Research Project 'History and Memory' (Geschichte und Erinnerung)
New publications:
Stephan Marks (2007): Warum folgten sie Hitler? Die Psychologie des Nationalsozialismus. Düsseldorf: Patmos Verlag. The book summarizes the findings of the research project 'Geschichte und Erinnerung' (History and Memory).
A Polish translation of the book was published in 2009: Dlaczego poszli za Hitlerem nowość. Psychologia narodowego socjalizmu w Niemczech. Publisher: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
A korean translation of this book was published in Seoul in 2009 from Chaek-Se-Sang Pub., Seoul.
A greek translation will be published around 2010.
Stephan Marks (2007): Scham, die tabuisierte Emotion. Düsseldorf: Patmos Verlag. This book explores the connection between shame and national socialism and its consequences for the presence.
Marks, Stephan (2007). Teaching about National Socialism and the Holocaust: Narrative Approaches to Holocaust Education. In: Interchange Vol. 38, 3, pp. 263-284.
Marks, Stephan & Mönnich-Marks, Heidi (2003, May). The Analysis of Counter-Transference Reactions Is a Means to Discern Latent Interview-Contents [38 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research [On-line Journal], 4(2).
Marks, Stephan & Mönnich-Marks, Heidi (2002). The researcher is the instrument. In: Kiegelmann, Mechthild (ed.): The role of the Researcher in Qualitative Psychology. Schwangau, pp. 131-138.
Further publications (in German, Russian, Estonian) are listed on this Webseite at "Veröffentlichungen".
Project description:
"The roots of the Holocaust are to be found in the perpetrators, not in the victims" , Theodor Adorno
The 'History and Memory' (Geschichte und Erinnerung) research project was started in 1998. Its goal is to gain an in-depth understanding of the socio-psychological dynamics of National Socialism. The findings will be applied in relevant fields of practice, in particular, education and geriatrics.
First phase of the project (1998 to 2004)
In this phase, we explored the psychological and social origins of National Socialism. We asked how National Socialism could have happened. How Hitler and the Nazi movement were able to win the 'hearts' of millions of people, many of them apparently well-educated. In order to answer such questions, we conducted interviews with men and women who had agreed with, and actively committed themselves to, Hitler and National Socialism; individuals who,at that time, had been ‘bystanders’ or ‘perpetrators' – for example, as members of the NSDAP, SA, SS or other Nazi organisations. Using depth-hermeneutical methods, we pursued the following questions:
- What made the Nazi movement attractive to the interviewees?
-In what ways is the experience of those years still with them, cognitively and emotionally?
- What happens when former Nazis communicate about the ‘Third Reich' with younger people, i.e. individuals born after 1945?
The first phase of the project was concluded in January 2004; the findings have already been publishedin several articles and books.
Relevance of the study:
The 'History and Memory' research project has been created in response to the following developments and observations:
- The increase in neo-Nazi and racist sentiments, actions, attacks and murders in Germany, especially since the 1990's.
- The widespread helplessness of anti-fascism: defensive formulas (such as “never again”) or the prohibition of right-wing extremist organisations are not enough to prevent neo-Nazism and racism.
- The way that ‘Holocaust education’ has been practiced so far has reached a limit: many young people know little about National Socialism and the Holocaust, even though this topic is taught in several subjects in quite a number of lessons. Instead of creating 'preventative' learning effects, some school education even seems to increase pupils’ denial of, satiety with, or defensiveness about 'the issue'.
These developments reflect a specific deficit in the way the German society has dealt with its Nazi past up to now:
a) in its public 'discourse of remembrance'
b) in relations between the generations
c) in scientific and educational processing of this period of its history
a) Quite often the need to 'remember' is emphasized, i.e. the need to 'learn from history' in order to prevent its repetition. In most cases, however, it remains unclear what is meant by the term 'remember'. This is primarily related to the victims and survivors. Although this is essential, it cannot substitute for the question of the 'perpetrators' and 'bystanders', of their memories and how to deal with them. As Theodor Adorno states: "The roots of the holocaust are to be found in the perpetrators and not in the victims."
b) During the past few decades, there has been little sharing, listening and discussion between those millions of Germans who agreed with and supported Hitler and the Nazi movement, and their children and members of the following generations. The issue of 'perpetrator'- and 'bystander'ship has been widely silenced in German society.
c) National Socialism is the most explored field of modern history and yet also the least understood. This is due to a specific deficit in the scientific research so far: little attention has been given to the motives of those millions of German men and women, who accepted and agreed with Hitler and National Socialism, and who had been willing to execute their orders. Daniel Goldhagen: "A striking aspect of the literature on the Holocaust is that, with some exceptions, these central questions about the mentality of the actors are not addressed directly, systematically, and thoroughly." This deficit extends to school education, where basic questions have been neglected, for instance, how it was possible for Hitler and the Nazis to win the 'hearts' of millions of people. However, teaching a version of National Socialism and the Holocaust that does not address the motives of the bystanders and perpetrators, may cause a 'vacuum' in the students’ minds, as the following report about a pupil illustrates: "For hours and hours our history teacher told us about the Jews, the communists, the gypsies, the Russians - all those victims, nothing but victims. I never really believed him. Who knows whether it was all that bad.' One of my classmates asked him once: 'What was so great about that time then? Why did so many people roar 'Hurrah' and 'Heil'? Why were they all so excited? There must be a reason for this?' At that point, the teacher looked quite foolish and started to call him a neo-Nazi, without any respect for the victims. But we wouldn't let it go. Finally somebody had raised the all important question of what really happened."
Key words:
a) Method: qualitative research, depth-psychology and depth-hermeneutics, counter transference analysis, ethno-psychoanalysis, brain research, memory.
b) Object of the study: National Socialism, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, perpetrators and bystanders, motivational research.
c) The results will be presented from the perspectives of the following fields of research: ethnology, hypnosis, shame and narcissism, trans-generational delegation, trauma, addiction / dependency.
Second phase of the project (since 2004)
It is our intention to apply the findings from the first phase in relevant fields of practice, especially education. We are developing curricula and media with the goal of offering support and further educational training for teachers who are working with the topics of National Socialism, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, racism, tolerance and human rights. Currently, we are pursuing the following project about shame:
Many Germans experienced the defeat of Germany in WWI, the Versailles Treaty, and the ensuing poverty and economic depression of the Weimar Republic as shameful. National Socialism managed to utilise this emotion for their own purposes by offering and legitimating opportunities to fend off shame, for example
- through a cynical ideology of toughness and a rejection of humanistic values
- through a degradation of the ‘weaker’ members of society
- through opportunities to humiliate others, especially Jewish citizens, by discriminating against them, ridiculing und deriding them, dehumanising them to objects and then eradicating them
- through efforts to 'restore' Germany's 'honour',i.e. through idealisations of Hitler and Germany, and through grandiose claims to world domination.
Interestingly enough, there is very little awareness about shame (which is a very early and painful emotion) in public discourse, even in psychological, psychoanalytical and pedagogical literature. Therefore this project intends to raise awareness about shame, starting with a conference to be held in Freiburg, Germany on November 19th and 20th, 2005. It will be organised in cooperation with the Katholische Akademie Freiburg. Speakers will be Leon Wurmser, Micha Hilgers, Maria Spychiger and probably Dan Bar-On. More information will be available shortly.
Lectures, seminars and further education
(including in-house training) presenting the research findings are offered by members of the research team. Seminars on the topics of 'Shame ' and 'Trans-generational transmission of traumatic experiences' are especially designed for professionals in psychosocial fields of work (psychotherapists, teachers, social workers).
Organisation of Geschichte und Erinnerung (History and Memory):
The Director of the research project is social scientist Dr. Stephan Marks. The other members of the research team are Simone Adams, Jutta Heppekausen, Johannes Höchner, Margrit Kambach, Annette Krings, Dorothea Läer, Heidi Mönnich-Marks, Jürgen Sehrig, Dr. Detlef Vogel, Hildegard Wenzler-Cremer. Our secretary is Anja Schueler. The members of the research project and the research team undergo professional supervision on a regular basis. Our supervisors are: Dr. Erika Kittler, psychoanalyst; and Dr. Ludwig Brueggemann, psychoanalyst. The project is affiliated with the University of Education, Freiburg, Germany through Prof. Dr. Herbert Uhl. The first phase was financed by the Ertomis Stiftung foundation.
Contact:
Geschichte und Erinnerung, Kartaeuserstr. 61b, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany, Tel. 0049 - 761 - 682 915, E-mail: marks[atnospam]ph-freiburg.de
The 'Erinnern und Lernen e.V.' organization was founded in 2004. Founding members are: the University of Education, Freiburg in conjunction with the 'Geschichte und Erinnerung' research project; the University of Freiburg, the Catholic University of Applied Sciences in Freiburg; the Lutheran University of Applied Sciences in Freiburg, the City of Freiburg and several more organisations and citizens. For further information please contact www.erinnern-und-lernen.de
In cooperation with Cargo theater (Freiburg, Gemany) a theater play was created in 2005, entitled "Gluecklich ist, wer vergisst..." For more information please visit www.cargo-theater.de