Certainly 88 has no meaning in German or Germany relating to Hitler or Nazi at all.
So, 88 basically its an US American thing, like calling ketchup a vegetable, right?
Fuck that. The Matrix brought them back. Don’t you dare tell this leather longcoat wearing asshole any different ! 
As explained, it’s US neo-Nazi code. And ketchup is not called a vegetable by Americans. (I know what you’re referring to, but that’s a poor summary.)
And I don’t think any of those numbers have really been stigmatized. When I see “88” at the end of a username, I assume a 1988 birth year.
(Regardless, the question is about what has been ruined in Germany, not the US, which I why I suppose GERMAN was being capitalized in Doughbag’s post.)
You must remember that it’s always preferable to, where possible, assume a racist interpretation, rather than risk letting a closet bigot slip through the net of condemnation.
Not specifically US. The leftist French punk band Ludwig von 88 picked it as well for example, although it was ironical on their part - they’re tight with various Antifa groups and tacked it at the end of their otherwise Clockwork Orange inspired band name specifically to piss off the (very, very local at the time) neo-nazi slice of their punk audiences.
That’s funny. When I first went on line, on a freenet, more than 20 years ago, I entered a choice for username, and it said that was already taken, and offered a couple of alternatives, including jtur88 at the top of the list, so I clicked it. I’ve used it ever since, to avoid the necessity of clanking my recalcitrant short-term memory into gear…
Today was the first time I have ever seen or heard of any idea that 88 had some goofy nazi reference, except once, about 5 years ago, somebody DMed in a forum and asked about it. I just assumed he had heard some nut case on all-night talk radio make some reference to it, and blew it off.
You mean everybody think’s I’m a neo-nazi sympathizer? Good thing I didn’t use 711 (Ghengiz Khan) or 34 (Count Dracula) or 83 (Hillary Clinton).
That’s the problem, it’s German and only makes sense in German. German humor does not translate - and what translates makes no sense in English, never mind it being funny.
The Nazi’s have ruined many things in Germany, like German national pride, but humor wasn’t, either way it’s certainly is not Germany’s biggest export product.
Having the German flag flying is generally only used for national event. After all, the Germans know, that they are in Germany and don’t have such a short attention span, that needs reminding ever 5 steps in which country they are in.
Its also pretty uncommon to pledge allegiances the a flag outside of fascist countries.
Germans did not invent racism, this US institution was established before the NAZI party formed, the NAZI Germans certainly stepped up acting racism to next methodical level.
However, Germans make for good villains in many movies.
From the Wiki timeline:
*
1220: The Sachsenspiegel, the most influential German code of law from the Middle Ages condemns slavery as a violation of God’s likeness to man.*
That would be 556 years before the Americans codified their condemnation of Slavery.
Let’s be honest, though. They took it to the next level, and then the one after that, and the one after that…
ETA: No criticism of modern-day Germany or Germans, whom I generally hold in high esteem, intended.
Neither does Ersatz mean a replacement of inferior quality in German, but its know that the US tried to sell ketchup as a vegetable.
Also that an island can tip over, if to many people stand on one side of it.
Department of foolish thoughts: digraph SS being regarded with disfavour, had me initially thinking: this threatens to spoil the popular modern usage “Special Snowflake” (often abbreviated in English discourse, to “SS”) ; meaning, a person who behaves – habitually or “one-off” – in a very selfish, thoughtless manner; which can be excused at best, by tending to be oblivious of others around them, as opposed to consciously mentally telling them ,“fuck you”. However, the term would I take it be in German, Besondere Schneeflocke – so, no bad-associations problem.
(One would suspect that the historical SS had in its ranks, more than its fair share of Special Snowflakes; but that’s another thing.)
Yup, they certainly did that in spades… Don’t know anyone else taking note and documenting on pulling teeth and hair shavings of their prisoners.
Possibly ? I admit I would have until now :o
That’s the thing, though, right ?
For some reason, neo-nazis feel a need to both advertise their brand of shit AND to to obfuscate it at the same time. I mean, you don’t see hardline, oldschool communists picking names ending in 119 in honour of Stalin or something. There’s no alphanumerical code for the Takbir for Muslim extremists either. But fascists think it’s cool or courageous for some reason.
I ain’t complaining. I like a self-identified worthless bastard.
No one said it was a German thing. It’s been explained. No need to be snide or coy about American culture- it’s just symbolic here (and perhaps other places that happen to not be Germany).
It may be “well known”, but it’s incorrect. Americans do not think of ketchup as a vegetable except as a joke. THat’s why people were upset when Reagan tried to pull that one.
The OP asks what has been ruined in Germany by the Nazis. The number combination 88 was ruined in the US by neo-Nazis. It’s one thing we can’t really blame Hitler for. There may not be many things we can’t blame him for, but that has got to be one of them. 
RE: SS - my mother had a good friend whose maiden name was Sally Smith (let’s say, it was slightly different). Sally Smith was German teacher. The school had the habit of the subject and then the initials of the teacher, such that her door and all the time tables read “German SS”. She quickly got married and is now thankfully Mrs. E.
Wiki notes that it’s still used in compound words too, although I imagine anyone referring to themselves as fuhrer instead of leiter would raise serious eyebrows.
You’re quite correct, don’t know where I got that one from - meant toothbrush moustache.
I’ve always heard it as a code to hide in plain sight, other Nazis would get it but it would sail over the heads of…I don’t know what they call the rest of us? Normies?
Aye, before the war eugenics was all the rage even in serious circles in western society. After the war…not so much. Although that’s assuming there was anything there to ruin.
In the UK, flying the Union Flag has long been a symbol of the right wing extremist organisations. In recent years, it seems to me to have been retaken by the centre to some extent. Maybe as a result of the scottish referendum, I don’t know.
The whole 88 thing was complete news to me, as it seems it was to all non-Americans. Over here 88 is most likely to be found as a Chinese good luck number - I gather that licence plates, both here and in Hong Kong, with the number 88 in them, can change hands for ridiculous sums.
This guy expatlingo.com says that “The highest priced plate I ran across was simply “18″ which sold during a special Lunar New Year auction for a breathtaking HKD 16,500,000 (US $2.1 million)”
The cost of this plate would be out of reach of all but the multi billionaires - YouTube.
Anecdotal, of course, but in my time in Germany I have met some very, very funny people.
Also, just to point out: the current national anthem of Germany (beginning “Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit”) was originally the third verse of the hymn sometimes known as “Deutschland Uber Alles.” A couple of earlier posts seemed to suggest that the verse had been newly written.
(For that matter, “Deutschland Uber Alles” was seen at the time as an extremely liberal-slash-progressive poem and was used in the revolution of 1848 as a republican-type symbol; it did not imply Gerrmany defeating Poland and France and ruling Europe or the world, just that the various small principalities should identify themselves as german and unify.)
Sure, because people suddenly realized that it’s not a good thing, when you take this shit to far… like Hitler did.
For example, it made it pretty impossible for the English to hold on to India and to keep the dirty Indian named Ghandi in prison, while freeing Germany from the racist NAZI’s.