Holm: Bedeutungsnahe englische Fassung; historische Aussagen entsprechend dem Original

2026-10-04T21:30:45Z

Bedeutungsnahe englische Fassung; historische Aussagen entsprechend dem Original

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{{Solche English|original=Deutschländisch}}

This article reflects some of the band's discussion around the word “German”. On the one hand, it is a useful category, for example when explaining where you come from while abroad. For the language of the songs, it also makes sense to speak of “singing in German”.

On the other hand, the term is open to exploitation, especially by right-wing extremists who often define themselves in national terms. They invoke a German nation that does not exist in that form. Much of society in this country is humane and open; categories such as “foreigner” or “outsider” play no role in that outlook. The far right invoke a racist Germany as though it were a reality merely waiting to be brought to the surface. Racist and antisemitic slogans repeatedly include phrases such as “We Germans…”, presumably referring to people who think like these extremists. Fortunately, they make up only a fraction of society, since entries in criminal records and intelligence quotients are usually inversely proportional. We can only hope that one day it will be possible to refer to the state, geographical and cultural entity without stirring up the brown sludge containing an extreme construction of Germany that has never existed in that form. Perhaps a little like Brecht's “Children's Hymn”.

Solche try to address this problem by using phrases such as “German-language” or “in German”. Ideally, geographical and cultural terms would be distinct. In Russian, по-русски (“po-russki”) refers to the language, русский (“russki”) to the culture, and российский (“rossiiski”) to the state within particular geographical borders. In German, the latter might be translated as “russländisch”.

Perhaps “deutschländisch”, a proposed term referring to Germany as a country, will someday come into wider use. It might then become easier to express certain things without putting wind in the sails of right-wing blockheads.

Deutschländisch/en - Versionsgeschichte

Holm: Bedeutungsnahe englische Fassung; historische Aussagen entsprechend dem Original