- Summary
- In post-World War Two Germany, silence and denial were common reactions to the Holocaust and Nazi era. The inability of the war generation to accept personal responsibility for the atrocities committed created a collective shadow. Guilt and shame were passed on to subsequent generations. This study inquired into the experience of third postwar generation Germans residing in United States of exploring their feelings about this era through expressive arts.In a modified co-operative inquiry, six co-researchers engaged in six person-centered expressive arts sessions, each followed by a group discussion. Co-Researchers' artwork and transcripts of the group reflections served as study data. During data analysis, collage of research data was used as arts-based inquiry tool to deepen the immersion. Transcripts were analyzed thematically. Research findings are presented as artwork interwoven with a discussion of main themes identified.In this process of collective shadow work, co-researchers explored feelings of being overwhelmed, numb, frozen, or fragmented before grief and compassion emerged, and a sense of bearing the legacy shifted into a being-with-it. Several key parameters supported this transformation: use of expressive arts in an experiential encounter to engage the body and express feelings beyond words; support by a group with similar experiences let collective issues become visible; and the person-centered approach allowed feelings to be expressed without judgment. Co-Researchers found the dichotomy of victim and perpetrator not useful. Instead they needed to hold the tension arising from the complexity of the German legacy, in which murderous acts and suffering lie closely together. For most, the taboo of the collective silence left gaps of not knowing or not wanting to know their families' histories. Working with a group of Germans only was important to access feelings of shame, numbness, or being overwhelmed. The cultural and geographical distance of living in United States facilitated co-researchers' explorations.This study suggests a new path of engagement with the German legacy beyond accusatory attitudes and moral analyses that perpetuate shame and guilt feelings. Developing compassion and expressing grief are essential to take responsibility for remembering, as well as for recognizing our own human potential for evil.
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- Hartke, Claudia Else.
- Published
- [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 2012
- Notes
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Dissertations and Theses
