History and Memory in Comparative Genocide Studies

This course deepens your knowledge about various forms of memory and representation of the Holocaust and other instances of genocide and mass political violence in Europe, with a particular emphasis on comparisons between its western and eastern regions. Key theories will be discussed, as well as distinctions between concepts such as social, cultural and collective memory and their relationship to state- and nation-building processes. Departing from different representations of the Holocaust, we will analyse how various forms of mass political persecution are negotiated on European, regional, national and local levels. While focusing on the developments in Europe since the 1980s, you will also be required to draw comparisons to similar processes in other parts of the world, such as the United States, Armenia, Rwanda and Cambodia.