Show Notes:

What Happened to German Memory Culture? Part Three: United and Confused (1990-2025)

Episode Overview:

This episode explores how German remembrance culture evolved following reunification, examining the challenges and transformations in how Germany processes its past.

Key Moments:

Post-Reunification Challenges

Germany as social and cultural laboratory ● Contrasting memories between East and West Germany ● Rise of neo-Nazi violence and xenophobia in early 1990s

Key Memorial Developments

The Neue Wache controversy and its transformation ● Creation of Stolpersteine memorials ● Development of the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin ● Wehrmacht Exhibition & Public Response: Groundbreaking exhibition on Wehrmacht war crimes

Balkan Wars and German military involvement

Interpreting "Never Again" in foreign policy ● NATO participation and Kosovo intervention

Contemporary Challenges

Integration of immigrant perspectives ● Colonial past recognition ● Debates over Holocaust uniqueness ● Current institutional uncertainties

Looking Forward:

The episode concludes by examining recent attempts to reform German remembrance policy and the potential development of a broader European memory culture.Deep dives and references:

On Beyondberlin.substack.com, you'll find footnotes and a bibliography providing access to the most important literature on German Erinnerungskultur (memory culture) and its debates.

This podcast is adapted from a three-part series published on beyondberlin.substack.com titled:

What Has Happened to the German Culture of Remembrance?Curated by: Valentina Giannella

Music Credits: Intro/Outro Music via Loudly