The Impact of German Nationalism on the Willingness to Integrate and Assimilate Foreigners in Germany

Abstract

Owing to its complex nature and historical variety, German nationalism is a subject that has been meticulously researched. Yet few researchers considered its possible connection to older and even contemporary issues that continue to divide Germans socially and politically. Integration and acculturation are among the most publicly discussed issues that policymakers and German society tend to neglect. Some scholars believe that the failure of integration resulted in problems such as growing xenophobia and neo-Nazism as part of the ever-developing multiculturalism in Germany. Others feel that Islamophobia and even foreigners themselves must be held accountable for the development of parallel societies and the overall stagnation in immigration policies. While these opinions are undeniably factual, they remain disconnected from one another, thus acting as small pieces of a very complex puzzle.

This thesis focuses on connecting the single puzzle pieces to reexamine and reconsider the relatively short but extensive evolution of German nationalism concerning migration, multiculturalism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, and ethnic exclusivism. This research aims to evaluate if Germans continue to preserve their nationalistic and mono-ethnic tendencies or if citizenship and immigration reforms positively impact their willingness to tolerate and integrate foreigners into German society.