The Zeitgeist

The Zeitgeist


Episode 25: Defeat or Liberation: The Changing Interpretations of May 8

May 13, 2020

May 8 marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. While the displays of remembrance differed from the past given presence of the coronavirus, it was a momentous date remembered across the globe. In Germany, President Steinmeier’s speech in front of the Neue Wache in Berlin was remarkable, especially in the way he talked about the meaning of liberation: Germany was liberated in 1945 from Nazi tyranny and what that liberation means today.
There has long been an interplay between how average Germans remember a date versus the official narrative. For decades after 1945, there was agreement between elites and average citizens: 1945 was a total, catastrophic defeat. Over time, however, the official narrative started to change: 1945 was a “Befreiung,” a liberation from the horribly oppressive Nazi regime. By 1985, that narrative became the main interpretation, articulated by then-president Richard von Weizsäcker. This concept has resonated with younger generations of Germans. As of the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, in 2015, 90 percent of Germans considered the date to signify liberation—a huge change in how people perceive the event.
Today, it is no longer progressive to consider 1945 just liberation. Rather, some ask if this is another way that average Germans can evade responsibility for their role in the Nazi regime. Could we be at another moment of change in how we perceive 1945?
On this episode of The Zeitgeist, AICGS’ Jeff Rathke and Dr. Eric Langenbacher are joined by Dr. Mario Daniels, DAAD Visiting Professor at the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University, to discuss the changing memory of the end of World War II in Europe and how that resonates today.

Host
Jeff Rathke, President, AICGS
Guests
Dr. Mario Daniels, DAAD Visiting Professor at the BMW Center for German and European Studies, Georgetown University
Dr. Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow and Director, Society, Culture & Politics Program