29704 - History of the Shoah and Genocide (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide the student with a critical knowledge of the events that led to the destruction of European judaism and problems concerning the international historiography of the Shoah and the history of genocides in XX century. By its conclusion, the student will be able to discuss the subjects both in writing and orally employing textual, iconographic and material sources, displaying the appropriate methodologies and bibliographical materials.

Course contents

I.

Genocides: history and historiography

An introduction to the chief aspects of the history of the Shoah and genocides, referring also to the relevant texts in historiography:

• birth of historiography;

• creation of an "archive" of the Shoah;

• Raphael Lemkin and the crime of genocide;

• evolution and criticism of the concept of "uniqueness";

• the "integrated history" in genocide studies;

• the archeology of conflict;

• the topography of the genocide;

• testimony and representation;

• memorials and museums.

 

II.

Justice, reconciliation, forgiveness.

XX century's policies in order to facilitate the transition from genocidal experiences, to ascertain the "truth" about the past and grant reparations, material and symbolic, as recognition of the victims. After an analysis of "transitional justice", the practice of "apology" will be placed at the center: in societies that come to terms with historical injustices, public recognition has indeed emerged in the last two decades of the XX century as a powerful device for the affirmation of human dignity.

Together with a series of exemplary “cases”, we discuss the main reasons for international wave of public, official and collective apologizing acts: rejection of racial hierarchies; renewed interest in morals and ethics; reconsideration of universal human rights and international law; globalization of memory in the post-cold war age; democratization of history; decline of the nation-state and reason of state; growing demand for recognition by victims.

Main topics:

• the question of guilt after the war;

• the difficulties of forgiveness;

• international criminal justice;

• "transitional justice";

• reconciliation policies;

• apologizing for historical injustice;

• function of monuments in traumatized societies (demolition and replacement).

 

Course timetable

From March 20, 2023:

Department of History and Cultures – DiSCi, piazza S. Giovanni in Monte 2

Monday, 11.00-13.00 (aula Torresani)

Tuesday, 11.00-13.00 (aula Torresani)

Wednesday, 11.00-13.00 (aula Torresani)

Readings/Bibliography

Exam bibliography:

1. David Engel, L’olocausto, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005.

2. Antonella Salomoni, Le ceneri di Babij Jar. L’eccidio degli ebrei di Kiev, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2019;

3. Dan Stone, La liberazione dei campi. La fine della Shoah e le sue eredità, Torino, Einaudi, 2017.

4. Jon Elster, Chiudere i conti. La giustizia nelle transizioni politiche, Bologna, il Mulino, 2008 (capitoli 1-3);

5. one of the following:

• Karl Jaspers, La questione della colpa: sulla responsabilità politica della Germania, Milano, Cortina, 1996;
• Vladimir Jankélévitch, Perdonare?, Firenze, La Giuntina, 2004;

6. one of the following:

• Taner Akçam, Nazionalismo turco e genocidio armeno. Dall'Impero ottomano alla Repubblica, Milano, Guerini e Associati, 2006;
• Götz Aly, Zavorre. Storia dell'Aktion T4: l'eutanasia nella Germania nazista, 1939-1945, Torino, Einaudi, 2017;
• Bernard Bruneteau, Il secolo dei genocidi, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005;
• Alon Confino, Un mondo senza ebrei. L'immaginario nazista dalla persecuzione al genocidio, Milano, Mondadori 2017;
• David Fishman, Quei piccoli grandi eroi che salvarono i libri, Newton Compton, 2017;
• Michela Fusaschi, Hutu–Tutsi. Alle radici del genocidio ruandese, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2000;
• R. Gellately, B. Kiernan (a cura di), Il secolo del genocidio, Milano, Longanesi, 2006;
• Jan T. Gross, Un raccolto d'oro. Il saccheggio dei beni ebraici, Torino, Einaudi, 2016;
• Samuel Kassow, Chi scriverà la nostra storia? L'archivio ritrovato del ghetto di Varsavia, Milano, Mondadori, 2009;
• Guenter Lewy, La persecuzione nazista degli zingari, Torino, Einaudi, 2002;
• Norman Naimark, La politica dell'odio. la pulizia etnica nell'Europa contemporanea, Roma, Laterza, 2002;
• Pier Paolo Portinaro, L’imperativo di uccidere. Genocidio e democidio nella storia, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2017;
• Jacques Sémelin, Purificare e distruggere. Usi politici dei massacri e dei genocidi, Torino, Einaudi, 2007;
• Timothy Snyder, Terra nera. L’Olocausto fra storia e presente, Rizzoli, Milano 2015;
• Daniele Susini, La resistenza ebraica in Europa. Storie e percorsi 1939-1945, Roma, Donzelli, 2021.

All the books above are found in the library of the Department of History and Cultures, piazza S. Giovanni in Monte 2

Foreign students may contact the lecturer for an alternative reading list in English.

 

RECOMMENDED READING LIST

Historiography

Michael Berenbaum, Abraham J. Peck (eds.), The Holocaust and History: The Known, the Unknown, the Disputed, and the Re-examined, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Ind., 1998;

Dan Michman, Holocaust Historiography – A Jewish Perspective. Conceptualizations, Terminology, Approaches and Fundamental Issues, London–Portland (Or.), Vallentine Mitchell, 2003 (Pour une historiographie de la shoah. Conceptualisation, terminologie, définitions et problèmes fondamentaux, Paris, In Press Éditions, 2001);

Dan Stone (ed.), The Historiography of the Holocaust, Basingstoke-New York, Palgrave, 2004;

David Bankier, Dan Michman (eds.), Holocaust Historiography in Context: Emergence, Challenges, Polemics and Achievements, Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, 2008;

David Bankier, Dan Michman (eds.), Holocaust and Justice. Representation and Historiography of the Holocaust in Post-War Trials, Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, 2010.

Justice, reconciliation, forgiveness

Elazar Barkan, Alexander Karn (eds.), Talking Wrongs Seriously. Apologies and Reconciliation, Stanford, Stanford University Press, 2006;

Stacy Boldrick, Richard Clay (eds.), Iconoclasm. Contested Objects, Contested Terms, Burlington, VT, Ashgate, 2007;

Christopher Daase, Stefan Engert, Michel-André Horelt, Judith Renner and Renate Strassner (eds.), Apology and Reconciliation in International Relations. The importance of being sorry, Abingdon, Oxon-New York, NY, Routledge, 2016;

Mark Gibney et al. (eds.), The Age of Apology. Facing Up to the Past, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Pres, 2008;

Sandrine Lefranc, Politiques du pardon, Presses Universitaires de france, 2002;

Jennifer M. Lind, Sorry States: Apologies in International Politics, New York, Cornell University Press, 2010;

Martha Minow, Between Vengeance and Forgiveness, Boston, Beacon Press, 1998.

Pier Paolo Portinaro, I conti con il passato. Vendetta, amnistia, giustizia, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2011;

John Torpey (ed.), Politics and the Past: On Repairing Historical Injustices, Lanham, MD, Rowman and Littlefield, 2003.

   

Teaching methods

Lecture; critical analysis of texts.

Regular attendance and participation are recommended.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

The exam will take the form of an oral discussion. The student will be assessed according to the knowledge he has acquired, his ability to provide a clear summary of the topics covered and his critical handling of the material.

The assessment will concentrate particularly on the skill displayed by the student in handling the sources and material in the exam bibliography and his ability to find and use information and examples to illustrate and correlate the various themes and problems addressed in the course.

The assessment will thus examine the student's:

- factual knowledge of the subject;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.
Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.
A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

Teaching tools

Some materials will be available to students in pdf format.

Office hours

See the website of Antonella Salomoni