How young Germans with Sudeten roots view Czech-German history today

In May, Brno will host the Sudeten German Day for the first time, reopening debate about Czech-German history. Milan, a volunteer at Tandem at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, talks about his family roots, life in Czechia and how young people today view the shared past.

Milan, you come from Mainz, and this year you are volunteering through the European Solidarity Corps at Tandem, the Coordination Center for Czech-German Youth Exchange at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Why did you decide to spend a year volunteering abroad and what brought you to Pilsen?

A few years ago, my cousin spent a year abroad through the European Solidarity Corps and highly recommended that I try something similar. My mum also encouraged me to spend time abroad because she never had that opportunity herself and still regrets it a little today. One of the reasons I chose the Czech Republic was that my ancestors lived in the Sudetenland until the end of the Second World War. Because of that, I feel a stronger connection to Czechia than to other European countries, even though none of my relatives live here anymore. Ending up in Pilsen was a coincidence, because this is where I got the position. Another advantage for me was that Pilsen is relatively close to Germany.

Your family has Sudeten German roots. What role did this topic play in your childhood and teenage years?
The topic of the Sudetenland did not play a particularly important role in my childhood. It was mainly present through certain traditions and Czech dishes my grandparents brought from Czechoslovakia, which are still prepared in our family today. My mum and great-aunt occasionally talked about it, but I only became more interested in the topic around the age of sixteen while working on a school research project. As part of it, I interviewed my great-aunt.

Do you think young people in Germany today still reflect on Czech-German history, or is it more a topic for older generations?
In my experience, this topic plays only a very small role, or no role at all, for younger generations, at least where I come from. For me personally, it is naturally important, but many young people today do not know much about what happened back then.
At school, the topic is usually not covered in much detail within the broader Second World War subject.

Has your stay in Czechia changed the way you see Czech society or the history of your own family?
I realized that Czech society is very similar to German society in many ways. Of course, there are differences, but the similarities are much stronger. My stay in Czechia also changed the way I look at my own family history, because before coming here, I mainly knew the German perspective. Now I have had the opportunity to get to know the Czech perspective as well.

At Tandem, you work with Czech-German youth exchanges. What has surprised or impressed you most about these encounters?
I was surprised by how warm and committed the atmosphere is, both directly at Tandem and at the various exchange meetings I attended. Most people were and still are very open, and it was really nice to experience that.

In May, the Sudeten German Day will take place in Brno for the first time and the topic is once again provoking strong reactions. How do you personally perceive the debate surrounding it today?
To a certain extent, I understand why this event causes emotions and controversy. At the same time, I think this year’s Sudeten German gathering could be an important step towards improving Czech-German relations. In my opinion, it represents a valuable opportunity for dialogue and reconciliation, and some of the negative reactions seem somewhat exaggerated.