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The Denkmal Für Die Ermordeten Juden Europas and the Stolpersteine

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The Denkmal Für Die Ermordeten Juden Europas and the Stolpersteine Reactions to Holocaust Memorials: The Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas and the Stolpersteine A thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts In the Department of German Studies of the College of Arts and Sciences By Emily R. Lamb B.A. Ohio University April 2020 Committee Chair: Tanja Nusser, Ph.D. Committee Member: Svea Bräunert, Ph.D Abstract People have been memorializing the Holocaust since before it even ended, taking forms such as that of statues, plaques, entire museums, and numerous others. Many have criticized these ways of remembering the Holocaust, but at the same time plenty others see the good that comes from having these memorials, for the nation of Germany and its citizens, as well as others who visit the memorials as tourists. Looking specifically at the Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas and the Stolpersteine, this thesis closely examines Holocaust memorials, their history, and how different groups have reacted to them. These groups include politicians, everyday citizens, and also my perspective, as someone who is neither a European nor German citizen and has no personal connection to the Holocaust or its victims. The two memorials, although quite different from one another in nearly every way, are successful in commemorating their respective Holocaust victims and keeping their memory and the memory of the tragic Holocaust alive. i © Emily R. Lamb 2020 ii Acknowledgements I would like to dedicate this thesis in thanks to all those who have helped me accomplish this milestone in my master’s career, including family, friends, and members of the Department of German Studies at the University of Cincinnati. I want to thank Drs. Tanja Nusser and Svea Bräunert, who advised me on my thesis and helped me every step of the way, always providing feedback and encouraging me in my writing. Thank you also to Dr. Todd Herzog, Dr. Evan Torner, Dr. Lindsay Preseau, Dr. Mareike Gronich and to my past and present fellow Graduate Teaching Assistants at the University of Cincinnati. Each of you had a hand in my thesis in one way or another and were always supporting me throughout this process. Thank you too to Dr. Richard Schade, for everything you did for us and our department. Your memory will always stay with us; may you rest in peace. A special thank you to my family and friends, who always believed in me, prayed for me, and supported me. Thank you especially to my parents, Karen and Culver Lamb, and to my sister and brother-in-law, Katie and Chris Schade. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. Last but not least, I want to thank Jared Brichant, my biggest support who has been by my side through every step of the last three years. Thank you for encouraging me to never give up and for always reminding me of what I am capable of. iii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. iv List of Figures .................................................................................................................... v Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 Memory and Memorial Culture ....................................................................................... 16 Critiques Against and Criticisms of Memorials ............................................................... 33 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 43 Works Cited ..................................................................................................................... 45 iv List of Figures Figure 1: Western side of the Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas facing Southeast ................................................................................................................ 5 Figure 2: West side of Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas facing East .............. 6 Figure 3: West side of Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas facing East .............. 7 Figure 4: Stolpersteine in memory of the Kroner family ................................................. 11 Figure 5: Stolpersteine in memory of Holocaust victims ................................................ 12 v Introduction If we are willing, we will always be able to remember the Holocaust and will not forget its history. People are continually visiting museums, memorials, monuments, statues and all other kinds of places of remembrance, but even if one were to never visit any of these sites, we are reminded still of these events in our calendars and have certain days set aside each year to reflect on those times, for example Holocaust Remembrance Day or the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.1 The Holocaust was an unprecedented and unfollowed event in history which claimed the lives of approximately six million Jews and 11 million others between the years of 1941 and 1945.2 Although it took place many decades ago, the Holocaust and its memorials are still an important topic in today’s world; we are now in the third and fourth generation after the Holocaust occurred, and the survivors thereof will not be with us much longer. The Holocaust and its memory is also still a topic in Germany’s politics. For example, Björn Höcke, current politician in Germany for the Alternative für Deutschland party (AfD), is “one of the most controversial figures in the AfD's leadership structure, having criticized the Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe) in Berlin and advocated the abolition of a law that makes Holocaust denial illegal in Germany” (Schumacher). He played a role in helping aid the (temporary) victory of Thuringia’s now former state premier, Thomas Kemmerich in the election that took place on February 5th of this year; although Kemmerich was only in power for 24 hours, this could still lead to dangerous consequences 1 See also: Murray J. Kohn’s Is the Holocaust Vanishing? 2 Of course, this is not the only act of genocide to exist – what is meant here is the extreme to which this specific genocide occurred. 1 concerning the laws against Holocaust denial that are currently in place and the promotion of Nazi ideologies in the future, as the votes for him came from those who politically identify with the far right.3 There were a number of events that collectively make up the Holocaust;4 specific ways in which it has been memorialized in a post-war, reunified Germany will be examined at length in this thesis. Looking at and thinking about various aspects of memorials and their histories, this thesis will analyze two specific Holocaust memorials – the Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas and the Stolpersteine (stumbling stones); the former is located solely in Berlin, while the latter can be seen all throughout Germany and in other countries in Europe. This thesis is structured into three main sections; the first will include a detailed description of the Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas and Stolpersteine memorials and their physical appearances as well as their differences. The second section will dive deeper into the history of memorials and memory/memorial culture, taking a closer examination of the Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas and the Stolpersteine. In the third section, I will be discussing the various critiques and criticisms that have come up surrounding memorials in general while also bringing in the two aforementioned Holocaust memorials. This section will also include a small discussion about a group of people who deny and downplay the Holocaust, who think certain aspects about it didn’t happen to the extreme that they truly did. The last section will then be a conclusion of my research, and what memorials mean for and to me, as someone who has no personal connection to the Holocaust or its victims. 3 See also: Sarah Lawton’s article Political earthquake in Thuringia as new President gets elected with far-right votes in Euractiv’s online database. 4 These events include but are not limited to the beginning of experimental killings with gas in Auschwitz in 1941, systemic gassings in Chelmno, the planning of the Final Solution, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943, and many others. See also the online page titled Events in the history of the Holocaust on The Holocaust Explained section of The Wiener Holocaust Library online database. 2 I chose to examine these specific memorials in part because of the way they are nearly complete opposites of one another, both in their physical appearance and how they remember the victims of the Holocaust. Because of these differences, they then each achieve a different form of impact on their visitors. I am also looking at these two memorials because of the significance that Berlin holds in relation to the Nazi era.5 From a tourism stance, “Berlin is the place where tourists confront the fanaticism of the perpetrators. As the Third Reich’s seat of government, Berlin was the administrative hub of the Final Solution from its earliest conceptions” (Reynolds 141). Berlin is home to many memorials, monuments,
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