Krupenichka

They're ethnically the same, although Germany is a relatively new concept in European history - apart from a few exceptions there were always many little German counties instead of one unified nation, and today we have many federal states (Bundesländer). Eastern Germany was a Soviet country built after the partition of Germany in the aftermath of the WW2, fully controlled by the USSR. It was Soviet culture that changed their attitudes and even communication patterns. I guess the older citizens sympathize with the old regime, are dissatisfied with the current German government and its military actions, hence their aversion towards the soldiers.

On the other hand, after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 most of the Eastern Germans transferred to the capitalist Western Germany because of better economy and life conditions there. Today many cities in the East are abandoned to some extent - very few people want to stay here, and their place is being gradually taken by immigrants from the neighboring countries like Poland. Of course, lots of Eastern German don't like it and develop rather radical views. The Neonazis/skinheads bash modern army because in their eyes it's only a weak successor to the Third Reich.

Thank you for your comment!

As a child I witnessed my German teacher from DAAD being totally astonished with the freedom we were demonstrating our nationality during literally every national holiday at school. It was the first time I experienced this vastness of German guilt for what happened during the war. Since then I finished two German-oriented bilingual schools and specialize in intercultural communication at the university with German as the language of instruction, met many Germans, worked and lived with them on a daily basis. But even now I can't fully embrace this ridiculous amount of shame which should never be tied to anyone not directly involved, and especially not to entire nation.

I know that this is already changing and even more young Germans stop suffering so much because of the past they've never lived in, but it's still too slow a process and unable to compensate the self-confidence everyone has right to. If you must dread over the past and think about your ancestors and their life choices, think also about other, much, much older generations, who contributed both positively and negatively to European history. Bear in mind that nobody chooses their own family and nobody can change what already happened.

And have a very merry Christmas! :)

Not OP, but you basically described the Catholic Church's teaching on homosexuality (look up the Catechism of the Catholic Church, parts 2357-2359 "Chastity and homosexuality").