Geschichtsoptimismus und Katastrophenbewusstsein

Current controversies surrounding the »singularity of the Holocaust« often ignore the fact that it took some time after 1945 until the annihilation of European Jews entered into general consciousness. This edited collection explores the reasons for this by combining the history of the way the Holocaust was remembered with the political and ideological history of the Cold War. The German- and English-language contributions presented here explore the delayed reception history and the official culture of commemoration in the various states of Europe against the backdrop of the aftermath of the event itself. The volume thereby opens up an innovative approach to the historicization of the 1950s and 1960s and moreover contributes to the current discussion on the possibility of a multi-perspectival memory.