Germany represents a unique case of a society that was forced to confront its past twice within a span of 50 years. The first confrontation occurred after World War II, when the Nuremberg Trials brought the leaders of the defeated state before an international tribunal, with the victors of the war serving as judges. The second confrontation with the past was imposed on German society after the reunification of the divided Germany into a single state in 1989.
It was only after two decades have past after the end of the WWII, that the next generation of Germans began sistematically posing questions about the role of their family members in the war. The guilt of Nazi Germany and the responsibility of German society for the outbreak of World War II became part of post-war German identity. The burden of nationality has shaped and continues to influence how Germans view themselves and their responsibilities within Europe and towards the rest of the world.
The relationship between institutions and society towards war criminals in Germany can be a significant topic when discussing war crimes in the Balkans and how to address them. How societies confront unspeakable atrocities, victims and perpetrators, how justice can be served, whether to include perpetrators in the processes, and whether there are bystanders or only accomplices, are the themes of new episodes of the podcast Memory Cultures in Dialogue.
Our guest on these topics is Susanne Karstedt, a criminologist and professor at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University in Australia. Her research interests include crimes against humanity and transitional justice. She is widely known for her work on emotions, crime, and criminal justice, and often uses the background of the Holocaust to explore contemporary issues. She has published over 20 books and more than 200 articles in various journals.
The author and host of the podcast is Dr. Olivera Simić, an associate professor at the Griffith University Law School in Australia and a visiting fellow at the Transitional Justice Institute at Ulster University in Belfast. The conversation was conducted in English.
Episode 27: “From Guilt to Responsibility” is available at the following link, as well as on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Podcast.rs, Podcast Addict, accounts of the HLC
