Holocaust memory and political legitimacy in contemporary Europe
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Abstract
This article analyzes how Holocaust memory serves to consolidate political legitimacy in contemporary Europe. In the aftermath of communism, post-communist states performatively adopted the established Western memory canon while rejecting much of its focus on the uniqueness of Jewish suffering. Instead, they refocused the gaze on the suffering of non-Jewish national majorities. This approach provided cover and protection to Western governments, which have been reluctant to seriously address national mythologies that emphasize resistance and downplay complicity and collaboration in the Holocaust. Holocaust memory became decoupled from the Holocaust and is better understood through the prism of contemporary European politics.
Topics
Holocaust Commemoration Holocaust Memorials Holocaust Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial Memory Politics Post-1989
Genre
Geographic Coverage
Original Language
Volume/Issue
29(4)
Page Number
502-519
DOI
Link
Link to article (paywalled), Holocaust memory and political legitimacy in contemporary Europe
Bibliographic Information
Holocaust memory and political legitimacy in contemporary Europe. 2023: 502-519. https://archive.jpr.org.uk/10.1080/17504902.2022.2116539
