History, Trauma and Shame Beyond the Past ― Reclaiming the Self

Many years have passed since the end of a war that saw the destruction of millions of Jewish people in Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe, yet questions remain about how those from opposite sides of history can peacefully live alongside each other in the aftermath of extreme violence. Offering a stark contrast to texts that are merely about the past, History, Trauma and Shame beyond the Past focuses on the process of dialogue with the past. It is an in-depth examination of the sustained dialogue about the past between children of Holocaust survivors and descendants of families where parents were either directly or indirectly involved in Nazi crimes.

Providing a close examination of the process of dialogue amongst participants that took place over the course of several years, the book explores how Holocaust trauma affects the everyday lives of descendants of survivors, and how both destructive and restorative elements emerge in the context of the dialogue. Taking an autobiographical narrative perspective, the book explores the intersection of history, trauma and shame; illuminates moments of empathy; and demonstrates how transformation unfolds over time. Going beyond the usual intergroup perspective, this book looks at the complicated nature of dialogue, and shines the spotlight on both the internal dynamics that play out among the participants and the external and discursive aspects of the dialogue.

History, Trauma and Shame beyond the Past will be of great interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students engaged in the study of social psychology, Holocaust or genocide studies, cultural studies, reconciliation studies, historical trauma and peacebuilding. It should also be essential reading for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and psychoanalysts.

Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela is Professor and Research Chair of Historical Trauma and Transformation at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.