Deutschland by Rammstein: An Analysis

DU HAST MICH

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for having so pleasant voices.

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Mark Jones - Founding Weimar: Violence and the German Revolution of 1918–1919
The quote in the video is translated from the German version though.

Richard Evans - The Coming of the Third Reich
Heinrich August Winkler - Germany: The Long Road West vol. 1&2

Also here are some wikipedia-links if you wanna read up on some of the stuff I talked about:

[ugh_dad]

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the level of thought & effort that goes into pretty much every Rammstein video? Very few artists go to these lengths, always next level.

[pianoraves]

POV: a german guy explains your own country's history to you in a foreign language

[silverfiste]

So I came here to see why it takes 27 minutes to analyze a video, and got educated on german history.... I love the internet.

[MrRootMusic]

Being a Polish person and knowing our troubled history with our neighbours I honestly say that this video brought a tear to my eye. I have a lot of friends in Germany, I've been to Germany many times, I also speak German and I know their turbulent history very well. I totally understand the message of this song and this video. I understand how hard it is to live with the burden of your parents and grandparents wrongdoings. I understand how troubled history German people had. I might be one of the few Polish people who openly reach a friendly hand and send love to my German friends, but I will do it over and over again to bury the past and look for the future.

[ToastedWafflez]

Buy a coffee for 30, 000 marks, sell it back to the barista for 60, 000 two minutes later. Stonks.

[markschaumann]

If only every nation was as brutally honest about its history...

[alexroselle]

One of my favorite visual references in the video (there are so many, and they come and go so fast) was when Ruby Mossey as Germania appeared in a gold chainmail bikini, with sunglasses and a fur coat, holding back four snarling dogs (and backed by a squad of armed Bundespolizei) - an obvious reference to and subversion of the statue of Victoria in a four-horse chariot which tops the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

[darklight]

You missed the part when monks and priestes feast upon the body of Germany and when, the same clerics, happily hug nazis; a clear reference about how church has always preyed on the people misery and it is also been very appleasant and collaborative with an antisemitic and uberconservative leadership such as the nazi's one.
Thank for the explanation about the weimar's turbolent history elements shown in their clip.

[nobody]

Germania is black, but she also wears red and gold to symbolize german flag.

[derharlekin]

I think the witch who was burned was Germania.
Which leads me to the interpretation that the burning of books is meant to be a burning of Germany, in a cultural and intellectual sense.

[KayosHybrid]

‘Nationalism is easy to overdose on’ is an absolutely fantastic, genius phrase

[thejadedeagle]

A political observation I noticed: In the concentration camp scenes, Germania is wearing her eye patch over her left eye. Perhaps to symbolize that Germany was only "seeing" through the right (wing) at the time.

[rowan-priince]

Rammstein literally said “f*ck nazis” and people freaked out because they said nazis :|

[juhaturu]

Do you see the symbolism in germanias colours? Her BLACK skin, her golden(YELLOW) chainmail and her RED lips or background. Those colours make a german flag.

[lisamann]

As a Jew I was never offended by the brief trailer for the video depicting band members about to be hung. Because it INSTANTLY hit me as a stark condemnation- a big middle finger- to the Third Reich and all it stood for. It never seemed like a cheap stunt to me, and I didn't understand the controversy. Thanks for exploring the other images in the video and explaining the related history, of which I as an American know very little.

[bloodwolf]

Teacher: Why are you so good in german histoy?
Me: I watchted, listened and understood Deutschland by Rammstein

[suides]

I think "mein Land" and "Amerika" also give some perspective on how they see imperialism and nationalism.

[shaunahinson]

Just watched this as an assignment for a college Ethnic Politics in the US class. Used by our German American instructor as an example of a "text" analysis we will have to complete on US media. So your message is still spreading far. Thanks for such detailed content!

[myaxalienn]

I feel like every country needs their own ‘Rammstein’ to make art like this so everyone knows the real history their country tries to hide

[jademoon]

I've watched this video a few times, and I never once got the impression they were being exploitative or insensitive or anything like that. There's no disrespect. They're talking about their relationship with their homeland, a mix of pride and shame, love and hate, joy and pain. There are things to hold Germany up for, and things they should hang their heads for. Same as any country, though Germany has had a rocky road for one of the leading modern economies of today. How could they just leave out the Nazis? That would've seemed.. Like they were trying to pretend it didn't happen. It did. And they are ashamed of it. That's why they made themselves the victims. They sympathize. I just don't get the criticism. It's a mini movie of Germany's history. Can't just cut out the parts people would rather not think about. That would be wrong. I think it's beautiful and sad and it was moving. I love it. Rammstein has always been pushing the boundaries. I don't think this is one of those times. They're expressing their mixed feelings about their heritage in art. That's it.