Authenticity and Victimhood after the Second World War

This edited collection explores memories and experiences of genocide, civilian casualties, and other atrocities that occurred after the Second World War.

Randall Hansen is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto and director of the Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at the Munk School.
Saupe Achim :

Achim Saupe is the director of the Leibniz Research Alliance for Historical Authenticity at the Centre for Contemporary History (ZZF).
Wirsching Andreas :

Andreas Wirsching is the director of the Institute for Contemporary History (IfZ).
Yang Daqing :

Daqing Yang is an associate professor of history and international affairs at George Washington University.

"A wide-ranging set of essays that not only reveals the historical threads woven into the dominant victimhood narratives of World War II in Europe and Asia but also provides astute analysis of the global fabric of collective memory in what the authors call our ‘post-heroic age.’ Fascinating."

Konrad H. Jarausch, Lurcy Professor of European Civilization, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:

"This volume makes an important contribution to the study of memory culture by examining the shift from a celebration of heroism to the authentication of victimhood after the Second World War in Japan and Germany that has ironically made the victim into a new hero. Its suggestive case studies compare European with East Asian experiences through analyses of scholarly accounts as well as media representations of controversies about genocide, war crimes, and forced migration."

Peter Gatrell, Professor of History, University of Manchester:

"This thought-provoking and wide-ranging collection of essays on post-1945 Europe and East Asia is very welcome. The rich case studies with their careful focus on specific domestic political contexts should ensure that this volume will be widely read. I anticipate that its publication will stimulate further comparative research into memory and constructions of victimhood in the modern world."