Under German Occupation: Europe 1939–1945

Lecture by Prof. Tatiana Tönsmeyer (Wuppertal), followed by a discussion

Wednesday, 4 December 2024, 18:00

Organized by the Pilecki Institute in Berlin and Vitsche

Professor Tatiana Tönsmeyer will present her latest pioneering monograph on the German occupation of Europe. This work, the culmination of a decade of meticulous research, delves into the stark contrasts between everyday life under Nazi occupation in Western and Eastern Europe. In her lecture, Prof. Tönsmeyer will also explore the condition of collective memory in contemporary Germany, including dominant public discourses and prevailing stigmas surrounding the history of Germany´s occupation of Europe.

Key questions to be discussed include: Should the sheer scale of crimes committed during the Second World War lead us to move from the slogan “Never again war” to “Never again occupation”?  Is it a fruitful endeavor to compare various Nazi occupation regimes and the experiences of occupied societies? What insights can such comparisons offer, especially in light of contemporary challenges such as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine?  How could a deeper grasp of German occupation 80 years ago shape today’s political and social perspectives on what the notion of “giving back Ukraine’s territories to Russia” truly implies?

The panel discussion will also address broader themes going beyond the book, including Germany’s Erinnerungskultur (culture of remembrance) and what contemporary scholarship can teach us about the history of resistance, terror, collaboration, and occupation during WWII.