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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, April 3, 1981
Page 19
undefined goal of reunification. Nobody on either side of the iron
Curtain really wanted a unified Germany anyway.
The Germans turned to the goal of a politically united Europe to find a
national purpose. "To create Europe was an appropriate task for Germans,"
notes Pfaff, "but that opportunity has now been taken away from Germany:
Such is the as yet unrecognized significance of enlarging the European
Community to nine, then ten, and eventually thirteen members."
The Common Market has drifted away from the "core Europe" of Germany,
France, Italy and the Benelux states. Britain and Denmark are reluctant
foot-draggers. New member Greece is barely in Europe, at least in its
state-of-mind. Prospective members Spain and Portugal represent many
additional problems politically and economically. And with Turkey as a
member, the EC would no longer even be wholly in Europe.
The original aim of a "political Europe" is now so remote that the
Community seems destined to be nothing more than an unromantic, bureau
cratic, glorified (or unglorified) customs union. With the Community's
only focus that of mercantilism, West Germany's natural purpose, if it can
be called that, is similar to that of the United States--to maintain and
try to enjoy the fruits of materialism. Nothing more.
But if a purposeless Germany is a dilemma, a Germany with a purpose can
be a great danger. Germany, notes Pfaff, has consistently looked for
justification in causes larger than mere national aggrandizement: "From
the times of the Teutonic knights and their crusades against pagan Balts
and Slavs, Germans have believed in a destiny of European consequence-
a historical mission."
Even earlier, Otto I consolidated much of Central Europe, making the
"barbarians" of old Roman days the Christian successors in the West of
the Roman emperors. This new empire's missionary obligation was to con
vert remaining pagans.
Much later, in 1870 with the final amalgamation of the remaining Germanic
states (before the process began there were 1789 separate "Germanies")
the new "Second Reich" looked for its historic meaning as well.
The ''Second Reich" under the Protestant Hohenzollern line, however, could
not claim Holy Roman succession. William I, who became German emperor
in 1871, wanted to be crowned with what Chancellor Bismark had called
"the true crown"--the Holy Roman crown. But the Austrian government
refused his request. Thus the "woman" did not ride this particular
resurrection.
Instead the new German Empire's leaders looked elsewhere in their past for
meaning and continuity. They exalted Germany's cultural achievements,
particularly German gifts for poetry and music. However, this German
rebirth was interrupted by the First World War. After the war, and after
the abdication of the emperor, came the purposeless Weimar Republic. "It
was merely a democracy," notes Pfaff. "It had to be destroyed. It was
unsuitable for a German people entrusted with an historic destiny-
temporarily suspended."
The National Socialists terminated the suspension. It was back to the
business of glorifying German Kultur. Writes Pfaff: "In this period of