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Unsettled Ground: Reflections on Germany’s Attempts to Make Amends
Germany one felt the world’s wrath for crimes committed during the Nazi regime. More recently, it received extravagant praise for facing up to the atrocities. The country now boasts of new Jewish museums, Holocaust memorials, restored synagogues, and classroom lessons designed to honor its Jewish heritage and teach tolerance.
This effort was led not by politicians or historians, but by local citizen activists, few of them Jewish, almost all of them born after World War II. They could have shrugged off responsibility for evils done before they were born. Instead, they pushed past denials and threats to get at the truth, pressing their parents, grandparents, and neighbors—many of them perpetrators, collaborators, or bystanders to genocide—to find out what really happened in their hometowns during the Nazi era.
The activists’ work connected them with descendants of Germany’s former Jewish communities, now scattered around the globe. One of those descendants, American author Jeffrey L. Katz, provides perspectives on the emotional journey of returning to his ancestral homeland with Germans as his guides.
Much of what’s been written about the remembrance movement focuses on the memorials and museums as acts of contrition, as if these alone could heal old wounds. Unsettled Ground goes deeper. It explores the background and motives of memory activists, recognizes that some of their actions are performative, and points out the movement’s limitations. The country still contends with antisemitism, xenophobia, and racism.
Unsettled Ground considers the place that the Holocaust holds in our memories as successive generations grapple with an appropriate response, tolerating differences among peoples becomes more tenuous, and the U.S. struggles to fully address its own painful past.
This effort was led not by politicians or historians, but by local citizen activists, few of them Jewish, almost all of them born after World War II. They could have shrugged off responsibility for evils done before they were born. Instead, they pushed past denials and threats to get at the truth, pressing their parents, grandparents, and neighbors—many of them perpetrators, collaborators, or bystanders to genocide—to find out what really happened in their hometowns during the Nazi era.
The activists’ work connected them with descendants of Germany’s former Jewish communities, now scattered around the globe. One of those descendants, American author Jeffrey L. Katz, provides perspectives on the emotional journey of returning to his ancestral homeland with Germans as his guides.
Much of what’s been written about the remembrance movement focuses on the memorials and museums as acts of contrition, as if these alone could heal old wounds. Unsettled Ground goes deeper. It explores the background and motives of memory activists, recognizes that some of their actions are performative, and points out the movement’s limitations. The country still contends with antisemitism, xenophobia, and racism.
Unsettled Ground considers the place that the Holocaust holds in our memories as successive generations grapple with an appropriate response, tolerating differences among peoples becomes more tenuous, and the U.S. struggles to fully address its own painful past.
- GenresHistory
312 pages, Hardcover
Published February 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 8, 2026
Jeffrey Katz’s Unsettled Ground is one of the most powerful works of historical reflection I’ve read in a long time. Katz brings together descendants of Nazis, Holocaust survivors, and those who remained silent, and asks what it means to confront the past with honesty rather than denial. His own discovery—that his ancestors profited from enslaved labor in America—adds a vulnerable and necessary layer to the narrative.
What struck me most were the parallels between post‑Nazi Germany and the United States today. Katz observes how Germany, while imperfect, has been more forthright in acknowledging its crimes. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to struggle with denial, revisionism, and nostalgia for oppressive systems.
The moment that broke me was when Katz’s 88‑year‑old mother watched January 6th unfold and said, “It looks like Germany.” That line captures the urgency of this book.
Beautifully written, deeply researched, and emotionally resonant—this is essential reading for anyone committed to truth, memory, and justice.
Thank you to Mascot Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This review reflects my honest thoughts.
What struck me most were the parallels between post‑Nazi Germany and the United States today. Katz observes how Germany, while imperfect, has been more forthright in acknowledging its crimes. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to struggle with denial, revisionism, and nostalgia for oppressive systems.
The moment that broke me was when Katz’s 88‑year‑old mother watched January 6th unfold and said, “It looks like Germany.” That line captures the urgency of this book.
Beautifully written, deeply researched, and emotionally resonant—this is essential reading for anyone committed to truth, memory, and justice.
Thank you to Mascot Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This review reflects my honest thoughts.
February 27, 2026
Jeffrey Katz is a fine journalist and it shows in this excellent book.
At a time when some want to rewrite history or tell us that crimes we’ve seen with our own eyes didn’t happen, he shows us why it’s important that we safeguard facts: They lead us to truth and, hopefully, away from catastrophic repeats of the worst kinds of events.
His writes compellingly and with a reporter’s eye for detail about those in Germany who work to be sure the horrors of the Holocaust aren’t denied and that the victims aren’t forgotten. There are lessons to be learned from the work those people do, and this is a book that deserves a wide audience.
At a time when some want to rewrite history or tell us that crimes we’ve seen with our own eyes didn’t happen, he shows us why it’s important that we safeguard facts: They lead us to truth and, hopefully, away from catastrophic repeats of the worst kinds of events.
His writes compellingly and with a reporter’s eye for detail about those in Germany who work to be sure the horrors of the Holocaust aren’t denied and that the victims aren’t forgotten. There are lessons to be learned from the work those people do, and this is a book that deserves a wide audience.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Mascot books for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book was not at all what I expected. This is a memoir of Katz's family, and it tangentially talks about Germany's attempts to make amends. I was expecting this book to be heavier on the amends attempts, but it was still an engaging and thought-provoking book.
This book was not at all what I expected. This is a memoir of Katz's family, and it tangentially talks about Germany's attempts to make amends. I was expecting this book to be heavier on the amends attempts, but it was still an engaging and thought-provoking book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews