Fatherland

For other uses, see Fatherland (disambiguation).

Fatherland is the nation of one's "fathers", "forefathers" or "patriarchs". It can be viewed as a nationalist concept, insofar as it is evocative of emotions related to family ties and links them to national identity and patriotism. It can be compared to motherland and homeland, and some countries will use more than one of these terms. The term was used throughout Germanic language countries (e.g. in Hermann Broch's novel The Sleepwalkers),[1] or often to refer to their homelands much as the word "motherland" does. For example, "Wien Neêrlands Bloed", national anthem of the Netherlands between 1815 and 1932, makes extensive and conspicuous use of the parallel Dutch word.

The Ancient Greek patris, fatherland, led to patrios, of our fathers and thence to the Latin patriota and Old French patriote, meaning compatriot; from these the English world patriotism is derived. The related Ancient Roman word Patria led to similar forms in modern Romance languages.

"Fatherland" was first encountered by the vast majority of citizens in countries that did not themselves use it during World War II, when it was featured in news reports associated with Nazi Germany.[2][3] German government propaganda used its appeal to nationalism when making references to Germany and the state.[2][3] It was used in Mein Kampf.,[4] and on a sign in a German concentration camp, also signed, Adolf Hitler.[5] As such, the word "Vaterland" and the near English translation "fatherland" are often connotated with National Socialism outside Germany; in Germany, this is not the case.

Groups that refer to their native country as a "fatherland"

Groups that refer to their native country as a "fatherland" include:

Latin "patris"

Multiple references to parental forms

See also

External links

References

  1. The Sleepwalkers, by Hermann
  2. 2.0 2.1 Anna Wierzbicka (21 July 1997). Understanding Cultures Through Their Key Words : English, Russian, Polish, German, and Japanese. Oxford University Press. pp. 173–175. ISBN 978-0-19-535849-0.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Witnesses of War: Children's Lives Under the Nazis, page 328, by Nicholas Stargardt
  4. Six Million Crucifixions by Gabriel Wilensky. "What we have to fight for is the freedom and independence of the fatherland, so that our people may be enabled to fulfill the mission assigned to it by the creator"
  5. Nazi Germany reveals official pictures of its concentration camps - LIFE magazine Aug 21, 1939. "There is a road to freedom. Its milestones are Obedience, Endeavor, Honesty, Order, Cleanliness, Sobriety, Truthfulness, Sacrifice, and love of the Fatherland."
  6. Vaterland-YouTube