A Historian's Diary

Week 3

Holocaust Memorial Day: Reflecting on the 80th Anniversary of Auschwitz’s Liberation

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by the Soviet Red Army, a pivotal moment in world history. Auschwitz looms large over Germany’s historical narrative, often serving as a dividing line in perceptions of its past—a “before and after Auschwitz” view that dominates German historiography. In Germany, this perspective gave rise to the Sonderweg thesis, which posits that German history followed a ‘special path’ leading inevitably to Nazism and the Holocaust. However, this theory has faced criticism, particularly from Anglo-American scholars who argue against such deterministic interpretations. My own understanding of Auschwitz does not align with the Sonderweg thesis.

My journey in Holocaust history began in May 1967, when I first learned about Nazi camps and genocide. An uncle, who had visited Bergen-Belsen shortly after its liberation in March 1945 as part of a British government-organized trip, described the horrors he had witnessed. He believed Nazi genocide was the product of extreme capitalism, which, in his view, had corrupted German society. Around the same time, I also heard harrowing accounts from another uncle, an Austrian Jew who arrived in Britain via the Kindertransport in 1938. These early encounters left an indelible impression.

In 1970, my father bought me a copy of William Shirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, sparking my deeper engagement with the subject. Around that time I was captivated by Dr Jacob Bronowski remarkable TV series - The Ascent of Man. In episode 11 - Knowledge or Certainty? - I was listening to his account of German science under the Nazis. He ended in Auschwitz with Bronowski stepping into one of the pools where the ashes of the dead were poured. That moment has remained with me ever since, it’s perhaps the moment I became galvanised by the human condition and the Holocaust.

In May 1983, during the Cold War, I visited Poland and Auschwitz for the first time. Poland was under martial law, and walking with a camera drew suspicion from the authorities. Despite these challenges, the visit was transformative. I returned to Auschwitz after the Cold War, on a quiet summer afternoon when the site was virtually deserted. Although empty, the camp was meticulously preserved, a stark reminder of its historical weight.

During the 1990s, as I began leading historical tours, Auschwitz became a regular stop. I observed its evolution over time, particularly after the 50th-anniversary commemoration in 1995, which saw tensions between Jewish and Polish communities. Visitor numbers increased significantly in subsequent years, and on one of my later visits, the site was overwhelmed by crowds—a testament to its enduring relevance.

Having visited numerous former camps, execution sites, and places of Nazi terror, I am continually struck by the overwhelming scale of the Holocaust’s horror. Commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day is essential. It serves as a solemn reminder of history’s darkest chapters and a warning to protect the freedoms we often take for granted.

The Book Project

The secondary reading for my book project has been guided by a SWOT analysis and began with a refresh of the concept of security warfare, as detailed in my book Hitler’s Bandit Hunters (2006). One chapter explores the period from pre-1870 to the rise of the Third Reich, focusing on how colonial war doctrines were transplanted into Europe. This reexamination prompted reflections on the doctrines of security developed by 1919 and later adopted in the right-wing counterrevolution against Munich’s Red Republic. Much of this analysis stems from long-standing discussions with Jürgen Zimmerer, a leading colonial historian at Hamburg University and an old friend from my days attending the Total War conferences. Zimmerer’s recent open-access publication on colonialism and the Holocaust provides further insights: https://lit-verlag.de/isbn/978-3-643-25149-7/

Paul Weindling’s Health, Race and German Politics Between National Unification and Nazism, 1870–1945 (Cambridge, 1993) has also been a crucial reference. This magisterial work aligns with the timeframe of my research (1870–1942) and offers vital insights. However, I find some of Weindling’s conclusions, particularly about German industrialists and academics, lacking in documentary evidence. Additionally, the book highlights the socio-economic conditions—urban squalor and industrial dystopia—that drove mass German migrations in the late 19th century, a theme worth further exploration.

As an Anglo-American historian of German history, I have also engaged with British Empire scholarship, particularly Alan Lester’s The Truth About Empire (Hurst, 2024). https://www.hurstpublishers.com/?s=Alan+Lester

Lester’s work addresses contemporary populism and the myth of empire as a “positive” force, countering such narratives in the ongoing culture wars. In my research, I have found no evidence to support the notion of colonialism as a benign experience—whether in German colonies or elsewhere.

Dan Stone’s Histories of the Holocaust (2010) has been another key resource, particularly his chapter “Genocide, the Holocaust, and the History of Colonialism.” Stone summarizes arguments that German colonial extremism and genocide in South-West Africa were precursors to the Holocaust. While compelling, the book fails to articulate what Imperial Germany aimed to achieve through its colonies. Without addressing this purpose, Stone’s critique of the Sonderweg theory risks losing focus.

Recently, I re-read Henning Melber’s The Long Shadow of German Colonialism (Hurst, 2024), which provides a modern reassessment of Germany’s colonial legacy: https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/the-long-shadow-of-german-colonialism/

Closing Thoughts

Finally, on a personal note, I’ve recovered from a bout of illness that briefly stalled my progress. After a consultation on Friday, a new health regime has been established, allowing me to resume work on this vital project. More updates to follow next week.