This course explores the history of the Holocaust through literature, film, art, memoirs, archival material, and other cultural artifacts. We will start by tracing the roots of antisemitism in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Europe, and how it contrasted with the vibrant cultural life of the Jewish people on the eve of Hitler’s rise to power. The bulk of the course will focus on the work produced by perpetrators, witnesses, and survivors during the years of the Nazi regime 1933-1945. Finally, we will close with an in-depth look at the politics of Holocaust memorialization through the lens of cultural memory theory.
