The Reflections Blog offers all those whose family history was affected by the crimes of the Nazis a platform to share their stories and thus contribute to a sustainable future of remembrance. The personal stories of the descendants form the core of this blog – in them the effects of the Nazi persecution on the next generations are revealed.
In our new category ‘Current Research’, we would like to provide insights into different areas of research on the topic of ‘descendants of victims of national socialism’ and show which approaches are being pursued in the disciplines and in different national and cultural contexts. The transgenerational consequences of the crimes of the National Socialists are multifaceted and often intersectional – they are not only evident on a psychological level, but are also reflected in material aspects. Different research disciplines therefore approach these topics from different angles. In this context, it is also interesting to take a look at the similarities and systematic differences in the treatment of and effects on descendants of the various persecuted groups.
We let scientists and researchers have their say and tell us about their research projects on topics such as:
- Sociopolitical commitment of descendants of Nazi persecutees derived from family history
- Transgenerational processing
- Transgenerational trauma transmission
- Effects of social recognition of different persecuted groups
- Diversity of family inheritance of experiences of persecution
- Effects of the continuities of National Socialism and other fascist regimes
- Inner-family aftermath of political resistance against the National Socialists and their allies
and many more areas.
If you would like to contribute to our new category with an article about your research, please contact Gyde Sönksen by email. General information for our guest authors can be found here.
Gyde Sönksen worked for the Reflections blog from November 2020 to April 2025. She now volunteers for the blog, supporting editorial and content-related matters.