"The Germans are a Swinish People"

[Paul in Saudi]

Did Kaiser Wilhelm II say something like this on his abdication? I am fairly sure I read this in some book or another, but oddly I cannot find it on the Google. Can anyone set me straight?

 

[Paul in Saudi]

Found it!

„Das deutsche Volk ist eine Schweinebande“

https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/das-deutsche-volk-ist-eine-schweinebande.3682.de.html?dram:article_id=147512

 

[r16]

which only tempts me to write that he might have cursed the German people , but his "replacement" was a far bigger loser , trying to kill them all when it became clear that Russians would indeed take Berlin . A prophetic statement or whatever .

 

[Bugfatty300]

Well they really do like their sausage.

 

[Paul in Saudi]

From an old TV commercial.... We Want Kaiser Wilhelm Back.

 

[innonimatu]

You have but to look at the handling of glasses and dishes in german bars/restaurants... everything into the same dirty water tub! Reminds me of eating at the taverns and popular street fests in my country 30 years ago didn't expect to see the germans doing it it in their current brick&mortar places a few years ago!

 

[Lohrenswald]

Found it!

„Das deutsche Volk ist eine Schweinebande“

https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/das-deutsche-volk-ist-eine-schweinebande.3682.de.html?dram:article_id=147512

poor source

I wouldn't trust it tbh

 

[yung.carl.jung]

poor source

I wouldn't trust it tbh

the source is literally a state-sponsored radio program. these probably have the highest standard of journalistic integrity in the entire country. deutschlandfunk is actually particularly good journalism, some of the best we have. to be specific, this source is a long-play format on German public radio. but you can see others, like the ZEIT, use this quote as well. So the source is not the problem here.

if I understand the context of this quote correctly, he said it in answer to the expulsion of lords/local governance, so it's pretty much just a bitter knee-jerk reaction at revolutionary sentiment.

the correct literal quote is apparently "Die Deutschen sind eine untreue Schweinebande", meaning "The Germans are a disloyal gang of pigs", which makes even more sense given the context I posted.

It is likely that Wilhelm never actually said this, the quote seems to be attributed.