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NORMALIZING THE HOLOCAUST? THE RECENT HISTORIANS' DEBATE IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY*
Centre for Research on Antisemitism, Techische Universiteat Berlin
For over a decade in the Federal Republic of Germany a process has been taking place — a process of the return of history into public awareness. In view of the obvious permanence of the division of Germany, along with the unbroken tradition of nationalism in the countries of the western world, as well as the profound doubt in the naïve belief in permanent technological progress, many people have been searching for the historical roots of the German present and ultimately their own place in the history of the world. Significant publications in German history have had wide reception in recent years. Indeed, there would be no reason to worry about the attempt (which has long been overdue) to redefine German ’identity‘, if the present govermment in Germany did not take it upon itself to make this trend into a political programme. The ’Achilles heel‘ of the German national identity — at the same time the cause of ’German amnesia‘ or, stated another way, the post-war ’collective silence‘ with respect to history — was and remains the responsibility for the crimes committed by Germans and in Germany's name during the Nazi era. An uncritical approach to German history, which up to recently was quite characteristic of the general consensus, is barred to us. Some renowned German historians now have earned the reputation — Justly or unjustly — of repudiating this consensus and emerging as ‘government histonans’ in a quasi-official capacity and suggesting the histoncal relativity of the Holocaust, with the intention of substituting a ‘positive nationalism’ for the previously ‘negative’ form. This article has been written mainly for a non-German audience. It is designed to provide information about the most important histonographical and political aspects of the intensely waged ‘histonans’ debate' of the last year.
*The author would like to thank Dr. Jerry Schuchalter for the English translation of this article.
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 Bibliography Current Sociology, March 1, 1990; 38(1): 113 - 126.
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