Civil Society and Memory in Postwar Germany

Reviews / Votes

'Emphasizing the role of memory activists in civil society - and their entanglement with state institutions and actors - Jenny Wuestenberg makes a compelling case for the force of contentious memories in reshaping the landscape of democratic remembrance. Her bottom-up approach brings memory agency to the fore and provides a necessary new perspective on a history we thought we already knew: the development of the public memory of National Socialism, the Holocaust, and communist repression in the postwar Federal Republic of Germany. Civil Society and Memory in Postwar Germany is important reading for all scholars in memory studies, Holocaust studies, and German studies.' Michael Rothberg, author of Multidirectional Memory: Remembering the Holocaust in the Age of Decolonization 'Where does memory come from, and where does it take place? In contrast to conventional approaches that emphasize either the state as a producer of memory or the private sphere as the location of non-state memory, Jenny Wuestenberg's important book highlights the neglected role of memory activists. This book is a truly significant contribution to the literature, both about Germany and about memory politics, providing nuanced interpretations and novel theoretical insights. A major accomplishment!' Jeffrey Olick, University of Virginia 'This absorbing and carefully researched book has clearly been a labour of love for its author. It will be of interest to students and researchers in an array of disciplines, including History, Sociology, Politics, Museum Studies, Geography, German Studies and Cultural Studies. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Wustenberg's fascinating research on memory activists is a timely reminder of the importance for our contemporary society of confronting and memorializing difficult pasts.' Deirdre Byrnes, European History Quarterly