Language:
English
Year of publication:
1997
Titel der Quelle:
American Sociological Review
Angaben zur Quelle:
62,6 (1997) 921-936
Keywords:
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Influence
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Influence
Abstract:
The Holocaust has long been the standard for evaluating German political activity. Examines the transformation of official representation of the Holocaust in the FRG as a constraint in German political culture. The Holocaust exerts its power in German politics both mythically and rationally; the mechanism of the interplay between Holocaust memory and political behavior is more complicated than simply "holding Germany hostage to Auschwitz". In the Adenauer era, support for Israel and reparations were instrumental in the rehabilitation of Germany as a nation. The post-1967 generation viewed itself as fundamentally different from the older, criminal one and was inclined to abandon support for Israel; both generations, however, were reluctant to admit German collective guilt for the genocide. Dwells on the "historians' debate" of 1985-87. Nolte's arguments evoked a negative reaction because he tried to minimize the power of the Holocaust as a cultural referent. At the same time, the "historians' debate" transformed the Holocaust from a constraint that could only be obeyed or transgressed to one that could be investigated scientifically and debated rationally.
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