Have you, personally witnessed Nazi paraphernalia in Germany like in the 30’s and 40’s?
They dont flaunt historic, WW2 era Nazi anything really in Germany too too much. It wasnt even cool (and still isnt) to name your child Adolph, or mock salute. Berlin has had to integrate the history because of how prevalent it is in the fabric of the city. So ive seen the old military installations now converted, and have been to Hitler's bunker. But it wasnt until relatively recently that Nurnberg integrated the old rally grounds into the city's historic resources. So ive been there. Stood on the platform made famous by hitler for his speech at the zeppelin field. My apartment is about 400 meters from the courthouse where the Nurnberg trials took place. Ive seen a few things. but not sure what you mean by paraphernalia?
When i was around 11 or so, one of my best friends was the grandson of a former Nazi officer and member of the Nazi party. My family is from a small town outside of Ansbach in Bavaria. I didnt know who it was i was playing with at the time and as a kid, didnt really think on it too much. But yeah, i met the old man. Would go in his house for soda breaks when we were tired. He had a house in the woods on the edge of town. so there's that. My fam didnt roll like that at all, have some Jewish blood by descent (not something they flaunted) and hailed from far western poland before the war. But my grandfather was made to serve in the german war effort when Hitler's forces rolled through Poland. He and his brother faught in the battles outside of Stalingrad - my great uncle was killed there. And my grandfather was a POW in Russia for 4 years before being returned to Germany. He was in one of the forward infantry batallions that was captured not far from Moscow. We have his old rank ensignias, pins, uniform adornments, and prisoner release papers from the Russian camp he was in, as well as letters he wrote my grandmother while he was imprisoned. So i guess that counts as paraphernalia.
Cool thing that brough all of that full circle for me was that in 1988, i was in Dodds schools in Germany and my highscool had a sponsored field strip to Moscow (annually) that was a joint sponsorship between the US and the USSR. So i spent 16 days in the old USSR before it all fell with about a dozen classmates. It was an eye opening experience. In a fantastic way.
Crazy stuff. crazy family history. The same grandfather that whenever i tell that story to friends they say - oh, so your granddad was a nazi?? - who fiercely defended my african american father marrying his small town, german daughter and was proud to walk around town with me in his arms when i was the only kid of color around. He was no nazi. He was a soldier made to fight for the occupying country - although the part of Poland my family is from was heavily German and had been part of Germany before WW1. My fam was a Polish/German/ quietly Jewish mix.
And then on my dads side, my grandfather served in the Korean war, my dad in vietnam and then in desert storm.
I think my grandfather on my german side found kinship in my dad regardless of his color as a man and a soldier. My dad was barely 2 years removed from vietnam when i was born, so my grandfather understood well who he was and what he'd been through.
Sorry for the long answer.