1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910484092003321

Autore

Clarke David

Titolo

Constructions of Victimhood : Remembering the Victims of State Socialism in Germany / / by David Clarke

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cham : , : Springer International Publishing : , : Imprint : Palgrave Macmillan, , 2019

ISBN

3-030-04804-7

Edizione

[1st ed. 2019.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (319 pages)

Collana

Palgrave Studies in Cultural Heritage and Conflict, , 2634-6419

Disciplina

940.53072043

340.115

Soggetti

Cultural heritage

Ethnology—Europe

Historiography

War Crimes

Europe—Politics and government

Cultural Heritage

European Culture

Memory Studies

European Politics

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di contenuto

1. Introduction: Thinking about the victims of state socialism -- 2. Victimhood and the politics of memory and transitional justice -- 3. Victims’ organizations and the construction of victimhood -- 4. Compensating the victims of state socialism -- 5. Memorial museums for the victims of state socialism: controversies and conflicts -- 6. Conclusion: The Future of Victimhood.

Sommario/riassunto

The post-war Federal Republic of Germany faced the task of addressing the plight of the victims of state socialism under the Soviet occupation of eastern Germany and in the German Democratic Republic, many of whom fled to the west. These victims were not passive objects of the West German state’s policy, but organized themselves into associations that fought for recognition of their contribution to the fight against communism. After German unification, the task of commemorating and



compensating these victims continued under entirely new political circumstances, yet also in the context of global trends in memory politics and transitional justice that give priority to addressing the fate of victims of non-democratic regimes. Constructions of Victimhood: Remembering the Victims of State Socialism in Germany draws on the constructivist systems theory of Niklas Luhmann to analyze the role of victims organizations, the political system, and historians and heritage professionals in the struggle over the memory of suffering under state socialism, from the Cold War to the present day. The book argues that the identity and social role of victims has undergone a process of constant renegotiation in this period, offering an innovative theoretical framework for understanding how restorative measures are formulated to address the situation of victims. As such, it offers not only insights into a neglected aspect of post-war German history, but also contributes to the ongoing academic debate about the role of victims in process of transitional justice and the politics of memory.