Microhistories of Memory: Remediating the Holocaust by Bullets in Postwar West Germany

The West German novel, radio play, and television series Through the Night (Am grünen Strand der Spree, 1955–1960), which depicts the mass shootings of Jews in the occupied Soviet Union during World War II, has gradually regained popularity in recent years. Originally circulated in postwar West Germany, the Holocaust representations embedded in this multi-medium work have shaped cultural memories up until today. Using numerous archival sources, Microhistories of Memory presents three comprehensive case studies to explore production, reception, and circulation of cultural memories, demonstrating the power of informal communication and providing behind-the-scenes insight into postwar memory culture in West Germany.

Magdalena Saryusz-Wolska is research fellow at the German Historical Institute Warsaw and associate professor at the University of Lodz. She is co-author of the monograph Bilder der Normalisierung. Gesundheit, Ernährung und Haushalt in der visuellen Kultur Deutschlands, 1945–1948 (De Gruyter, 2017), among others. Her other publications include contributions to Memory Studies, The Public Historian, and the German Studies Review.