From the film, many of the children of survivors who were interviewed reported that they felt that they could not have a real childhood due to their parents' history. These children felt that they could not express typical emotions of a child, such as sadness, anger, and vulnerability, because they felt that their parents' problems were always larger than their own. These children also felt the constant burden of their parents' past. They felt that there was a sense of "forbidden territory" that could not be crossed, such as getting angry at a parent. This was considered to be unacceptable because of what the parent had endured during the Holocaust. A sense of guilt was also a common topic discussed in the film. These children reported that they felt constant guilt for their own problems, and they did not want to bring them up to their parents because they could never compare. I found this part of the film to be eye-opening, because I have never personally had a block in my relationship with my own parents. To feel this way, I can only imagine it to be very influential on my personality and way of life. I have always felt that having a strong and open relationship with my parents is what makes me a compassionate and understanding individual. Hearing the second generation's stories made me truly appreciate the relationship I have with my own parents.
This film, however, also focuses on the attitudes of the parents, Holocaust survivors. One question raised, which caught my attention, was how do you tell a child this story? How would a parent reveal to his/her innocent child about his/her horrendous past? The parents that spoke in this film made it obvious why this is a controversial issue. The children were expressing how they either wanted to know the stories in order to get a better sense of their family history and legacy, or that they had absolutely no interest in the topic because it seemed to control their family's lives. The parents, however, routinely made it clear that telling their story is anything but easy.
This concept of not wanting to speak about the past, is also relevant in the discussion that the class had with one of Wheelock's visiting scholars, Nicole. Nicole was raised in Germany and still lives there today. Nicole grew up with the Holocaust as an abstract topic that was not frequently brought up. Learning about the Holocaust in school, she never felt guilty to be German. She did, however, feel guilty for humankind to have been capable of such events. Nicole was never given answers as a child. She would ask her Grandmother about the Holocaust and the war, but she was never told her family's side of the story. To this day, Nicole still does not know how/if her family was involved in any way. Nicole told the class that she always had this desire to know, but she never got the answers she was seeking. This discussion gave the class yet another perspective. I was able to draw connections that I have been reading in some of the texts, most notably in the Berger&Berger text. There is this constant theme of confusion and wonder; a quench for answers that is never fulfilled.
We ended this class by watching another film called "Hitler's Children." This documentary focuses on the lives of second and third generation perpetrators of the Holocaust. These children and grandchildren are decedents of extremely high-up perpetrators who were involved in developing, organizing, and carrying out the tasks of Hitler's Nazi regime. The stories that this film focuses on are another perspective regarding the Holocaust. It was fascinating watching this film, because the psychological trauma for these individuals is extremely apparent. Those interviewed express various issues that they have struggled with their entire lives. These range from feeling as if they can not associate with their last name, how there has been a conspiracy of silence in their family history, and being to enraged and disgusted with their family's actions that they have decided to prevent themselves from having children who would carry family lineage. These perspectives were very different than those of the second and third generations of survivors. There is a sense of disgust and disownment, as opposed to guilt and sadness.
I have realized through our studies that each perspective on the Holocaust offers something different. Each perspective aids in our understanding of what to expect when we travel to Germany. Every single individual who has been affected by the Holocaust has a different story to tell, and there is no one generalization for how a survivor or a perpetrator feels and thinks. After this class, I have been wondering how German school systems educate about the Holocaust. Is there a set Holocaust curriculum that is followed? Is the Holocaust and the actions and ideas originating from Hitler and other well-known Germans regarded as being bad and evil? Would this unit be similar to how the US teaches its students about slavery? This has been a question I have had since the beginning; however, more-so now, I ask how do teachers and educators communicate with students who may be decedents of influential perpetrators? Is this a common understanding and sensitivity that is expected of German students?