Die geteilte Vergangenheit

This work explores the complex relationship with National Socialism and resistance in both German states and Austria. It examines various victim and persecuted groups within the political tensions of the Soviet Occupation Zone and the German Democratic Republic, highlighting the victim and persecution perspective as a foundational consensus in the DDR's handling of resistance traditions and guilt. The book discusses the approach to Nazi past in the Federal Republic, analyzing the instrumentalization of antifascism and SED campaign politics during the German conflict from 1960 to 1968. It also addresses Austria's confrontation with its Nazi past. The second section presents comparative perspectives and research challenges, focusing on the dual process of coming to terms with both National Socialism and Stalinism, and the remembrance of these histories within the context of German division. It emphasizes the importance of critical and self-critical engagement with this shared legacy. The final section delves into memorial and remembrance work, discussing various memorial sites and their historical significance, including Ravensbrück and Dachau, as well as the political narratives surrounding events like the Reichskristallnacht in the DDR. It also compares Holocaust representation in the U.S. with that in the two German states and reflects on the Theresienstadt memorial's evolution. A bibliography of recent research literature