Guilt, Innocence, Post-Guilt: Memory Communities and their Discontents in Germany
Author(s)
Publication Name
Publication Date
Abstract
The article examines the intricate dynamics of memory politics and cultural discontent in Germany, focusing on Jewish and Palestinian communities post-1945. It highlights the concept of agnotology, or deliberate cultural ignorance, as a tool for understanding Germany’s societal silences surrounding its Nazi past and its impact on minority groups. The author argues that Germany's memory landscape is deeply fragmented, influenced by postcolonial thought, and further complicated by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Events such as the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attacks and their aftermath reveal the pervasive tensions within German society. The study critiques Germany’s approach to Holocaust remembrance and its interactions with Jewish and Israeli and Muslim and Palestinian communities, suggesting these memory cultures clash with the dominant national narrative. It calls for empirical research to replace ideological discourse and foster inclusive, fact-based understanding of memory politics.
Topics
Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial Memory Holocaust Commemoration Holocaust Jewish - Non - Jewish Relations
Genre
Geographic Coverage
Copyright Info
La Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales publicada por la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México se distribuye bajo una Licencia Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivar 4.0 Internacional.
Original Language
Volume/Issue
70(253)
DOI
Bibliographic Information
Guilt, Innocence, Post-Guilt: Memory Communities and their Discontents in Germany. 2025: https://archive.jpr.org.uk/10.22201/fcpys.2448492xe.2025.253.90593
