On the Importance of Complicity – Panel Discussion with Historians

On Tuesday, December 6, 2022 from 6 – 8 pm, we will address the topic of voluntariness in the context of participation in National Socialist crimes. We cordially invite you to a panel discussion at the “Topf & Sons – Builders of the Auschwitz Ovens Place of Rememberance” in Erfurt. On behalf of the DFG-Research Unit on Voluntariness Christiane Kuller and Elena M. E. Kiesel from the project “Voluntariness and Dictatorship” welcome three guests to the panel:

Prof. Dr. Thomas Lindenberger

Hannah-Arendt-Institute for Totalitarism Studies | Technische Universität Dresden

PD Dr. Annegret Schüle

Chief Curator of the Topf & Sons – Builders of the Auschwitz Ovens Place of Rememberance | Erfurt

Prof. Dr. Jens-Christian Wagner

Director of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Momorials Foundation | FSU Jena

The discussion is inspired by questions that historians and politics of memory already critically address: What historical responsibility falls to employees whose everyday work made crimes against thousands of concentration camp prisoners possible? Were they or, for example, the craftsman building a camp at the same time participants in National Socialist crimes? Yet, questions like these also stimulate critical reflection on voluntariness as a historical category.

We expect an exciting debate and look forward to comments from the audience!

Please register for the event via fsj.topfundsoehne@erfurt.de

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What Else Is New?

We are Hiring…Join our Team!

A position as research assistant within the Research Unit on “Voluntariness” is available at the University of Erfurt. Historians specializing in the field of North American History may apply by May 4, 2024, at the latest.

Workshop “Freiheit – Unfreiheit – Freiwilligkeit” in Berlin

On October 10, 2023, Jürgen Martschukat and Florian Wagner, PIs in our subprojects on “Voluntariness as Political Practice” and “Voluntariness and Repatriation”, are going to participate in a workshop on “Freiheit – Unfreiheit – Freiwilligkeit” at the Freie Universität Berlin.