#I do like Ludwig as stubborn and even a bit naive brat | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

breitzbachbea · 3 years ago

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All good takes! (I love that you mentioned gay disco, because I also was thinking of the GDR abolishing the anti-homosexuality law FAR earlier than the FRG)

The only thing where I'd personally diverge is Gilbert being too resentful at the fall of the wall. I agree he'd be hesitant about a reunion, but the fact that the wall really came down because GDR Citizens wanted more freedom makes me think he'd be more excited that night. Like shit, this is not what I wanted, but I'll take it. It will only mean more freedom, right? Only when things start to spin out of control and everything happens way too sudden, he's hesistant.

But that's my personal two cents! I like your interpretation as well :)

Because I keep seeing people portray Gilbert’s GDR days as terrible because he lived with Ivan and wasn’t a nation anymore, I want to clear some things up.

Historically, Gilbert’s GDR days were not as horrible as the fandom often views it. He was not owned, enslaved, or imprisoned – he had autonomy, within reason of course, which is something the fandom (and canon) almost always fails to include when portraying GDR content; the GDR was fairly autonomous under the USSR; much more than the satellite states were allowed and was better off than most of them as well, the USSR also heavily supported them, and it had one of the largest/most stable economies of the Eastern Bloc. So historically speaking, Gilbert would be decently cozy at the very least. It wasn’t sunshine and rainbows, but it wasn’t the terrible torture that’s often portrayed.

Edited amendment: East Germany also had a whole culture of its own, so viewing Gilbert as just some enslaved minion of Ivan’s is not only demonizing Ivan as an abuser and painting Gilbert as a helpless victim of circumstance, but it is a view that ignores the rich history and culture that East Germany had, which Gilbert canonically gets nostalgic for. They have a word for it – Ostalgie; nostalgia for aspects of life in Communist East Germany.

#Like yeah Westgermans DEFINITELY presented themselves as saviours after the wall fell #but this entire thing was very much kicked off by the East Germans themselves so that's why #I do like Ludwig as stubborn and even a bit naive brat #He is SO young. Like fucking hell he is so young and he has seen SO MUCH #Born out of a war then becoming an Industrial powerhouse then being at the center of the worst nightmare in europe's history #(and other places in the world like wwi was also fought in the colonies and it was brutal. burnt earth and all.)#then becoming an unstable as fuck republic with everyone dragging and tearing you in different directions #and then... the Nazi Regime. No words.#I can see him just listen to somebody. And now with his brother gone the somebody is the rest of Europe who look at him sceptical as shit #and if they say Gilbert is the worst. Okay. Whatever. Yes. He left me alone. He was bad. I'm so tired.#Anger is an easy emotion to have after all. Much more comfortable than all the others.#aph #aph prussia #aph germany #I also have a book at home where several people talk about life in the gdr I should reread that one #It was very interesting and nuanced. Many different voices and experiences in the gdr and after the german reunification.#Also made their dad a Westgerman and their mom an Eastgerman in my Human AU and there the conflict actually also crops up #and Ludwig is more dad's kid while Gil is more mom's #so yeah! Lutz there actually also! tends to come off a bit as ignorant when the topic crops up!!!

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