Nationalism and national identity

“What is nationalism? It is a kind of patriotism that has lost its gentility!” These remarkable
words from Albert Schweitzer represent an opinion that is accepted by many people in this
world today. But when we speak about nationalism and national identity would not it be
interesting what is behind these tradition-rich words? What is the meaning of nationalism and
how has it changed in the last centuries? Another interesting point is how the people of today
would conceive their national identity, maybe in Sweden and Germany. Are there similarities
or even well-defined limits?