Germany’s "coming to terms with the past" has been described and debated in historical writing and novels, in panel discussions and movies. With amazing uniformity, it has centred on the memories, fears, and wishes of those who had - voluntarily or not - belonged to the former German Volksgemeinschaft (People’s Community), while neglecting those groups who had been its victims. In her talk, Professor Stefanie Schüler-Springorum explores the post-war experiences and perspectives of these groups and asks what their stories might mean for the overall narrative of democratization and liberalization in the history of the Federal Republic.
The Gerda Henkel Visiting Professorship is a co-operation of the Department of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the German Historical Institute London (GHIL), and the Gerda Henkel Professor’s home university. Its purpose is to promote awareness in Britain of German research on the history of the German Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic, and to stimulate comparative work on German history in a European context. The first professorship was awarded in 2009.