Changing culture of remembrance: Questions about the past and future in Osnabrück

Changing culture of remembrance: Questions about the past and future in Osnabrück

On Sunday, March 9, 2025, the Philosophical Café invites you to the event in the Blue Note Café in Osnabrück. Breakfast will be offered at 10 a.m., followed by the actual discussion, which begins at 11:30 a.m. In this round, the important topic of the culture of remembrance in Germany will be discussed. Admission is free; prior registration is not required. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. For Arnim Regenbogen from the University of Osnabrück, the event will raise some profound questions:

• Benötigen wir Rückblicke auf private und öffentliche Lebensumstände?
• Welche Rolle spielen Rituale, Texte, Bilder sowie Denk- und Mahnmäler?
• Wie gestalten wir die Erinnerungskultur heute?
• Welche Bedeutung hat das Nichtvergessen für das Weiterleben unserer Gesellschaft?

These topics are more relevant than ever, especially in view of the changing temporal distance to the events of National Socialism. In Germany, January 27th, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, was established internationally as a day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust. This day commemorates the systematic extermination of six million European Jews and other victim groups such as Sinti, Roma, homosexuals and people with disabilities who were persecuted by the Nazi regime DW reported.

Culture of remembrance as a central challenge

The memory of the Nazi crimes remains a central challenge for German society. Numerous memorials, including the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Memorial to the Persecuted Sinti and Roma, serve not only as places of remembrance, but also as platforms for education and inspiration. The need to address history and confront negative social trends is seen as central to preventing future repetitions, such as bpb documented.

The discussion about these topics is also highly topical because social acceptance of extreme right-wing and right-wing populist opinions has increased, which makes the debate about the culture of remembrance even more difficult. Anti-Semitic incidents have increased in Germany, especially after Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023. Political actors, such as Jens Christian Wagner from the Buchenwald Memorial, are therefore under increasing pressure from right-wing extremist groups that are hostile to the memory of the Holocaust, such as DW highlights.

Remembrance and responsibility

The necessary confrontation with Germany's burdened history is also evident in schools. Pupils learn about National Socialism in history lessons and visit memorial sites. This professional and social responsibility will become even more important in the future in order to shape the culture of remembrance not only emotionally, but also rationally and based on facts. It is crucial that the memory of the victims of National Socialism and education about human rights remain alive and are accessible to all generations.

For the Philosophical Café on Sunday, a framework is created in which both those responsible and those participating in the discussion can move from reflecting on the past to taking responsibility for the future. In order to promote the exchange, there is contact with Prof. Dr. Arnim Regenbogen from the University of Osnabrück, whose email address can be accessed via the event announcement.