Twenty-first Century Memory Regimes in Germany and Poland
An Analysis of Elite Discourses and Public Opinion

Author: Langenbacher, Eric

Source: German Politics & Society, Volume 26, Number 4, Winter 2008 , pp. 50-81(32)

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Abstract:

One of the most important developments in the incipient Berlin Republic's memory regime has been the return of the memory of German suffering from the end and aftermath of World War II. Elite discourses about the bombing of German cities, the mass rape of German women by members of the Red Army, and, above all, the expulsion of Germans from then-Eastern Germany and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe have gained massive visibility in the last decade. Although many voices have lauded these developments as liberating, many others within Germany and especially in Poland—from where the vast majority of Germans were expelled—have reacted with fear. Yet, do these elite voices resonate with mass publics? Have these arguments had demonstrable effects on public opinion? This paper delves into these questions by looking at survey results from both countries. It finds that there has been a disjuncture between the criticisms of elites and average citizens, but that the barrage of elite criticisms leveled at German expellees and their initiatives now may be affecting mass attitudes in all cases.

Keywords: COLLECTIVE MEMORY; MEMORY OF GERMAN SUFFERING; HOLOCAUST MEMORY; POLAND; GERMAN-POLISH RELATIONS; ELITES; PUBLIC OPINION

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3167/gps.2008.260404

Publication date: 2008-12-01

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German Politics and Society is a joint publication of the BMW Center for German and European Studies (of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University) and all North American universities associated with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

A peer-reviewed journal, it is the only American publication that explores issues in modern Germany from the combined perspectives of the social sciences, history, and cultural studies. It provides a forum for critical analysis and debate about politics, history, film, literature, visual arts, and popular culture in contemporary Germany. Every issue also includes contributions by renowned scholars commenting on recent books about Germany.
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