This summer it became particularly clear that the attacks on memory are massively hindering the work of memorials. Swastika graffiti was recently discovered every week in Buchenwald. The topic nevertheless disappeared from the media focus for the moment. The reason: On October 7th, the terrorist organization Hamas attacked the Israeli civilian population. October 7th marks a profound turning point in Israel’s history – with drastic effects also for Jews in Germany.
This also has a lot to do with the topic of this situation report, as current incidents show. They make it clear how the memory of National Socialism is being attacked in order to agitate against the State of Israel. Israel-related antisemitism and post-Shoah antisemitism often go hand in hand. Because of attacks on memory from all sides, the culture of remembrance is cracking.
The extreme right wants these cracks in memory. Cracks become larger and deeper over time. By 2017 at the latest, with Höcke’s Dresden speech, it became clear: the extreme right wants even more.
It wants to tear down the culture of remembrance and set a memorial that puts the crimes of the National Socialists into perspective. This has the effect that memorial sites are increasingly becoming the target of attacks and vandalism.
