The Problem of Historical Memory in Germany During the Chancellorship of Gerhard Schröder

Abstract

This article is an attempt to characterize the state of historical consciousness of the Germans at the turn of the century, during the “red-green” coalition of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (1998—2005). It analyzes how the memory policy was built in the studied period; what factors influenced the formation of the sacrificial narrative of the Germans. The main sources of the article are interviews, memoirs, speeches and addresses by Gerhard Schroeder, Willy Brandt, Gunter Grass, officials of European countries and Russia on the issue of the traumatic past, and media publications. It is concluded that the main component of the historical memory of the German society at the moment is the memory of the defeated side's suffering in the last stage of the war. The appeal to the sacrificial aspect of historical memory was actively used by opposition circles to achieve political goals; their harsh rhetoric often created problems for the current chancellor in solving foreign policy problems. The book "The Trajectory of the Crab" by G. Grass was largely responsible for public discussions of the "sacrificial narrative" in Germany. It is largely due to this book that the narrative has become part of the German memory culture. The actualization of the sacrificial narrative in Germany led to a historical conflict with the closest eastern neighbours, primarily Poland and the Czech Republic, so Gerhard Schröder had to subtly maneuver in the memory space in order to achieve the results of the “eastern policy”, expand the EU, include countries, where the problem of the expelled was felt most acutely. At the same time, with Russia, despite the actualization of the sacrificial narrative in the space of historical memory, there is a maximum rapprochement and reconciliation.