Czollek in Wewelsburg: culture of remembrance between criticism and reconciliation!

Max Czollek reads from "Reconciliation Theater" in the district museum of Wewelsburg on March 19 and addresses German culture of remembrance.
Max Czollek reads from "Reconciliation Theater" in the district museum of Wewelsburg on March 19 and addresses German culture of remembrance. (Symbolbild/ANAG)

Czollek in Wewelsburg: culture of remembrance between criticism and reconciliation!

On March 19, 2025 at 7 p.m., the renowned author Max Czollek will read from his current work "Reconciliation Theater" in the Wewelsburg district museum. This event is part of the international weeks against racism and promises a profound examination of the German culture of remembrance. Czollek is recognized in the literary scene for its previous books, including "Disinstegrated!" and "Creating Conservation".

in "Reconciliation Theater" Czollek is devoted to critical questioning of Germany's self -staging as a purified nation. He analyzes how symbolic gestures from the past, such as the Warsaw Kniefall or the Holocaust memorial, are in contrast to current political developments. These developments include, among other things, the re -establishment of the Berlin city palace and the "turnaround" in German politics, which raise questions about German identity and responsibility.

culture of remembrance in criticism

In the context of his work, Czollek also refers to historical and current discrimination and the persecution of Jews in Germany. He has a special reference at the celebrations for the 1,700-year-old Jewish life in Germany, which took place in January 2021. These celebrations were accompanied by numerous inquiries and expectations, which further complicated to deal with Jewish identity and history. Czollek criticizes that criticism of the social conditions is often associated with expectation to present solutions and do not compare political essays with simple recipes.

The author pursues a thorough analysis of the culture of remembrance in Germany and illuminates the problems that arise from the equation of memory and reconciliation. He refers to the words of Aleida Assmann, who addresses the "Jewish discomfort" in the German memorial culture. The normalization of German nationalism is countered by the processing of history should not be regarded as automatism for reconciliation. Czollek and other critics see the danger that symbolic gestures are not sufficient to address the needs of the survivors and their descendants.

In the contemporary social discussion, the repeated trivialization of right terror and the associated normalization in German society is also emphasized. Czollek argues that today's German society should take an anti -fascist attitude that not only reduces the perception of the past to positive memories. Exact clashes with the effects of persecution and expropriation are necessary to take the needs of minorities seriously.

In summary, Max Czollek conveys a haunting message with his book "Reconciliation Theater". Memory is central to Jewish existence, while the demand for reconciliation often appears to be presumptuous because it reflects the needs of the perpetrators and their descendants. The challenges that arise from the processing of recent history remain unanswered if they are not critically questioned.

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