Media and Mental Representations of the Holocaust

For the identity of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Holocaust is a central point of reference. To keep up the memory of the persecution and mass murder of Jews is a defined socio-political goal. Therewith, media and especially television play a significant role. The project concept was developed over the last months, funding will be applied for at the German Research Foundation (DFG). Its initial point is the question how the forms of presentation of the Holocaust on television, which can be observed in different historic phases are reflected in the perceptions of people. 

Thereby attention is put on the presentation of contemporary witnesses, who in many productions are used as authentic mediators of history and who provide a certain context of the morality of memory to the presentation.

The project is structured in an interdisciplinary way: with an eye on the offerings the change in media performances by contemporary witnesses will be analysed (analyses of programmes and paratexts; guideline interviews with producers and contemporary witnesses). Looking at recipients, the memories of different generations of Holocaust presentations in the media will be examined (group discussions and media-biographical interviews).

Through the combined view on the intentional design and reception of Holocaust presentations, the project gives information on the role of media and especially television for the long-term development of collectively shared perceptions and memories and at the same time provides an analysis of the communicative negotiation of moral markers of remembrance.