Remembering Guilt as a Social Project: Some Reflections on the Challenge of Working through the Past

Abstract

In light of the atrocities of National Socialism, the challenge of working through the past has become a crucial issue. The end of Communism has reinforced the urgency of this challenge. Coming to terms with an ethically problematic past takes place at several levels (jurisdictional/legal, political, mental). A central challenge is to keep memory alive and thereby to gain appropriate insights. However, the demand for constructive forms of remembrance should not be overloaded with expectations that are impossible to meet. The acceptance of guilt or responsibility requires an atmosphere of mercy and forgiveness, and is threatened by impatience. In this context, historical research can be seen as a form of ‘pathological inquiry’ into time and the past, providing mental and moral orientation for the present generation of humans; reflection about the past may be an important aspect of tackling the challenge of the present. Such historical research must always critically assess its own interest and beware of a drift towards becoming ideological grounded in a certain kind of moralism. The one who sees the light of the Promise of Easter above the graves of the past can conclude, following Cordelia Edvardson: ‘The past is at our mercy’.