In 1990, Germans were finally reunited in one state after nearly half a century of division. By many accounts, however, it will take much more than political unity for Germans both east and west to feel united in a common national identity. The differing recent history of these two regions affects how eastern (Ossis) and western (Wessis) Germans view the more distant, Nazi past they have in common. Thus, vergangenheitsbewältigung, arguably what should be an integral part of Germany's national identity, appears to be seen differently in the east and west. The contrast between the two viewpoints should therefore be most tangible in the presentation of the regions' Holocaust and war memorials.
Before examining these memorials, it is first necessary to understand the intellectual, and to some extent political, climate which gave rise to these memorials. Thus, this paper will first briefly explore issues raised by West German intellectuals via the Historikerstreit and those brought to the fore by their East German counterparts. Several memorials will be discussed in relation to these issues, and this paper will focus on the problems and controversies surrounding the presentation of the past in some memorials in Berlin and at the Oranienburg-Sachsenhausen concentration camp outside of Berlin.
Want more? Here is the rest of the paper:
1. West Germany's
2. East Germany's
3. A Memorial in West Berlin
4. Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg
5. United Berlin: Showcase of a Nation
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography
