I would like to use my blog post this week to talk about the 2006 World Cup in Germany for one last time. As I said in class, I really liked reading the article “Constructing Patriotism above Reproach: The Rehabilitation of German National Pride in the 2006 World Cup,” because I completely agree with the author’s main line of argumentation. Like the author, I think that the 2006 World Cup was so tremendously important for the country of Germany because it “finally succeeded in breaking the taboo against the public expression of overt national pride” (“Constructing Patriotism above Reproach,” 2012, p. 1). Even more, in the mega sports event “the past finally ‘went away’, essentially disappearing from discussions of German identity” (“Constructing Patriotism above Reproach,” 2012, p. 10).
However, the World Cup was not only special for my home country because it offered the “ultimate public plebiscite on a massive level, affirming the desire of the nation to unite as a collective” (“Constructing Patriotism above Reproach,” 2012, p. 17). The quasi-religious, therapeutic experience of the World Cup (“Constructing Patriotism above Reproach,” 2012, p. 22) also provided a great opportunity for Germany to present its new self to other nations. The official motto of the tournament was “Die Welt zu Gast bei Freunden.” While this motto was turned into the expression “A time to make friends” for the English-speaking audiences, the literal translation of the German motto is “The world as a guest at a friend’s place.” Here, Germany was framed as a “friend” who was visited by all other nations participating in the tournament. This reflects Germany’s desired self-presentation for the other nations: It was presented as a place where friends (as signified by the participating countries) from all over the world meet. The “new” Germany was herewith constructed as a melting pot that saw all other countries as their “friends.” This was a strong, yet effective contrast to the image of Nazi-Germany that still lingered from the country’s horrific past. To me, the presentation of this new, open-minded, tolerant, and exciting Germany in the global context was equally important in the creation the new national pride.
Yannick,
ReplyDeleteHearing you speak about this event in class and in the blog has been very interesting. In a country where soccer is not that popular, I realized the importance of the World Cup and how America has the ability to come together for a common purpose. I can not imagine a country such as Germany and the affect the World Cup had on it. It is refreshing to understand the experience that the German people endured during this time.
Derek Shay
Yannick- I agree with Derek, I enjoy reading your blogs. This is, in my opinion, makes sports so special. One event, like the 2006 World Cup, can change a country's identity. But I never realized until reading your blogs and comments about the 2006 World Cup how great of an impact sports can have though. I enjoyed the videos that we watched in class last week. You can tell how proud Germany was to host the World Cup and show off its' country.
ReplyDeleteHi Yannick,
ReplyDeleteGreat post, as always. I greatly enjoyed hearing what you had to say about the World Cup in class, as it had a different effect on you than it would from an outsider looking in. It was easy to see your passion, respect and pride for the World Cup. I honestly had no idea that things were the way they were in Germany, so I think it's really neat that the cup was able to fix that. When I was younger and living in Italy, we had neighbors from Garmisch, and they always had a flag up and were quite proud to be German, I assumed it was the same way for everyone. Regardless, I love watching Germany play because you guys are phenomenal. I hope that one day, Americans will begin to like soccer more. I think our country is more concerned in the sports that do the best; once America started doing well in the cup this year, people started to pay attention which was really neat to see.
Jackie
Yannick,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked that article and appreciated you sharing insights about what it meant to Germany to win that World Cup at home. It reminds me of how the Olympics often provide an opportunity for a nation to define itself - or in some cases to redefine itself to the world. I remember reading that the 1972 Olympics (in Munich) was viewed as a chance to erase the memories of the 1936 Olympics. Given the terrorism that occurred in 1972, I wondered if that heightened a sense of needing to atone for what happened in Berlin. Once again, thanks for sharing your astute insights!
Dr. Spencer