This is, actually, such a common European experience that isn’t often talked about. There’s a lot of shame around this topic, when you’re from “the other side” - meaning from somewhere that’s seemingly less westernised and, hence, civilised. Especially when such divisions happened within one country and one side tries to “forget” or “erase” the history of the other. It’s sad you had to deal with much ignorance and arrogance, but I see you were able to rise above that eventually)