Language:
English
Year of publication:
1994
Titel der Quelle:
British Journal of Holocaust Education
Angaben zur Quelle:
3,2 (1994) 140-159
Keywords:
Frank, Hans,
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Historiography
;
War crime trials
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Abstract:
Questions the reliability of personal testimonies as a source for historians dealing with Holocaust history. Discusses the case of Hans Frank's memoirs ("In the Face of the Gallows"), written in his Nuremberg cell. Frank's recollections do not concur with historical reality - neither in his depiction of the situation in Germany and in the Nazi Party, nor in his portrayal of his own attitude and role, both before and during the war. For instance, he alleged that antisemitism played a marginal role in German life and party ideology, and that at the early stage of the war he did not know about Hitler's plan to exterminate the Jews, and even tried to mitigate some of the excesses of Nazi policy. Analysis of Frank's recollections shows that he did not try to "relive the history, " but rather to construct an alternative, better version of his own life. Of course, it is necessary to collect eyewitnesses' accounts, but scholars must be aware of the inevitable distortions.
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