Speicherung und Transformation nationalsozialistischer Gewalt - Thesen zum praxeologischen Archiv der Waffen-SS

Abstract

"The essay is an enquiry into the storage and transformation of national socialist violence as well as an analysis of the transfer and the modification of the self-perception of the SS into the early Federal Republic of Germany. The central focus of the essay is placed on the photography collections of two former members of the Waffen SS, an SS general and a common soldier. During the 1950's, both were organized in the 'Hilfsgemeinschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit' (HIAG) (aid organization based on mutuality). The HIAG offered a framework for the transfer of social practices and social interaction from the national socialist into the democratic society. The essay describes the 'praxeological archive' of the Waffen SS and stresses its importance for the social cohesion of the HIAG." (author's abstract)