Abstract: Holocaust distortions are central to contemporary antisemitic rhetoric, appearing across political ideologies and geographic contexts. Such distortions, often closely linked to collective memory processes, raise critical questions about the causal relationship between antisemitism and Holocaust narratives. Theoretical and conceptual work on secondary antisemitism suggests that modern antisemitism stems from ingroup-serving Holocaust distortions, motivated by collective guilt. However, social psychological research suggests that contemporary attitudes may shape historical representations, indicating that antisemitism could be a cause, rather than a consequence, of these distortions. In a longitudinal analysis of a quota-representative sample of the German and Polish populations, two countries with distinct Holocaust histories, we examined the bidirectional relationship between antisemitic prejudice and ingroup-serving Holocaust distortion. Using structural equation modeling, we assessed the reciprocal influence of antisemitism and Holocaust reinterpretation, with both national models showing good fit (comparative fit index > .98, root-mean-square error of approximation < .065, standardized root-mean-square residual < .04). By assessing participants’ perceptions of their ingroup’s emotions and behaviors during the Holocaust alongside contemporary antisemitic attitudes, our findings show that antisemitism actively influences biased Holocaust representations. These results challenge the premise of secondary antisemitism, highlighting that historical distortions often reflect current prejudices rather than driving them. Our findings underscore how collective memory can be adapted to justify present-day biases, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between historical narratives and contemporary intergroup attitudes.
