How the German #refugeeswelcome movement connects to German memory

The overwhelming embrace of tens of thousands of mostly Syrian refugees by the German public is fascinating the world. Here they are, the grandchildren of Hitler’s regime, extending a hand to the exhausted masses, for the world to see: We are not our nation’s past. Germans are not inherently evil. Things have changed. #refugeeswelcome

As a post-war German I share the sentiment deeply, and wish I could be there for this historic moment, a watershed moment for my generation. I had a chance to talk with Carol Hills of PRI’s The World about what is driving Germans to the streets in support of strangers right now, and the challenges that lie ahead. (Carol is a great interviewer, by the way.)