History Over There

My travels took me by chance to a small town in Northern Germany, Blomberg. While we were taking a break, I noticed a monument commemorating the Franco-Prussian War in 1870/71.

The inscriptions read: "In memory of the glorious war 1870-1871 and the establishment of the German Empire." The backside reads: "Died a Hero's Death for the Fatherland" and then lists the local men who gave their lives. Note the attempts to scratch out the words "glorious war" and "German Empire".

Also, a sign next to the war monument explains the war monument: "The terms 'glorious war' and 'hero's death for the fatherland' are an expression of spirit of the times, which was dominated by militarism and nationalism. Today, our thoughts and actions are not motivated by this ideological exaggeration of war and its tragic consequences."

This monument used to stand on "Hindenburgplatz", which another sign states has been changed to "Am Martiniturm" in 2010 due to "Hindenburg's basic anti-democratic position and active support of the Nazi's rise to power".

My children, however, cared for none of it and instead enjoyed the see-saw next to the monument.