Holocaust Representations in History: An Introduction

Description

Holocaust Representations in History is an introduction to critical questions and debates surrounding the depiction, chronicling and memorialization of the Holocaust through the historical analysis of some of the most provocative and significant works of Holocaust representation. In a series of chronologically presented case studies, the book introduces the major themes and issues of Holocaust representation across a variety of media and genres, including film, drama, literature, photography, visual art, television, graphic novels, and memorials. The case studies presented not only include well-known, commercially successful, and canonical works about the Holocaust, such as the film Shoah and Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night, but also controversial examples that have drawn accusations of profaning the memory of the genocide. Each work’s specific historical and cultural significance is then discussed to provide further insight into the impact of one of the most devastating events of the 20th century and the continued relevance of its memory. Complete with illustrations, a bibliography and suggestions for further reading, key terms and discussion questions, this is an important book for any student keen to know more about the Holocaust and its impact. Cover Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page Dedication page Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Holocaust Representations in History: An Introduction Holocaust Representations In History An Introduction PART ONE The 1940s and 1950s 1 The Boy in the Warsaw Ghetto(photograph, 1943): What Do Iconic Photographs Tell Us About the Holocaust? The history of the photograph Doubts and certainties Tempering the influence of iconic images 2 Nazi Concentration Camps(documentary film, 1945): Can the Holocaust Be Adequately Represented on Film? Film as eyewitness Constructing the documentary record Viewing atrocities 3 Yizker-bukh Khelm (memorial book, 1954): How Did Jews Talk About the Holocaust in Its Aftermath? The myth of silence and the question of audience Yizker-bikher: By and for Jews The Yizker-bukh Khelm Yizkor books and the future of Holocaust memory 4 The Diary of Anne Frank(drama, 1955): What is the Americanization of the Holocaust? The complex history of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl Meyer Levin, Otto Frank, Frances Goodrich, and Albert Hackett Beyond the drama 5 Night (memoir, 1956/1958): What Does It Mean To Be a Holocaust Survivor? The men in the mirror From victims to survivors Demystifying the survivor PART TWO The 1960s and 1970s 6 Eichmann in Jerusalem (book, 1963): What Role Do Trials Play in How We Remember the Holocaust? A philosopher and reporter The banality of evil and the Jewish councils Global impact Art of trials 7 The Deputy (drama, 1963): What Role Did the Catholic Church Play in the Holocaust? The Deputy: Documentary theater and moral accusations The Vatican responds and the debate broadens The legacy of The Deputy 8 Il portiere di notte (The Night Porter) (film, 1974): What is the Ongoing Appeal of the Holocaust and Nazism? The controversy around The Night Porter Fascism, still fascinating Neo-Nazisploitation 9 Holocaust: The Story of the Family Weiss (television, 1978): Do Representations for Mass Audiences Trivialize the Holocaust? A tale of mixed marriage Television’s turning point Repercussions in Germany and beyond Holocaust’s repercussions PART THREE The 1980s and 1990s 10 Shoah (film, 1985): What is the Role of Witness Testimony in Representations of the Holocaust? “It was not a world” The critics and Hollywood respond to Shoah The value of witness 11 Maus: A Survivor’s Tale(graphic novel, 1986–1991): How is the Memory of the Holocaust Transmitted Across Generations? The tale of Maus Fact or fiction? The generational challenge 12 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (museum, 1993): How Do Countries Outside Germany Commemorate the Holocaust? A museum on the mall: The “opposite” of the Holocaust The architecture of memory The permanent exhibition Memorials beyond the killing fields 13 Fragments: Memories of a Wartime Childhood (fiction, 1996): What Does it Mean to Lie About the Holocaust? The Wilkomirski Affair Holocaust memory and the era of the witness The Wilkomirski Affair and the abuse of memory PART FOUR The 2000s and Beyond 14 The Children’s Holocaust Memorial (memorial, 2001): How is the Holocaust Used to Teach About Diversity? The project’s origins Criticisms of the project The criteria for success 15 Mirroring Evil: Nazi Imagery/Recent Art (museum exhibition,2002): Has the Memory of the Holocaust Become Too Commercial? (Pre)Judging Mirroring Evil “Duchamp is our Misfortune”: Mirroring Evil and the avant-garde Playing with the Holocaust? 16 Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (memorial, 2005): Is There an End to Holocaust Memory? Germany’s countermonuments The history of the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, 1988–2013 Experiencing the Memorial The end of Holocaust memory? Notes Further Reading Index