Holocaust Representations in German Museums and Information Centers

This article explores Holocaust representations in three prominent German museums and information centers – the Topography of Terror, the Jewish Museum, and the information center under the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe – identifying a key gap in their narratives, which is termed the ‘perpetrator-centric narrative.’ This narrative primarily emphasizes Germany’s role in the Holocaust, often overshadowing or even omitting the roles of other participants and Nazi collaborators. The article argues that since the 1970s, Germany has embraced this narrative, further bolstered by other cultural forces, such as the film industry. This approach fosters a collective guilt by predominantly portraying Germany as the sole perpetrator, while neglecting substantial evidence that the Holocaust was facilitated by both active and passive collaboration from states, businesses, groups, and individuals both within and outside of Germany. The article employs visual analysis and interviews with museum staff, interpreted through the lens of cultural sociology, to examine the national and international implications of the perpetrator-centric narrative. It shows the existence of diverse approaches to addressing the theme of collaboration, from total avoidance to superficial acknowledgment. The study underscores the importance of presenting a more inclusive and historically accurate narrative of the Holocaust, while pointing to the challenges inherent in this endeavor

Archaeology · Art · German · Linguistics · Literature · Narrative · Political science · Sociology · The Holocaust · Visual arts · History · Law · Memory, Trauma, and Commemoration · Museology · Museums and Cultural Heritage · Philosophy · Psychology