Ask rothaer anything

[rothaer]

During and after Perestroika many Russian Germans moved to Germany.

How many of them consider themselves Germans?

And how many German Germans consider those of repatriates who think of themselves as Germans to be Germans equal to German Germans?
What are the most common conditions for such repatriates to be considered by locals as Germans?

To my observation the self-perception and the perception by others is inter-connected and both is roughly connected to the proportion of German ancestry. Those who came quickly after 1990 were often of full German descent and those who came the last years rarely do have full German ancestry. These of fully German descent did often distance themselves from carrying on Russian culture and became quickly intergrated. They view theselves as ordinary Germans and are also perceived as that by the other Germans. For such folks there's actually zero problem, except for maybe if they just have arrived. Having the family background of having been in Russia for 200 years is inconspicious in Germany as millions of Germans have also once been in Russia, Poland (proper), Romania, Hungary etc.

Now, those "Germans" that do only partially have German ancestry do stick more to going on with Russian language, socialising only among other such folks etc. This influences both the self-perception and the perception by others in that direction that those are no Germans and no integral part of the German people.

[Hithaeglir]

What do you like the most and least about Germany?

[Rumata]

So basically it's blood that routinly makes one German regardless ones migration history.

[Mopi Licinius Crassus]

Do you think Austria should become part of a Greater Germany ?

[Rumata]

Now, those "Germans" that do only partially have German ancestry do stick more to going on with Russian language, socialising only among other such folks etc. This influences both the self-perception and the perception by others in that direction that those are no Germans and no integral part of the German people.

But if those Slavic admixtured in last 200 years aren't Germans then those Slavic admixtured in 400 or 800 years aren't Germans either, correct?

[rothaer]

How did growing up in Sweden made you person you are today, and how do you think it impacted you comapred to average Germans who grew up in Germany?

As an diaspora German I became more ethnically aware which is typical for whatever diaspora folks. I was never in school in Germany and I'm actually happy that I completely lack all indoctrination that was performed there. In Sweden was indoctrination as well, of course, but I as a conscious ethnic German school child never felt myself as an adressee for such things. All this promoted having own thoughts and considerations on whatever topic.

When and why you decided to move back to Germany?

Whith 14. Because I wanted my descendants, children and grandchildren, to be Germans like me and that seemed realistically impossible in Sweden.

How do you feel about Sweden overall?

I feel good. The Sweden intermezzo eventually didn't harm me and I could correct it. I grew up under good conditions and it would feel pityful to complain about anything. My attitude towards Sweden is friendly and unbiased. I got along well with Sweden and the Swedes. The only thing was that it wasn't my country.

What are your favorite German traditions and values?

Just as a preface: I don't consider anything German better or more lovely than other things. My adhesion to the German is identity and felt duty only. A German "value" that I can well relate to in comparison to how Swedes are is to be socially brave and tell your deviating opinion if you have one.

Northern German foods you'd reccomend to a foreigner?

The Northern German culinaric performance is pretty humble, to express it carefully. But it can be recommended to try Nordseekrabben (North Sea shrimps) as they are pretty different to others, internationally essentially unknown and very tasty.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...1_%2801%29.jpg

[Lemminkäinen]

I feel incapability to understand the German energy politics. How much I tried I have no clue about it. It is for me magic. You don't need to explain how it works, but you could save me from wasting time in trying to explain it. Why Germany shut all nuclear plant in the situation where Europe suffers from energy shortage. What are the plans? More wind power substituting coal power? EU's plans are high-flying.

[nittionia]

As someone with Swedish and German ancestry, do you think I may be a visual display of your lost generation, if you had stayed in Sweden?

[rothaer]

What do you like the most and least about Germany?

I like the most that it is my country and I like the least that Germans are not particularly sympatethic.

[rothaer]

So basically it's blood that routinly makes one German regardless ones migration history.

I don't want to say blood in the sense of DNA but in the sense of ethnic background and in this indirect way with mutual feedback that I tried to describe.