In this course, we examine how the Holocaust is remembered in contemporary Europe, and the ways it is invoked in relation to antisemitism, October 7 and Israel’s war in Gaza, immigration and other contested issues in the European public discourse. More broadly, we explore the way Holocaust memory has become a “site of tension” between different sides on the political spectrum from the far left to the far right across Europe.

We begin the course by reflecting on the concept of “collective memory,” its importance in the context of the emergence of the modern nation-state and the way memory scholars have nuanced, elaborated, and challenged this concept. We then turn to the unique place Holocaust memory came to assume in Western society since the late 20th century, as the basis for a “cosmopolitan” or “global” memory which underpins the commitment to democracy, human rights, tolerance, and anti-racism. Against this background, we examine the challenges that have been posed to this dominant Holocaust memory from Eastern European governments and right-wing movements, on the one hand, and from scholars and activists identified with the left, on the other.

2026 Course Syllabus