What it means to be German has often been tied to one’s relationship to the nation-state. In view of the National Socialist past, many Germans regard patriotic statements with suspicion. Especially after reunification, however, more and more Germans began speaking out in favor of a positive patriotism. This was often tied to the Basic Law and its achievements, as expressed by the term “constitutional patriotism” [Verfassungspatriotismus]. On the other end of the spectrum, Germanness has also been defined in ethno-nationalist and xenophobic terms. This snapshot includes several sources that define Germanness primarily in terms of shared cultural values—although these values vary significantly depending on the background of the author.