Patriotism is not completely dissimilar to nationalism, it is a type of nationalism. One could say that patriotism is a type of cold or banal nationalism. In Germany, in places and on occasions one would expect banal symbols of the nation, they are absent, or deliberately played down. Nonetheless, the nation is presented using the best available evidence, i.e. the things of which the nation is most proud. Although the symbolism is not apparent in them, they provide banal support for national pride and they have the potential to become national symbols in circumstances of hot nationalism. In this paper an ecologically friendly neighbourhood in Germany is discussed as an example of these types of dormant symbols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]