Family History/ies: The Myth of Silence about National Socialism after 1945

How do families remember National Socialism – and how does this shape our present? As part of the JBZ Monday rounds, historian Margit Reiter challenges the widespread myth that German and Austrian families remained silent about the Nazi era after 1945. Yet National Socialism was and remains part of many family histories, and it was indeed discussed. What matters is not only whether it was talked about, but above all what and how it was remembered.

Family remembrance exists in a complex interplay with the public and political handling of Nazi past. Family memories and societal discourses can reinforce, contradict, or correct one another – thus shaping the perceptions of subsequent generations regarding their own family history and its entanglement in National Socialism. Margit Reiter, Professor of European Contemporary History at the University of Salzburg, sheds light on these connections in her lecture and encourages reflection on one’s own family history.