National Bonding

You would never think I was a fan of football. Back in "the day" I was bored stiff by it. And I don't remember many of my friends being very interested in it either.

But in 1990, Germany won the World Cup and that was when I got hooked.

I can remember that my children were very small, 4 and 2 I think, and I was living on my own with them in a flat in the center of the city. I couldn't go out in the evenings, and I watched the football final alone on TV.

When Germany won, you heard whooping and fireworks all around. I opened my second-floor window and looked out, I could even see a couple of the fireworks over the tops of the other buildings.

Just a very short while later, the "two Germanies" were unified and, apart from a lot of celebrating going on in Berlin, I remember being surprised that not one firework went off in our city and you heard no whooping at all. I realized that the former West Germany was less excited about being unified with the former East Germany than they had been about winning the World Cup.

Germany had little success in the next two World Cup tournaments, but in 2002 the excitement started to take off again. Germany lost to Brazil in the final, but there were "football parties" and national feeling was starting to run pretty high.

It was only in 2006, however, that things really took off. Germany hosted the World Cup and lost to Italy in a very exciting semi-final. By this time, national pride had really started to develop. For the very first time, German flags hung from the windows of houses and appartments, every third car sported at least one window flag. National bonding had begun.

Probably for the first time since World War II, Germans were able to overcome their "collective guilt", proud to sport their flag and immensely proud of their country. And it was about time.

The atmosphere during this World Cup 2010 has exceeded all proportions. Almost everyone, regardless of nationality, has become a football fan - it seems that where perhaps war, and other national crises, in the past created the bonding factor for nations, it is now the football tournament that awakens these stirrings of national pride.

Last night Germany won the match against Ghana and have made it into the Last 16. Even in our small town, the atmosphere on the streets was electric. Several hundred, if not thousand, gathered shortly before midnight, in cars and on foot to celebrate. Horns were honked continuously, vuvuzelas blown. People danced on top of stationary cars. Nobody sat inside moving cars, but half-outside on top of the open windows - and drove! Enormous flags were flown. Traffic scarcely moved. Those on foot laughed, smiled, touched strangers in greeting, spoke to those they had never met. They danced and sang.

The police parked a car on the roundabout in the middle of the town and a couple of policeman stood beside it, smiling at all the craziness going on around them. They let themselves be photographed together with passers-by.

The celebrations continued for several hours. This was not the World Cup Final, it was not even the Semi-Final or the Quarter-Final. It was just the Last 16. It was absolutely wonderful, and I have not experienced anything like it my entire life. There was little alcohol in evidence, and it was very, very peaceful.

Alcohol was not necessary. Everyone is drunk on National Bonding.