The flags continue to wave

I've had some interesting conversations with several Germans lately about the flag, the World Cup and its impact on the country. One person reminded me that until the World Cup every time she saw a person or house with a German flag she assumed that they or the inhabitants were with the far right or neo-Nazis. She liked the display of the flag during the Cup and thought it was very positive for Germany. Yet, her sentiment about the flag post-Cup will not change; she will continue to associate it with right wing nationalism.

Another person I spoke with just today said that she felt the World Cup was great for Germany. She was happy that Germans displayed pride for being German and feels that they can rightfully display this pride. She also believed that because the flag was displayed by all kinds of people during the Cup its meaning has been taken away from the far right. The flag for her will no longer just mean Nazis.

What a dialectical situation in German society! Who will win the flag? Has it been successfully appropriated from the far right? Will its symbolism return to the shadows? Will people be uncertain about its meaning and the intent of those who display it?