Memory, Identity, and Representation: The Limits of Theory and the Construction of Testimony*

Abstract

Starting from the perspective that Holocaust theory offers a paradigmatic framework that may form the basis for overall reflection on phenomena of extreme violence in modernity, the question of the significance of the Holocaust in understanding the possibilities and limits of reconstructing identities in post-traumatic contexts is reviewed. The role of testimony, in particular, is emphasized as representing a space for translation conducive to overcoming victim status and affirming public memory and post-memory.