ABSTRACT
The birthday child by the name of the Federal Republic of Germany celebrates his fiftieth. A generational change and a new cast of characters have made a significant contribution. A peaceful and voluntary union of a dozen autonomous states would be, if it succeeds, an utter historical novelty. Every other world power and empire from the Imperium Romanum to the British Empire, from the United States to the former Soviet Union, came into existence through war. It is true that Europe is a project of the future-it cannot boast of a legend about its origins like ancient Athens or the Imperium. For historic reasons Germany could be-and in many ways is-one of the most dynamic and modern societies in Europe, for almost every tradition had to be examined for the Nazi virus and not a few traditions were turned upside down.
