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Global Memory of the Holocaust? Memories of the Destruction of European Jews in Global Context (II)

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Global Memory of the Holocaust? Memories of the Destruction of European Jews in Global Context (II) Global Memory of the Holocaust? Memories of the Destruction of European Jews in Global Context (II) Global Memory of the Holocaust? Erinnerung bilde Israel einen einzigartigen Memories of the Destruction of European Fall, so einleitend Gilad Margalit, Ko-Direktor Jews in Global Context (II) des HCGES. Schließlich sei das Gedenken an die Shoah eine zentrale Säule für die Veranstalter: Philipp Gassert, Geschichte des Legitimation des Staates Israel, der sich als europäisch-transatlantischen Kulturraums, Erbe der ermordeten Juden verstehe. Doch Universität Augsburg; Gilad Margalit, Haifa von einer homogenen Erinnerungskultur in Center for German and European Studies, dem Land könne keine Rede sein, betonte University of Haifa; Amos Morris-Reich, Alan E. Steinweis (Vermont). Auch vielen Bucerius Institute for Research of Contempo- akademischen Beobachtern sei nicht klar, rary German History and Society, University auf welch unterschiedliche Weise einzelne of Haifa; Alan E. Steinweis, Carolyn and Gruppen der israelischen Gesellschaft der Leonard Miller Center for Holocaust Studies, Shoah gedenken. University of Vermont Die Erinnerung an den Holocaust ist so plu- Datum, Ort: 04.01.2012-05.01.2012, Haifa ralistisch, weil einzelne Kollektive sie ihrer Bericht von: Hubert Leber, Bucerius Institute eigenen historischen Identität und ihren je- for Research of Contemporary German Histo- weiligen Gegenwartsbedürfnissen anpassen. ry and Society, University of Haifa Wie sehr dies auch außerhalb Israels gilt, zeigten die Beiträge der ersten Sitzungsrun- Gibt es heute so etwas wie ein weltwei- de. Treffen divergierende Erinnerungsnarra- tes Holocaust-Bewusstsein? Es gehört zu tive aufeinander, können diplomatische Ver- den spannenden Fragen der Erinnerungsge- wicklungen folgen. Das verdeutlichte JACOB schichte, inwiefern der Prozess der Globalisie- S. EDER (Pennsylvania), der sich mit dem rung auch die Gedenkkultur einzelner Länder Phänomen westdeutscher „Holocaust-Angst“ und Gruppen erfasst. Und wenn tatsächlich in den 1980er-Jahren befasste. Gemeint ist die über alle Grenzen hinweg der Ermordung der Furcht der damaligen Kohl-Regierung, das europäischen Juden gedacht wird – bedeutet offizielle Holocaust-Gedenken in den USA dies, dass man überall dieselbe Geschichte er- – wie es seinerzeit institutionalisiert wurde zählt? Mit den vielfältigen Aspekten der in- – könnte Ansehen und außenpolitische Stel- ternationalen Holocaust-Erinnerung befasste lung der Bundesrepublik beschädigen. Solche sich nun eine Konferenz an der Universität Ängste richteten sich vor allem auf das (seit Haifa, organisiert vom Haifa Center for Ger- 1978 geplante, 1993 eröffnete) United States man and European Studies (HCGES) und un- Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. terstützt vom Bucerius Institute for Research Über Jahre hinweg, so führte Eder aus, ver- of Contemporary German History and Socie- suchten Emissäre des Kanzleramtes, der deut- ty. Finanziell gefördert wurde die Tagung von schen Botschaft und der CDU-Parteizentrale, der Stiftung Deutsch-Amerikanische Wissen- das Ausstellungskonzept im Sinne eines „aus- schaftsbeziehungen (SDAW). gewogenen“ Geschichtsbildes zu beeinflus- Es handelte sich um das Folgetreffen zu ei- sen. Gefordert wurde, auch das demokrati- nem Workshop, der im Juni 2011 an der Uni- sche Nachkriegsdeutschland in die Schau auf- versität Augsburg stattgefunden hatte. Da- zunehmen, ebenso den Widerstand des 20. mals konstituierte sich eine transatlantische Juli und die von anderen Regimen verübten Studiengruppe, in der sich Forscher der Uni- Völkermorde. Alle Interventionen blieben er- versitäten Vermont, Augsburg und Haifa mit folglos – doch am Ende, so Eder, erwies sich dem globalen Holocaust-Gedächtnis ausein- auch die Sorge als unbegründet, das Muse- andersetzen. Hatte der Fokus der ersten Ver- um würde von seinen Besuchern als „anti- anstaltung auf der Erinnerung in nichtwest- deutsch“ wahrgenommen. lichen Gesellschaften gelegen, so beschäftig- In Großbritannien, so zeigte SUSANNA B. te man sich nun schwerpunktmäßig – wenn SCHRAFSTETTER (Vermont), stand die Er- auch nicht ausschließlich – mit der Gedenk- innerung an den Holocaust jahrzehntelang kultur in Israel. im Schatten eines nationalen Weltkriegsge- In der Geschichte der Holocaust- denkens, das vor allem den Heroismus briti- © H-Net, Clio-online, and the author, all rights reserved. scher Soldaten würdigte. Diese Erinnerungs- AMOS GOLDBERG (Jerusalem) befasste sich konkurrenz veranschaulichte die Referentin mit dem Phänomen, dass die Bedeutung von anhand der „Sachsenhausen-Affäre“ – ei- Holocaust-Zeitzeugen in der globalen Erin- ner innenpolitischen Kontroverse, die sich in nerungskultur stetig zugenommen hat. Mitt- den 1960er-Jahren an der Entschädigungs- lerweile scheine Holocaust-Erinnerung fast frage entzündete. Nach einem Globalabkom- identisch zu sein mit dem Zeugnis von Über- men mit der Bundesrepublik weigerte sich lebenden. Eingesetzt hat diese Entwicklung das Londoner Außenministerium, ehemals in laut Goldberg mit dem Eichmann-Prozess Sachsenhausen internierte britische Kriegsge- 1961, bei dem sich die Anklage hauptsäch- fangene als NS-Verfolgte anzuerkennen. Po- lich auf Aussagen von Shoah-Opfern stützte. litiker und Presse reagierten empört, und Doch während es damals eine moralische Er- ein parlamentarischer Untersuchungsbericht rungenschaft gewesen sei, den Raum des Sag- pochte erfolgreich darauf, dass in dem La- baren durch die Stimmen von Überlebenden gerkomplex britische Soldaten nicht weni- zu erweitern, erfülle der Holocaust-Zeitzeuge ger gelitten hätten als Holocaust-Opfer. Wäh- heute eher eine ästhetische Funktion. Sein rend der letzten 20 Jahre sei das Holocaust- Bericht werde von großen Teilen des Publi- Bewusstsein in Großbritannien zwar deutlich kums mit „melancholischem Behagen“ auf- gewachsen, so Schrafstetter, doch noch immer genommen und erlaube eine einfache Identi- stehe es in einem gespannten Verhältnis zur fikation, mit dem Opfer von damals ebenso traditionellen Kriegshelden-Verehrung. wie mit der bestehenden Ordnung von heu- Mit einem besonders brisanten Nebenein- te. Das Holocaust-Narrativ, so Goldberg, ha- ander zweier Opfer-Erinnerungen hat man be sich damit – in und außerhalb Israels – es im Falle Polens zu tun, wie JONATHAN zu einem Beschwichtigungs-Narrativ entwi- HUENER (Vermont) aufzeigte. Das Land war ckelt, mit dem sich eine konservative politi- nicht nur zentraler Schauplatz des nationalso- sche Grundhaltung beglaubigen lasse. zialistischen Judenmordes, hier starben durch Eine ähnliche Stoßrichtung hatte der Bei- die deutschen Besatzer auch zwei Millionen trag von JACKIE FELDMAN (Beer-Sheva). nichtjüdische Bürger. In Polen blieb so das Er widmete sich dem Museumskonzept des Gedenken an den Holocaust – auch wegen „neuen Yad Vashem“, wie es in dem 2005 er- eines nach 1945 fortbestehenden Antisemi- öffneten Neubau der israelischen Gedenkstät- tismus – jahrzehntelang marginalisiert. Hue- te umgesetzt wurde. Die Ausstellung, so Feld- ner illustrierte dies mit dem Erinnerungskon- mans Tenor, stelle die Holocaust-Erinnerung zept des Staatlichen Museums Auschwitz- ganz in den Dienst eines zionistischen Ge- Birkenau. Bis Ende der 1970er-Jahre wurde schichtsbildes. Dafür stehe bereits die archi- das Lager vor allem als Stätte eines nationa- tektonische Gestaltung des Hauses. Sie gebe len Märtyrertums der Polen dargestellt. Im dem Museumsbesucher einen Weg vor, der Mittelpunkt stand das Schicksal der politi- aus dem Dunkel des jüdischen Exils durch die schen Häftlinge; der Massenmord an den Ju- Tiefen der Shoah hinauf zum Staat Israel füh- den spielte nur eine untergeordnete Rolle. re – eröffne sich am Ende doch ein lichter Pan- Doch schrittweise, so Hueners Tenor, habe oramablick auf das Bergland von Judäa. Auch sich die polnische Gesellschaft der Holocaust- die Auswahl von Überlebenden, deren Zeug- Erinnerung geöffnet und dabei auch selbst- nisse in Videos ausgestrahlt werden, definiere kritische Diskussionen über das polnisch- den Holocaust gleichsam als Erfahrung der is- jüdische Verhältnis während des Krieges ge- raelischen Nation. In Yad Vashem, so der Re- führt. Den Beginn dieses Prozesses datierte ferent, sprechen Holocaust-Opfer fast immer Huener auf das Jahr 1979, als Papst Johannes Hebräisch, während sie zugleich alle Sekto- Paul II. eine – durchaus umstrittene – Messe ren der jüdisch-israelischen Gesellschaft ab- in Auschwitz hielt. decken: Aschkenasim und Mizrachim, Religi- Die Beiträge des zweiten Panels gingen öse und Säkulare. Aus dem Fallbeispiel fol- kritisch auf die gegenwärtige Vermittlung gerte Feldman, man möge die „Macht der Na- von Holocaust-Bewusstsein ein. Zugleich lei- tion“ in der Erinnerungskultur nicht unter- teten sie über zur Gedenkkultur in Israel. schätzen. Er nutzte diesen Befund auch als © H-Net, Clio-online, and the author, all rights reserved. Global Memory of the Holocaust? Memories of the Destruction of European Jews in Global Context (II) Einwand gegen Natan Sznaiders und Daniel Erinnerung“ zum zionistisch-säkularen Levys Buch „Erinnerung im globalen Zeital- Geschichtsbild gepflegt werde. Tatsäch- ter“ (1. Auflage 2001) – und bildete damit eine lich gibt es zahlreiche Gemeinsamkeiten Brücke zum Keynote-Vortrag der Konferenz. im Shoah-Gedenken von Ultra-Orthodoxie In seiner Vorlesung unterzog NATAN und israelischer Mehrheitsgesellschaft, wie SZNAIDER (Tel Aviv-Yafo) die eigene Stu- Shaul zeigte, die speziell auf die Erinne- die nämlich ebenfalls einer kritischen Würdi- rungskultur ultra-orthodoxer Holocaust-
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