really want to make sure to understand its history, philosophy and culture. I feel that a lot of germans are ashamed of their origins and culture due to certain dark chapters in its history, but Germany and germans are more than that. Liebe Grüße aus Mexiko! 🇩🇪

I love Deutschland from Greece. It's naturally very beautiful country. German literature , philosophy , history are amazing. 🇬🇷❤🇩🇪

Ich bin absolut gerührt über diese wunderschöne Sichtweise auf diesen Aspekt der deutschen Geschichte

As a german, I'm just proud that this is video isn't talking about german beer ;)

I read medieval history and literature. I also wrote a couple of papers in my first year on German history. I’ve always felt that the true German spirit is hopelessly romantic. It amuses me to think how appalled the Germans of the past of would be if they knew how their descendants are perceived by other nations. The German efficiency would have been an absolutely ridiculous concept.

I love german history and culture! Sincerely, an American

You sir, get us Germans better than most of us get ourselves. And thanks for mentioning Jena. I studied there myself and I feel there's no single place better to visit to understand Germany.

It makes me incredibly happy as a German that you shine light on Germany’s extraordinary history of science, music and art.❤️ There is so much more than WW2.

I studied only 2 semesters in Minden (NRW) but every time I came across the Weser on my way to my faculty, I could see standing there a proud but humble statue, and on that statue inwritten it said "Gedenke dass du ein Deutscher bist", "Remember that you are a German". It was the statue in honour of Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg, Denkmal des Großen Kurfürsten, as I later found out, who brought peace to this region after the horrors of the 30 years war. Personally - these words have touched me deeply, since I had forgotten that I am a German for a long time due to historical circumstances and the fact that everyone hated Germany for what had happened during the 2nd World war. But especially now in times of having a hot war going on in Europe again after such a long time of peace, we need more Germans to be aware of their historical responsibility and awaken their natural sense of criticism towards injustice in this world. But it has to come from within the German soul itself, and not be fooled by false leaders like there once have been. Thank you for this magnificent documentary, I have never witnessed something similar by someone who is not German. And even in Germany it's a very, very rare view to find these days. God bless you my friend Greetings from the beautiful city at the Teutoburg forest in Bielefeld

Being german myself, it's crazy how much of what i personally think, the values and views on the world i have, seems to be rooted indeed in Romanticism, something that wasn't really obvious to me before (randomly) watching this video. Thanks !

Italian here. Germany and Italy are the more conservative and fragmented counterparts of England and France. Two germanic and two romance countries, they form a square in the middle of Europe, both geographically and historically/culturally.

I came to Germany for a postdoc period. Do the mission and leave... But after a few years i realized how much more i feel at home here than anywhere else. This video is remarkable. All germans should be proud of who they are, because as it was thoroughly demonstrated here, they are much more than just Hitler and that period... I am proud to walk among them everyday. Liebe Deutschland.

Germany is also home of the most influential scientists like Gauß, Leibniz, Hilbert, Kepler, Born, Cantor, Riemann, Alzheimer, Einstein, Heisenberg and so on. The list is very extensive. It is not just about literature, art, music or philosophy. Many of the greatest scientists came from Germany and revolutionized medicine, physics and mathematics.

I've studied the German language, and that spirit is imbued in the very language. The language has crafted those lofty ideas & ideals, and was also shaped by it.

man i'm not german but i really appreciate germany it's a great example of resilience and i admire them

From an anthropological and historical point of view it makes a lot of sense that so many wild thinkers, nonetheless ones that pumped out the concept of dialectics, originated from Germany. A huge melting pot of Europe, constantly swaying between different more powerful nation states, etc. I was excited to see this video as I always had a similar thesis of Germany in my head. It really does seem like a different place. Great video as always, dude.

A lot of german poetry and writing in general before the world wars were about nature and mankinds relationship to, and sometimes struggle with, the nature around them. Look at Theodor Storms The Rider On The White Horse, for instance. It takes place at the north sea coast, up in Schleswig-Holstein. The region is, as coastal regions tend to be, notoriously stormy, but the north sea coast in particular is shaped by these storms. See, the north sea coast in Germany is marked by the Wattenmeer, an intertidal mudflat which stretches from southern Denmark all the way to the Netherlands. It is very flat water. So flat that, once every 6 hours, as the tides retreat, the seafloor is revealed to the sun, becoming land for some time, before, 6 hours later, that same tide rolls back in, turning it back into seafloor. This very biome, however, also brings with it great storms that sweep inland. The flat water cause the waves to build up, and a great storm pushes the water towards the land. In response, the locals there have taken to building big earthen walls, dikes, sometimes up to seven meters tall, to keep the water away from their homes. The Rider On The White Horse, in that regard, details the life of a young man named Hauke Haien. This young man lives at a small farm, right near one such dike. He'd known the weather there from an early age, grew up with it, was as rough, as weather worn as the coast itself. From a young age, Hauke Haien was withdrawn, preferring to read his fathers book about mathematics over the interaction with other people. He is, however, sure of one thing. The next big storm to breach the dike would come. It would happen in his own lifetime. The last such storm was 20 years ago. The one before that 50, and the one before that 60. It stands to reason, therefore, that the next such storm would come 40 years after that last one, which is to say, 20 years from now. When he eventually takes over his fathers estate, he takes out a loan. A loan he needs to build another dike. A new dike of his own design, which he believes will hold the storm. He intends to build this dike to reclaim more land. Land reclamation is common place, though rather expensive. Since this land can then be used for farming after some work to desalinate the soil, it is, however, almost always a return on investment. He builds this dike into the intertidal mud before him, intent to encapsulate it, pump any remaining water out, and make the land his own. Such, he shapes the land infront of him, forcing his will onto nature. As for his prediction, it holds true. The storm eventually arrives, just as his math told him it would. His new dike held firm, as he had predicted. He notes how the water rolling in onto his new dike moves slower, less aggessive, as though it were another water. However, the old dike, which had seen its fair share of storms already, breaks under the battering of the storm, a breach which he seals by throwing himself and his family into it, sealing the devastating damage in the process. Another example is "Trutz, Blanke Hans" by Detlef von Liliencron. It's a poem about Rungholt, a city that was, when Liliencron wrote the poem, almost mythical, though its remaints have since been found. Rungholt was a city on the coast of Schleswig-Holstein, which was sunk in the great flood of 1362, a flood also known as the Grote Mandrenke. The Great Drowning. It wasn't merely a flood. It was so extreme, so devastating, that it recarved the german coastline significantly. Entire islands were completely sunk and drowned by this flood. The city of Rungholt had been one of them. The poem tells the story of what happened that night. Of Rungholt, a mythologized city, so rich, Liliencron goes as far as comparing it to Rome at its peak. The people of Rungholt, they were proud. Each night, they go out onto the dikes, and shout at the sea, taunting it. "Wir trutzen dir, Blanke Hans, Nordseeteich!" "We defy you, Blanke Hans, North Sea Pond!" And yet, as strong as the Rungholtians deem themselves, the sea is stronger. Eventually, the great storm comes. As for Rungholt? The city is devastated. Destroyed. Gone. Each of the verses of this poem ends on the words "Trutz, Blanke Hans!". An exclamation. The way the people tell the sea that they shall still defy it. Except, the last verse is different. The last verse, after Rungholt has been destroyed, the land it once stood on submerged, doesn't exclaim anything. It asks a question. Trutz, Blanke Hans? And of course, let's not forget about the poem "Een Boot is noch buten". One boat is still out there. This poem, partially written in Plattdüütsk, Schleswig-Holsteins local accent, tells the story of a boat that gets caught out in a storm, and a village desparately hoping that the boat, and their brothers, sons, and husbands aboard it, makes it back to their village before the storm hits them. One by one, the other ships, mere fisher boats not meant to withstand a storm, pull back into the harbor, but one of them counts them all, and, to everyones concern, point out that one of the boats is still out there. Desperate, hoping the ship had merely lost orientation in the middle of the rain and storm, they build a quick beacon, and light it ablaze, hoping the light would give the crew the waypoint they needed to make it back to the shore. But alas, there is nothing they can do. The sea has claimed its tribute. It has chosen that boat as a sacrifice. It, along with its crew, is now destined to sink. They wait all night, but when the ship does not return the following day, even after the storm has cleared, and the sun shines bright, one woman, now a widow, accepts her husbands fate. Much like with Trutz, Blanke Hans, each of the verses ends on the same sentence. Een Boot is noch buten. One boat is still out there. Such is the relation of Schleswig-Holstein to its stormy shore. A source of food, sure, and a place that man can dare to try and conquer parts of. But equally so, while the shore is a bringer of life, it is also a bringer of death. Not every dike is plugged in time to stop the destruction of the souls it is made to protect. Not every boat makes it back to shore. Some of those who live on the coast are destined to join those who once filled the streets of Rungholt. Man can tame the sea. But he may never cease control of it.

As a non-german, appreciate your work. Germany is not only a place, but a concept. An only country's name that reminds me of not the German land alone but all the thoughts that have been thought in Germans' minds, when it's name appears to me. Mit freundlichen Grüßen ...

Even as a German myself, I learned a lot about the essence of our culture and what we perceive as sort of "normal" but is very different from other European cultures Thank you ❤

A massive history lesson for us Germans. You should get it translated into German. :-) Unfortunately, you did not mention Alexander von Humboldt and the open vision of the world.

So far, I never knew there are actually people in the English-speaking part of the world who are able to understand German culture and national identity. Thank you so much for bringing light on this topic in such an understanding way!

"they were pregnant with mystery, they were midwife to history" what a most beautiful rhyme!

I never really thought this myself, the fact that Germany had something of an inferiority complex before WWI. It was a very different place before unification: I knew this, but I never made anything of this outline. This video colored in such an outline. An incredible viewing experience: your work, thought, and life are appreciated

As a German, the educational content in this video is impressive. Such a video should be a leading structure in our school education about Germany.

beethoven originally named his 3rd symphony "Napoleon" as he was an enthusiastic follower of the french revolution. but when he heard what napoleon did he took the first page, ripped it apart right through the word napoleon and instead called it "eroica" the heoric.

That was awesome- what a great, passionate declaration of love to Germany! For me as a German it felt like a warm shower after a hard long day, and indeed it was very unexpected to be frank since it doesn't happen often that someone presents the positive properties and sides of Germany- thank you very much for this great video!

As a French chap said; We all believed in Darwinism and master races and the mastery of the European. Until that German was rude enough to apply it to Europeans!

Was ein absolut geniales Video. Habe selten erlebt, wie die deutsche Seele so gut von außen festgehalten, reflektiert und hinterfragt wurde. Danke!

Thank you so much !!! This almost made me cry. There are so many (german) yt channels out there pretending to show german language, culture, history, people and their behavior, most of the time in a negative, mocking or disgraceful way. Thank you for making a difference and giving me hope. Much love from germany 🤍❤💛

I dont think i have ever seen a video capture the german soul and culture as well as this one. Truly amazing work with lots of effort behind it. 10/10

Thank you Lewis. I'm from India. Thanks to your efforts and KZfaq many like me are able to learn and enlighten ourselves so much. Wish you were my professor, a friend or a neighbour to be the least. Please do more of this. I love your content and you have taught me better than the Univ of Delhi professors in my master's. Some of them had PhDs from Cambridge and UK: but they were the worst teachers who weren't interested to teach but rather to boast themselves as thinkers/academicians/intellectuals. I happened to watch your video on Benjamin during 2017. Year later, I still feel I'm fresh, young and same listening to each of your brilliant video essays. Thanks for existing. Love and hugs from South India.

I stumbled into this video by mistake and fell in love with the reduced pace of telling the story. Excellent content - thank you so much for this beautiful video.

As a german myself,I thank you very much for not reducing us to beer,ww2 and the Autobahn. We have and are much more than that. We're the country of poets and thinkers,of engineers and a language that may be sound harsh but is of clear definition. We have many castles, beautiful lakes,lush Forests,and much more. It really warms my heart that there are people who can see the beauty besides the bad history we had. If you guys out there want to understand us even more,and the struggle we have between loving and hating being german,go watch "Deutschland" (Germany) by Rammstein. You may not like the music,bc Rammstein isnt for everyone,but watch the video. Its a piece of art and they show germany from the very beginning up to today,with the most important things that happend in the history of our country :)

In Southwest Germany, there is a satirical rhyme: Der Schiller und der Hegel, der Uhland und der Hauff, die san bei uns die Regel, die fallet gar net auf - (Friedrich) Schiller and (Georg Wilhelm Friedrich) Hegel, (Ludwig) Uhland and (Wilhelm) Hauff, they are just ordinary here, they don't stick out.

Thank you for a wonderful overview of this part of german history! One of the best videos I have seen lately! Looking forward to your further works!

Ngl, I was surprised by the pleasant & simpleness of the Germans when I visited a few years ago. I had heard many things - "they are aggressive", "they have a hard work culture", "they are quiet", "they are loud". All I found was really down-to-earth, salt of the earth, & wholesome people. Idk.. As an Englishman I feel great guilt for the decades of aggression & sadistic destruction that our ancestors have perpetrated upon Germany. Personally, I found them to be the most well-balanced society I've experienced so far (although I'm yet to visit Scandanvia and Japan). The English world has been poisoned so much by Hollywood, that we have reached levels of entropy and idiocrasy that are extremely alarming lol

I remember while learning about literary and artistic movements avross history in elementary school and how I always found myself most drawn to German romanticism. I loved reading the fairy tales collected by various people. The amount of influence Germany had on Serbian culture during the 18th and 19th century is greater than many understand. Grimm brothers were adored by our own "philosopher of nationalism", Vuk Karadžić, who collected Serbian folk tales and folk songs and regularly sent the to the Grimm brothers. He held their picture constantly at his desk and some of Grimm fairy tales are inspired by Serbian fairy tales (Rapunzel, Hanzel und Gretyl, Cinderella). The connection is deep, and the affinity towards the irrational ideologies within Serbia most certainly stems partially from this deep connection to Germany.

As a boy of German descent with a lot of German friends this is a great video. I want to go back to Germany already to visit all my friends again I miss them so much!!!

The best documentary I’ve ever seen on KZfaq. I done my dissertation on the counter enlightenment and Spengler and I loved watching this come together in the video. Fantastic!

Beautifully shot, poetically told, and extremely interesting insights. I did struggle a little halfway through due to information overload and think some of those topics could have been their own videos, but really glad I got the opportunity to watch this. I have lots to think about and reflect on!

I live in the southernmost part of Brazil, where thousands of german immigrants came to along the XIX century, since 1824. Their descendants are millions now. Although immigrants from other countries also came later, mostly from Italy (the northern region of Veneto) and Poland, it's clear that the germans had the deepest influence in our lives. And some negative comments I've heard about the german character contrast with the impression I have from the german descendants that I've always met. I don't know if they are different because they haven't suffered the traumas of the XX century in Europe, or if the criticism towards germans is simply unfair; but I know that germans here are the sweetest people, very peaceful, orderly, fair, honest and compassionate. They are constantly trying to do the right thing.

Yeah, as someone who recently moved here from the USA, you’re spot on. The Germany you picture here is the Germany that I see and cherish everyday. I’m an artist and so I’m especially in touch with the “I” that you mention and also the Romantic movement of art, poetry, music, etc. It’s totally German. The created it, it spread throughout Europe and then influenced everything. Now, with the Millennial generation being so romantic, égoist and dynamic these ideas will, I think, earn a revival. Or even better, inspire a new movement? We live, I think, in an age much closer to romanticism than we might think.

I love your passion and your capability to walk us through german history that great! Also your filmography skills are astonishing.

It‘s really nice to see a video about Germany that doesn‘t involve either ww2 or beer.

I love this shorter videos filled with the history of art, philosophy, etc. Great work, i really enjoy this channel

This was a great video. Well done. It's really appreciated that you filmed this on location in Germany. Thank you.

What a trip. I stumbled upon this video and am in awe how you told a coherent story including Rome's defeat, 30 Years War, Martin Luther to romanticism pointing out the important turns in time that are still defining the culture of my homeland. The production level is extraordinary. Thank you for taking people on this journey. I truly appreciate and enjoyed it. I gladly donated.

You have such a unique and beautiful style of narration. Bravo sir

Another amazing video- your thoughtfulness and attention to detail (especially with that camerawork) is impressive every time

First time finding this channel... This is fantastic content, amazing that it's free to watch. Keep it up!

This was one of the most amazing and eye opening videos i have seen on youtube in a long time if not ever. Thanks for making it.

Thank you very much for your excellent video! You presented an historical, philosophical, and social aspect alike in a very knowledgable, entertaining, and moving manner. I totally look forward for more of your videos!

Yeah, we Germans can be surely proud of these German philosophers - but they didn't do the Enlightment alone and on their own. It was a true european project and tooks some centuries to really blow up, People like Erasmus of Rotterdam, Voltaire and John Stuart Mill and a lot more have done their great work too.

The drone footage is very cool & is used very effectively in the essay.

Wow, it really feels like you explained what I sometimes feel better than I ever realized it myself. Thank you so much for this, it's going to take days until I actually processed it I guess. Thank you!

What a beautiful video, stunning. Rare to see something so in depth about history and philosophy on KZfaq. Thank you for the enlightenment. ;-)

As someone from the "place of poets and philosophers", I am flattered and cajoled and even flabbergasted by your video!

This video is fantastic and very informative! I learned a lot from it, even though I am german myself and my aunt is a historian so I would consider myself somewhat well versed in german history

Thank you for this. There are many Germans that are afraid of speaking about this part of our history because many people instantly think about the dark past everyone knows. But we were not always that bad, we have much more to give then hate and horror. We german people hope that one day the world will see what really drives us: To make the world a better place for everyone, everywhere. With a way of thinking, acting and inventing.

A very worthwhile, witty contribution and another nice example of the existence of the KZfaq university! Thank you for this wonderful video!

Goodness - the sweeping scope of this beautiful contribution is extraordinary. Art, philosophy, history and the origins of personal and societal meaning are all touched tangentially in empathic, lilting flow. The video leaves an orchestra of conceptual and factual singing bowls all reverberating together. All were touched skillfully, momentarily, to deliver the end moment of peaceful listening and appreciation: harmonics of every component as it relates to every other, interacting with harmonics interacting with...... I didn't want this to end. Astonishing work - thankyou so much for putting this together 🌼

I found that to be quite beautiful, a great watch and a really interesting take. Thanks for another fantastic video 👍

I am from jena, very interesting video, i loved listening to your voice, i can really hear the genuine excitement you feel while talking about this

Wow, I feel inspired and somehow moved to a different reality. That was amazing and very informative, thank you

Very well done! Maybe interesting in the Herder context is, that the German word for Experience is Erfahrung - the German word carries motion/driving/travelling... to make experiences.

Great. Fascinating subject and fine shots from your trip to Germany.

I clicked on this video solely for the thumbnail - I recognised the Alheimerturm in it. Well researched video, I do have to say. And thank you, for showing the beauty of my hometown. The tower you showed at 20:00, however, has a very specific meaning. It is a memorial for the lives lost during the two wars. The inscription in front of the tower reads: "Steige hinauf und schaue, wofür wir stritten und litten!" - "Gedenke aller, die ihr Leben für die Heimat opferten" meaning 'ascend (the tower) and look at what we fought and suffered for - remember all, who gave their life for their home.' I used to go there often and did exactly that.

I am really thankfull for this video, its just wonderfull to see someone talk about the extremely underrated german history

Your video is absolutely brilliant!

20:45 opens the door with the writing "bitte Tür schließen" (please close the door) - proceeds not to schließ the door. As a German, I am offended. We have Regeln Edit: 26:34 the door is still open

As always such a great narration! Really, really good, thank you so much for all the efforts.

62 year old German living overseas for half my life. Germans are very ‘head heavy’ and your analysis helps me understand - why. Thank you.

Nice to see you actually where in Marburg and Homberg (among other places) Always felt Hesse is a bit unrated as a travel destination, thanks for the great video!

Thank you for this video and the great view of german history. I think the book and also film "Die Vermessung der Welt" from Daniel Kehlmann describes also a part of the mentioned thinkings and the meaning of Alexander von Humbold, Kant and Gauß the mathematican.

Great Video, good in depth analysis of the heritage we owe to Germany as western societies, I thoroughly enjoyed it! The background soundtrack was amazing too, especially the inclusion of Shubert’s unfinished allegro.

Absolutely fantastic video. Very interesting. Thank you very much from Catalonia .

Very well put together. Thank you!!! Made me think of Binswanger, Jaspers, Freud, phenomenology and psychoanalysis. Maybe it's not a coincidence that modern psychology has its roots in German speaking languages after all.

Very interesting and inspiring video. Thank you very much

Great Video. It is pretty hard to explain all the connections between all the movements during that time. You did a pretty good job there. Of cause you could go more in-depth on all of the connections but that would be way to much for 30min😂

A truly wonderful video. You really do make just magic content. I am not German. I’m Australian , though have a great respect and fondness for the people and their contribution towards our modern world. Your video in a less than 30 minutes has summed up much of my thinking and reading over the last 30 years. Well done!

A big thank you here from germany, Gertrud. You are so kind, and in this bad times, people like you, give us hope!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you❤️👍👏👏👏👏❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I’m speechless. This was extraordinary, uplifting, marvelous.

A wonderful video. Thank you so much for making it. Too often German history is limited to WW I & WW II.

Wow, thank you very much for this video! I'm from Germany, living in Kassel (I've seen many scenes in your video from here!) and never learned this in german school. I very appreciate this video! Thank you!

Your videos are such high quality. Thank you for sharing them.

I found it beautifully symbolic that the tower door that has a sign on it -- "bitte tür schliessen" -- remained open, almost as if to demonstrate how despite our great efforts to be intellectual, well-educated, and studied on any subject, we miss the most simple things right in front of us

Inspiring video, many thanks!!

This is a truly amazing video. I need to watch it again to fully comprehend it.

Wow! Last year I fell deeply in love with your video about Spinoza and now I've discovered this one. As someone who's currenyly inheriting a German originated body I can only say Danke ♡

I live in Australia, and am a huge Germophile. I was fortunate to make friends with a German gentleman that married an Australian girl, and was introduced to so much I did not know, including German public TV and ZDF Magazine Royal and the concept of proud of not being proud. Jan Boomerang, is a crack up. Also Volker Pispers, who retired without even asking me first! And wonderful musicians and artists. I get much pleasure from Martin Sonnerb??? speaking at the EU. I am 63 and committed to learning German before I die...In fact I have no more time for this.....the clock is running One more thing Germans I have met in Australia speak better English than we do, and its getting bit much. If you speak better English than we do, better you go back to where you came from, we have plenty to feel inferior about already, we don't need you coming over here and making us feel even more depressed. Such arrogant people the Germans

as a german it´s great to see being appreciated for the huge impact in art, philosophy and engineering and not shrinking it all down to ww2 and bavarian lifestyle

Thank you very much indeed for your brilliant and insightful Video. I am German, and a psychologist...and in my early years at University I learned a lot about all these mentionned philosophers, their theories and as well about how we construct the world around us through our perception and perspectives of the world, additionally to the concert of the self and the paradoxies within us. I really appreciated your complex Video about the history of our philosophers and thinkers and their impact to culture.

I loved every piece of your video