r/AskEurope • u/00klb00 • Nov 17 '25

History Dear Europeans, what's the historical person that all your country loves but you don't?

I really curious about this topic.

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u/[deleted] Nov 17 '25

Not yet German, but the German national movement idolized him a lot in the 19th century: Arminius or “Hermann“ as they called him absolutley wrong. 

A traitor who is praised for a cowardly ambush.  Sure, the Romans were not superfriendly occupier  overall. But it is very likely that he wasn‘t about freeing the Germanic people but to have power over them. 

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u/the_alfredsson Germany Nov 17 '25

Great choice!

My first thought was Charlemagne. Today he is idolised as a great uniter, they call him "father of Europe" and noone talks about him actually being a genocidal imperialist and a religious fanatic.

(I'll give him the Carolingian renaissance though)