The uneasy elaboration. Moral science and politics in contemporary history
Are you already subscribed?
Login to check
whether this content is already included on your personal or institutional subscription.
Original version
This article is also available in
german.
This original file can be downloaded free of charge by acquiring the translated version.
Abstract
The German Aufarbeitung - coming to terms with the past - is a European success story. Far from being organised in categories such as national pride and national heritage, the public discourse on the "age of extremes" and the two dictatorships in Germany is generally considered to be open-minded, honest and aware of historical guilt. This article deals with the development of historical culture in Germany between Verdrängung and Bewältigung and aims at analyzing the ongoing shift of leading paradigms, e.g. the substitution of the hero with the victim and the problematic reconciliation of ethics, politics and professional historiography in the present German debate.
