Growing Up in the Shadow of the Holocaust


8232How to describe the burden of the state-sponsored mass murder on the generation that followed the Holocaust?

Of the many revealing stories shared in this program, one from German-born historian Frank Biess stands out. When he came to St. Louis as a college student, he was struck by the overt patriotism of Americans. As he explains, most Germans of the post-Holocaust era were so squeamish about appearing too nationalistic that they would never fly their country’s flag in front of their home because it could suggest support for the Neo-Nazis. The one notable exception? Flags were okay if the German soccer team was doing well in the World Cup.

Watch Frank Biess on American Patriotism.

Hear additional accounts of the Holocaust’s shadow on contemporary Germans on The UC San Diego Library Channel. Watch Growing Up in the Shadow of the Holocaust.