Apologia and Redemption. Representations of Ordinary Germans in Contemporary Films on World War II and the Holocaust.

“Apologia and Redemption. Representations of Ordinary Germans in Contemporary Films on World War II and the Holocaust.” A painful aspect of coming to terms with the Nazi past is the realization that ordinary Germans — for many Germans, their parents or grandparents — were complicit in war crimes and genocide. Reaching massive audiences, contemporary German TV productions tackle this uncomfortable truth by featuring protagonists who become murderers. Yet, for today’s viewers to embrace these flawed characters as their kin, these productions wrap their crimes into apologetic narratives. The protagonists also redeem themselves through unlikely acts of resistance against the regime. “Apologia and Redemption” thus epitomizes Germany’s flawed attempts to address the past.

Photo Credit: View from Ministergärten towards Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe own work by www.alexanderblum.de