the Founding Fathers are venerated in the United States, and in Italy, Victor Emmanuel is held in high regard. But in Germany it seems Bismarck's reputation is rather lukewarm and sometimes even negative. But why is that the cause?
The reputation of the empire and Prussia, with it's militarism is not great. The characterisation my history book of him was basically a cunning autocrat that didn't hesitate to start a war to get whatever he wanted to achieve. A chess master.
Also Germany doesn't have much love for the aristocrats, especially the Hohenzollern.