CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2015
| Author | Kende, Ágnes |
|---|---|
| Title | A Comparative Perspective on the Memorialization of the Holocaust in Germany and Hungary - The role of the actors in constructing memory, 1990-2014 |
| Summary | This thesis addresses the salient phenomenon of Holocaust memorialization in Germany and Hungary from 1989/1990 to the present-day. The fundamental reason for the rapidly developing Holocaust memorials and monuments across Europe in the 90s can be largely explained by the political shift across Europe. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in the midst of newly established democracies, reunited Germany along with Hungary wished to come to terms with their troublesome past. This thesis focuses on the disparities between the methods these two countries have pursued to remember their Holocaust victims. In order to elucidate on the complex mechanism behind the diverse process of memorialization in Germany and Hungary, the evolvement of their history politics first and foremost ought to be discussed. The public representation of the past as in memorials, monuments, and museums cannot be solely approached from an empirical point of view. Therefore, for the sake of providing a more comprehensive understanding, this thesis will shed light the way in which various actors of memorialization have been influenced by the changes in history politics within the two countries. By introducing state intervention and civic initiative as actors of memorialization, I intend to illustrate to what extent they shape memorial landscapes as well as the nation’s collective memory. Throughout the thesis I argue that Germany’s approach to commemorate the Holocaust is more developed than Hungary’s. Still, from a critical point of view I maintain that there are opportunities for further commemoration developments in both countries. Consequently, I will demonstrate gender as a relatively under-studied category in the field of Holocaust memorialization. Finally, with the aim of the comparative approach this thesis seeks to scrutinize the actors and the factors that led to the establishment of the two countries’ dominant narratives on Holocaust commemoration as well as to emphasize the infinite process for a more authentic national remembrance |
| Supervisor | Professor Andrea Peto, Professor Constantin Iordachi |
| Department | History MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2015/kende_agnes.pdf |
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