A new anthology titled Penser l'antisémitisme contemporain. Anthologie critique has been published by Éditions de l'Aube. Edited by Bruno Quélennec and Salima Naït Ahmed, the book explores how antisemitism has persisted and evolved in Germany and Austria since 1945. It brings together both classic and modern studies, including works from the Frankfurt School, the Antisemitism Research Center in Berlin, and recent approaches that incorporate Critical Race Studies. The anthology includes an interview and 16 articles, each accompanied by a short introduction that provides context about the author and their perspective.
The first eight articles examine "antisemitism after Auschwitz," concluding that antisemitism has not disappeared from Austria and Germany but has taken on a different form. Austrian sociologist Bernd Marin describes post-1945 antisemitism as a "antisemitism without antisemites," a widespread prejudice that no longer needs justification but still influences daily thinking and language. German sociologists Werner Bergmann and Rainer Erb introduce the concept of "communicative latency," suggesting that while public expressions of antisemitism are discouraged, it still appears through indirect means, such as targeting immigrants or Zionism.
The collective memory of Nazi atrocities clashes with private memories of German suffering, creating a dynamic where antisemitism is tied to issues of guilt. Rolf Pohl analyzes the resurgence of antisemitism using Adorno's concept of "secondary antisemitism," suggesting a reversal of the relationship between perpetrators and victims. Werner Bergmann and Jan Weyand identify phases of "defensive rejection of guilt," such as distinguishing between "good" and "bad" Germans, blaming Jews for misfortune, emphasizing German suffering, and criminalizing Jews. Klaus Holz defines modern antisemitism as a "national antisemitism," where nationalism is the guiding ideology.
Thomas Haury looks at contemporary antisemitism in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, arguing that antisemitism against Israel is not a new phenomenon and proposes a framework based on a collective self-image shaped by an anti-Jewish enemy image. Karin Stögner's article explores gender-related aspects of antisemitism, noting similarities between portrayals of deviant women and Jews, and how Jewish masculinity is perceived. However, the article lacks empirical examples or data to support its claims.
New Anthology Explores Evolution and Persistence of Antisemitism in Germany and Austria Since 1945
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