Civil Society and Memory in Postwar Germany

By: Jenny Wüstenberg

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Synopsis: Blending history and social science, this book tracks the role of social movements in shaping German public memory and values since 1945. Drawn from extensive original research, it offers a fresh perspective on the evolution of German democracy through civic confrontation with the violence of its past. Told through the stories of memory activists, the study upends some of the conventional wisdom about modern German political history. An analysis of the decades-long struggle over memory and democracy shows how grassroots actors challenged and then took over public institutions of memorialization. In the process, confrontation of the Holocaust has been pushed to the centre of political culture. In unified Germany, memory politics have shifted again, as activists from East Germany have brought attention to the crimes of the East German state. This book delivers a novel and important contribution to scholarship about postwar Germany and the wider study of memory politics. An innovative and accessible perspective on the history of German postwar memory politics, that will appeal to specialists and readers who are new to the subject. A thorough analysis of the interactions between civil society and state in memory politics is combined with compelling stories of memory activism. Presents new arguments and concepts about the interpretation of memory, which will appeal to those interested in the wider study of memory politics.