The perspective of contemporary witnesses

At the beginning of the 21st century, Geschichtswerkstatt Europa asks about the future of remembrance regarding the Second World War, as changes are occuring in European cultures of memory through the gradual waning away of witnesses taht are able to give a first-hand account. Having called on the implicit authenticity of first-hand reporters, nowadays contemporary wittnesses alone are no longer able to legitimise the cultural practice of remembering the catastrophes of 20th century history. The discussion of reasons and consequences of these confronts us with new methodical, moral and didactical challenges.

How can younger generations critically come to terms with the accounts of different generations, sharing different experiences? How can they look behind the codes, patterns and strategies of accounts within the specific contexts from which they emanated, without questioning their validity as a whole? How is it possible to keep perceiving wittnesses as individuals in their own right within a hermeneutical process that subjects them to critical scrutiny? How can the simultaneous actions of approaching and distancing oneself, while constantly transgressing the borders of empathical proximity and analytical distance, be of gain to both wittnesses and researchers?

In order to follow up on these questions, different projects of Geschichtswerkstatt Europa have put contemporary wittnesses into the focus of their undertakings. Other projects employ the methods of Oral History in order to further contextualise their research. What unites them: they are among the last projects that will be able to call on this source of legitimisation of their dealing with the history of World War Two and the Holocaust.