There are calls in Germany to make the National Anthem more Gender Neutral. Instead of singing 'Fatherland' or 'Vaterland', the words would be changed to 'Homeland' or Heimatland'. The Equality Commissioner at the Family Ministry has called for the words of the German national anthem to be more inclusive.
One German politician, however, said Germany has more serious things to worry about than changing the lyrics of the national anthem. This may seem a silly issue to many mainstream Germans but to feminists, this is a serious issue. The AFD, however, has stated the lyrics should remain as they are and not pander to Political Correctness.
Angela Merkle must be the most successful German female politicians ever. Certainly, she is one of the most successful European female politicians ever not discounting Margaret Thatcher. What Mrs Merkle's thoughts are on changing the lyrics of the German anthem is not known.
Todays multicultural Germany
One of the biggest communities in Germany is the Turkish community who originally arrived as guest workers. Now their descendants have full German citizenship. There are also Pakistanis, Africans and Eastern Europeans making up Germany's population. Jewish Germans are also thriving with many Jews of German ancestry coming back from countries like the UK.
Native Germans are usually very tolerant of their fellow Germans of foreign descent, however, something changed not too long ago.
When Angela Merkle threw open the floodgates to welcome in Syrian and other refugees many Germans did not mind. However, all that changed when reports came in of refugees groping German women or they were blamed for rising crime. It was then that the far right Alternative for Deutschland did well in Germany's recent general election.
The AFD now have 19 seats in the Bundestag (German Parliament) and whether this was a protest vote or something else cannot be known. Certainly, the popularity of the AFD must be blamed to a certain extent on Merkle's open door policy door to refugees.
Germanys football team: Ethnic success?
One could say Germany's multicultural society works when you look at the ethnicity of their national football team.
As well as dyed in the wool German names like Muller you'll find surnames with foreign ancestry.
Germany won the world cup with players like Thomas Muller and Jerome Boateng at ease with each other as Germans.
Germany by and large than when it comes to equality whether its race, religion, or gender does seem to have something we could all learn from.
