Holokost Bellek Mekanları Üzerine Tematik Bir İnceleme

Abstract

This study is a thematic analysis of Holocaust memory sites in Germany. The conceptual framework of the research is established around the axes of social memory, cultural memory, and memory sites. Within the scope of the study, eleven memory sites were selected as samples to be examined. These are museums, monuments, and counter-monuments that present a narrative mediating the memory of the Holocaust, thereby constructing and transforming cultural and social memory. Therefore, the method of depth hermeneutics, which allows for the analysis of symbolic forms, was preferred as the research method. A panoramic view of the sites revealed that they could be classified under five functional themes. These themes are defined as canonical, alternative, reconciling with the past, surviving, and inherent in everyday life. Under the canonical theme, the most visible sites in the field, integrated into popular culture, showcased, frequently visited within global tourist routes, and those that come to mind first when the Holocaust is mentioned were examined. These are: the Jewish Museum Berlin and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Under the alternative theme, memory sites representing groups that remained in the background within the Holocaust narrative were examined. These are: the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism, the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism, and the T4 Memorial and Information Center for the Victims of the Nazi Euthanasia Program. Under the reconciling with the past theme, the Topography of Terror Museum in Berlin, a memory site providing perpetual reparation to the victims, was examined. Under the surviving theme, memory sites that were attempted to be destroyed by the perpetrators but were unsuccessful and have been reactivated were examined. These are: the Neuer Börneplatz Memorial and Jewish Cemetery, and the Höchst Virtual Synagogue. Under the inherent in everyday life theme, memory sites that are well integrated into landscape architecture were examined. These are: the Frankfurt Angel, the Glass Cube, and the Stumbling Stones. As a result, the functional roles of these memory sites in the construction of social and cultural memory have been revealed. For future research in this field, it is recommended to consider the patterns identified in this study and make choices within the framework of these themes.