I don't think they see it that way. Most Gerries supported Hitler. And then, for at least 15 years, we turned them into a colony, and for almost thirty years after that, we still treated them like a poor relation. They had been the most powerful nation in Europe, and it was just a matter of time before they decided to act like it again. We did protect their freedom, but that was from the Russians. Once the wall came down, they no longer needed our protection.
The East Germans are still infused with the old Communist doctrine of "Hate everything American." Schroeder is a sorry assed punk weasel.
I believe that Schroeder got elected, due to Kohl's corruption scandals. However, even during the early 1980s, the West German left was more nationalistic than most German conservatives. And of course, they also had the "Hate America" thing down pat for the obvious reasons.