Resistance to Persecution of the Jews as a European subject – Research, Remembrance, and Musealization

The Silent Heroes Memorial Center in the German Resistance Memorial Center Foundation commemorates Jews who resisted Nazi persecution and those who helped them. These helpers, often referred to as “silent heroes,” show that it was indeed possible to support those suffering persecution.

Throughout Europe there were Jews who sought ways to avoid being deported and murdered. This was generally only possible with the help of people willing to offer support. Taking great personal risk, the helpers procured food and forged identity documents, offered escape assistance, arranged lodgings or took in Jews. Going “underground” or into hiding and helping individual Jews in the face of the mass murder of European Jews was a form of resistance to the National Socialist dictatorship.

Not until the 1990s did a broad public begin taking a closer look at the “silent heroes.” However, there were already efforts much earlier to make their courageous actions known.

On the initiative of some surviving Jews, in 1963 the Israeli Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem started honoring non-Jewish helpers as Righteous Among the Nations. Up to January 2022, roughly 28,200 men and women had received this honor for their aid efforts.

In addition to various tributes, a musealization of the subject since the 1980s has also been observed. A number of Holocaust memorial sites and resistance museums in various countries now deal with resistance to the persecution of the Jews in their permanent exhibitions. Some exhibitions are dedicated explicitly to this subject, such as the Silent Heroes Memorial Center in Berlin.

Most scholarly research focusses on individual countries; similarly, most exhibitions generally also have a national perspective. This is only beginning to change. In recent years a Europeanization of the commemoration of rescue as a form of resistance can sometimes be observed in Europe’s museums. Comparable research from a European perspective is only beginning.

This conference aims to contribute to filling the research gaps and especially to stimulate comparative studies. Such research desiderata can already be identified in the previous conditions, as hardly any comparative studies exist, for example, on anti-Jewish measures in various countries. Especially with respect to resistance to the persecution of Jews, comparative perspectives are lacking up to now.

We look forward to receiving applications for papers addressing in particular the following aspects and issues:

- Papers focusing on the situation in various regions and countries, gladly also from a comparative perspective—e.g. trans-European escape routes and escape efforts, anti-Jewish measures and punishment for assisting Jews in various countries, case studies from regions previously having received little attention, denunciation and Jewish “snatchers” (Greifer) in various countries.

- Papers on networks, groups, acts of resistance, and subjects that have previously received little attention—e.g. public protests against anti-Jewish measures, armed resistance by Jews, gray areas of assistance such as the exploitation of Jews, forgery workshops in occupied Europe, the situation of children in hiding.

- Papers on the reception of the subject—e.g. postwar situation of Jews and helpers, efforts to honor helpers, musealization of the subject, nationalization vs. Europeanization of remembrance, heroization of helpers, instrumentalization of the subject for political purposes.

- Papers addressing resistance to the persecution of the Jews as a subject for educational work—e.g. special challenges and offers, best practice examples.

Other suggestions are certainly welcome.

Please send us a brief description of your planned talk (max. 3,000 characters) as well as a short curriculum vitae by November 15, 2024.

The conference will be held in-person. Conference languages are German and English.

Travel and accommodation expenses can be reimbursed for presenters.

Submission modalities:
Please submit the following in pdf format to Uta Fröhlich at: froehlich@gdw-berlin.de by November 15, 2024:
Abstract (max. 3,000 characters), curriculum vitae, and contact information