The Collective Silence: German Identity and the Legacy of Shame

by Cynthia Oudejans Harris (Translator), Gordon Wheeler (Translator), Barbara Heimannsberg (Editor)

The silence surrounding the Holocaust continues to prevent healing - whether of the victims, Nazis, or the generations that followed them. The telling of the stories surrounding the Holocaust - all the stories - is essential if we are to understand what happened, recognize the part of human nature that allows such atrocities to occur, and realize the hope that we can prevent it from happening again. Seeking to shed light on the collective silence surrounding the Holocaust in Germany, the contributors offer compelling accounts, histories, and experiences that illuminate the ways in which contemporary Germans continue to grapple with the consequences of the Holocaust. Denial in the older generations, as well as anger and confusion in the younger ones, comes vividly to the surface in these evocative stories of coping and healing. Told from the vantage points both of therapists and of patients, these stories encompass the psychological plight of all those facing the legacy of genocide - from the daughter of a high-ranking Nazi official to the children of Jewish immigrants, from those raised in the Hitler Youth Movement to those born well after the war.

Hardcover

First published September 7, 1993

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm always alert to any new (to me) written works concerning Nazi Germany, WW2, and the entire chaotic mass of history during that era. There is so much information out there, which isn't surprising. It really was a 'world war' with almost every nation on the globe affected in some way.

The most difficult topic to research is 'why did Germans let themselves be led down such a disastrous path" and "how did Germans really feel" after the war was lost and everything was in the open for the world to see. Historians write book after book detailing what happened, and I've found plenty of memoirs, diaries, records, histories, and interviews about the thoughts, feelings, reactions and motivations of just about every group but Germans.

Aside from a few memoirs (most memoirs are either German generals preening about their amazing skills or soldiers recalling their experiences) and Sopade and SD reports, I haven't found much about thoughts and motivations of German civilians in the Third Reich. I was thrilled to find this book, but it is worthless. Its so utterly empty and useless that I was actually angry after finishing it. The author doesn't offer any insights into German thought. She doesn't even say much about guilt, and her theories on emotional issues between generations are so obvious and superficial she should have been ashamed of publishing this drivel. Heimannsberg, who obviously has a very high opinion of herself, used lots and lots of words to say almost nothing. There is very little real content here, and the 'psychoanalyzing' sections are a joke.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not understand why this book has not received more attention! It is such an insightful look into the psyche of the generation post WW II in Germany. Both therapists and patients have a history and experience with nationalism socialism that impacts how they feel about themselves and their families and it is captivating to read about the therapeutic exploration. If you are interested in psychology and the Holocaust this is the book for you !!!